Saturday, December 28, 2013

Furry Feline Friends

It's usually Benny who pronks into my blog posts from time to time. Most of you are well acquainted with him but less so with my handsome felines. Skittles and Zephyr were born fourteen years ago, in May and have been a constant joy in my life ever since.

Both of them are very loving, gentle and sweet. Their similarities end there.

Alex with skitty and zephyr
Zephyr is the grey and white one on the right - he is a fearful cat. The day they both came to live with me, the two little fur balls hid under my bed. Zephyr stayed there for about three days, venturing out only for food, water and trips to the litter box.

Skitty, the tabby, stayed under the bed for a few hours then ventured out to play with my shoelaces.

The one in the middle is my son, Alex. He was nine at the time. These days, at 23, he's furrier than both cats put together.






skitty 2
Skittles

Zephyr loves food, belly rubs and sleep above all else.

Skitty loves all of the above plus sitting on visitors, checking out the dog, chasing imaginary mice throughout the house and being a part of just about everything we do (within reason).






zephyr4
Zephyr

Zephyr talks to us. He will keep a conversation going for a couple of minutes. For every word or phrase we speak to him, he'll reply with a counter-meow.

Skitty yowls at night - for no apparent reason. The boys have a bit of Siamese in them and that seems to be a common trait for that breed. But if we talk to him, he'll just stare back at us as if to say "You're kidding, right?"






skitty 3
 Skittles

 Zephyr is lazy. He rarely seeks us out but is always willing to purr on demand when we go to him.

Skitty is a near-constant companion.






Zephyr
Zephyr

 Zephyr is terrified of the vacuum. As soon as he hears it rolling out of the storage closet, he tears down to the basement to hide.

Skitty follows me around watching the attachment move back and forth and has actually allowed me to vacuum him, on occasion.






skitty 6
Skittles 

 Zephyr is a survivor. He has food smarts. And escape know how.

Skitty is smart. He gets that a woofing, ear-nibbling JRT is not a threat. An annoyance - but not a threat.






Zephyr and Skittles
 Zephyr hisses at Benny every time he is near.

Skitty engages Benny in play and only hisses at him when he's had enough.







where is the paws key
Both of my whiskered boys are beautiful little beings and I'm grateful that they share our home.

I hope every one of you has a wonderful, healthy and Happy New Year. 

73 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful shots of your cats! Wishing you a wonderful 2014!

Cloudia said...

At the risk of sounding gushy and undiscriminating, your post is a novella about what it means to share your life with these noble creatures. Brava! And the PHOTOS! (particularly - but not exclusively the top one)

You have to be one of the best bloggers anywhere.

You ARE a great person and pal

ALOHA
from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=

Laura~Pretty Pix said...

Loved the tales of your two kitties. They sound like wonderful members of your family.
Happy New Year!

Gary's third pottery blog said...

the 2 of them together = SO cute :)

ADRIAN said...

Happy New Year Hilary.

Anvilcloud said...

I think cats are so cool. Their personalities seem more variable than dogs to me, but I may be speaking in ignorance. You never know what you're going to get with a cat.

Brian Miller said...

ha. i hope you have a wonderful new year as well...cats have such personality...they are a trip...my wife is a cat person and we have had cats pretty much since we were married (just now convincing her to get a pups)...cute pics

Anonymous said...

Our Shadow looks just like your Zephyr.

DJan said...

You're right: Benny is the one I think of, and "pronk" is a perfect word for him. Love the kitties! And your pictures makes me feel like I know them, too. :-)

TexWisGirl said...

they are handsome as can be. made me miss my barn cat. love that they are so opposite.

messymimi said...

Happy New Year to you and your fur friends!

Leah J. Utas said...

They are beautiful and purrfect.

ellen abbott said...

They are beautiful boys. My own kitty is very happy now that the interlopers have returned home. We were dog sitting my sister's two terrier type dogs. Emma, the cat, tolerates them at best.

Red said...

I often thank that these little characters do more for us than we do for them and some of them even train us and we don't even know it.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Your cat boyz are wonderful and quite handsome. I love how different they are.
I keep saying that I will not have another cat of my own after Sunny Bunny's departure. The girls have their girl cats and they are quite different from one another, much like your boyz. But I am missing a snuggle partner of my own and I suspect when late spring arrives and there are tons of kittens needing homes that my yearning for a "little man" will come about.
Thanks for the look inside your "heart" with the Zephyr and Skitty. Oma Linda

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

It's nice to see the photos of Skittles and Zehpyr. I love the one of them cuddling together. Does this mean they've emerged from hiding and are adapting to the new locale?

