Melanie What’s that old saying . . . something about a cobblers children run barefoot. It makes perfect sense that you don’t do your own because that’s what you do, pet portraits. I rarely do any portraits so on occasion I do my own critters. I did my greyhounds (about 10yrs ago) but haven’t done any pets since (not counting chicory)

Actually the last photo you had of Amram napping I thought would make a great portrait. I won’t ask about him as I know this is a hard time for you. Budda and I send much love.

He might be happier with a cat friend. Ari and I have always been a one-man, one-cat buddy pair, though he makes friends easily with other cats if I live with someone else who has cats. He’s picky on which cats he likes or not, it’s all about how they treat him and their personalities.

So a few months ago, my daughter came home from the grocery to find a seven pound tortie waif who looked like a half grown kitten meowing plaintively at our front door. Doing her best impression of Scarlett O’Hara “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Kitten could not resist big round green eyes and that loud motorboat purr, so she picked up Gemini and brought her inside.

We spent two weeks trying to find her previous people, but no luck on it — best guess is that she was just abandoned by some college students renting a house nearby when they left. So Kitten got her to the vet and chipped and checked out and treated for everything minor she had. She was skin and bones, poor little thing, and so loving with everyone.

She cemented her place in the household immediately when she let five year old Sascha pet her and didn’t run away even when Sascha grabbed her by the head or leg. Now Gemini is Queen, she is the little cat princess of the house. My room is Cat Central. I get both of them all the time because it’s the dog-free zone.

At first Gemmi didn’t really like Ari but he was so much of a Southern gentleman courting her that now they’re very close friends. They play a lot and keep each other occupied. Midnight crazies now get dual participation.

Both of them do a lot of things deliberately to get attention but most of the time it’s not mischief to get attention. I use my Holbein water mister on Ari if he makes trouble or gets on something he shouldn’t. Once I pick it up, everything stops, he’s not showing off any more but dodging out of the way and avoids it.

He will do the sweet meows and get attention though, he’ll actually tell me to get up and fill his bowl, or decide he wants attention and just walk into my lap whatever I’m doing. I usually stop for cat loving so maybe that’s why he’s not doing the bad-boy act. We’ve had years to sort this out, he was a real ruckus as a kitten and young cat.