Cowpye
Final shot above strictly as is, straight from the camera. What eyes.

everyone born 3/18/07

I thought it'd be fun for you all to see and hear about your kitty's littermates. Yeah, I'm nuts ..and needed a short diversion from real work. A few days ago I borrowed my son's camera to take photos of Norman and Murphy for an ad to find homes. It'd been years, decades even, since I'd shot pix just for fun and fun it was! Now I have to buy a camera! Let me know if you'd prefer your pics or words not be on here. I'll add more baby photos as time and whim permits. And add anything else you guys would like.

Who'da thought I'd become a Cat Lady!
Enjoy!

If you know of anyone who might be interested in Norman and Murphy, please let me know.

Oscar, the black kitten died 6/26/07. He and I had bonded in a way that I wouldn't have thought possible. He was quick-witted beyond human comprehension .. unbelievable and one-of-kind, and apparently wired beyond mortal necessity. A seriously macho lover and prankster who thought himself highly superior and deserving! He never was 'normal' and started having seizures on 6/21. Seizures in cats are nearly unheard of. The 4 vets he saw that week assured me that his problem was unique to him and no reason to be concerned for his relatives. One of the hardest losses I've ever experienced. Though he seemed perfectly healthy, the degree of his adoring and cheerful attachment to me was likely due to the fact that he 'wasn't right'.. or even not feeling well. But then, right from the get go, when his eyes opened, he preferred to staring into human eyes to cat activities, obviously connecting, picking up on something. He didn't just play like the others, but was on the outside looking in, devising pranks or ambushes. Once he got their attention, he waltzed off snubbing them "fools!" with his nose in the air. He was the ringleader and instigator, never just a participant. We are blessed to have known this truly incredible little fellow for 4 1/2 mos.

Christie is Oscar's sister, best friend. 2 complementary peas in a pod. Obviously same father, same body type, slick satiny coat. She's also very quick-witted, agile and accurate but extremely sensible instead of extremely impulsive. She has class. Oscar had no dignity whatsoever. She observed Oscar's every move & prank and worshiped him. She cleaned him after every seizure and snuggled against him under my chin while we waited for him to come around. After he was gone she started meowing like him, begging me for weeks to take her in the car because she knew the car took her buddy away. She was lost without her idol and guide and is just now seeming to forget. Now and then she'll meow like him (she practiced mimicking his voice the day he didn't come home, in attempt to communicate that she wanted to go find him) and gets super affectionate and purr-y. She still can only lay under my chin like the two of them always did, for less than a minute, then has to leave or go down by my feet... like the chest/chin thing is just not right without him. So much for cats not having.. and sharing feelings. She's a great, fun and beautiful! friend.

Christie
10/25/07

Monkey
note my Monker's big feet!
10/25/07

Monk, Monker, Monkey is my buddy. Long and lanky, hypnotic markings. Like Christie, an amusing pacifist. They don't like aggression from anyone ('cept Oscar, the king of mock). Monk generally moves slow, like a monk. He eats, speaks, moves with reverence. Seemingly not too agile, especially with the giant paws, but then he's the only one that's brought in birds. He conserves his energy for lightning quick and highly acrobatic bursts when it really matters; like jumping in the air for the ball on the string on the pole (like a cat fishing pole) or the laser pointer. He's affectionate in his verbal cat-like way. The quiet king and lover. Everything is a like a sacred ritual. He waits to drink til he's alone, hugging the water bowl with his big paws for minutes while he leisurely laps. Loves water.. like Bart.

Bart
his big feet are hidden
10/25/07

Bart, is an odd bird. Bart never liked to be touched. Since a few weeks old his coat and body have felt like a rat. He's kinda goofy. Always up for play. He's turned out to be one of the most social, rubbing on legs and asking for attention. Can even be quite the cry-baby, appearing to be the most attached to us. He likes routine and loves water!! Right after Oscar died, we discovered the kitties LOVED chasing water squirted from the hose in the backyard. Instantly became a daily ritual, an hour each morning and evening all summer. Bart's desperate sounding pleading cries allowed for no one to forget when it was time for waterplay. He gets drenched. There was a while there, that it was hard to bathe or shower without him. Sweet and entertaining fellow, who's very slowly warming up to the idea of snuggling or I should say laying nearby and liking a random, brief touch. Bart had bonded and slept with Tito, our protector and ruler, black longhaired, as aggressive as he was loved chihuahua. We lost Tito a few weeks ago and Bart really misses him, cries for him and when we say Tito's name. Interesting that with Tito not present, Bart's adopted some of his aggressiveness... warning growls to keep others in line.

Cowpye started out as the most aloof un-catlike cat/kitten. Well, except she hates water. All that beauty but...., well she does have Snicker's hair, and attitude, and big round eyes and expression, and smell even. She had to sit back and observe stuff that came as natural development in the others - sit back...for weeks...or months, to get how to be a cat. A ragdoll when you pick her up. Enjoys it as long as she 'has' to but not her idea of ideal. She not macho like Snickers, nor near as interactive, certainly not protective but in all other ways she's coming around. Then again, it took Snickers a full 6 months or more to come out of his shell, from a pissy, empty personality to become the most social and communicative (with people, cats and dogs) bunny ever. Until he died in 1/07 he ruled the house. Even over Tito, the emperor and rule-maker. Comparing Cowpye to Snickers is unavoidable.. whether there's anything to it....who knows?

Oscar
4/28/07
My little buddy, I miss you.

                         

"The kittens are doing wonderful. ...have become King and Queen of their new home. The female has been named Leo by my daughter since her Birthday is in August and Rob has named the male Roco. We have fallen in love with our new babies. We went out and bought all kinds of toys and fun treats for them. Alexis loves to dress them up and dance with them. Poor kittys.... they loved it when she went to school today" - 5/07

"Roco and Leo are ruling the house but are as sweet and cute as ever." 10/07

Elvis

"all is good….. my girls are in heaven.

Elvis had made the adjustment well…very loving cat…..very confident…

The biggest surprise, My boxer, Chevy (1 ½ old), they have become best friends…..they play and sleep together, clean each other….this blew me away….its funny watching a 60 pound dog play with a 1 pound cat…. I ve never seen him be so nimble…..(careful – loving) I knew he was a sweet dog, but this takes the cake.. all is good" - 5/07

"Elvis is great….he got fixed last month….. The Boxer bit my daughter on the face, I had to give him away….. I got a Pug named Ozzy, He & Elvis are the best of friends…." - 10/07

Pooky

somehow I missed adding these two pics of Pooky earlier..oops!

"What a whirlwind it has been since Pooky arrived! We call him "The Little Colonel".
The girls, Midge and Boo, put up with him...just barely. He is so rambunctious that he brings it on himself. Hopefully, as he gets older, he will outgrow the need to "attack" them. Midge, Kee Kee's sister (he's the one who passed on) won't put up with his antics and he respects her. But poor Boo, she takes it all. She is always watching around corners for him to come leaping on her. And he does it on a regular basis. He has, what we call, The Cobra Strike. He will sit peacefully by her, looking all cute and sweet, and then out of nowhere, he strikes and she goes running, after regaining her footage from jumping straight up into the air.