Well this thread has brought psychological relief! I was beginning to think I had three mutants, and my son had another mutant. OMG! These traits are bred into them! So lets see.
1. First and maybe foremost. Attitude. Things really go a lot smoother once you accept they train you and own you. But it's all about them! And dinner had better be on time, or else!
2. Noise. As noisy as teenagers. Sometimes for good reason, sometimes not (usually).
3. Trashing the joint. What is it about this behavior? Rip stuff up all over the place, just because. Stuff up on the mantle or the top of the kitchen cabinets? Not any more. Anything in their way, MOW IT DOWN!
4. Getting into your face. Seriously? Do I shove my face into yours when you are sleeping? The door being closed doesn't mean I want to challenge you to get in here, or want to hear you scratching the door.
5. Athleticism. Do they have to try to break the "Undercover Mouse" toy within 15 minutes of opening? Come on! I am getting looks from the customer service person at Walmart wondering how it is I keep buying the defective units? And I am getting tennis elbow from playing fetch!
6. Pecking order. This one drives me nuts. Wasn't it nice to get up in the morning and take a drink of water to get the rust out of your mouth? Not any more. Kitty likes to drink from the faucet, first. Then the second one, then the third. Ridiculous.
7. Cunning. Never, have I seen a creature so devious and quick to learn. Can't hide a thing from them. They can open up a lot more of things than you ever thought! What worries me the most, is I am convinced they are trying to figure out how to get an oppossable thumb so they don't need me anymore!
8. Cute. After all this, you still can't help but love them.
And an observation. I think three SV's is a critical mass. If any of you have four of these beasts in your domicile, you must be ex special forces!