Rogues Gallery of Cats

A Baker’s Dozen of Cats in 46 Fun-filled Years

Everyone posts cat pictures at some time. but we don’t do it often … recently, though, a blog post from 2013 accidentally surfaced on this website and, this being far too hot and humid a day to be outside, it seemed a good opportunity to spiff it up and share it again.

Herewith, a rogues gallery of almost every cat we have lived with in the past 46 years.

The older pictures below are scans, often from faded originals so forgive the quality. This is for our interest mostly 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. 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 Weston when she joined us around 1973/4. That’s 46 years ago – how did that happen?

Cat number one : 1988-Sophie – she’d be 46 y.o. today 🙂

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 the fight at too young an age. These days our cats are indoor cats.

Fred – a splendid ginger cat who lived to about ten and expired in the flower beds at Offord. 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 cat, with just a few white hairs under her chin, 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 she thought of them. Eventually made her own arrangements and moved in with a neighbour’s daughter where she was the only cat. Jean did find a photo of Twinkle a few weeks ago, before the blog post surfaced, and unfortunately disposed of it.

Jasper (aka Old Guy)– a Lilac Burmese who fell on his head at a very young age (at the breeder’s) causing his retinas to detach, 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. Another cat that 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 – a second seal-point Burmese who took to J in a big way and also to her breakfast yogurt. 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 liked Little Guy. He was the only Canadian-born cat we had 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 believed that any cat seen out of the window in “his” garden needed to be killed – instantly and noisily. He had many fans. He made it to about 16 before a thyroid tumour overtook him.

… and today we have 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. He has little sense of dignity and is the solo Lord of Manor these days.