I am new to the site but have had cats the majority of my life. I work full time plus I take care of my dad (what seems like full time) even though he is in assisted living. He has Alzheimer's and I would say he is in stage 6 based on the 7 stage model. My step mother passed in September due to her (mixed) dementia and the isolation due to the Covid-19 lockdown. My husband retired early a year ago. We had nine cats but recently lost two of them unexpectedly and mysteriously which I will post in the "Crossing the Bridge" section. I joined this site in the hopes of possibly finding some information or similar stories to what might have happened to the two I lost. So now we're down to seven cats. We never planned on having so many, it just kind of worked out that way. Fun fact, most of our cats have Japanese names (except for Taz, Shandar and Truffles) because my husband is half Japanese - a theme we kind of stuck with. So, without further ado, I will introduce my cats....
Yoshi - (8 y/o) I adopted him from a shelter when I lost my 18 year old male, Taz. I had Taz since he was a year old so it was a hard loss although not unexpected. Yoshi was 8 weeks old when I got him. He is the true definition of a "scaredy" cat. He is also my musical cat. Whenever he greets me or trills in general, it's always in a "sing-songy" voice. I believe he is a Norwegian Forest cat. He loves kittens and will groom them! He's also a jokester and likes to play hide and seek.
Mika - (7 y/o) I adopted Mika when I lost my female cat Shandar at 19 years old and a year after I got Yoshi. She was about 8 weeks old as well. She also came from a shelter and was there due to a hoarding situation. She was in bad shape as she had Coccidia, worms, and ear mites so bad the vet said she had teaspoons full of them in her tiny little ears. I believe she was a Siberian. I say "was" because she recently passed. She was my little ball of sunshine and always by my side. Her passing was completely devastating!!
Kitsune - (6 y/o) We found him in an arborvitae tree on our property. He was about 20 feet up the tree and was about 7 or 8 weeks old at the time. We believe he was one of the farmers kittens. Some neighbors helped us get him down. We did call the humane society and the fire department but no one was willing to help us. He is a Cannonball tabby. We believe he has some Siamese in him because he likes to talk (and whine) a lot. He is a sweet boy though. He also had a cataract in one eye and a wound to his neck. We think a hawk tried to get him.
Tanuki - (7 y/o) We adopted him when our cat Juntaro passed at 17. Juntaro was the last of my late in-laws cats so when he passed it was hard on my husband. Tanuki was about a year old and we got him from a shelter. He was a big boy. I believe he was a Maine Coon mix. He was a big, lovable teddy bear and bonded with my husband. We recently lost him.
Kori (15+) and Kasai (13+) - We picked these two boys up from the pet store where we buy our cat food. The pet store tries to find homes for the local shelter. I fell in love with Kori (grey) when I saw him. However, I didn't know he was part of a "bonded" pair (which they really aren't "bonded" at all). We've had them for about four years and I believe they are a Main Coon mix. We adopted them because they were older cats and the pet store had them for quite a while. We were afraid they might be euthanized due to their age. We got them home and they were skin and bones. They had been treated for fleas (by the shelter) and had their matts shaved out. We were told they came from a hoarding situation and we believe they were also abused. Kori is sweet and petite coming in at 7.5 pounds. Kasi (orange) was a true bully when we got him but has since mellowed out and became a very loving cat.
Keiko (4 y/o) - Keiko was hanging out under our trees in the backyard. More than likely she was a kitten from one of the farmers cats. We put food out for her in the summer and trapped her around Labor day, before the winter came. She is a bit of a wild child but very loving. We also trapped two other kittens that were younger than Keiko. Took them to the humane society. When I called to check on them the staff told me they might be euthanized because they were to old to tame (they were like 12 weeks old). So, we went back and bailed them out. They were tame, just a little skittish We were lucky enough to find a home for them.
Truffles (6 or 7 y/o) - He is a Maine Coon that was abandoned at a horse stable across the street from my mom's house. He was outside for a good two years and had a mate. The mate had kittens on my mom's property and my mom was able to get the kittens inside after they were weaned. She used to raise Siamese before I was born. She had both Truffles and his mate, Belle, neutered and spayed. She also found loving homes for 3 of the 4 kittens. She grew attached to one of the kittens and kept it. Unfortunately, Belle was hit by a car and died. My husband felt terrible for Truffles and we didn't want him to meet the same fate. No one else wanted to take him in, so we did. Truffles is a clown of a cat and full of expressions. I can't believe how someone could abandon him. He had to have been a house cat at one point. He is very affectionate and a big ham.
