The Felines: Kitties Blue

Photo Gallery

Below this gallery are short bios of each of our past and present Kitties Blue as a guide for reading their blog. As time goes by, you will learn more about each of them as well as their personalities and antics. (Click on each cat for a larger portrait, then click the browser’s back button to return to this page.)

Bios

SKOOTER (aka “Tub-O-Cat” and “Goodyear”) 05/01/1987 – 2001
The offspring of Tubby and a stray female taken in by friends was off to the SPCA if he didn’t find a home. After meeting him we couldn’t let that happen and our love of all things cat was born! Skooter became famous in 1989 with his selection to appear on July 10 and November 22 in the “365 Days of Cats” calendar.

STEAMER (aka “Little Bit”) 04/02/1989 – 2006
Another kitten born to a stray rescued by a friend, she was not the kitten we originally chose but rather the one that selected us. Rather than joining “The Cat on My Head” club, Steamer was able to attach herself to any part of my body and move (without ever losing her balance) right along with me whenever I would roll over.

DAPHNE 03/18/1991 – 2010
I had longed for a tuxedo cat and got my wish when a neighborhood stray, we eventually named “Mom,” deposited a litter of kittens in the engine compartment of my Mazda. The only long-haired cat among the litter, she stole our hearts.

THELMA (aka “The Sisters”) 02/22/1992 – 2004 and LOUISE 02/22/1992 – 08/04/2009
Two more of Mom’s offspring, they were named for the characters in the movie of the same name. Thelma was the original “The Best Cat Ever!” and “The Cat on My Head.” Thankfully she is the only one who used the opportunity to chew my hair. Louise was a true scaredy cat. She was once shut in a neighbor’s basement for two weeks and too spooked to come out even for us …

CHLOE 1992 – 2003
Another stray that found her way to our door, she arrived as we were leaving town for the weekend. She was still waiting for us on our return. Discovering she was in heat, she became ours after having her spayed. She taught us about the less than stellar personalities of calico cats.

TWINKLE 10/1994 – 1998
The last of Mom’s offspring was discovered after the neighbor’s caught Mom and had taken her to the SPCA where she was put to sleep.  We were never able to train her wandering ways out of her and she is the only kitty we lost to the street. Each year, I  put up a special Christmas tree in her memory and honor.

LILY OLIVIA 02/28/1999 – 01/02/2018
“The Amazing Barking Cat” and second “Cat on My Head “ was liberated from a group of kittens that were always playing in the street a few blocks from our home. Her three, male siblings, Winston, Parker, and Sebastian, were liberated by a friend. Lily Olivia was our “bridge” cat. She lived with all of our other cats, except Twinkle.

MADISON 04/1999 – 01/18/2011
The second “The Best Cat Ever!” hung around on our back deck for about six months before he was invited to join the family. Our vet said he was about two years old when he joined us in 2001. Though a white cat with blue eyes, Madison was not deaf. He had the best manners of any cat we’ve ever had proving to us that it is possible to train a cat not that we’ve ever had much success in this pursuit.

MACKENZIE (aka “Big Mac”) 04/01/2001 – 09/19/2011
Originally named Cyrus, the marmalade cat I had wished for in 1997 was another stray. Adopted sight-unseen from a vet, we were surprised to find that he had ringworm and a hernia in need of repair when delivered to us. He became my shadow and followed me everywhere. He passed away much too young of stomach cancer.

MISTY MAY (aka “The Babies”) 09/17/2004 and MAURICIO 09/17/2004 – 07/17/2020
Some experts say that cats don’t fetch. They have never met Mauricio who thinks such a game is perfect cat entertainment. Named for a retired Brazilian national volleyball team setter, he’s also a pretty good ball-handler. Check him out in the post, “The 2012 Kitty Olympics.” Misty May, the current “Cat on My Head,” is named after the famous Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medalist; though, she can’t be bothered with frivolous play.

GIULIETTA (aka “Tribble” and “Trouble” and “The Kittens”) 03/18/2010 – 10/10/2021 and FIONA 03/18/2010 – 12/01/2016
When it was time to add to the family after Daphne’s passing, I vowed to get only one kitten—a black, short-haired female as I was still missing Thelma. A friend sent me to see a couple of litters she knew about and I immediately fell in love with a grey, long-haired beauty and then her doe-eyed, short-haired sister. Tom was just returning from a trip to Italy, which included a visit to Juliet’s balcony in Verona, and so Giulietta seemed like one perfect name. To see a short video of our talented kitty, visit YouTube and search for “Giulietta the cat speed reads on the iPad.” She has 65,000+ hits but would like to go viral. Named for a character on USA’s “Burn Notice,” Fiona, the velveteen cat, has channeled Thelma’s laid-back personality (my lap is her favorite resting place) even though she resembles Louise.

