Colby

   Hi! This is Colby. I'm sure you have heard a little bit about me if you read this column. I am one of the two cats that own C and Sophie. I know that they think it is the other way around, but it is not true.
   You have probably heard quite a bit about my big bother Scamp. He's an interesting guy. I'm glad he is my brother. He's a lot of fun to play with and is a quiet napper. He's also a good match for me when we tussle.
   I was adopted from a rescue group about five years ago. My foster mom named me Mr. Bottomsley. That's because I was really shy. I liked to hide under furniture and all you could see was my back end. When I came to live with C and Sophie, they gave me a new name. They named me Colby.
  Colby is a strange name. It means coal town or dark. I'm not dark. I have a cheerful,happy personality. I'm an orange cat so not even my fur is dark. I asked Sophie why they named me Colby. She said it was because my fur is orange like Colby cheese. It's still strange, but it makes a little more sense to me. She did live in Wisconsin for a period of time and she really really likes cheese. I tried some cheese once. I don't like it.
  I am the Chief House Cat here. That means that it is my job to make sure that Scamp and my humans are safe. Several times a day I make the rounds of the house sniffing anything that looks suspicious. Part of my job is to make sure intruders know that they are not welcome. To do this I leave my scent on  various parts of the house. I do this by rubbing my cheeks on the corners of the wall, chairs and other objects. I also lay on C and Sophie's clothing to leave a little hair on them so everyone knows who they belong to. Scamp does this as well.
  I like my job. I am very curious about things and enjoy investigating new things. I have figured out that if I were a little taller I could open the door to the store room. Then I could get to the food inside.
  I'm a very handsome cat. I know this because when I have to go to the vet, the vet techs tell me so. I am a tabby cat with big, gold eyes. I think my stripes are really cool. My chest, belly and paws are white. I have to make sure that I clean them carefully. I have a nice smile. (Yes, I do smile when I am happy.) My favourite thing about myself is my tail. I have the coolest tail. It's about a foot, striped and white at the tip. When I walk I hold it straight up with a little bit of a curl at the end.
   One of my favourite things to do is read. Sophie reads a lot and sometimes I will sit on her lap and try to read with her. I sit on her lap even when she is not reading. As long as I don't try to chew on the yarn when she is trying to sew I can sit on her lap whenever I want. Sometimes the reason why I sit on her lap is because she is sitting in my chair. A year or so ago, C bought this big pillow that sits on the floor. I think he bought it for Sophie since she likes sitting on the floor. I like it too. Sometimes I will lure Sophie away from it so that I can lay on it.
   I'm not a loud cat. I leave that to Scamp. I can meow without making a sound and have a very soft purr. It sounds like I'm wheezing. Scamp has tried to tell me how to purr louder, but I just can't do it. That's OK. I have lots of other sounds that I can make.
   It is time for me to get going. Supper will be served in about an hour. I need to get cleaned up before then. Bye.