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Living with Cats
Our family shares our home with two dogs and five cats. We did not set out to have five cats but somehow over the last two years we have acquired Portia, Gus (the only male), Panda, Lily and Whiskers.
<Gus
We started with Portia and Gus who are brother and sister. Portia had two litters of kittens - Panda and Lily are from the first litter and Whiskers from the second. Fortunately we found other homes for the remaining five kittens from the second litter! Portia and Gus are part Siamese and part Tabby as are their offspring Panda and Lily. Whiskers has (I think) a different father - the black and white cat from next door!
Like all cats mine have very different personalities and life is never dull.
Portia was jet black when she was younger. She is now black with chocolate brown highlights. She can be haughty and aloof - especially with the dogs! But she is also affectionate and likes to lie across the computer keyboard when she thinks she is being neglected. (Her typing skills do need a little work!). She is an excellent 'mouser' much to my youngest daughter's horror and has brought us presents of slow worms, a bat, a baby rabbit as well as countless birds and mice.
Portia>
Augustus Fink-nottle - Gus for short (my husband is a P.G. Wodehouse fan) - is a silver mackerel Tabby and is beautifully marked. He likes to appear tough - a real cat about town and he has the battle scars to prove it. At home he is very affectionate and loves to drape himself around my neck and purr loudly. You always know when Gus has come in as he meows very loudly (the Siamese in him coming out) until one of his devoted servants comes to feed him and give him the attention he feels he deserves.
Panda is a fluffy Siamese. We have nicknamed her the Cappuccino Cat as she is light and frothy (a cat of very little brain). She is caramel in colouring with dark points and blue eyes. She doesn't really have the Siamese voice but is good at getting what she wants! She loves playing 'football' along the wooden floor in our hall with anything she can get her paws on - hair bobbles, bottle tops, wool, ribbon, she is not fussy. She is very agile and can 'dance' on her hind legs whilst throwing what ever she is playing with. Often she will carry her toy in her mouth somewhere else.
<Lily
Lily is the quiet member of the family. She is very timid and will hide when there are strangers around. She too is a Tabby like her father but, unlike him, her meow is very quiet - almost silent. Lily doesn't go outside although she does like looking out of the window at the garden.
Whiskers was the runt of the second litter. She is quite small but has a LOUD voice - especially when there is food around! She pounces on the food dish and clears her plate really quickly before finishing off what the others have left. At bedtime she will appear from nowhere when the television is switched off, meowing and generally getting under my feet until she has her treats. She doesn't like to be picked up but will sit on my knee and have a snooze before dashing off to see if the food dishes have been refilled!
There is certainly never a dull moment when you live with five cats!!
Contributed by Catriona Charlesworth