Saturday 17 December 2016

Cats!

Cats!


We have had a number of cats throughout the years, even, for a brief period, breeding them. Our Burmese were recommended  by our vets, to people seeking kittens, for their friendly dispositions and apparent immunity to alarm. We had four children and they and their friends were instrumental in ensuring that our kittens grew up used to the hustle and bustle of a busy home and loving the attention they were given.

Recently I read Eleanor Farjeon’s poem ‘Cats Sleep Anywhere’ to Frankie. It’s a poem many of us will have learnt at school (and then forgotten apart from the first couple of lines!)

Cats Sleep Anywhere

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open drawer, empty shoe, anybody’s lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don’t care! Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon 1881-1965
Image result for eleanor farjeon Cats
This was the cover of my copy of the poem.

Here is a small selection from the thousands of photos we have of our many cats. Many of them are pictured with our dogs. All our cats have loved our dogs. Some of them enjoyed blogging. Some were quite literary. Some enjoyed watching educational programmes on the television . . . or rugby.

Jellicoe,  our 4-year-old  Classic Ocicat . Classics are now known as Aztecs!
Susannah's  one-year-old Somali, Solomon
Marnie with the late Pansy, one of our blue Burmese, about fourteen years ago.
Jellicoe pretending to be a lap cushion!
The late Monty Ocicat with a young Jenna. Monty died when he was three of congestive heart failure
Susannah's Abyssinian, Pats, as a kitten. She is now ten years old.
Jenna with Winston Ocicat, who died unexpectedly when he was six years old.
Susannah providing a perch for Winston
Monty with the late, great Frodo, my velcro dog
Monty loved watching television . . .
. . . and he would not move to allow a dog into a dog bed.  Here it's Jenna trying to get comfortable.
Young Frodo with elderly blue Burmese, Pansy (top) and Singleton.  
If the cats have a squabble, as cats frequently will, they sometimes seek solace. Here it is  Cariadd, our first Dalmatian, doing the honours. There are six Burmese cats sitting on her. To her right are the hindquarters of Biddy, our first Jack Russell.
Christmas Winston!
Winston appreciating my Kindle
Clown, Magic and Angus, all Burmese. Clown and Angus were brothers.
Alicat, our first Burmese, with Bethan, thirty-three years ago
The cats liked sitting and sleeping on the aquarium cover. It was warm and there was always a slight chance that they might catch a snack! Here are, from left to right, Magic, Angus, Pansy, Alicat(behind Pansy), Sweet Pea, Clown and Singleton
Monty studying a spotted cousin . . .
 . . . and here listening to Jim Al-Khalili
Monty and Winston
Winston the blogger
Jellicoe and Isambard sharing Bertie's bed
Herschel and Bertie



  

7 comments:

  1. These life story pictures are so adorable ! I have a collage of all our cats who lived with us mostly for 20 years. I framed it and it hangs in my room. Some of them I have also painted. Could never forget them !

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  2. What beautiful cat photos!! I can see that you are truly a lover of cats!

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  3. That's a lot of very beautiful animals. I can only cope with one at a time. If my Angel lives a long life, he may be my last pet.

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  4. What lovely pictures of your babies...all so sweet.

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  5. Hi Janice - lovely photos and news of the animooooools ... delightful to see them all ...

    The Cat Sleep Anywhere poem is lovely - I came across Eleanor Farjean - when I wrote about Blessing of the Animals in September ... as she wrote the Hymn "Morning Has Broken" ... probably better known as the Cat (appropriately) Steven's version ... she lived in a local village ...

    Enjoy your family Christmas ... and happy 2017 - cheers Hilary

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  6. This wonderful post and the photos were medicine for my aching heart. We lost our 10 year old cat to congestive heart failure this month. Your cats are so unique in appearance. love them!

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  7. I love Jellicoe's coloring and Monty checking out the cousin.

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