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This is my cat Buckley. He also goes by Buckles, Colonel Bucklington and Mr. B.

I have spent a lot of time on this blog writing about my dog Yoshi, but I thought it was time I introduce you to Buckley.

Buckley and I have a strange relationship; you may even call it a borderline love-hate relationship, but mostly leaning toward love. Buckley is my husband's cat. I inherited Buckley when my husband and I bought a house a few months before we got married. Coincidentally, we are both allergic to cats, but lucky for us -- and for Buckley -- he is an outdoor cat. When it's time for him to eat or take a nap, he sleeps in our workshop attached to our basement. He loves his little hut, complete with an electric bed for him when the weather gets cold.

I have yet to really bond with Buckley. I've tried a few times to sit beside him and spend some time with him. He'll approach me, rub up against me, cover me in cat hair and then roll over like a dog who wants his belly rubbed. But I quickly learned that Buckley is a three pet minimum feline, meaning, you can pet him on the head three times before he hisses or bites you -- not hard, but just enough to tell you, "I'm so annoyed with you right now. You've reached your max."

It bothers me that we haven't been able to bond much. Growing up, we had tons of cats. They would sit on my lap, and I would pet them, and they would purr away. When I was in the second grade and diagnosed with cat allergies, I was heartbroken when my pediatrician told me I couldn't hold or pet my cats anymore. Once all of our cats passed away we got a dog instead. I found that I could relate to dogs better. Dogs are needy -- or at least mine are or have been -- and I like that about dogs, they're present and they reciprocate your love for them. Buckley is often aloof, making it tough to form a bond. And that's okay. I don't think he hates me exactly, I just think maybe he's not the kind of cat who likes to be held much.

So I've started to pet Buckley only once on the head and do more talking to him than stroking his head. I think he seems to like that better. He hasn't bitten me since!