Odie (Photo credit: kmaraj)

Have I mentioned how expensive my cats are?

“I’m putting two cats through college,” I tell friends, when I explain why I can’t afford to go out to dinner. They nod sympathetically, but really as anyone who watches You Tube knows, Maru, the Japanese wonder cat has to work for a living.

Saffron and Odie just lie around looking adorable. Well, Odie looks adorable. Saffron looks melancholy and dignified, as befits his advanced age.

One friend has suggested I start a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their care.

One of my neighbors, God love him, routinely shows up with cans of food. Josef is a softhearted Hungarian who is in love with a dog named Margie that he takes care of at the local animal shelter.

Every few days I’ll come home to find some new obscure brand of cat food in a neat stack outside my door. Or, Josef will call and ask to come over. The moment he comes through the front door he croons, “Here, baby.” Not to me – to the cats.

He scratches Odie’s ears and rubs his tummy. If he can coax Saffron out from under the desk, he’ll pat his head and whisper sweet nothings. And he’ll put more cans of food into my outstretched hands.

The litter, alone, has jacked up my grocery bills. Not to mention more toys for Odie to assuage my guilt over disrupting his happy little conflict-free paradise, and keeping both boys in Greenies and dry food. Thank goodness they drink tap water!

Seriously, I had two huge vet bills on my October MasterCard statement. I’m working to support Odie and Saffie now. Retirement? Ha! We’re living on kitty love over here, and the charity of neighbors and friends.

But in the spirit of our impending Thanksgiving celebration, let me say how grateful I am for Odie and Saffron. Watching Saffron improve with the medication he’s taking and flourish with the love he’s getting is deeply satisfying. And Odie keeps me laughing with his antics. He is sitting beside me now purring. My boys are good companions and I’m thankful.