WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT LOLA...

It is a fine and delicate line when one has a blog named after a cat. If it becomes too feline oriented, people start introducing you by saying, "She's got this cat blog," or family members say things like, "I'm sorry you're not having any success except with your cat blog interviews," and you become despairing. You slow down on a fine feature like Bloggers + Cats, then Karl Lagerfeld followed by Kim Kardashian get kittens and the entire world's media becomes cat obsessed and starts interviewing them.

If there is not enough feline content you are sent emails addressed to "Dear Lola," - this happens anyway, and she can't answer them unfortunately because she can't type. But still, what I'm saying is it's hard to get the balance right - Depeche Mode were right all along.

 In case anyone still thinks I'm Lola, here is what actual Lola's been up to the last couple of months.

    

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.

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Yes, it's back. The Bloggers + Cats schedule is a bit more fluid now, i.e. it's whenever the mood takes me and I happen upon someone I must feature. If it's here, it will always pop up on a Thursday.
Fear not, I'm still always scouring the internet for a hint of a tail or mention of a name that might lead me to a new interview. Instagram is proving to be a fertile hunting ground for B + C victims and Ismay Ozga's kitties Gus and Ruby's antics are probably my faves at the moment. I'm sure you all know Ismay's illustration work, jewellery and blog, but you didn't know much about Gus and Ruby did you? That is about to change...thank you so much Ismay!

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Gus and Ruby ?
We weren't allowed to have pets in our old flat, and I was absolutely desperate to get a cat, so as soon as my boyfriend and I moved into our house we started looking for kitties- we found Ruby on Gumtree. She was a tiny little mischievous furball, the people who sold her to us told us she was 8 weeks old but it turns out she was more like 6, so she didn't have a lot of time with her mum or siblings. After a couple of months we thought it might be a good idea to get another kitten to help teach her how to behave, so we had a look and found this perfect little white prince! The plan worked- Gus calmed her down a bit. We don't know what breed Ruby is- when we got her we were told she was a British Short hair cross, but she really doesn't look like one, so she's just a little mystery kitty. Gus's mum was a Norwegian Forest cat crossed with a Persian which I guess is why he's such a giant! When we were trying to come up with a name for our tiny little girl we went through about a million suggestions before my friend came up with Ruby. It just seemed to suit her. Gus was named after my mum had suggested Angus to us (she's Scottish!). Ruby is 11 months old and Gus is 10 months.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends? 
They have such different personalities, but they are definitely best buddies! We were lucky that they were so accepting of each other- there was a bit of hissing for the first day or so (not from Ruby- she doesn't know how to hiss, or meow- she can only make little squeaky noises!) but after that we found them curled up together, and they've been firm friends ever since. Ruby is quiet and a little wary, she prefers to sit back and watch rather than getting involved, but she'll creep up and pounce on you if she's in the mood. Gus is loud and full of beans, he's very friendly and follows me everywhere like a little lamb.

What are their respective favourite foods?
They both love tuna, and they get it occasionally as a special treat. They like chicken too, and they love the milk in the bottom of my cereal bowl. Oh and Gus goes mad for Dreamies! [Ed note: the devil's food]

Do Gus and Ruby have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses? 
Gus can often be found on his back with his paws in the air, belly up. He stretches out and lounges around without a care in the world. Ruby has a shelf with blankets on that she uses as a little house, and she also loves to do the 'long cat' on my boyfriend's legs when he has them up on the table.

What is a day in the lives of Gus and Ruby like?
Gus starts yelling as soon as he hears that we're awake, I mean he pretty much howls. So we have to go and give them a cuddle and some food, then they'll have a nap for a bit. Ruby will spend some time looking out the window and wagging her tail like a dog. They both usually join me in my study in the afternoon- Ruby finds the smallest darkest corner under the bed or behind some pillows and hides for a bit, while Gus will come and lie on my desk, usually right in my way. Then after another nap they'll have a burst of energy where they'll run around like wild things. In the evening they will cuddle up with us- Gus with me, Ruby with my boyfriend, and they'll have another sleep. Then they get a bit more food, we go up to bed and hear them running around like crazy again! Occasionally we come downstairs to find they've broken a plate/cup/vase.

