Zoey is a purebred Bengal and based on her lineage, her wild bloodline derives from the Asian Leopard Cat. Purebred cats typically come in three categories – pet, show, and breeder – with the pet quality cat being the least expensive and the breeding quality most expensive. Bengals also come in a range of generational types, from F1 to F4, with F1 cats being the closest to their wild ancestry, and F4 being the closest to the domestic. This also changes the price significantly and F1 cats should not be purchased without serious consideration, as they require informed owners who are equipped to take care of them and their special needs. Read more

I always enjoy quotes about cats and thought it would be interesting to apply them to images of my own cats. Dan has taken such a stunning collection of photos throughout the years that I felt this would be an enjoyable and unique way to share them with you in the months to come. In the first of the series, this photo of Zoey exquisitely captures the essence of both motion and stillness in the quote by George F. Will in which he compares the cat to a graceful vase. Read more

Zoey at 12 weeks old

Back in 2008 when I got Zoey as a kitten, I did not research the meaning of her name – it just popped into my head one day prior to getting her as being the perfect sounding name in a household where the letter “Z” took noticeable priority.

It turns out that her name means “life” and the definition could not be more suited to her. Zoey came to us after the loss of a dear cat of mine that I had for over 18 years – Kit. Prior to Kit’s passing, we had one dog in the house, Bandit, and three cats – Jazz (senior), Harley (middle aged), and Zee.  At this point, Zee was two years old and still quite young at heart. Bandit, Jazz, and Harley wanted no part of Zee’s increasing need for playtime and attention and he started to become quite aggressive looking for ways to release his pent up energy. Read more