Puss...
She is Ferdi's litter-mate sister, but she is named to provide us with "Puss & Boots". Puss is alert, inquisitive and investigative. She shows some intelligence as well. She does not like to be petted or held, but she likes to play with stuff. She always chases the red laser dot and will spin circles several times trying to chase it down. She leaps on the window to chase leaves. Her head is always moving around, her ears always twitch, and if you get her attention, she stares right at you with bright orange eyes. She is the NT of our cat family.
...and Boots
We adopted Boots from the Colonial Heights animal shelter on Memorial Day 1997. When we took him to the vet for a checkup, the vet said, "Look here, a Tuxedo Kitty!". We named him Boots for the four white boots ("Socks" had already been preempted) he had. He is photogenic but quiet. He does not like to play much with stuff and he ignores the red laser dot. He likes to be brushed all the time and will get on a desk and meow to be brushed. He is the SJ of our cat family.In Memoriam
Ferdinand...
I am sad to report that Ferdinand died of lung cancer on 2008 April 11. Also known as Ferdi, and named Ferdinand to give us Ferdinand and Isabella, of Columbus fame. Ferdi was one of a pair of half-grown kittens we picked up from a local kennel in 1999. Ferdi was the mischief maker of our household. He walked on the kitchen counter and other places that he was not supposed to. He chewed on paper. He got on your lap and bopped his head against your chest. If he saw a laser dot, he sometimes ignored it and sometimes got frantic about chasing that dot down. Yet he was the most affectionate of our cats and purred loudly when he was petted. He was the SP cat of our household.Isabella (Izzy)
Or Izzy. Named after Isabella, a soap opera character, Izzy was our oldest cat until she died of chronic renal failure on 2001 December 31. She came to our home on 1992 August 13 in a drainpipe adjacent to our yard. Jim went out that rainy night and heard a high-pitched sound like a cat meow. The next day we saw a pastel calico kitten walking around near the entrance to the pipe. Anne and Aaron wanted a cat so we adopted the stray and named her Izzy. She was a feisty cat, and would hiss at anything that got near her. That included our other three cats. But she could also be affectionate and would cuddle into our laps and even climb on us when we were eating, hoping for a tidbit. She ignored the red laser dot and was the NF among our cats.
Rascal
Rascal came to our neighborhood wandering around with the dogs that belonged to neighbors some time in 1986. We already had a dog Pups at the time, so we wondered if it would be good to adopt another dog. But we did, to give Pups companionship, which he did until Pups passed away in 1996. We named Rascal from some of his early puppy behavior. What Rascal wanted most from us was affection. He would beg and cry for our affection and tip his head up towards us. He seemed to be intelligent; for example, he barked only when there is a good reason to. He had some set ways but he still made a good companion for us until he died on 1999 October 7 of lung cancer, just two days after our minister's dog died. We shall miss him.Joe
It is with sadness that we report the death of another of our cats, Joe, who we brought home from the Chesterfield County Animal Shelter on 1998 September 14. Shortly after we got him, he developed feline infectious peritonitis and he died of this disease on 1999 January 13. While he was with us, he make a great companion for Boots and entertained us with his loud purring and affection. We will miss this long-haired cat.