Do you have any amusing/weird/cute Gus/Ruby moments or stories you'd like to share? 
Every day is amusing with Gus- he is the funniest cat I've ever met. He's a real chatterbox, if he falls asleep when I'm in the room, and then I leave the room and he wakes up and I'm gone he'll start meowing like 'hey where is everyone' and he'll just walk around meowing until he finds me. He does the same thing if he's playing with a toy and he loses it, he plays with a ping pong ball a lot and when it goes under the sofa he just yells at you until you get it out. Ruby has a habit of climbing things- she gets obsessed with high points in the room, so you'll just walk in and she'll be on top of the bookcase/wardrobe/kitchen cupboards (she can't get down). One time she was obsessing over a corner in our bedroom, so she climbed onto the chest of drawers and just flung herself up the wall at the ceiling- she landed with a big crash. I couldn't help but laugh.

Quickfire round:

Birds or mice? Neither, just because they don't go out yet. Spiders!

Sunlight or radiator? Radiator- there's not a lot of sun here at the moment

Tap or bowl? Tap! Gus is obsessed with the tap in the bath- he'll jump in the bath and stare at the tap until you turn it on, just a little bit, so he can play with the drips

Lap or laptop? Laptop, always

Snuggling or stretching? Definitely snuggling

Cats or humans? Both- Gus will be anyone's friend- cat or human, and Ruby loves Gus and my boyfriend- she's a daddy's girl!

{All photos © Ismay Ozga}

BLOGGERS + CATS...

I was tempted not to tell you who the owner of these cats was and let you guess. (The feet are a good clue.) 

It's not really accurate to call Maria just a blogger. Art director, stylist, photographer, writer, printer, publisher, online and print creative visionary powerhouse or something might be getting closer, but isn't very succinct. You can probably tell I've been a bit of a fan of MAV's for a really long time, but through seeing her inspiring projects and collaborations, I didn't really realise she had cats until I saw them in the new issue of 3191 Quarterly. So of course I had to ask her, you know, not some really probing questions about her creative process or how the light in Portland, Maine affects her work like a normal person would, but all about Charlie and Scotch. I should have known that despite her claiming to not be a cat person at all, her cats have a pretty sweet life. Thank you MAV!

Charlie and Scotch

What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Charlie and Scotch?
They are both short haired cats. I think they are tabby cats but I really have no idea. I am not a cat person at all! I got Charlie when he was 10 weeks old; he is now 9 years old. I got Scotch about 4 years ago. I was volunteering at a cat shelter and there he was. I had just lost my beloved Raven (the black cat on the orange couch in the photo below) and was not feeling like I would get another cat but there was Scotch. I couldn't resist! I'm not entirely sure why I went with Charlie as a name ... I just remember liking it. Scotch was named by my boyfriend. We both love to drink Scotch so voila!

Raven and Charlie

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?
Charlie is a complete pain in the ass. He's demanding, rude and bossy. He's in my face all the time! But he's also beautiful, soft, great company and very smart. I love him so much. Scotch is ... well ... he's sort of dumb! He's sort of skittish and also very, very sweet. Both cats are very friendly and always out. They *never* hide. They are like dogs. And yes! I would say they are friends. They are like brothers ... snuggling most mornings and then fighting a few hours later. I love that they have each other. Charlie is definitely in charge but Scotch shows him the business sometimes too! It's a great combo.

What are their respective favourite foods?
Chicken, chicken, chicken. And they also both love cheese and butter (but they don't get those unless they sneak up on the counter).

Do Charlie and Scotch have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses?
Their favorite locations change but right now they are loving baskets with wool blankets. For a while they were fighting over one round basket but now I added a second one and they seem to each love having their own. They both love to curl up into a ball. They both love to be warm. Oh and Scotch will lay on any paper in the room. He'll jump up on our table and lay on our papers. He loves papers!

Charlie

What is a day in the lives of Charlie and Scotch like?
Wake up at 6AM, demand food by jumping on MAV. Eat excitedly! Charlie goes for a nap immediately and sleeps till 2PM. Scotch follows me around until about 10AM. He's my shadow. Sometimes he even follows me into the shower! Then once I start the shower he scatters but he waits by the door for me. He likes to sit on my lap while I have coffee. So yeah. They both get up around 2PM and wander around for a bit, sit in the sun, get into trouble. Then they nap until 4PM and then are back to demanding food. They eat dinner around 6PM and then it's back to napping and wandering. They are ready for their evening treat at 10PM and then to bed. They are *very* into their eating routine! Their days are much the same every single day and they love it.

