Caturday felids: Christmas edition with readers’ kitties!

I got more cats from readers than I expected, which is great. Here is the promised panoply of readers’ cats in Christmas poses (and one video). Each reader has named their cat and provides a bit of information (indented):

From Paul T.

Please find attached my Christmas cat shot. This is one of our cats, Brio, attempting to be a tree topper. It was taken a few years ago. Of course, this is a fake tree so it is much more supportive of his weight than a natural tree would be. Still, it does demonstrate good balance.

By the way, Brio and Zing, our other cat, had a big scare a few days ago. Right after I let them out in the morning, two coyotes showed up in our back yard. I actually had to chase them out of the yard in my bathrobe. I found Zing immediately in one of our trees but Brio was nowhere to be found. We spent a nervous morning but he showed up around noon and was very skittish. These coyotes are so bold and fast.

From Glenda Palmer:

This photo might be suitable for your Christmas selection of cats. These are Devon Rex altered females, 14 years old now, weighing in between eight and nine pounds. Photo from about four years ago.

A brief background story. I am in my eighties now and three years ago I had spontaneous cracked vertebra. Since I would not be able to properly look after two cats anymore,  I was forced to give up one of my beloved furbabies. Fortunately Minky, the darker one, quickly found a home where two of her brothers already lived. I knew she would be better able to make a successful transition. The lighter cat, Kofi – after Kofi Annan, remains with me and we are growing old together. She sees herself as a badass girl, still very vocal, bossy and busy – and dedicated to keeping me on my toes.

From Divy:

I had to bribe Jango with extra catnip and laxatone before I could take this picture. His expression says it all.

From Claudia Baker:

I submit to you my ginger tabby, Bodie. He is almost 17 years old and came to me via his mother, who was a rescue that I took in. She promptly had four kittens (of course) and I ended up keeping one because, from the time he could walk, he never left my side. He was born in my clothes closet in a box and had his mother with him until about 4 years ago. He has led a charmed life, living in the country, hunting mice, drinking from the lake in summer and curling up by the fire in winter.

Heating with a wood stove means that one has to have kindling handy at all times. I keep mine in a basket by the woodbox, because it’s in the living room and it looks nicer than say, a cardboard box.

One day, the basket was empty, and I was taking it out to the shed to refill it. I set it on the bed for a minute, and when I came back, Bodie was happily ensconced, asleep, in the basket, and I didn’t have the heart to take it away from him. It is now his favourite place to sleep, day and night. After breakfast this morning, he headed back to his basket for a nap. I put a Christmas elf hat on him for this picture. In a wink, he had the hat off and used it for a pillow instead (of course).

My kindling stash now: in a cardboard box (of course).

From Susan Harrison:

Catmas with Boris and Natasha! (Note: the “Santa”-like ornament in the center of the tree is actually Darwin!)

From reader Linda:

The real cat’s name is Bella. The others are unnamed. Bella sleeps wherever she likes, most often in my lap.

PS. She is a cat welfare cat and about 12 years old. Still leaping at furniture and knocking chairs over!

From Jeff Lewis:

Here is a Christmas themed photo of Chester.  As you might notice from the notched ear, he was a feral cat who decided he liked us and subsequently learned how to use the doggie door.  We had a big scare a couple years ago when he got attacked by something (probably a dog).  Luckily, he managed to make it back into the house where we found him.  After several vet visits, a surgery, and weeks of spoon feeding, draining wounds, and recovery, he’s back to almost as good as new, minus a few scars and a bit less muscle on left front leg (it could have been worse – he could have lost the leg).

The way I see it, he’s not my pet, and I’m not his staff.  We’re just two good friends.

Here he is relaxing in front of the Christmas tree.

From Michelle Caprara:

From “Winpay”:

Coco is about 7 years old and lives on the Dutch/French Caribbean island of St. Martin. He got his name because we first thought he was a female cat. But it turned out he wasn’t.

From Josephine:

Here’s a submission for your Christmas cat post; a picture of our 1-year-old cat, Baxter. He’s a blue bicolour ragdoll who loves drinking from the tap but who hides under the sofa when we have visitors! He loves playing with the laser-pointer, even as he knows it’s us controlling it(!). In this picture I caught him chewing on my pencil on the table behind me as I was working.

From Debra Coplan:

This is Peaches. She was just featured on WEIT a couple of weeks ago. Here she is again. Unfortunately, she has to wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. She had minor surgery and will be fine. She has figured out how to take off the cone! Here she is in front of her present to be opened Caturday! (The dog bag is the only bag I had.)

From Mark T.:

All our cats visit Santa, it’s tradition! This is Tricks, a feral cat we captured using a trap with some fresh-cooked chicken as bait. She enjoys sitting in a cardboard box and making me pull her around the house using a string tied to the box.”

