BLOGGERS + CATS...

My iphoto now holds more folders of photos of other people's cats than would be easy to explain away to someone who happened to be browsing through it. I don't know how long I can keep up this intense cat freakery! Maybe I need to do a series on shoes to switch things up a bit. Anyway, Steevy has been waiting in the wings in his fur tuxedo for a while; I hope his nerves haven't got the better of him. Steevy belongs to sweet Nancy from Nearness of Distance - she is a filmmaker, he is a film star, evidently. Merci Nancy et Steevy!

The basics: What breed is Steevy, how old is he, how did you come to live with him, why did you call him Steevy?

Steevy is part American Shorthair, part Burmese. Steevy and I met at the pet store three years ago. I chose him because he winked at me. Ah Oui! I named him Steevy after Steve McQueen and proudly claimed, "Because like Steve McQueen, he does his own stunts." Little did I know... Oh and regarding the spelling of his name — originally it was spelt "Stevie", but a French friend of mine changed it to "Steevy" and I think that spelling rather suits him. He is also, like many Montréalers, bilingual. French is his first language and English his second.

How would you describe Steevy's personality?

Steevy is what I call a contemporary cat: he recognises and accepts that he has been domesticated but he retains a bit of his wild/primitive feline side. He also openly supports any faux biography of his life I create. I believe he also has a little Steve McQueen and Jack Nicholson in him. (He absolutely resembles Jack when he wakes up or is tired. Trust me.) Weekends are spent lounging around in turtle necks or jean shirts whilst riding around in his Mustang or motorcycle. He is full of life and like any other successful cat in the film world he is dedicated to perfecting his craft. When he is not sleeping he is practicing a new stunt for his next film...I assume he has been shooting Westerns back to back, as he seems to be galloping a lot lately!

What is Steevy's favourite food?

Steevy loves tuna, pea-soup, plain yogurt, tomatoes!! and grapes!!

Where is Steevy's preferred lounging location? Does he have any signature poses?

Steevy loves to lounge on my desk, on top of the fridge and on the kitchen table. At night he sits on a chair with his front paws stretched out — he thinks he is "The Sphinx".

What is a day in the life of Steevy like?

Steevy is an early riser. His day begins with yoga and then some kung-fu or jogging. He wakes me up, usually by asking me to assist him in one of his new stunts. We eat breakfast and then he is off to take a cat nap. The rest of the day consists of him chasing the sun or spying on his girlfriend, the grey cat from upstairs. (She’s cute, nice fur, very vintage Faye Dunaway.) When the night falls, he takes one last stab at perfecting his stunts and then becomes a lap-cat and coos for affection.

Do you have any amusing/weird/cute Steevy moments or stories you'd like to share?

Steevy likes walking on or around the stove whilst I make coffee. Twice his tail has caught fire. Steevy also likes walking around the bath tub. I like very hot baths. Once on one of his tub strolls, whilst I was in the tub, he slipped and his back paws fell into the tub...he panicked but quickly managed to spring out of the tub only to have his front paws fall in the ice cold water of the toilet. He jumped up and ran out of the bathroom. A few minutes later he returned, as if nothing happened.  

Quickfire round:

Birds or mice?
Birds but he loves bugs!

Sunlight or radiator?
Sunlight.

Tap or bowl?
Tap and bowl.

Lap or laptop?
Loves the lap at night, leans against the laptop during the day.

Snuggling or stretching?
Snuggling and stretching.

Cats or humans?
He is a cat that likes humans.


{Photos © Nearness of Distance}