Animals in my life

So today it's animals:  pets, strays, wild, insects and food animals.  I have 3 cats, and at times I've had as many as 8 at once.  That doesn't include some of the outside strays that I fed, but who wouldn't get too close to me except for a free meal.  I love all animals, but cats are at the top of the list, and my cats seem well aware of this.  They treat me somewhat indifferently: come when they want something, sleep on my bed, sneak outside if I open the door, shed like crazy, look at me curiously when I call them (sort of like "who is that woman?"), and call me (loudly) in the middle of the night for what I don't know because they won't tell me - although Mr. G flops on his side and rolls over when he sees me coming.  Do you think he wants a belly rub?  That's what I thought, so of course I give him one, he purrs and  go back to sleep.  I do discipline him for such behaviors.  I speak to him harshly and then he rolls on the other side and gets another belly rub.  I think they have me right where they want me, and they know it.  Perhaps I should consider another method of discipline. 

My back yard is home to some free living wildlife mostly squirrels, a few bunnies, some crows, blackbirds, blue jays,a pair of cardinals and 3 chipmonks (they are the cutest little critters).  They all love sunflower seeds and most also love the peanuts I put out there.  Earlier this summer there was actually a doe in my yard, but she has not returned.  My cats enjoy the wildlife program on what I call squirrle tv every morning. They jostle each other for the best viewing position.  The squirrels come up to the door and sometimes crash into it which the cats love.  I'm not sure why they do that because I put the food a good distance from my house, but they have ways of finding out about things like food.  I'm convinced that they send notices out to all the squirrels in my yard and then chase the "yard crashers" away as they run off with their little treasures.  Stay tuned for more animal stories.