Everyone posts cat pictures and so far we have not … but recently we have been sorting out  old photographs and have managed to find a rogues gallery of every cat we have lived with and thought that our journal would be a good place to make the record permanent.

Further down the page you will see a set of thumbnails – click on any one to open the gallery and then scan through them in full size (remembering that the older pictures are scans, often from faded originals).  This is for our interest really but you might enjoy them – especially if the cats are old friends and acquaintances of yours too.

There have been 13 cats in all and we have photos of 12 of them. The memory is not what it was, but the sequence of their arrival was as follows:

 

Sophie – the first of our cats.  A lilac-point Siamese who grew to a ripe old age and ruled all who came near her. We were living in Alconbury when she joined us around 1973/4.

Calamity Jane (Mitty) – A seal-point Siamese of immense character who could jump on top of an open door from a standing start and swat you over the head as you passed though she couldn’t get down unaided. She arrived in 1975.

Jim – a tabby who was very handsome but who, like other cats we have known, took on a car and lost at too young an age.

Fred – a splendid ginger cat who lived to about ten and expired in the flower beds at Offord.  Admired by many of our friends he had a large fan club. Renowned for cleaning out a rabbit warren in the next field when we moved to Offord – at least ten rabbits in one week going by the ears (the only bits he didn’t eat) on the lawn.

Twinkle – a black and white (tuxedo) cat who came to us from my sister.  She was a nice cat but did not take to being the fourth cat in the household and spent a lot of her days indoors on top of a cupboard telling the others what he thought of them.  Eventually made her own arrangements with a neighbour’s daughter with whom he was the only cat. We have yet to find a photo of Twinkle.

Jasper (aka Old Guy)- a platinum Burmese who fell on his head at a very young age (at the breeder’s) and detached his retinas, thus spending his life almost totally blind. Made it with us to Canada where old age caught up with him.

Stanley – another ginger cat who was quite the silliest animal we have known. Rather pretty and friendly.  Loved to sit on top of the bee hives at Offord and dangle his paws in the flight path of bees as they came and went.

George – seal point Burmese and a very handsome fellow. Lost the fight with a car at too young an age (one of the reasons that all our cats are indoor cats these days).

Junior – another seal-point Burmese who took to J in a big way and also to her breakfast yogourt.  Also handsome.

Hestia – R’s cat from the first as she chose him.  A rescue cat she also came to Canada and lasted to very ripe almost 20 years of age.  Much missed.

Molly (the Princess) – another rescue cat she was born on the fens and also ended up in Canada.  Totally bonded to J, she now resides in “Molly’s Dell” with ferns and flowers under rowan, dogwood and amelanchier trees.  A huge character despite her fairly petite size who demanded and usually received what she wanted and right now.

Edward (aka: Teddy or Little Guy) – everyone likes Little Guy.  He is the only Canadian-born cat we have and a Tonkinese – a cross between Siamese and Burmese so you get the dimness of one breed and the loud voice of the other. Not very clever and somewhat scared of his own shadow he nevertheless believes that any cat seen out of the window in “his” garden needs to be killed – instantly and noisily. He has many fans. Now settling down, like the rest of us, to the slower pace of middle age.

Buster – for five years was my mother’s cat and companion but came to join us in Canada when she died in the fall of 2012.  A black and white tuxedo cat who just loves everybody and is friends with all … especially if he thinks it possible that they may feed him.

So – here is the gallery – click on a thumbnail to start …