BLOGGERS + CATS...

I had wanted to ask Laura to do Bloggers + Cats for ages - I knew she liked cats, but it wasn't until I saw her interview on Tales of Endearment and saw Laser's photo, that I could confirm she actually had cats she lived with. (As well as an amazing collection of vintage clothing, great style, beauty and being super smart to boot.) I'm fine with asking complete strangers to be interviewed about their cats, but it helps with the whole not coming across as crazy thing if I'm 100% certain they do in fact, have cats. And I like to know the cats' names - it's more civil.

It was Jaja of July Stars (my very first Bloggers + Cats interviewee with Quincy!) who first told me about Laura's blog Sighs & Whispers, which is an amazing repository of classic magazine editorials and images from the '60s, '70s and '80s that I can get lost in for hours. Thank you Laura, for taking part in this - and sweet Misha and Laser (excellent names). Misha looks so much like Lola in some photos, that at one point I thought I'd mixed my photo folders up. Total doppelgangers. And the attacking sounds strangely familiar... Enjoy!

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Misha and Laser? 
Both of them are tabby strays. Laser is around 9 years old and Misha is seven. I adopted Misha as a kitten from an animal shelter in Williamsburg- she was named Misha as, at the time, I was doing Russian studies at university and wanted a cute Russian name for her. Laser belonged to a friend of mine who stayed with me for a bit and honestly wasn't together enough to take care of a cat. We've been a happy family for six years.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?
They are friends but they definitely weren't at first! Misha has a reputation as a massive bitch but she has really mellowed as she's gotten older- she used to attack everyone who came in the house but now she is actually quite loving to everyone. Laser is a real gentleman- elegant and friendly, he is basically a dog in cat form. He follows me everywhere and sits on my lap at all times.

What are their respective favourite foods? 
They only eat Wellness Indoor cat food so they like that! I occasionally give them wet food (Laser has difficulty digesting it) and they are always excited for that, whatever flavour.

Do Misha and Laser have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses? 
They spend 95% of the time on my bed, except Misha does enjoy finding random places to lounge- such as in the display of my 1950s bar. Laser's signature position is with his paws crossed- a very gentlemanly pose. Misha's is probably anything that emphasizes her Buddha-like belly!

What is a day in the lives of Misha and Laser like?
Since I travel so much I have an automatic cat food feeder that goes off at 6am - as soon as they hear it start to rumble they jump off my bed and pig out. Most of the rest of the day is spent laying on my bed, trying to sneak into my walk-in closet (where they are not allowed), playing with a furry mouse that hangs off my bathroom door and causing destruction to my recycling. Misha also enjoys standing on my laptop keyboard and opening up lots of random programs.

Do you have any amusing/weird/cute Misha/Laser moments or stories you'd like to share?
Nothing in particular stands out- everyday with them is a delight and I couldn't ask for better cats!

Quickfire round: 

Birds or mice? Birds, definitely!
Sunlight or radiator? Sunlight.
Tap or bowl? Bowl, but always fresh.
Lap or laptop? Both!
Snuggling or stretching? Snuggling.
Cats or humans? Humans - my ex boyfriend has a cat and when we all lived together it was always my two cats vs his.