Elle was born right here in our house. The second her mouth and lungs were clear, she started screaming. For the first few months of her life, she screamed almost all the time. Anybody who's ever had a screamer kitty knows that this can drive a slave out of his or her skull in no time.

Elle, of course, loved the fact that every slave in the house bowed and scraped before her in an attempt to please her. We offered the choicest kitty food, the best treats, fresh water (free of dog drool, even) and the greatest toys. Elle screamed anyway.

Then, for a while, Elle stopped. We enjoyed those brief weeks of silence.

But that did not last long. Elle was once again discontent with the universe and rarely lets us forget it!

And when Elle isn't screaming her lungs out, she's keeping the dogs and other cats in their proper places: beneath her paws. She beats up puppies. She beats up the other cats. She even beats up human ankles and shins when she's in a foul mood.