Tuesday, March 19, 2024
backyardblack catscatsdaily photomimi

Daily Photo: Happy 17th Birthday, Mimi!

black cat on steps
Mimi has something to say.

“So what’s this you’re telling everyone about me being a ‘senior cat’? I’m only 17 years old! I can take these steps faster than you!”

Happy official birthday, Mimi. You have always been as sweet as pie, but I love you when you’re sassy and tell me off. I hope you’ll still be correcting me for many years to come.

I don’t have actual pictures or records, but when I look back through the cats and kittens I worked with from the house where Mimi came from, and how many litters she had, she was four years old when she came here in 2007.

For the record, her birthday is July 29, but I couldn’t stay awake last night to post her photo. Bad human!

~~~

From Instagram

These two. I never really know what to expect.

two black cats
Just never know.

From the back yard and beyond.

This family of geese was having an outing on Robinson Run along the nature walk I took the other day. I was walking the old rail line which followed this creek, then the creek crossed under it as the railroad went straight ahead. The temperature was already nearing 90 and I was dripping sweat, and seriously considered climbing down the embankment to get into the water myself.

It was a lovely view of this quiet little isolated place, even though just ahead cars were whizzing by on the interstate overpass. All those shades of green make me want to paint. Below is another view of them as they floated on out. I couldn’t decide which I liked better.

From around this date in past years

Ahhhhhh, 2019

Ahhhh
Ahhhh

Ahhh, that’s nice, Jelly Bean sighs. Yes, we’re still talking about the heat. It was pretty bad and we are totally glad it’s nice and cool now, even though some rain came into the basement. We’re also glad mom is in the mood to take pretty pictures of us again. We hope you have lots to be happy about too.

From Instagram

Friday

Got it just cool enough in here for them to pile up again. Basil, Giuseppe, Mewsette, Bean.

Piled up again.
Piled up again.

Saturday

Bella is chilling. No one else has figured it out yet.

Bella chilling.

 

Photos shared in past years

Up on the Container, It’s a Spider, It’s a Drone, It’s Two Synchronized Napping Cats in Formation!, 2018

Sculpture kitties.
Sculpture kitties.

We don’t call ourselves “The Creative Cat” for nothing—look, two of my creative cats have made a sculpture of themselves sleeping in formation.

But when I first turned around and saw this…whatever, I just wasn’t sure what to think! But I knew I had to take a photo of it, whatever it was.

It turned out to be Giuseppe and Mr. Sunshine sleeping in mirrored positions. How likely is that to ever happen? I’m glad we nearly broke the internets with it.

And below, two different brothers, but still synchronized.

. . . . . . .

From this date in other years

.

Synchronized Brothering, 2016

Head tilt, ears, eyes, paws, all pretty much the same.
Head tilt, ears, eyes, paws, all pretty much the same.

Last Friday I complained the boys were killing me with cuteness and I took way too many photos of them. When I finally had the chance to look through them all I saw some interesting patterns in their positions—heads at the same angle, ears at the same attentiveness, even the same ear turned sideways at just the same little swivel, whiskers fanned in the same way. Giuseppe and Bean have always been the closest buddies out of the four and I have many photo sessions of them being spectacularly cute when they are totally relaxed with each other, but I’ve never had the chance to catch it quite like it was in these photos.

Below is a view of the two at a with their heads up and both looking quite the same as they study something, then after that photo are several of them napping, watch the eyes and ears, how they move together.

Brothers for sure!
Brothers for sure!

071916-Brothers6

The one difference is that if Jelly Bean was one of the dwarfs he’d be Sleepy for sure, he takes his naps seriously and doesn’t open his eyes. Giuseppe is too curious about what I’m doing and can’t keep his eyes closed.

071916-Brothers5

071916-Brothers4

071916-Brothers2

071916-Brothers1

 

 

. . . . . . .

From Facebook and Instagram

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Hamlet Office Cat

Hamlet is today’s office cat. Look at his relaxed expression. He has come so far from the frightened angry housepanther we couldn’t get near enough to touch.

Hamlet the office cat.
Hamlet the office cat.

Watching the World Go By

One of her favorite places.

Watching the world go by.
Watching the world go by.

. . . . . . .

What other photos have I posted on or around this date?

.

A Day of Visitors, 2015
Michelle greets some of her biggest fans.
Michelle greets some of her biggest fans.

