Bumgardner the Entertainer

Bumgardner was always one of the loudest kittens at the shelter. For some reason, he was hanging out in the big cat room. He was a small kitten, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Being a volunteer in the cat kennels, I get to know the cats really well, and there has never been a kitten to have such an impact on me as Bumgardner had. His nickname was "The Terrorist" because he was so wild, but I found that to be a great quality of his. I would pick him up, and he would immediately launch himself out of my arms, landing wherever he could. But when I sat in the chair in the cat room, he would make his way to me, and snuggle right up. He was so wild and fun, I ended up taking him home (just to foster, mind you) so he could keep my little cat Frankie company. I had three girl cats and Frankie at the time, and Frankie was just terrorizing the girls. They hated him! The second Bummie got out of the crate at my house, he started to make himself at home, and an immediate friendship blossomed between the two crazy boys. That was last September, and ever since they have been wrestling and romping around the house. They get a little rough with each other at times, but they know each others limits. Sometimes they gang up on the girls, but they really just love playing with each other. Recently, I took in a mama cat who had kittens at my house. Since day one, Bumgardner has tried to be a part of their lives. He tried mercilessly to sneak into the room, where the mama cat was ready to shred him. Eventually, the kittens started to be integrated into the rest of the household, and Bummie took them under his wing. He has played papa to them--or should I say mama? He lets the kittens nurse on him, or attempt to. He follows them around, teaches them the tricks of being a cat, and is generally just awesome with them. He cleans them when they're gross little kittens, and lets them have the first bites of food. To say the least, Bumgardner is the perfect cat for my cat family. Its been almost a year since he came to live with us, and I love him more and more each day. He warms my heart and brightens my day. In fact, today, as I left the house, I said goodbye to Bummie, and he meowed back. He does this every day, as if he is saying, "I'll take care of things around here while you're gone, mom, don't worry." I love this cat.