Shareena & Miss Patchwillow's 3rd Birthday

Shareena and Miss Patchwillow were born April 7, 2007. I can't believe they're three years old already.

Here's Shareena at 5 weeks old, the first time I saw her


Shareena at 7-1/2 weeks, the day I brought her home


All worn out after settling in to her new home


Shareena at 11 weeks


Miss Patchwillow (Shareena's sister) at 3 months the day I brought her home


First day, sisters meeting again after 6 weeks apart


Second day: okay, you can touch my tail, just don't look at me


Third day: we can be friends now


Second week together: let me show you how it's done


Three-year-old pictures coming up next.

Miss Patchwillow 3 years old


Shareena 3 years old






Shareena's beautiful green eyes


Miss Patchwillow's beautiful green eyes



I don't know why their eyes show up yellow in most of the pictures. They're really a pale green/hazel.

Happy Birthday, Ladies!

I didn't join TCS until Goldy showed up on my doorstep pregnant, when Shareena and Miss Patchwillow were a year old. So I probably haven't told the whole story even you'd been around to read it.

I had decided I wanted gray and white kitten and started by looking at the employee classifieds on the website at work. There were four litters of "free kittens" being advertised, all of which had at least one gray and white kitten.

Shareena was one of a litter of seven kittens, 5 black and white, 1 solid gray, and 1 gray and white. I chose her mostly because of the timing. The woman was actually giving the kittens away starting at 6 weeks but I asked if she could keep mine for an extra week or so because I was going on vacation. I picked Shareena up on the way home from the airport.

About six weeks later I was talking to the woman to give her an update on Shareena and she said that she had one kitten left from the litter whom she was going to have to take to a shelter. She'd moved into a place that didn't allow pets. Of course I said don't take her to a shelter, I'll take a second kitten.

At the time I knew next to nothing about cats. I had no idea that 7 weeks was too young for them to leave their mother and had never heard of doing slow introductions. I also assumed that since they were littermates that they would remember each other. WRONG! I let Miss Patchwillow out of the carrier as soon as I got her home and it was instant cat fight. For the first day and a half I thought I had made a horrible mistake and would have to find another home for Miss Patchwillow. Then in the middle of the afternoon the second day they suddenly decided that they were best friends. I'd swear Shareena took Miss Patchwillow around the house and showed her all the places meowmy didn't allow them to go.