Do you have any amusing/weird/cute Charlie/Scotch moments or stories you'd like to share? Well Charlie likes to sit at the table with me when I eat. It's pretty cool. I pull a chair out for him and he sits right at the table with me when I eat dinner, lunch or breakfast. It's pretty funny.

Scotch

Quickfire round: 

Birds or mice? Birds for Scotch. Mice for Charlie.

Sunlight or radiator? Sunlight for sure!

Tap or bowl? Neither. These cats don't drink water. Odd, right? They get wet food.

Lap or laptop? :) Laptop!

Snuggling or stretching? Snuggling. These guys are pretty good about snuggling.

Cats or humans? Humans! They are like dogs, I'm telling ya!

Scotch

{All photos © MAV}

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Bloggers + Cats returns after an extended summer hiatus - listen, you can't make cats stick to a schedule when there might be patches of sunlight to recline in or plant pots to sit in. OK, it was me sitting in the plant pot, I mean extending the summer break. 

I first admired Andrea's cats on flickr - so much personality - and I knew I'd hit the jackpot when on locating her email address I discovered it was also cat related. Eliot and Ezra are like a comedy duo - though for the life of me I cannot tell them apart, so I'm not even going to attempt captions. Thank you Andrea!

What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Ezra and Eliot?
They are long-haired tuxedo kitties (that’s my best guess, at least), and they are about 2.5 years old. My mother found them in need of a home at our local vet’s office, and decided that they’d be great company for me in my new studio apartment when I left for college. They are named after poets, of course! I was an English major.

How would you describe their personalities?
Ezra is a bit of a cowboy, with a feminine side. He’s always stomping around the house, but he’s got a timid meow and a wispy tail that he shakes around a lot. Eliot is more difficult to describe; he’s unpredictable and wild-eyed. While he spends much of his time running away from noises and my roommates, he’s also probably the sweetest cat ever once he warms up to someone.

What are their favorite foods? Ezra likes salmon skin a lot. He usually finds it in the trash bin. Eliot will eat anything, but favorites range from prosciutto to straight up garbage.

SUMMER TWO WAYS...

Bloggers + Cats is having a little summer break - it's lying by the pool in a Minnow swimsuit and Illesteva sunnies, re-reading Lolita for the seventeenth time and making up Lillet based cocktail recipes. 

We're doing nothing of the sort - while it's lounging we've got some other projects on the go - the results of one or some of which you'll see here soon - others, not so soon. But all good, all exciting. Thank you for all your emails, comments and suggestions for future B + C interviewees - we'll be in touch and it will be back in the next few weeks. As a placeholder, here's a picture of Steve Martin ironing a kitten:

And on the 1st August Lola Is Beauty will be six years old!

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Today's Bloggers + Cats interview is with Erin of the wonderful Calivintage and Momo, who loves chasing reflections and pretending she's swimming while drinking water. She's also working the Pierrot cape trend with aplomb (Momo is, not Erin, though I'm sure she could pull it off with ease and look amazing as always!) Thank you Erin!

What breed is she, how old, how did you come to live with her, why did you call her Momo?
She is a domestic short hair with a tortoiseshell coat and she is almost a year and a half! I picked her out at the local Animal Shelter because I wanted a little animal friend, and I call her Momo after the orphan girl in the book Momo, by Michael Ende. She also goes by Money Cat, and Momo Money.

How would you describe Momo's personality?
She is very playful and curious, and maybe just the slightest bit neurotic.

What is Momo's favourite food?
Chicken, preferably if it comes from my dinner plate. Bad kitty!

Where is Momo's preferred lounging location? Does she have any signature poses?
She doesn't have a preferred spot, but rotates pretty evenly between the edge of the couch, on top of her cat tree looking out the back window, and on top of the dresser by a window in the living room. She really likes to drape herself over things with her arms and legs hanging free. It is quite a silly pose.

What is a day in the life of Momo like?

