This is Reba (left) and Bonnie Blue. Reba was 4 in May and Bonnie will be
4 in October. They are 1/2 sisters--they had the same father and came from
the same cattery. I got Reba when she was 4 months old and she is a bit
skittish, but loves to be hand fed. She sleeps at my feet every night and
allows me to groom her! She was thought to have asthma, but a second
opinion by another vet has confirmed that her main problem is a very small
airway which has caused numerous infections. She is currently being
weaned off of steroids, but she takes her medicine like a champ. Of
course, she has to have her face washed every day and is great at the
groomers--she likes her hair kept short. Bonnie Blue is just the opposite
of Reba. Blue is outgoing and feisty. She stands up to our 13 lb. Maine
Coone who is still a teenager and quite ornery. She hates to be combed and
it takes 2 to bath her. We adopted her last November from a very dear
senior friend who has congestive heart failure and just could not care for
Bonnie properly. When I brought her home, she was one big mat. The vet
had to put her under to completely shave off all her fur. It has grown
back and is soft and shiny now. "The girls" are friends now, but still a
bit jealous of one another. I am just one Mom to the 4 cats in our house! Debbie Eichelberger, Illinois Deceased
This is A.J. who was named for my favorite country singer. He passed away
December of 98 at the age of 4 1/2. He was my first pedigree (Ragdoll) and
his death devastated me. He did go limp in my arms and was vocal, always
getting involved in our daily routine. With his first check-up at the
vet, he already had givgivitus. I brushed his teeth daily, and he would
get up on the bathroom sink for me and he also loved drinking from the
faucet. His favorite game was food toss which we played daily, and his
hair was like silk.
Debbie Eichelberger, Illinois Dolly is our oldest cat-she was 6 in June. We adopted her via the Humane
Society from our vet. She was brought in by a local farmer's wife with 3
other siblings. Beth (our vet) often keeps cats/kittens till she can find
homes for them, always asking me if I would like to visit them, hoping I
will give one of them a home! Dolly is my husband's cat-when I got A.J.,
Kevin wanted a kitten too. The first day we brought her home, we thought
she was lost. She had gotten under our dresser and we just simply could
not find her till we heard her! Kevin moved the dresser closer to the
wall after that. Since then, she has managed to get into places in the
house that were thought to be unacessible to cats and has gotten "locked
in" more than once. Kevin cradles her in his arm like a baby, and she is
the best cat we have! No arguments when it comes to grooming, no "potty"
problems (Rebaaaaaaaa), rarely sick, tolerates Vinny's antics, and is a
real lover. Dolly lost her best friend and ours Aug. 98 when our "TomCat"
passed away at the age of 131/2. He was a stray that found us, and Tom
loved everybody, but Dolly shared a special bond with him.
Debbie Eichelberger, Illinois This is "Vinny" and he was named after the charity goft tournament hosted
by Vince Gill. He is our first Maine Coon and was acquired after many
months of searching for the most reputable breeder. He is now 16 months
old, and already weighs 13 lbs. One breeder told me that red coon's are
high strung, and he was was right! Vinny is quite onery, and plays hard
and does not want to be disturbed when he is taking his afternoon nap. I
entered him in a cat show when he was 7 months, and he decided that the
show life was not for him. He still does not particularly like to be
groomed - he is a true tomboy and kicks his kitty litter everywhere! He
chases my girls around the house, and still has alot of kitten left in
him. His favorite thing is ice cubes in his water and of course drinking
from the bathroom faucet. Vinny is leash trained and loves going out in
our backyard when weather permits. He is quite intelligent and gets
bored easily. He is a lover only when he wants something, but we would
not trade him for anything!
Debbie Eichelberger, Illinois
Reba and Bonnie Blue
( Tuesday, August 01, 2000 )
A.J.
( Thursday, August 03, 2000 )
Dolly
( Thursday, August 03, 2000 )
Vinnie