Friday was such a busy day and it was all about cats! Well not really, but all the visitors were, and I shared them all on Facebook and Instagram. Above, Dr. Michelle stopped by for a round of flea treatments and claw trimmings for regulars and fosters, 11 cats in all! And for stopping by each week to help me care for and socialize my foster kittens. And for petting my poor neglected house panthers and little Charmee–look at those happy tails below!

Look at those happy tails!
Look at those happy tails!

And them Margo stopped by to pick up the traps Michelle had also dropped off for Margo to trap a colony of 20 cats this weekend for the clinic on Sunday. She was greeted by everyone, and then we went upstairs to see Alvina, Simon and Theodore. Alvina is still a little hesitant, but her brothers are happy to see everyone. Eventually Alvina decided she wasn’t going to let her brothers get all the attention.

Margo greets all three kittens.
Margo greets all three kittens.

Below is a gallery of images from the rest of their visit.

And then the food lady arrived! Thanks Deana Ann Boggs for stopping with food for Alvina, Simon and Theodore! And to whoever donated the food to Pittsburgh CAT. Giuseppe, Charm and Sunshine were happy to meet you!

Deanna comes to the door with food for the kids upstairs.
Deanna comes to the door with food for the kids upstairs.

Giuseppe, Charm and Mr. Sunshine asked her for the password.

She's greeted by Giuseppe, Charm and Mr. Sunshine.
She’s greeted by Giuseppe, Charm and Mr. Sunshine.

Most exciting of all Mimi and I discovered we have a squatter living under our deck!

This year’s groundhog moved in under my deck, excavated a new home, climbed the steps up to the deck and ate my parsley. He has a yard full of species-appropriate food. Mimi wants to eat him. She is always on leash for now and hates it.

He ate my parsley!
He ate my parsley!

I’ve had a young one move in each summer for about 10 years–they nest in the neighbors’ abandoned yards across the street, and the young ones go in search of new homes, and this one is definitely juvenile. They excavated along my basement wall where the soil had been hardpacked, and now water comes in, been a problem for a decade.

He emerges from under the steps on the side of the deck.
He emerges from under the steps on the side of the deck.

I’ve always done the dirty cat litter trick to make them leave. They may look like walking dispose-alls but they are actually very fastidious animals and the idea of dirty litter anywhere near their home is apparently more than they can take. When I moved in they were nesting in my yard, and that’s how I convinced them to leave as I have no shortage of used cat litter.

Our little friend.
Our little friend.

In all my years of trying to decoy them with other foods they would happily eat the decoy and also my vegetables. I won’t tell you what I yell at them about being a gourmet pot roast after having eaten my heritage organic vegetables and herbs.

I don’t want Mimi tangling with a groundhog!

Mimi wants to eat him.
Mimi wants to eat him.

. . . . . . .

What other photos have I posted on or around this date?

.

The Third Cat, 2014
three cats on bed
The Fourth Cat

Two cats are happily napping on the bed in the afternoon. Oh, wait! There are three? Where is that third cat? Oh, I see! It’s that lump under the quilt!

Giuseppe had to get his under-the-covers nap even though it’s not at all cold, quite pleasant, and not only that but he had to roll back the entire edge of the quilt and mess up the bed covers in the meantime. Mr. Sunshine looks a little perturbed about that. But that’s Giuseppe.

. . . . . . .

 

Desk Sorters, 2013
two black cats on desk
Desk sorters.

Mimi and Mr. Sunshine insisted in lying about all over my desk, so I told them if they weren’t going to move to free up my desk space for what I needed to do then they’d need to some work. Above is “work” for a cat, lying about in the same position as before, but with papers sorted onto them. Well, it worked for me, at least until they moved, and they seemed to enjoy being helpful. Don’t they look as if they are enjoying their work?

I wish my camera would make loud painful screeching noises when it set on ISO1600. You’d think it would lighten up the blacks, but this is all the farther I can adjust them. Had it on 1600 unintentionally for most of the day and got some other interesting effects too!

. . . . . . .

Wordless Wednesday: Too Many Paws for One Cat, 2013
black cat on cabinet
Mr. Sunshine drapes himself off the edge, but I see two other ears up there.

. . . . . . .

What Old Cats Do in Hot Weather, 2013
two cats in tub
Chilling together in the tub.

The “cool” thing about older cats is they’ve done all this before. It’s been hot, it didn’t go away no matter how much they complained, they found the tub, and that was that. I’m fairly certain these two would have found the tub even if they hadn’t been residing in the bathroom. The tub is now full of cat hair and I’ve had to baking soda-vinegar the drain once already, but if they are happy, I’m happy.