Bishojo (1.5 y/o) - Another kitten thanks to the farmers not getting their cats fixed. She climbed into the engine of my husband's truck last winter. He would plug in his engine heater when it was in the single digits or lower so it was a warm place for her to go. We were able to trap her in about 15 minutes. We took her in and she is very sweet. She is a short hair Torbie with some beautiful markings. We took her to the vet and got all her shots and spayed. We did the same with the others that we found on the property. She has adapted very well.
Yoshi - (8 y/o) I adopted him from a shelter when I lost my 18 year old male, Taz. I had Taz since he was a year old so it was a hard loss although not unexpected. Yoshi was 8 weeks old when I got him. He is the true definition of a "scaredy" cat. He is also my musical cat. Whenever he greets me or trills in general, it's always in a "sing-songy" voice. I believe he is a Norwegian Forest cat. He loves kittens and will groom them! He's also a jokester and likes to play hide and seek.
Mika - (7 y/o) I adopted Mika when I lost my female cat Shandar at 19 years old and a year after I got Yoshi. She was about 8 weeks old as well. She also came from a shelter and was there due to a hoarding situation. She was in bad shape as she had Coccidia, worms, and ear mites so bad the vet said she had teaspoons full of them in her tiny little ears. I believe she was a Siberian. I say "was" because she recently passed. She was my little ball of sunshine and always by my side. Her passing was completely devastating!!
Kitsune - (6 y/o) We found him in an arborvitae tree on our property. He was about 20 feet up the tree and was about 7 or 8 weeks old at the time. We believe he was one of the farmers kittens. Some neighbors helped us get him down. We did call the humane society and the fire department but no one was willing to help us. He is a Cannonball tabby. We believe he has some Siamese in him because he likes to talk (and whine) a lot. He is a sweet boy though. He also had a cataract in one eye and a wound to his neck. We think a hawk tried to get him.
Tanuki - (7 y/o) We adopted him when our cat Juntaro passed at 17. Juntaro was the last of my late in-laws cats so when he passed it was hard on my husband. Tanuki was about a year old and we got him from a shelter. He was a big boy. I believe he was a Maine Coon mix. He was a big, lovable teddy bear and bonded with my husband. We recently lost him.
Kori (15+) and Kasai (13+) - We picked these two boys up from the pet store where we buy our cat food. The pet store tries to find homes for the local shelter. I fell in love with Kori (grey) when I saw him. However, I didn't know he was part of a "bonded" pair (which they really aren't "bonded" at all). We've had them for about four years and I believe they are a Main Coon mix. We adopted them because they were older cats and the pet store had them for quite a while. We were afraid they might be euthanized due to their age. We got them home and they were skin and bones. They had been treated for fleas (by the shelter) and had their matts shaved out. We were told they came from a hoarding situation and we believe they were also abused. Kori is sweet and petite coming in at 7.5 pounds. Kasi (orange) was a true bully when we got him but has since mellowed out and became a very loving cat.
Keiko (4 y/o) - Keiko was hanging out under our trees in the backyard. More than likely she was a kitten from one of the farmers cats. We put food out for her in the summer and trapped her around Labor day, before the winter came. She is a bit of a wild child but very loving. We also trapped two other kittens that were younger than Keiko. Took them to the humane society. When I called to check on them the staff told me they might be euthanized because they were to old to tame (they were like 12 weeks old). So, we went back and bailed them out. They were tame, just a little skittish We were lucky enough to find a home for them.
Truffles (6 or 7 y/o) - He is a Maine Coon that was abandoned at a horse stable across the street from my mom's house. He was outside for a good two years and had a mate. The mate had kittens on my mom's property and my mom was able to get the kittens inside after they were weaned. She used to raise Siamese before I was born. She had both Truffles and his mate, Belle, neutered and spayed. She also found loving homes for 3 of the 4 kittens. She grew attached to one of the kittens and kept it. Unfortunately, Belle was hit by a car and died. My husband felt terrible for Truffles and we didn't want him to meet the same fate. No one else wanted to take him in, so we did. Truffles is a clown of a cat and full of expressions. I can't believe how someone could abandon him. He had to have been a house cat at one point. He is very affectionate and a big ham.
Bishojo (1.5 y/o) - Another kitten thanks to the farmers not getting their cats fixed. She climbed into the engine of my husband's truck last winter. He would plug in his engine heater when it was in the single digits or lower so it was a warm place for her to go. We were able to trap her in about 15 minutes. We took her in and she is very sweet. She is a short hair Torbie with some beautiful markings. We took her to the vet and got all her shots and spayed. We did the same with the others that we found on the property. She has adapted very well.