Thank you all for the lovely "welcome to the forum" messages. It is so nice to finally have some time to get on here an dpost my pictures so you can see my magical moggies. The first week back in work after the Christmas and New Year break was tough but having a wonderful husband to come home to and these 5 furry friends gets me through any day - good or bad! Hope you like
Here is Willow, she is just over 11 years od. We got her on our honeymoon in 1996. We rescued her and her brother Jasper who we sadly lost to pancreatitis October 2 years ago. Missy Willow also has the nickname "teleporti puss" as she seems to be able to teleport onto your new or into the smallest gap between you and the sofa for cuddles
Introducing the man of the house - Jefferson. My hand reared boy. He is 10 years old and we share a special bond. He and his sister were abandoned when they were 2 days old. My friend a veterinary nurse helped us to hand rear them. Sadly we lost his sister Amber in 2003 to a hereditary heart condition that a top cardio vet was trying to study as it was very rare and causing cats to die young. Jefferson being black and white is a survivor and really sees me as "his". I know you shouldn't have favourites but there is a bond between Jefferson and I unlike any I have had with any other cat. He has got me through so much over the last couple of years and he is a real feline friend.
Now for one of our youngsters. We still call them youngsters as they are tiny compared to the other cats. I present to you our "naughty tortie" - Xena. Nicknamed "Torti puss". She is 6 this year along with her sister Gabrielle, again a rescued cat. She is very vocal and very clever hence the naughtiness
We just love the ginger bindi on her head - she is really affectionate unless we are trying to give her a worming tablet
Here now is Xena's sister - Gabrielle. nicknamed our "cutie puss". Her colour is a blue/cream dilute and she is really cute and when she wants attention and fusses there is no getting away from her. Their names came to us when we got them home and saw how they behaved. they always play fight together and it is fun to see them when they have their mad half hour
Xena and Gabrielle are very evenly matched and Gabrielle is vocal too and chnners for Xena if she can't find her
and finally I give you "smoochy puss" also known as Elsa. She is 13 years old and came to live with us in May last year. She is actually Jefferson's older sister by 2 years. She lived with my friend the veterinary nurse who hand reared elsa after she was abandoned. sadly for the last 2 years she has had an unhappy life as she was getting bullied my by friends 2 boy cats. It broke my heart to see her retreat into herself and take to living on the kitchen cupboard tops as high as possible to get away from the other cats and she didn't like the new children either. With some gentle persuasion my husband agreed to support me in trying to get Elsa to come and live with us and fit into our home.
i love cat behaviour and psychology and have done a lot of reading and met some behaviourists but i sat and read more and more and found out as much as I could about taking on an older cat. I know kittens are easier and had no idea if what I wanted to happen really would. To my amazement over the period of a week we had elsa integrated into the family. jefferson took to her immediately as if he recognised a smell on her and that is nice to see. The 2 youngsters can wind her up a bit but she gives as good as she gets and she has settled in and her old character has returned. Here's Elsa
So there you have my 5 magical moggies all of which I love dearly. They are all house cats and don't venture outside and they have their own room with climbing frames, beds and a catit fountain. People think I am cat mad - yes i am and cat people are the nicest there is to know
Some of the best cat nuts you will ever find are here 