ASTRID and LISBETH (aka “The Angels”) 8/17/2011
These additions to the household are not related but were raised together.  After being abandoned and bottle-fed, Astrid (originally Tabitha) was placed with Lisbeth’s (originally Cary) litter and raised by her mother, Tuxie. Named for a character on Fox’s “Fringe,” Astrid was adopted from the TNR/Rescue group, Barn Cat Buddies, in Hardy, Virginia. Lisbeth, named for the main character in the Stieg Larsson novels, was adopted from Roanoke, Virginia’s, no-kill shelter, Angels of Assisi.

CALISTA JOSETTE (CALISTA JO or C.J.) 06/20/2012/Gotcha Day 10/04/2012
Another Barn Cat Buddy, this kitty came to us as Josette or Josie. The name Calista had not been on any of the kitty name lists I keep, but none of those names worked with Josette, which we wanted to keep for a middle name. She is a dilute tortoise shell and one of four kittens born to a feral mother. She is the eighth cat in what is normally a seven kitty household. We’re hoping she doesn’t upset the applecart. Time will tell.

COOPER MURPHY (aka “Not Charlie”) Gotcha Day 01/07/2017 (Vet assigned  10/20/2015 as birth date.) 
Five weeks after our precious Fiona received her wings, she brought us this adorable ginger tabby. Left to fend for himself in a snowstorm, he came to us by way of a friend who could not invite him in because of her three dogs. After posting him as found all over social media and finding no matches to lost cats, we had him scanned for a microchip. Finding he had none, Cooper Murphy joined the ranks of Kitties Blue at an age of about 15 months. He now has a microchip.

SAWYER Gotcha Day 11/25/2017   (Vet assigned  07/01/2017 as birth date.)
Housekeeper/Kitty Sitter Chris discovered this four-month-old, 3.9 pound, Manx kitten on the deck of the vacant house next-door to ours on Thanksgiving weekend. She began feeding him and set him up with warm blankets and a box on the deck. When we arrived home and found out, Dad Tom immediately retrieved him. By the following morning Tom had named him; his and our fates were set from that moment. I did post some “found” cat notices on-line but received no replies. He became kitty number nine of the current residents, making for the most kitties in residence at any time.

KIZMET 6/23/2020/Gotcha Day 12/19/2020
I saw this precious beauty on PetFinder. Her name was Janet. That seemed like kismet to me, which prompted her name of Kizmet. With Mauricio’s passing we were down to seven cats, and the house seemed empty and quiet. Enter “monkey” cat, Kizmet. Adopted from Angels of Assisi in Roanoke, she was the purrfect addition to the Kitties Blue family. She will play with Sawyer and is a constant source of entertainment for the humans.

AUDREY (aka “The Hoover”) and RALEIGH Gotcha Day 7/26/2022
I took in these two nine-week old kittens as a favor to a friend. My intent was not to keep them but to find loving homes. Within 48 hours, however, I’d fallen in love and welcomed them as members of The Kitties Blue crew. Audrey was named after a previous vet, who had taken care of a number of our early kitties with great compassion and care. Raleigh’s name is a derivation of my mother’s maiden name, ROWLEY.

Over the years many other strays (Stewert, Noel, Skippy, Trouble, Alex and Teddy to name but a few) have asked for admittance, but, alas, had to find other homes. We are pleased that none had to go to the SPCA and all were placed in loving homes.

NYLABLUE 12/24/2001  – 11/22/2014
Lovely Nylablue joined us as an Honorary Kitty Blue on 6/14/2013. She and her mum live in Ontario, Canada. Nylablue was five years old in 2006 when she was adopted by Sherri-Ellen. Her name was just “Nyla.” Nyla means Dark Blue in Sanskrit. Nylablue’s mum added blue to her name and she has answered to that ever since. Nylablue is a fan of Bollywood movies! To learn more and follow Nylablue on her blog, you can find her at Nylablue and Sherriellen’s Purrfect Pad.

BAILEY BLUE  07/09/2011
Bailey joined us as an Honorary Kitty Blue on 07/30/2013. We invited him as a gift for his second birthday. Bailey is a seal point Siamese who was born in the south of France. His human mom is Cornish and his human dad is an Aussie. Bailey is the famous boat cat; though, he no longer sails.

SAMPSON “SAMPY” HALL 03/22/2012
A handsome tuxie married to the beautiful Astrid, Sampson is a trouble maker, a food stealer, and a heart winner. He is a jack of all trades – a singer, an acrobat, a suckler (the neck is his favorite suckle spot). He is also a master conversationalist. Underneath it all though, he is one big lover boy, happy to spend his days cuddled up with his mom.