Name: Railroad Spike

Alias: Spike

Gender: Male

Height: 14"

Weight: 18 lbs.

Species: Feline, Domestic Cat

Breed(s): Gray Tabby

Birthday: May, 2005

Age: Two Years

How Animal was Obtained: I had been looking to purchase a young female fancy rat or two not long before I recieved a phone call from our vet.
We go there quite often for even the tiniest things; a torn claw, a runny eye, you know the likes. We care about our animals, and the manager called. She said that she found a tiny gray tabby kitten alone in the bushes, abandoned by her apartment.
She took him to the office, had him neutered and got all of his vaccinations, and asked if we would like to adopt him. He was $70.00, plus $40.00 for the microchip I had put in him the moment I purchased him.

I thought that another little kitten friend would be better for Toffles than just a little rat for him to stare at all day, and this, he could play with; even though he would fall asleep with my other rat and groom her for hours on end.
Either way, I couldn't say no to another little kitten, even though I truly prefer dogs by far.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, I took him home, and introduced him to Toffles. Toffy was so excited, wanting to nuzzle and groom his new little brother right away, though Spike -- named because of his horribly spiky gray fur, and after a particular character off of my favorite TV series who shares his personality; -- truly wanted nothing to do with the giant tabby who wanted to love on him, and would much rather drink all of my tomato soup and eat some of my saltine crackers.

After just a day, they were the best of friends. I had worried that, being both tomcats, who are more likely to get into fights; they would dislike one another and want to fight for territory; but boy was I wrong! I don't know what they would do without each other, and I don't know how Toffles survived the year or so that I had him without his little buddy.

Notes: Spike and Toffles are basically unable to be seperated now, and whoever messes with Toffles is about to get an earful and a face full of claws from an angry gray tabby.

They also love participating in kitty-games together, too..such as chasing Emerald around the house (despite the butt-kicking they get from her once they corner her...), playing in the garden and chasing little spiders and bugs in it; and even just napping together on my bed on a cool afternoon.
They really love one another, and the next time some stupid brat aims a BB-gun at my little Toffles, they'd better be watching their back, because I wouldn't put it past Spike to use it as a scratching post.

Spike is Toffles' "guard dog" who follows him around and repels any other neighborhood animals that wish to harm him. Because Toffles prefers to stay in the house more than Spike, Spike usually goes outside and roams the neighborhood, often coming back with a few scratches and bitemarks or sore from the occasional fight he participates in.

He's yet to become seriously injured, and other than the small knick taken out of his ear from one of his early fights he was in to stand up for Toffles, the worst thing that's happened to him is that he got a foxtail sticker in his eye that I had to pull out and take him to the vet to get his eye examined and make sure there was no more still stuck in it.
Thankfully, there wasn't, and his eye had no damage done to it other than needing a salve put in it for a week or so afterwards to help heal the couple of scratches on the inside of the eyelid.
Once again, I don't know if Toffles would still be alive without Spike around to protect him.