Meet Stash

This is Stash.

See, he has half a mustache. So the name we gave him is also half a mustache.

Hence, Stash or Stashie. (Should be spelled "Stache" or "Stachie", but who would pronounce it correctly?)

Stash is an older gentleman who has decided that two houses in our neighborhood are wonderful places to hang out -- our house and the house of our across-the-street neighbors.

However, our across-the-street neighbors currently own an eeeeeeevil boxer named Thor.

Thor likes cats.

Thor likes cats on bread with a little mayonnaise.

We don't like Thor.

Our across-the-street neighbors are concerned for Stashie's welfare because they would hate for Thor to somehow get out and have an unscheduled lunch. Together, we've been trying to convince Stashie that THIS house is a better house to hang out.

As is evidenced in the photograph, Stashie is starting to get the idea. I'm sure that, being a stray, he probably hasn't had an un-interrupted sleep in, oh.... ever. The day I took this photo, he tried out the couch, found it to his liking, and was out COLD. The kids were making all kinds of noise, we talked right over him, the tv was on... he didn't budge once. How sweet that he felt protected enough to sleep that hard!

We think Stash is probably about six or seven years old. He's HUGE -- tall and long (not fat). He's a neutered male, so he must have belonged to someone, once. He deals with Sadie, our very put-upon border collie mix, but doesn't pretend to like her. At some point in his life, someone shut a door on his tail, because it kinks in two different places which are about the same distance apart as the thickness of a door. He's smart -- he's figured our "Wanna eat?" and "Wanna go out?" fairly quickly. We've also discovered that he is a real lap cat. Since he's so big, though, he has trouble fitting all his limbs in our laps, and ends up in the funniest positions trying to keep all his legs in the general vicinity. :)

If we can get him to stay inside, I think he'll make a fine successor to our dear Soco, who passed away almost two years ago.

Looks like we've got a new member in The Alphabet Gang. Who knew we were going to add an "S"? I thought we were going for "F" next? :D

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