BLOGGERS + CATS...

So many cats, so little time... I'm really glad to introduce Hila of Le Projet d'Amour and darling Kobi as our next interviewees. Hila's is one of my favourite blogs - I know when I check over there I'll find not only gorgeous imagery but thoughtful, considered writing that always makes me think. But nothing about her beautiful blog let on that she had a cat! (Or maybe I'm just very unobservant.) I now realise it's my life's calling to find more hidden bloggers with cats - I will make that my raison d'etre - you can help me by emailing me if you are a secret cat freak and want to be interviewed, or if you know of one. I promise your submissions will be treated in the strictest confidence, until such time as they are plastered all over the internet.

Onwards, to lovely Kobi - I want to hear his chattering now - you don't get that with Lola. I feel robbed. Thank you Hila, and Kobi!

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

Kobi is a regular Tabby cat and he’s about 3 and a half years old. He had a difficult start to life before he came to live with me. His first owners mistreated him and the litter he was born into. They were all kept outside without much cover and fed very little. They were eventually rescued by the RSPCA along with their mother, but unfortunately she died soon after. After spending some time at the RSPCA, Kobi was scheduled to be put down along with his sister, but luckily, they were both rescued by a kind lady who works for a rescue organisation in my local area. This organisation fosters all sorts of animals until they find a permanent home. I saw Kobi’s picture on their website and I immediately fell in love. Something about his little face told me he would be my little guy. I made an appointment to visit the lady who rescued him and the first thing he did when he saw me was give a little meow, crawl onto my lap, and fall asleep. It was decided then that I would definitely take him home. He was about 5 months old then, and he’s been with me ever since.

He was named ‘Colby’ by his foster carer, so the transition to ‘Kobi’ wasn’t too confusing for him. I named him Kobi because that was the name of my grandfather’s dog in Israel, whom I adored as a little girl. He has lived up to his namesake who was also a big, loveable, gentle and pensive creature.

How would you describe Kobi's personality?

He really is the sweetest, gentlest and most affectionate cat I’ve ever met, which is quite ironic as he also happens to be a big cat, so most people assume he would be territorial or aggressive in nature. But he’s the exact opposite. I like to describe him as a big smoochy teddy-bear. It took a while for his real personality to develop when I first got him as he was understandably frightened by his past experiences with people. But eventually, he began to trust me and has developed the most easy-going personality. I’ve honestly never been scratched by him, nor does he scratch the furniture. He’s also not really a loner, he likes to be around people, to sit on their laps and to interact with what goes on in the house. One of his cutest personality traits is that he’s very talkative, which has earned him the nickname of ‘pigeon’ because when he talks to you, it usually doesn’t sound like a meow but more like a cooing pigeon. The minute my feet hit the ground when I get out of bed in the morning, he will start chatting away and following me around the house all day.

Also, another nickname I’ve given him is ‘little professor’. He’s my writing companion and he’s seen me through all the stress and late night writing sessions that came along with writing my PhD. Although he’s extremely talkative and affectionate, he can also be very pensive and observant. He will sit and stare at my laptop screen for hours, almost like he’s trying to understand what I’ve written, and he loves to pass the time by watching my typing fingers move across the keyboard, with the most intense concentration.

What is Kobi's favourite food?

He will literally eat anything. I once caught him eating pineapples I had taken off my pizza on my plate. And then he promptly threw up. He’s partial to chicken and tuna though, and loves his dry cat food (kibble).

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

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Bloggers + Cats returns with Gidget and Siri (and a bit of Bean!), the very lucky felines of Fanny Bostrom and Bill Gentle. (For some reason I always ask the female half of a couple to do the bloggers and cats thing - I'm not purposely discriminating, but I feel there might not be that many guys willing to fill in a questionnaire about their cats?! You're welcome to prove me wrong cat loving dudes...)

I'm sure you all know Fanny's work and blog - she's an amazing and prolific artist and now we know she is also an amazing cat mama! This is why I love doing this series - otherwise how would we ever know these things? This is the thirteenth Bloggers + Cats interview I've done and at this point I'd like to raise a glass and say a heartfelt cheers to everyone who has ever rescued a cat/chosen a rescue cat from a shelter - it takes a lot of hard work and patience - as you will hear below, but it is so worth it.

