The animals I work with

We're quickly running out of Daily Breeze pets to write about. Oh sure, there are other dog and cat owners, but they sniff at the idea of posting pictures of their pets.

One of my colleagues -- who shall remain nameless -- mocked me for having a photo of my dog on my cell phone. But guess what? She recently got a kitten couldn't resist snapping a few pictures on HER phone.

That's OK, we only like cool animals here.  Take, for instance, Charlot. Charlot belongs to Mike Carroll, the Breeze's editorial page editor. Charlot enjoys lounging, getting into it with the cat across the street, and apparently not much else. I like that in a cat.

Here's what Mike has to say about about his kitty:

Charlot (French for "Charlie" and pronounced "Sharl-OH has been a member of the Carroll family since he was just a kitten who slept in a straw basket. Now 7 years old, the black and tan, long-furred tabby enjoys stalking birds, lounging on furniture and an occasional brawl with his arch enemy across the street.

Charlot recovered from an accident in his youth that required a midnight emergency room visit and an $800 hip operation, but he's healthy now, although his sitting posture is somewhat unbalanced. Visitors have remarked, after seeing the cat stretched out on a piano bench for hours on end, that, "Your cat seems lethargic." To which my wife, Eugenie, responds, "And your point is?"

Naturally, our three daughters love the cat and often make him the center of attention, although they concede that he's only slightly more animated than a Pet Rock. His favorite lounge spot during meal preparation time is smack in the kitchen's center, where he can gain maximum attention to his own hunger with minimal effort. For unknown reasons, Charlot is popular with the veterinarian's staff members, who usually remark when he emerges from his traveling box, "Oh, you're a handsome cat, aren't you? Yes, you are ..."

To date, we've yet to identify a strong, socially redeeming reason for Charlot's existence, other than my wife's observation that, "Well, at least his colors and markings go with the furniture."