I am surprised that I have not mentioned Ben's relationship with Iris the fat cat, or Rissy as he calls her. They are incredibly close, bffs. Iris thinks Ben is her kitten. He will hold still for minutes (no small feat for a toddler) as she matts down his hair with her rough licks. This is very cute to watch. Our other cats live in abject terror of Ben and they sometimes hide when he is home. Don't know why-what's so scary about 27 pounds of absolute fury running around the house screaming, throwing, and growling like a monster just to enjoy the fun of watching them scamper away with big frightened tails. With Riss it's all different. It's been love since the beginning and she lets Ben, enjoys Ben, doing whatever he wants. She will lay belly up as he pulls whiskers and rides her like a horse. She is an embarrassment to all cats everywhere. Shameful is what it is.