Thank you so much Fanny for answering the questions!

Fanny with Bean        © Todd Selby

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Gidget and Siri?
I got Siri when I first moved to New York six years ago. I bought her from a store in Chelsea, her mum was a rescue and an Abyssinian cat so they took her in and then sold the kittens for a small sum. She was so beautiful! All her sisters and brothers where playing around but she just sat in the middle looking out. As soon as I held her she started purring. I was choosing between Signe or Siri both old Swedish names but I went for Siri, it was more her.
Gidget I found on a garbage pail just by my studio three years ago, she was so ill she couldn't outrun me. She was all dusty with tarmac caked into her fur lying on a heap of trash taking some sun. Then she hid under a truck and I got a person there helping me to hold up the fence to the enclosed parking space and I crawled in and rescued her. She had toxoplasmosis, giardia and worms and she was real feral.
I had to keep her in a cage for the first weeks and give a lot of medicine and salt baths. I would keep her in my lap when I was drawing to get her more familiar to humans. She is still a tiny little runt with a head too big for her body but she is the kindest sweetest little girl! My friend Simon named her after the sixties girl surf movie Gidget.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?
Well, I used to have three cats but unfortunately my husband is allergic so I sent one of my cats Bean home to my mum's in the countryside in Sweden. I'm actually here with Gidget right now. Gidget and Bean used to be best of friends and they are reconnecting right now with lots of hisses.. It's funny, you'd think they'd recognize each other. Gidget is a sweet little couch potato, she doesn't really like going out or lying in the lap but she wants to be close, lay next to you, it's a big honour when she comes for one of her rare lap sitting sessions.
Siri has always been a loner, if it was just me and her in the world she would be happy. She loves to be wherever I am at all times, sometimes it gets on my nerves, if I've got to do something, since she just wants me to look at her and get petted. She loves going out so I think she's a bit bored at the moment since we live in an apartment.

{Siri and Gidget modelling Fanny's Folki jewellery for Anthropologie collection}

What are their respective favourite foods?
Siri likes cooked chicken, prosciutto and lots of greenies...and of course dry and wet food. Gidget once been a scavenger likes anything you are eating, if you leave her a second alone with a bone with some meat she will drag it into the bed for a snack. She likes chicken, fish, most anything really!

Do Gidget and Siri have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses?

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Oh, how I am spoiling you with the unbearable cuteness of kittens. Haha, it's almost cruel. This tiny pair live with Jeska from the wonderful Lobster & Swan and I am besotted with them. If they were mine I don't think I'd ever be able to leave the house without them. (In any case, since I started this series people think I'm such a zany cat freak that they wouldn't be that surprised if I walked around with kittens sticking out of my pockets. I shall perhaps place Lola in a maxi-clutch.) My favourite thing about Wallace and Marlo, apart from the whole adorable miniaturised tiger thing, is that they're named after gangsters. Enjoy - and thank you Jeska!

What breed are they, how old are they, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Wallace and Marlo?
They are two 5 month old girl tabby kittens, with what looks like a bit of Bengal in them, we rescued them both from a cat sanctuary and it was called Streetcatz so we named them after gangsters from The Wire. The sanctuary named them Blossom and Tulip but with their wild big cat natures those would never stick!
We always thought we would be a pet free household but after living with friends and their crazy cat Marty in California for three weeks, we discovered that we really liked having a cat around and two weeks after coming home we saved these little girls and I don't think either of us have never fallen in love so fast. I have allergies and mild asthma which were both worse when I was a child; growing up my parents always had pets which I rarely played with and always washed my hands after touching, but in Cali I was fine with Marty and after a couple of weeks with these two, my sneezing stopped and now I can cuddle them all day with no worries which makes me so happy.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?

BLOGGERS + CATS...

How many cats do you know with a knitwear label named after them? This week marks our first Australian cats in the series: Primo and Ezra are the beloved cats of Elizabeth from the beautifully cultivated blog and label that bears the name Primoeza. I love this interview - their personalities really shine through, and I love that their arch nemesis is a cat called Geoff - I can just imagine him! Thank you so much Elizabeth!

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Primo and Ezra?

