Sweet, Sleeping Cats

Yes, of course, my kitties do a few other things besides sleeping, but there's no much that is sweeter than their angelic selves when they are sleeping. Their configurations change, but these shown here are most typical. Rudy with Miki, and Santino with Sophie. If there is a different combination on the bed, they are a bit further apart from each other.

I never would have guessed that four cats would be so much more fun than three, my usual number. :-) There is a lot of loose hair, though.......

Leroy Sunning

I have so enjoyed your recent posts of your furry children. I haven't been able to post in a while as there has been so much going on around here. I have some new pictures of Leroy to share when I can get then downloaded from the camera. Until then here is an older pix of Leroy enjoying the morning sunshine in the hallway. He also can keep an eye on the coming and goings of the neighborhood and any stray squirrel or bird that may venture close to the big glass door.

Kitty Treats & Ultimate Joy

Each blog post is merely a snapshot in time. Only yesterday I remarked on the general lack of verbal communication from Santino, and I should have mentioned that ALL my cats are extremely adept at expressing themselves, just not necessarily always vocally.

Also, after I had written yesterday's post, I remembered that we had Pit'r Pats in stock again. Don't get me wrong....we never run out of treats!.....but, Pit'r Pats take some planning. I have now discovered one store...just one...
that sells them for under $3, and, knowing that, I can't bring myself to pay much more. Santino and I are lucky in that only HE finds them so extraordinarily special. They are tiny, expensive nuggets of addiction. But, what mother could deny her child such joy?

So, I took out the little Pit'r Pats, and Santino knew immediately that he was about to score big. As he ate the first one I was rewarded big time! He said....VERY CLEARLY...."Oh, wow, wow, wow...." I had previously only heard that long ago when I gave him chicken, and then once again
when he had not had any chicken after I stopped eating it for a while. Obviously, the words are reserved for ultimate joy. :-) I wonder if he'll ever figure out that he could get treats any time he wanted them if only he uttered those words................I'm so trainable.

Little People in Fur Coats

To state the obvious, cats are a lot like people. They like to hang out together, and they also appreciate their privacy. Some need more sleep than others, and some love their food more. I also notice that some of my kitties just pack on the weight...and, yet, all things appear equal otherwise.

Like people, my cats have their favorite toys. Miki and Rudy prefer the occasional moving live bug, but Sophie is partial to very small furry mice. She does not play with balls other than to shove them into closets through the crack under the doors, or to gather them behind drapery in the far corner of the living room. She is very particular about which interactive wand toy she deigns to play with. Santino prefers the new crunchy foil balls sold in pet stores, and a particular kind of mouse of crocheted gray yarn. I find mice of all descriptions in both dry food dishes, which never fails to crack me up!:-)

Perhaps, some people would not agree with me that cats definitely have...or don't....a sense of humor, as well as either a good, happy attitude or a grumpy one. It seems to be determined both by nature and nurture. I imagine Rudy grinning frequently, whereas Miki definitely has a grumpy outlook. Santino is a happy kitty, and thinks life is all good as long as no one else comes into the house. He starts purring when he sees me! He is also very, very vocal about demanding treats, while the others beg quietly. :-) Rudy is the only real "talker", holding melodic trilling monologues often.
I think that genetics provides the "raw materials" for survival, a well (or not) formed and healthy body and brain, and breed characteristics in the case of a carefully bred cat. After that, though, nurture takes over. What fascinates me is that in humans end results depend on the interpretations as well as the decisions each individual makes about what has happened and is happening to them, but what about cats?

Cats do not all react the same, so obviously...to me :-)....they have interpretive and decision making powers, meaning, high intelligence. As cat lovers, all of us probably already knew this.

A Great Day for Santino

Today, Santino finally got to sleep with Miki. He's been wanting to, but Miki wasn't having any of it. Today it was Miki who came and curled up with Santino and my heart went "awwwwwwwww".:-)

The kitties shared a can of seafood bisque, but for dessert Santino had chicken! Soft, tender, free-range chicken. He deserves that and more. LOL

The Devil Prince

Santino is a sweet, sweet, kitty. But, at least once a day, the little devil side comes out to play! It is precisely this unexpected turn of personality which freaks out the older boys. Sophie just "rolls" with it, and I enjoy it....unless, I have become the target.:-)...then, not so much.

Such Sweet Kittens!

Here is beautiful Princess Sophie, and her Prince Santino. They are resting a bit, taking a break from wrestling. You'll notice that Sophie does not take her eyes off Santino. She is so patient with him!

He doesn't dare jump on the older boys. They are very good with him, but do not allow any mauling.

Cat Scans Of My Love Affair

These are scans of very old, faded photos which I "fixed up" a little when scanning the images. As you can see my love for Siamese is a long standing affair.
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Only 18 and pregnant, I also had to have two Siamese kittens!


This is Tai, one of a pair of sisters. This photo was taken around 1978. We had their mom, too, as special a cat as Zippy. Sirit put each of us to bed every night and made us believe she slept with each of us by somehow timing herself perfectly to be in the appropriate bed at waking time!


On the left is Sammi, a rescued cat (and a real pill, I might add). In the foreground is baby Zippy who was sold to me by the breeder as a Siamese! It was years before I discovered that he was a Balinese! I got him in 1990, but I think the Balinese was already known as such. Zippy was a zen master!


Jack eventually came to accept the cats. Zippy and I were protective of each other, he guarding me like a dog would. I, on the other hand, always made sure that Jack did not as much as raise his voice to him.:-)

Kobe was the most stunningly handsome Siamese I had ever had. I could not say the same about his personality. He was willful, and determined to be free.






Life with one Balinese, Zippy, and two Siamese kittens was pretty exciting. After a while, I just left the tall ladder out, as they would not jump down from 10 feet.














Zippy was so happy with his kitty, Miki, whom he groomed as his baby.




Zippy attending Miki's second birthday party. I didn't even make them wear hats! Auntie Louise and Auntie Franny attended. I think Auntie Franny came only for the cup-cakes. Ah...this was 5 years ago!

Boring Cats

Just look at this! How am I to write a blog about cats who are on a permanent spa vacation?

My life with Miki, Rudy, Sophie and Santino isn't boring, as not a day goes by that they fail to engage me in some way...I just don't have the camera attached to myself. Still, it's a quiet, peaceful household, and everyone is relaxed (except when Santino believes he ca whine a treat out of me....then they all come running. The treat bell is Santino.)

Cat Days of Summer

Triple digit temperatures continue, and though it should not make any difference with the AC running, for some reason 79 degrees in the summer feels a lot hotter than it does in the winter.

Yes, it's summer and the sleeping is easy.....Instead of being curled into tight balls, the cats are stretched out. This is true for all but Miki who spends nights yowling while I toss and turn.

Oh, there's still activity, too. Santino sees to that.