In order for me to look so effortlessly ready for the camera, it takes at the very least, some hot rollers to the hair, a modest amount of makeup, some leopard cat ears, and a really talented fiance to take the picture. For cats, especially the ever charming and wide eyed, Peanut and Mia, it is a mere matter of standing atop a pedestal to look completely stunning so that they may pay tribute to this quote by the  late Lilian Jackson Braun.

The thing is, when Dan took this photo, he did not artfully place the cats on the pedestal, posed in perfect composition with the trailing ivy background. No, all he did was see them together, grab the camera, keep his fingers crossed they hadn’t jumped down yet, and snap the shot. If it were me, he would still be telling me to “move a bit to the left.”  Or is it, move to the right? Oh never mind, now the sun has moved and the lighting is terrible…

Lilian Jackson Braun (June 20, 1913 – June 4, 2011) was an American writer, well known for her light-hearted series of “The Cat Who…” mystery novels. The “Cat Who” books center around the life of former newspaper reporter, James Qwilleran, and his two Siamese cats, KoKo and Yum Yum, in the fictitious small town of Pickax located in Moose County “400 miles north of everywhere.” Although never formally stated in her books, the towns, counties and lifestyles described in the series are generally accepted to be modeled after Bad Axe, Michigan, where Braun resided with her husband until the mid-1980s. (Wikipedia)

Please take a moment to vote for Zee & Zoey in the DogTime Pettie Awards – we are nominated for “Best Designed Blog” and “Best Blog Post” for our interview with Steve Dale on pedigree cat breeding. You can vote once a day up to July 31st, and winning blogs will get $1000 donated to the rescue or shelter of their choice! We have picked a local organization called Abandoned Pet Rescue where we got several of our dogs throughout the years.Click here to vote.

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

Hey! Rolz here! Since this magnificent image is of ME, who better to talk about it than myself?! This guy, Fernand Mery, sure knew his stuff. Cats and lions, yeah, we kinda go together and I think my handsome and regal profile really shows off my resemblance to the King of the Jungle. If I could read, I’d tell you more about this brilliant guy. Actually, that’s not true. I’m quite a lazy boy by nature and I have no aspirations to learn how to read whatsoever. Feed me, touch me occasionally, admire me always, and let me nap in peace. The human can tell you about this guy if she wants to enlighten you with her ability to grab information from Wikipedia.

Okay, Deb here! Since Rolz has made his point clear, here is just a bit about Fernand Mery. Fernand Mery (1897 – 1983) was a world renowned veterinarian, author, and animal advocate from France. He wrote many books about pets, including these on cats – “The Life, History and Magic of the Cat,” “The Cat,” and “Her Majesty the Cat.” He helped to pass many laws in France for the better treatment of animals and founded several organizations such as The National Council for Animal Protection.  (Wikipedia)

Please take a moment to vote for Zee & Zoey in the DogTime Pettie Awards – we are nominated for “Best Designed Blog” and “Best Blog Post” for our interview with Steve Dale on pedigree cat breeding. You can vote once a day up to July 31st, and winning blogs will get $1000 donated to the rescue or shelter of their choice! We have picked a local organization called Abandoned Pet Rescue where we got several of our dogs throughout the years.Click here to vote.

To see full beauty of photo, please click image to enlarge.

Our dear, sweet Mia is such a delightful mix of earnest shyness amidst a newly blooming personality of boldness, that you can’t help but want to hug her, even if she is not quite ready for it.  She has an endearing chirp to her meow and when she follows after you like a little shadow, she does it with a wonderful bounce and prance to her step that seems to say she is always ready for whatever playtime adventure might come her way! In this photo, that adventure would be a palm frond that has seen its last days! She is completely enraptured with this seemingly mundane object and captures the essence of this quote by Monica Edwards with appropriate charm and inquisitiveness.

Monica Edwards (née Monica le Doux Newton; November 8, 1912 – January 18, 1998) was an English children’s writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children’s novels. She had only a fragmentary formal education and was also a cat lover, as evidenced by this photo of her taken with her cat, Vashti, circa 1954. (Wikipedia)

Don’t forget to vote to nominate your favorite pet bloggers for the Petties 2012 Awards! Voting open until June 29th and one lucky rescue or shelter organization could also win a $10,000 donation! Click link for one of two ways to vote – through facebook or by using your email!! We hope you will consider our site for any of the categories you feel we qualify for and we thank you so much for all of your support!

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge

Despite that the yard is fenced and he is supervised, Rolz lives for the moments we open the door to the backyard to unleash his inner wild feline self. Every glorious sense of his is heightened and one would easily assume at a glance that perhaps a bobcat or lynx had happened upon the premises. Every muscle, every hair on his body is stunningly displayed in this photo and the quote by Jean Burden could not be more appropriate or inspired.

Jean Burden (September 1, 1914 – April 21, 2008) was an American poet, essayist, and author. She was the poetry editor for Yankee magazine for nearly fifty years and also published six best-selling books on animal welfare and pet care. She also served as administrative officer for the Meals for Millions Foundation in Los Angeles, California from 1956–1965. (Wikipedia)

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge

In our household of seven cats, any one of them could have easily been the perfect model for this James Herriot quote. Somehow, however, this image of Zee is the one that really rang true with me. Just look at how elegantly his body and tail drape over the folds of the blanket atop the couch. In the background, a lovely floral arrangement artfully placed, with the color tones of his fur and the accessories so perfectly matched, that it would appear a glorious picture made exclusively for the word “connoisseur.” 

James Herriot (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995) was a British veterinary surgeon and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners. He is best known for these semi-autobiographical works, which are often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small. (Wikipedia)