The Inevitable Cats

If you own cats yourself, you understand why I must include photographs of my feline companions in my web site. If you don't own cats, you probably didn't jump to this site, so I needn't explain.

Lady Lightfoot

I adopted Lady Lightfoot in April 1996, when she was not quite 2 years old. She'd been living in a pet shop for about 3 months, in the same room with the dogs because the shop was too small for separate rooms. The several other cats in the room displayed varying degrees of cabin fever or anxiety/hostility about the dogs. Lightfoot looked up coolly when I approached the cage, and blinked her acknowledgment of my having arrived to admire her. I knew I'd found My Cat.

I named her Lightfoot after Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's cat in the stories by Betty MacDonald. By the time she carefully sniffed every object in the house, closely inspected all upholstered surfaces, leaped airily onto the back of the couch, licked her paw twice, settled into her Sphinx posture and curled her tail elegantly around her, I was instinctively calling her Lady Lightfoot. She's an aristocat, not doubt about it.

She's also a Silly Beast. Her attack position (left) is particularly effective for subduing strings. And if there's ever any cardboard anywhere in the house, she must sit in or on it.

More photos of Lightfoot

Alexander the Great

I adopted Alex from Michigan Animal Rescue in May 1998, when he was just 8 weeks old. I'd decided that Lightfoot might enjoy a feline playmate, and would probably accept a kitten more quickly than another adult cat. It was the peak of kitten season, so the shelter had a varied assortment of fur bundles to choose from. I chose the kitten that scampered up my arm, settled on my shoulder, stuck its nose in my ear and purred like a power saw.

When we got home, Lightfoot of course came over to find out what was going on; she's nosy even for a cat. When she saw the kitten, she stood still and stared, but showed wariness rather than hostility. When the kitten saw her, he hissed. This gave me an idea what I was in for.

Whereas I'd chosen Lady Lightfoot's name even before I found the cat to match it, it took about a week to settle on a suitable name for the kitten. In that short time, however, he'd managed to overcome any barrier I used to try and keep him in one room (cursing the open floor plan), win over a decidedly skeptical older cat, find his way into and through the basement, overrule my decisions about where his food should be and which litter box he should use, establish his rightful position on my pillow at night — you get the idea. Obviously, this cat had to be named after the Conqueror of the Known World.

He's grown up to be an elegant beast. But don't let his dignified pose fool you -- he's still a 5-year-old boy in a fur coat.

More photos of Alexander

The Cats Together

The two cats really get along remarkably well.

Well, mostly.