Farewell Butch, Hello Kitteh

This post is long overdue. At the end of the summer, Butch went snurfling off to greener pastures. He was ancient -- fully three years past his expiration date. On his last active day (he had a fall the following morning) he frolicked in the water at camp and gamboled around like a puppy.

We scattered his ashes over the lake. I miss him deeply. Even now.

After a few months of mourning, I began thinking about getting a Siamese cat. I researched the breed, and read that they have many dog-like qualities. And because I live alone, I thought a cat might more tolerant of me being gone for a day now and again.

I spoke with a few breeders and even went to a cat show in Springfield. (If you thought the characters in Best in Show were eccentric, go to a cat show!) After a few false starts, I arranged to adopt two adult sisters from a cattery in Eastern Mass. While pedigree kittens are expensive, breeders will often retire their adults after a few years virtually for free.

So, my sisters are retired show girls, mothers many times over, and are washed up and dried out at the ripe old age of two.

Their names were Glitter and The Lady Elizabeth. I didn't think I could be a gay man living alone with a Siamese cat named Glitter. So I renamed them. The seal-point is Sedna and the lilac-point is Ateh.

I'm so in love with them, it's embarrassing. They sleep with me, they curl up together, they play and wrestle with me and with each other. They fetch. (Really!) They come when I call them. They knock shit over. And they yowl and purr. Loudly. : )

Meet the kitteh!