Friday, June 22, 2007

Our Cats

Cameo, so named because of the white spot at her neckline, will turn 6 at the end of July and is our youngest cat. She's 3/4 Russian Blue and 1/4 Siamese. As the dominant kitty, she's the boss around here! The following picture was taken on our front porch:



Dusti, named Cinderella by the rescue group who found her in a litter of kittens in an alley in D.C., turned 10 years old on May 5. The following picture, which I call "Dusti Greets the December sunrise," was taken when she was quite young:



Mysti, nicknamed "The Mystery Triller" because of the sounds she makes, was born in a Maryland barn of a feral mother who disappeared after one day, thus leading to Mysti's having to be bottle fed until she was 8 weeks old. She had a rough start because right after we adopted her, she suffered from a nearly fatal attack of coccidiosis and to this day has a very delicate stomach and a slight build. She turned 8 years old on June 18 :



My husband found Sheba in an alley when she was kitten. We thought she'd become a shed cat, but she turned out never to want to be on her own again. Today, she is quite senile and spends most of her time on her mat by my husband's recliner. She'll turn 19 years old on July 15. Click directly on the image to enlarge it:

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

How come we seldom hear Mysti and Dusti stories? Like people, the young and the old get all the attention.

Always On Watch said...

Farmer,
You've got a point there. But I admit that Cameo gets into more trouble than any of the others. She's also very engaging because of her Siamese heritage.

I'll have to write up some Dusti and Mysti stories. Believe me, I've got a few of those.

Brooke said...

You've got some beautiful felines, AOW!

cube said...

I could look at cats all day long. Yours are lovely :-)

BTW you didn't mention how old the Mystery Triller is. Just curious.

The Merry Widow said...

Cube-Last sentence about Mysti says 8 on June 18th.
AoW-Pretty kitties, all look like personality pluses!

tmw

Always On Watch said...

TMW,
I added that last sentence when Cube pointed out my having neglected to mention Mysti's age.

Yes, each of these girls has an interesting personality--each one different.

Brooke,
Thanks.

Cameo was a very plain kitten, but she grew into a beautiful adult with luxuriously plush fur.

Anonymous said...

AOW you have some pretty puddy tats.
And good old Sheba. What a gorgeous girl she is.

She looks so regal with that white patch on her chest.

Soon to be 19!
Isn't that something eh?

Always On Watch said...

Kathy,
Yes, Sheba is regal, and is "Queen of." And a little bit portly, too.

Even though this photo was taken a few years back, Sheba looks pretty much the same, albeit a little neglectful of grooming now that she is ancient. I'm glad that she was a robust youth and middle-ager; she lost some weight, as is typical of aging cats, but she could afford to lose those pounds.

Thank you for stopping by to admire The Girls.

nanc said...

oh great. more cats.

>^00^< pkak.

Gayle said...

Beautiful cats, AOW!

I once had a cat that looked exactly like Cameo, and I presently have a cat named Munchkin who looks exactly like Sheba, but he's only three. My favorite pic here is the one of Dusti in the window. I just love cats sitting in windows! Your curtains are nice and clean. I need to wash mine.

Always On Watch said...

Gayle,
My curtains were clean because it was the Christmas season. I wash those curtains twice a year--December and June.

Dusti is much older now and has a swingie under her belly. Her colors are a bit darker as well. She's one stunning cat, but a paranoid girl. That's what comes of being chased twice by a fox!

I should write up Dusti's fox stories and post them.

jams o donnell said...

What lovely cats AOW. Thanks for telling me about your photoblog

Always On Watch said...

Jams,
Thanks for saying how lovely our cats are. We certainly have a variety of colors and body styles here.

Your site was my inspiration!

I'm not a very good photographer, though.

Once I figure out how to use my scanner, I can scan in some photos of the most gorgeous cat I ever had: a red-point tabby Siamese. Her normal body weight was 17 pounds, and she was not fat at that weight. She was the hugest female domestic cat I've ever seen as far as bone structure went. She lived until the age of 19.5, and was in poor health only a few weeks, though she went deaf around the age of 17.

cube said...

AHA! See tmw, I may be prebyopic, but I'm not blind!

The Merry Widow said...

Sorry, Cube. Came in AFTER the correction...hmmmm...what can I say? I'm human?

tmw
LOL!

The Merry Widow said...

PS-I've been myopic since childhood(first glasses at 7).

tmw

Anonymous said...

I have 2 cats myself one is a Siamese named Dusty 15 years old
the other is a Tonkinese named Nikki 2 years old

Anonymous said...

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/mypicturesonpb/annie.jpg

Lara said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lara said...

What lovely cats! I'm an only cat.

Always On Watch said...

Lara,
Thank you so much for stopping by.

So you are an only cat? Sometimes, I think that each of my girls wishes for the same situation.

When your people aren't home, do you get lonely?

You have a beautiful cabin in the woods. But it's best for you to stay inside. There might be some dangerous critters out in those woods.

Anonymous said...

OK, your kitties are BEYOND adorable!!!!! Love 'em!!

Always On Watch said...

Diane,
Well, we certainly have variety here--though all are females.

Sheba is one ancient girl. I've never before had a cat this old!

Anonymous said...

Good post.

Always On Watch said...

Pia,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your complimentary comment.

Sheba, ancient as she is, is in her final days. Tomorrow marks 20 years that we've had the privilege of sharing living space with her.

The other cats are obviously dismayed by Sheba's decline the past several weeks. Do cats mourn? I think so!

Amusing Bunni said...

Awww, what BEAUTIFUL Kitties, AOW!
Dusti looks like my Kittehkins!

I wish I could have a few more, or at least one more Kitteh to keep her company, but it's not possible right now. God Bless you and your family.

Dag said...

I got my own kitten boys a month ago, putting one in my shirt pocket to carry him to his new home. Now he's so huge he can barely fit across my shoulders! Ouch!

Hey, Cat Lover, good to see your own.

Our best from Iquitos, Peru,
Dag.

Always On Watch said...

Hello, Dag.

Kittens grow into full sized cats way too soon.

Just a year ago, Amber was so tiny! Now she's a tall and long and lean machine. Still adorable, though.