From Bruce Cochrane:

Per your request, here is our newest kitten Firefly, age 6 months, exploring her first Christmas tree.  She is an absolute delight (as is our other new cat, her big friend Alexander The Great Cat – ATGC).

From Reese Vaughan:

The granddaughter and Rocky. Our cats are not enthusiastic about Christmas — I don’t think they are believers.

From JP:

Our Siamese, Jiro, obviously named after the famous chef, enjoys a good container like the rest of us, but one under the bird ornamented tree is extra special.

From Frank Colia:

Thank you for this opportunity to share a photo of our beloved Kitty Flash (full name: Kitty Flash Super Hero Tater Tot). As you can see, she has assumed her place upon her throne vigilantly awaiting her chance to pounce Cat Santa (Cat Jesus’ father).

From Merilee:

Booker T under the tree last night. [She sent this on Dec. 23]

From Tom Czarny:

Certainly not a great photo (way too overexposed) but this is Paisley (inherited from my daughter when she returned to university) imitating an area rug.

From Paul:

Attached is a picture taken by my son Ian of his cat Hazel helping to hang up the sock.

From Bill and Sara Meyer:

This is JeJe.  She is straight from the streets of Grundy County USA.  Over 10 years ago, my wife and I were walking in the neighborhood and I called, “Hey Kitty!” to a local stray.  All other strays usually bolt the opposite direction but this one ran towards us and accepted us from then on.  She’s a good kitty; she needn’t worry about Santa’s close surveillance.

From Terence:

I saw your request for Christmas cat photos today, so here is one of Ruby looking grumpy (with d*g brother Max cushion in background). Ruby was a stray last year, and now she rules the house.

From Heather Crozier:

Nala enjoying her new cat condo with some Christmas catnip from her stocking.

From “ebasham”:

Here is Maya, my apple-headed Siamese. She was adopted in 2009 when so many shelters were overrun due to the recession. The bow and holly are photo-shopped on. She has never worn a collar much less costumes-

From Effie:

I enjoy reading your blog and this is the first time I have emailed you. I am not a cat owner due to allergies, but my sister snapped these photos of her kitten, Bloom. Feel free to use either of them!

A video by Bruce Lyon:

You called for Christmas themed photos. Will a video do? Last year I spent Christmas by myself and entertained myself with making slow motion videos of my cat/kitten named Pigeon. At the time she loved to chase balls and would go crazy and slide into things. I decided to play with the slo-mo feature on my phone and see if I could get a video of pigeon bowling for Christmas ornaments—the three wise guy deer we have under our tree. With slo-mo the first couple of seconds start at regular speed; that is why the slo-mo only kicks in just before pigeon slams into one of the deer. I was also playing around with a remote camera trigger for my camera so I could set up the bowl and get the iphone recording before the action started.

In June 2020 you posted a couple of photos of the kitten (HERE) and implored me to keep her. She was a foster kitten but of course we were going to keep her—she is so adorable. My daughter came up with the name Pigeon because she is gray with stripes. At the time we were unsure of the name but now we think it is perfect. She is a fabulous cat packed with personality.

From Anne:

Well, there are no decorations in the photo, as they are something that Amber is deeply uninterested in, but perhaps the attached will do:

From Sonja M.

Marley enjoys the lights for her 15th Christmas.

From Ben and Christina Schwarz:

From Greg Matukitis:

Chester’s first Christmas. Taken just before his first attempt at climbing the tree, which he did a half dozen times or so before losing interest.

A fluffball from Alexandra:

 He is called Bean, and is a Siberian  cat. He is wonderful, absolutely smooth  & friendly in all situations, lives rurally (but inside) in NH,  with  2other cats (rescues) and happily with  6 Great Danes.  He has sired waited-for amazing kittens-that part of his story is now over. Photo by Sterling Moffat (my nearby daughter) Lyme, NH

From Alex K.:

This white boy’s name is Siegfried (Ziggy for short) and he’s been with us for about 8 years. The one in the back is Lucia whose celebrating her second Christmas. You can’t tell from the back that she has only three legs with one deformed stump where it should be her left hind leg.

From my friends Don and Karen in Pilorus Bridge, New Zealand:

Herewith a couple of photos of our two (new) kittens, to replace our beloved Sugar. The tabby is Kona, the black Nori. Names care of Karen’s son, Lloyd who’s staying with us  over this period.

The kittens have had a ball tearing into the paper as well their own kitty presents. Lloyd is preparing a beef Wellington and my steamed pudding is awaiting its second steam, having been made a couple of days ago.

From Robert Seidel:

for your Christmas cats entry, I’d like to present you the latest addition to our household: 7-month old Rufus aka Busby aka The Night Terror aka The Toebiter of Abingdon, sampling his first Christmas tree.

From Simon:

Well my daughter finally got a picture of Pachacca in front of the tree. She is now an elderly kitty, coming up for 21 in the spring, so we have relented and are letting her drink this year!

From Greg:

Holiday Greetings from Perry.