My partner and I had recently returned home from a trip to Italy when I saw a notice in a shop - a good home was needed for a red Burmese kitten because the owner didn't want him anymore. I rang the person up immediately and then ran all the way to their house! Naturally it was love at first sight. My partner and I hadn't really discussed getting a pet but I brought the kitten back with me and he made himself very at home by the time my partner came back from work.
We named the kitten Primo because when we were in Palermo, we met a man named Settimo. We were very amused by the seeming objectivity of his name, which means 'seventh' in Italian, so our first cat was named Primo in the same spirit. He's nine now.
A year later Ezra joined us because Primo was so lonely - we could hear him meowing in the intercom when we came home from work in the evening. Ezra is seven now and he's a smokey black Devon Rex, which is a curly coated breed known for their intelligence and cheekiness. I always liked the name, but much later we found out Ezra means 'helper' in Hebrew, which again is very fitting.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?

Primo is very relaxed, a charming social butterfly who loves to be admired. He's very open minded and interested in the world at large. He's generous and a peacemaker. Ezra is an eccentric. He's a deep thinker, very strategic and focused on detail. He's sensitive, cautious and protective of the family. He has a very dry sense of humour.
In personality they are complete opposites but they are the best of friends. One thing that they do have in common is that they are both extremely clumsy. We try not to laugh openly at their mishaps because it upsets them.

What are their respective favourite foods?

Anything with meat or dairy. They love to eat. Primo will run to the fridge and peer in every time we open it. Ezra sits at the dining table while we eat and hopes he'll get a little treat, which inevitably he does.

Do Primo and Ezra have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses?

They love to lounge on our neighbour's car, cardboard boxes, anything new and anything soft. Primo always uses Ezra as a pillow for his head.

What is a day in the lives of Primo and Ezra like?

BLOGGERS + CATS...

Oh, I know, we're a bit late, sorry - Lola's been typing furiously while I lay prostrate on the sofa nursing a glass of red wine with a cold damp flannel clamped to my forehead. It's been one of those weeks, but it's Thursday, which means Friday in the context of this week so hooray etc - I can lie down even more tomorrow.

This week's kitties are tiny Pippin and Bobo: the sweet darlings of Hannah and Landon, of the eponymous dreamy and wonderful blog. Thank you Hannah for answering all my cat related questions!

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Pippin and Bobo?

They are long haired tuxedo kitties, 7 months old and they were a gift from Landon for my birthday! He found them online at a local no-kill animal shelter (http://www.bobbiandthestrays.org/) and they are perfect! Bobo was named after a "pet" name I've long used for friends and loved ones (or rather, her full name Bobokins which I use only when she's being naughty and stealing my jewels and hats) and Pippin, as I'm sure you know, is a character in one of Landon's favourite book series, Lord of the Rings.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?

They are best of friends! It's rare to see them apart really! Often they are snuggled up in a little bundle of fur and paws. Pippin is super sweet and a little more shy (except with me, he's an absolute mama's boy) and Bobo is outgoing, she talks more, she eats more, she's nearly two times his size and she gets into more trouble!

What are their respective favourite foods?

Their nighttime "treat" which is Wellness (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/) canned chicken! Bobo announces every day on the clock at 7:30 that she's ready for her snack and if you don't get it started right away she'll jump on your shoulder until you get the can out.

Do Pippin and Bobo have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses?

On my back, on our kitchen chairs and in the window. Signature poses? Tied up together like a little ying yang.

What is a day in the lives of Pippin and Bobo like?

Wake me up in the morning for cuddles and feeding, then sleep, then cuddle, then run around and lose toys under the refrigerator, then sleep, then snack then do it all over again forever!

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

Gosh, I'm a total doting mother cos I think everything they do is amusing/weird/cute! One amusing event involved Landon doing naked push-ups and a curious kitten interruption!

Quickfire round:

Birds or mice?
Mice (though they've yet to experience either in their natural forms)

Sunlight or radiator?
Sunlight

Tap or bowl?
Tap

Lap or laptop?
Both (at the same time)

Snuggling or stretching?
Snuggling

Cats or humans?
Both!

{Picture 1 © Anna Li, the rest © Hannah Metz.}
{Thank you Laetitia for suggesting Pippin & Bobo as adorable kitten subjects.}