I opened the bathroom door so they could wander the upstairs—all three rooms/200 sq. ft. of it—and blocked the stairs with a baby gate. I’ve done this since Monday and so far, so good. Jojo pretty much stays in the bathroom though she enjoyed an evening stretched on the floor in my studio under the ceiling fan until the spectacular explosions of the transformer put out the lights. But Lakota visits all the rooms, napped on the bed, stretches on the studio floor. When they saw each other he and my cats had a hiss fest then gave it up. My cats stay out of the bathroom and hang out in my studio and on the landing on top of things as they always did and he naps on the floor, it seems to work fine. I’m still trying to prohibit direct contact since they haven’t been FIV/FeLV tested, but hissing at each other from several feet away and vertical distances included is fairly safe.

. . . . . . .

Other’s Fine Felines: Virginia, 2013
white cat with tabby spots
Virginia, who really really wanted her photo taken.

“I always wanted to be a model,” the slender white cat wearing a gray cloche hat at a jaunty angle said. “Unfortunately, I caught this disease and my career was over. But I’d so like it if you’d take my photo.” Sweet, quiet, dignified, that is Virginia.

Virginia is one of the cats who lives at In Care of Cats Sanctuary. I met so many cats that I didn’t get the time to ask each individual story, but I do know that Virginia is so named because she originated in that state. I’d photographed her when I first came in, below, happily sleeping in the sun, and she awoke and looked at me just in time to let the sun shine through her pale coral ears.

I walked all around the sanctuary after that asking questions of Risé and Janine and just as we were about to leave that section and go outdoors we stopped for a few last questions. Janine, the main caretaker who knows each cat by name and health history, said to me, “Turn around—Virginia is looking at you so longingly, could you take her picture? I think she’d like that.”

I turned around and indeed there was Virginia sitting tall and perfectly balanced, paws placed just so, her head at a coy tilt. She blinked once, then continued to look at me. I took several photos, the lighting was a little difficult and I wanted to be certain I caught all the nuances of Virginia. I photographed so many cats that day and so many cats on a regular basis, and surely I do my best to describe them with these images, or to capture an interesting view with all the abilities of myself and my equipment, but a truly beautiful being is beautiful no matter what you do or who takes the photo. Every photo of Virginia was interesting, distinctive and lovely, and that was not my talent but her natural beauty.

As I photographed her many impressions wandered through my imagination, a story, a 1920s flapper girl, a 1930s stage actress, young and beautiful, overcoming great odds as a woman in that day and the challenges of those days with a promising career, but some illness, in those days deadly, today curable, put a stop to that, but she never lost her dignity.

I can’t save her, no one can; her disease, feline leukemia virus, will soon take her life, but she will be remembered here for her natural beauty, grace and dignity.

white cat with tabby spots
Virginia, when I first entered the sanctuary.

Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

AfterDinnerNap-Etsy

Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork

cat sleeping in oil pastel
In Window Light, 5″ x 7″, oil pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

Oil pastel again, for the strength of colors and the texture; it’s hot and feels like summer. Here Mimi naps in the light from the window, slipping in under the mini blind. In the strength of the sun, all colors appear in her fur and on the old marble windowsill and the hot yellow sun outside the window. Read more and purchase.



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From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

6 thoughts on “Daily Photo: Happy 17th Birthday, Mimi!

  • catladymac

    Happy Purrthday sweet Mimi !

    Reply
  • Mimi; a most happy 17th to you; I turned 17 this year as well and if that doesn’t call for a celebration I don’t know what does~~~~ may your day be spent doing everything YOU want to do and may the year ahead be filled with happiness & health hugs from dai$y and the boys =^..*= ♥♥

    Reply
  • You look quite beautious! Happy Birthday from all of us Mimi!

    Reply
    • I hope I look half as good as Mimi when I’m the equivalent of her age! We won’t say how old that is…

      Reply
  • 15andmeowing

    Happy Birthday beautiful Mimi! XO

    Reply

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