> I have a 15-year-old cat, Callie, who has imposeable thumbs (She has 7 toes on both of her front feet so it looks like she has thumbs).

Ah, a polydactyl. Those are the best kind of cats to have -- they always have the most distinct personalities. Mine's a monster. ;)

> If she's not doing that, she's cleaning someone. When I wake up in the morning, she likes to lick my hands and arms all the time. She likes to clean my brother's face.

Do you or your brother wear any kind of lotion or deoderant? Cats are attracted to certain types of chemicals, and sometimes even plastics. My Aby will lick photos; another cat will nearly eat my digits if I have on a certain lotion.

> Sugar doesn't want to be pet unless she has to sit on her rear end and jump for your hand. She quite hysterical when she tries to meow. She doesn't meow. Every once in a while she does squeak one out.

I have a cat like that. Magoo (shortened Goo; named by my brother) is this big half-Persian cat with a commanding presence, but he has the quiet mewl of a newborn kitten. You can barely hear him. Amy is much the same, although she can let out an attention-grabbing wail when she so chooses.

Ri "the town ailurophile" a