Tabor said...

I am allergic to cats, so tend to avoid gazing in their direction when they are in the room. I also am not as enamoured of photos of them, but your have such great focus and lighting that the viewer can really see how much you love them!

Gail Dixon said...

I didn't even know you had cats. So nice to meet Skittles and Zephyr. They are very photogenic. I thought that might be your son in the first photo. Such a sweet pic!

Rob-bear said...

Great pictures of the members of your cat house. (Hmmmm, that didn't come out quite right.) The cats in your house. I've never had much time for those bird-killers, but you do a very professional job of photographing them.

All the best for 2014. Blessings and Bear hugs!

photowannabe said...

I love the way you have captured their personalities in you photos, Hilary.
Hope they have adjusted to their new home and that they are out from under the bed....
Have a wonderful New Year.
I'm glad to be a part of your blogging family.
Sue

L. D. said...

They are beautiful felines. They can be busy even when they are doing nothing. I liked seeing them as kittens.

Laura said...

Such handsome boys! We are down to one kitty now, just Chaya cat and Ellie the dog. Chaya is definitely a fraidy cat but she adores Ellie, thinks of her as her mamma. If the dog is asleep the cat will still occasionally nurse on her feet as she did when she was a teeny kitten. Fur babies… so precious.

Bob Bushell said...

I am not very keen on them, cats I mean, you have filmed them very well. But, you had them 14 years, and they doesn't even a bit squabble.

Out on the prairie said...

I have 2 who are larger than my dogs.

Anonymous said...

They are both gorgeous and I love that they are so different. I had a Siamese for 20 years and am well acquainted with that attitude! Ah, I still miss her and the sound of a purring furball...

Fernando Santos (Chana) said...

Excelentes fotografias....
Votos de Feliz Ano Novo....
Cumprimentos

stephen Hayes said...

It's fascinating just how individual our pets are. Wonderful pictures.

SandyCarlson said...

The jungle trembles at the thought of these feline giants. Your photos are epic and beautiful.

yaya said...

What a fun post! My Squeak looks and acts just like your Zephyr, right down to a big fear of the vacuum!

Agent 54 said...

You know those cute little guys are actually in charge,,,,don't you.

It is all explained in my World Domination post on my Agent 54 blog.

Warning: Once you read it, you may need a tinfoil hat.

Linda said...

Aww, what cuties! Those are wonderful photos!

Indrani said...

Fantastic feline fotos!
What a joy to see them, close and detailed.

Anonymous said...

I wish you a wonderful and successful New Year 2014

http://marciento.wordpress.com/

Theresa said...

My what handsome felines in their shiny furabouts. Poor Benny, no doubt about who rules the roost no matter who he may think it is. There is special distain cats reserve for mere dogs....

Jenn Jilks said...

These are incredible photos. Well done!
i hope you are up and running.
Catchup is fine! I am catching up today. Christmas chaos done. Kids gone.
Cheers from Cottage Country Ontario !

Kerri Farley said...

They are Precious! and you got AWESOME shots of them!! Well done!

Gayle said...

Such sweet, sweet faces. How smart to get litter mates, they stay friends for life. You are such a gift, Hilary, your photos are to be treasured.

Jackie said...

You've captured your babies beautifully...from the top of their soft sweet heads to their adorable padded feet. Love them through your photographs...

Rita said...

Oh, now you know how much I loved meeting your feline family members!! Great photos, too, of course.
Happy New Year in your new home!! :)

Daryl said...

they are handsome lads ... do they play with one another .. who grooms who and do they end up in wrestling matches like my two?

Pallavi said...

Those are some great shots Hilary! Their eyes are so striking! Beautiful cats.

Sarah Anne said...

Oh, gosh. So beautiful.

Catherine said...

Beautiful cats - I do love cats and have 3 here (actually 4 at the moment as my step daughter's cat is staying over Christmas and New Year). They bring so much. I could never be without at least one! Happy New Year Hilary x

Unknown said...

Cute cats. They have such sweet eyes.

Kat said...

Beautiful kitties!

