counting cats

So ... how many cats are there in this picture?   Emmett, of course, sitting on top of a bedspread that's been laid out to dry (after being washed, to rid it of cat fur, among other reasons).   And then ... almost directly underneath him, Lola, just visible on the floor on account of her little white muzzle and white paw.   Almost invisible, next to her, is her Crying Sock, the infamous elderly object from which she is inseparable, carrying it around in her mouth, most days, for some time between 2-20 minutes, yowling (kitten? prey? identity problem?).   For two days this weekend, it was lost (you should have seen us, upending the garbage and hunting through it, with masks on our faces) ... eventually it emerged, hidden in the folds of the bedspread.   Two cats, then?   No, three ... there's LucyFur on the chair nearest the camera, curled up on the seat, but doubtless with one eye on the back yard, waiting to make her chattering noise at towhees.   Only at towhees?   Yes, plus squirrels, in New Jersey and Los Angeles.   Another feline mystery.   Bitzi, as usual, is hidden under the bed in the far room, out of harm's way, just in case we wanted to molest her.