VITAL STATISTICS

Name: Lillian Kane Moskowitz Munster Cavanaugh-Sawyer McGuire
Date of Birth: November 16th, 2004
Breed: Classic Siamese
Color: Blue point

BIO

Lillian Kane Moskowitz Munster Cavanaugh-Sawyer McGuire (commonly called "Lilly," "Lillers," or "Lil") is the latest in a long line of beloved bluepoint Siamese. Her looks may seem a bit unusual to people who are only familiar with the most current incarnation of the breed, which is generally known as the "Modern Siamese"—the sharply angular cats that look like pieces of moving art deco statuary. Lilly is actually a Classic Siamese, the intermediate stage between the Modern and the Traditional, or Applehead Siamese. The Classic is the least common of the three types, something I personally feel is a shame, since the Classic is also the sweetest of the types. (Yes, I'm biased. At least I'm open about it.)

Lilly is what is referred to as a "blue," or "blue point Siamese." This isn't a breed qualifier; it's a description of her color. The original Siamese cats, which are the ones most people are familiar with, were seal point—a dark brown that could look almost black in the right lighting. Blue points are a genetically dilute variation on the seal, and were the second color of Siamese to be officially recognized as part of the breed. I adore blue point Siamese beyond all sense or reason. They tend to be less vocal than seals, and even more gregarious. Which is a bit scary, when you consider the fact that Traditional and Classic Siamese were bred partially for their devotion to their people.

Lilly was born November 16th, 2004 at Mary's Traditional Siamese Cattery, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her sire was Raz 2 Taz, a seal point, and her mother was Sheba II, a truly gorgeous blue point who looked a lot like her daughter. Lilly's lack of a tail isn't a genetic trait; she was born fully intact and normal, but had an unfortunate accident when she was only a few days old. I'm secretly grateful for her misfortune, since she's a beautiful girl, and would probably have gone to someone looking for a show cat if it weren't for her missing tail. She has no idea that she was ever meant to have a tail, and gets around the house just fine, frequently at sub-sonic speeds.

Currently, Lilly—who can expect to live to be twenty or even twenty-five, given the proper medical care and a safe home environment—is five years old, and weighs a healthy fourteen pounds. She enjoys sitting in my lap while I'm trying to get things done, burrowing in my dresser drawers, and not getting in trouble for the things she does. Recently, she's also learned the joys of "blaming things on Alice," and is getting very good at this game.

Like most Siamese, Lilly is fond of climbing things, chasing invisible insects through the room, and "conversing" with people. She will follow visitors through the house, demanding they stop and talk to her. She's also the only cat I've ever met who's managed to figure out that the volume difference between normal television programming and commercials means that I'm about to get off the couch, but will be right back.

Guests have to be warned that Lilly won't take "no" for an answer, but her affection is genuine; she's not a "purr until you relax, then whip around and take a chunk out of you" cat. She's well-mannered, by Siamese standards, and generally won't steal things off your plate, scratch you for no reason, or attempt to conquer the planet just because she's bored.

The pictures along the side show Lilly at a variety of stages. The first was taken at eight weeks, when her color pointing began to become clear. The second picture shows her at eight months, all gawky limbs and snowy whiteness. By the third picture, the white has darkened to her adult cream, and her points have come fully in. Pictures three and four were both taken during Lilly's fourth year, and picture five was taken shortly after she turned five.

VITAL STATISTICS

Name: Alice Price-Healy Liddel Little Abernathy McGuire
Date of Birth: December 19th, 2008
Breed: Maine Coon
Color: Blue classic tabby with white

BIO

Alice Price-Healy Liddel Little Abernathy McGuire (commonly called "Alice" or "Ally," registered as Pinecoon's Alice Price-Healy) is something new and exciting around my household: a Maine Coon. She's my first non-Siamese pedigreed cat, and was purchased ostensibly because there were no Classic Siamese kittens to be had on the West Coast when I came into the market for a new kitten (there weren't), but really because I suffered from a horrible case of love at first sight. We met when I did a casual cattery visit—the owner of Pinecoon, Betsy Tinney, is a friend of mine—and discovered that a) Maine Coons come in blue, and b) one of her three-week-old kittens was a little blue girl. Victory to Betsy and her glorious giant cats.

Alice's color may strike people as a bit odd at first; it definitely struck me as being odd, since I didn't realize that Maine Coons came in any color other than the traditional brown tabby pattern. It turns out that Maine Coons come in all sorts of amazing colors, although the brown tabby remains both the most common and the most popular. Some of their color patterns are drop-dead gorgeous (although I, of course, think the blues are the best). Maine Coons have always been bred for size, but many people aren't aware that they're also bred for intelligence, sturdiness, and a sweet, family-oriented disposition. They're just amazing cats.

Alice was born December 19th, 2008, at Pinecoon Maine Coon Cats, located in Seattle, Washington. Pinecoon has a history of producing absolutely gorgeous cats, and Alice's litter was no exception. Her sire was SGC Coondalay Macallan of Pinecoon (Callan), and her mother is GC Pinecoon's Hootenanny (Arial). Neither of her parents is actually blue, because cat genetics are awesome, but both of her parents are sweet, endearing, absolutely fabulous cats. Alice officially became a part of my household in April 2009; we're still adjusting, some of us faster than others.

The pictures along the side show Alice at a variety of stages. The first was taken at three weeks, when we were first introduced (and I learned that Maine Coons come in blue). The second picture shows her at eight weeks, when her eyes and coat had begun to really demonstrate her heritage. The third picture was taken at fourteen weeks of age, when she was ready to leave the cattery, and had become large enough to have her own gravitational field. The fourth picture was taken a few weeks after she moved in with me, and shows her usual level of dignity. In the final picture, taken by Tony Fabris, Alice is nine months old, and has grown into her adult coat.

As she's grown, Alice has matured into a true gem of a cat, for all that she has the usual assortment of Maine Coon quirks. She enjoys playing in the water; her favorite toys include my big metal baking bowl (full of water), the bathtub (full of water), and the toilet (full of water). Her toilet-shark tendencies have led to my bathroom having the strangest visitor's advisory pretty much ever. She also adores her squid-on-a-string, the pumpkin-orange cat tree, and Lilly, who is her constant companion. She's not a lap-cat, but will happily hang out in the room with you for hours, just enjoying human company.

Alice is now a year old, and her colors have finished coming in, making her a true Halloween cat: smoke-gray with undertones of muted autumnal orange. People make jokes about her father being the Great Pumpkin. They aren't far wrong.