I hope you have a fantastic 2014!

Lisa Gordon said...

Hilary, they are just beautiful, and your portraits of them are fantastic.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

Pat - Arkansas said...

I love, love, love your kitty photos! Both are beautiful. Skittles reminds me very much of my beloved Sweetie Pie, who went to play with the angels earlier this year. May I send them both a gentle cyber-hug?

Happy New Year, dear Hilary.

Birdie said...

I was wondering how Benny gets along with them. I was pretty sure it was not a mutual love all around.

Lynne with an e said...

I was almost trying to stroke my computer screen but just contented myself with putting it on my lap to try to get the whole kitty-cat experience. Thanks for sharing your boys. They are beautiful specimens! I loved your descriptions of their very distinct purrsonalities.

I wish you and yours, furry and less so, a very happy and satisfying New Year full of love.

Maggie May said...

Beautiful cats!
I love them.
Hoping you have a very Happy New Year.
Maggie x

Nuts in May

Crabby McSlacker said...

Such lovely cat portraits! (catraits?)

But dang, now you are making me want to run out and adopt a feline or two! We've been catless since our last one passed on, and travel is SO much easier, but shoot... you sure make me want to re-up again.

Sharon Wagner said...

I love the paws. Happy New Year Hillary!

Dianne said...

They are both so beautiful and I love how you illustrate the difference in their personalities.

Happy New Year lovely, wonderful lady and many hugs to all the furry ones

Slamdunk said...

Impressive that Skitty is that comfortable with the vacuum. All of the cats we have ever been around ran and hid when it was out.

Out two new young cats are getting used to the big yellow lab that lives here as well. The dog chases them now occasionally for entertainment purposes, but the cats get him back--waking him up with their 2 am wrestling matches.

Happy New Year.

CiCi said...

Double the pleasure, two wonderful cats to round out your family. I don't know what I would do without my Lola. She and I make a family too. Happy New Year. I know you are enjoying the new home.

Mage said...

I truly miss my cats. Thanks for the moments with your fur people....and furry son. Yes, happy new year to you too. Stay warm.

Glo said...

Purring with delight seeing these beauties! Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Hope you are cozily settled in your new home.

Betty Manousos said...

dear hilary,
happy new year!

i wish that all your wishes are fulfilled this year!
needless to say that i adore the photos of your cats. what cuties!

xoxo

sage said...

Nice photos of some neat looking cats. Blessed 2014 to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year, Smitten. These look like some very happy cats:-)

Lisa said...

Omg they really are beautiful..I love the name Zephyr.
Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

oh qu'ils sont adorables

Pauline said...

Such a heartwarming post - you can see their personalities in their eyes. Makes me miss my Parker, a Maine Coon cat that was the loving-est cat I've ever shared my life with. Thanks, Hilary. Happy New Year to you and Frank.

Suldog said...

I am very much a cat person to begin with, so my prejudice is toward liking any photography of cats, but your cat photos are superb. As with all else you photograph, you capture such a magnificent wealth of detail. I mean, I can fairly much feel the fur and hear the purr. Great.

Bossy Betty said...

This one melted my heart!!! Happy New Year, Hilary!

ashok said...

Happy New Year !

SandyCarlson said...

These photos are telling me who is boss! What gorgeous kitties. I would love to see Bennie romping through this post. It seems to me that cats pose but Bennie lives.

lime said...

terrific cat portraits. that last one makes me giggle, as if zephyr is just barely tolerating his brother and the camera.

Becca said...

What pretty kitties! I hope you have a happy new year as well :)

Linda said...

Such beautiful cats and a wonderful insight into their unique personalities. Are they litter mates? Isn't it interesting that two cats of the same age in the same surroundings have such different characteristics. Thanks for sharing your feline friends with us.

Anita said...

An enjoyable photo biography of Skittles and Zephyr, and your human son thrown in. :)

Great photos! I love the one where they cuddle together for kisses and affection. It's easy to see and hear about why you love them so much.

Sandi McBride said...

I love your cats. They are gorgeous and personable. Most cats are. Now that Mac is better, I am better planning to reopen the One Cat Shy of Crazy blog again. I wish I had a book of your photography, your talent astounds me
Sandi

Anonymous said...

Skittles and Zephyr are really beautiful cats. It's hard to believe they are 14 years. Great post!