Well, today’s the day that people stuff themselves and give each other geegaws to celebrate the arrival of the mythological Baby Jesus on our planet. I will eat well today, too, but instead of celebrating a false god, let us celebrate the real ones: cats. In particular, readers’ cats; and thanks to everyone who sent in Christmas-themed photographs of their moggies. Professor Ceiling Cat (Emeritus) wishes everyone and their staff a grand holiday. And remember, folks, Coynezaa starts today as well, and will be in full swing through December 30.

Now on to the cats:

Mark T. sent perhaps the funniest of the Christmas cat pictures:

Here we have Ozzie, Princess, and Talon on their visit to Santa in 2002. They are siblings from the same litter and are all still with us 14 years later.

From reader Bonnie, posted on my Facebook page:

Instead of a tree, why not decorate a cat? Donnie as a Christmas tree (couldn’t figure out how else to send this to you).

Reader Leo sent a whole passel of cats:

Six cats, and a Christmas tree that has already lost the lower half of its needles.  A coincidence?

From left to right: Willem-Alexander, Michelangelo, Guercino, Johan Friso, Pietje, Druil.

From reader Taskin:

A cat named Quaxo who we fostered last winter. He had a wound on his shoulder that needed to be kept covered. This Santa outfit was the only cat shirt in town!

From reader Tom:

I am attaching a photosof my daughter’s beautiful cat, Mai Lyn.  My Lyn lives with her staff in the uptown section of Chicago (near Truman College), but is currently in Richmond, VA visiting for the holidays.

Reader Felipe sends greetings and a cat from Mexico:

I´m very glad I found your address to share you my Xmas cat. His name is Miguelón, he´s a rescued kitten (a bully kitten who´s afraid of his own shadow). Happy Sol Invictus from the subtropical regions of Mexico.

From reader Su:

Callie from 2013. Her godmother got it for her.

She only had to wear it for a minute.

She was not happy.

From reader Charlie Jones:

Our cat Buster immediately found a comfortable place to nap in our Christmas tree.  The nesting instinct is strong in this one.

From reader Smokedpaprika:

Here our old lady, Zelda, happy as a bug in a rug.  She’s been wearing her cape and hat for a good while today, as it keeps her warm. If she could talk, I’d imagine her singing Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’. At 18 y.o., Z goes for her creature comforts, and still hunts in the summer, just for the helluvit.

Reader Taryn has an appropriately named cat, and a rare one who likes to not only wear clothing, but demands that his staff dress him:

Hitch in his Christmas sweater.  When the temperature drops below his preference, he’ll place it at my feet and wait expectantly.

From reader Fiona:

Here is my photo. This is my lovely, and sadly departed, cat Limoncello, celebrating her first Christmas in 2007. The fancy glass baubles were quickly substituted for plastic after she “hunted” one to smithereens. Here she is resting, but poised for action…

Reader Steve, a young lad who needs to learn the difference between a blog and a website, sends a black cat that is NOT HAPPY!

Here’s our cat enduring the wassailing at our house. This lasted for somewhere near 1 minute. Feel free to put it on yr blog. The cat is named Langley btw.

As we don’t install our tree till tomorrow, Domino doesn’t feel highly concerned at the moment. But as our tree is big, tomorrow morning it will be a ladder ! And then it will be full craziness.

This is a picture of Turbo (no longer with us).  She used to love helping us decorate the Christmas tree.

From reader Palaeo Sam:

This is Lonewolf Borrower Simba Thompson (he was my first ever cat as a child) and this was his second-favourite place to sit. His favourite was in the sink under a dripping tap.

From reader Dan:

This is Peaches dressed in a Christmas sweater with the edge of the Christmas tree visible to her side.  She loves playing fetch.  She often drags her toys around the house and deposits them on the bed, or in her food bowl, or sometimes in her water bowl.  She is the alpha kitty among our 3 cats.

She has seal point coloration (she was white when she was a kitten and has gotten darker as she got older).  We hope you enjoy this picture of her.

From reader George:

Chirp guards our gifts with tortitude.

From reader Lance:

This is one of our shelter kitties resting up after helping with tree decorations (Platypuss, 11 y.o.):

From reader Leah:

Attached is my cat photo. A note about my cat: Bud the editing cat brings his skills to supervision of my Christmas cards. He has a concern because the cat on one card is not him. We have been staff to Bud, a large deep brown and white street cat, for 14 years. Rumors of bobcat ancestry are untrue. He is chief editor for all my writing, including my website Catwoods Porch Party.

From reader Zack B., we have a gorgeous tuxedo cat with a white moustache:

Here’s our adopted kitteh, Samwise Gamgee. When he’s not dressed to impress, you can usually find him in the cupboard chewing on loaves of bread and eating butter.

Reader Andrew sends a photo of a cat named Hamish, the first cat I’ve seen so named:

I thought you’d like a photo of Hamish, our new cat, who adopted our family in November. He’s around 7 months old, and is full of character and energy. He loves to carry things around the house in his mouth, it’s a little like having a small furry poltergeist living with us. Of course a source of great excitement is our Christmas tree, and he’s found that it’s a surprisingly comfortable place to lounge and watch what’s going on. Our 13-year-old cat, Nessie, isn’t completely thrilled by having a housemate, but she’s getting less grumpy with him and is definitely more active since he’s moved in.

From reader David M.:

Here’s a picture of Snickers hiding under the Christmas tree.

From reader Priscilla:

Theo, named after Theodorus the Atheist (340- 250 BC), helping me trim the Christmas tree now vs. one year ago.

Taskin sent two photos of earless but loveable Gus, and I decided to use both:

Caption: Do you need someone to sing bass?

Second photo shows what happened next. Caption: Thou shalt not eat other choir member’s tails.

Reader Merilee tried to get both her cats to pose, but, being cats, they didn’t comply. But at least she got a shot of one, titled “Carmen Dingle with Xmas balls”:

From reader Michelle, who has a Bengal!:

Bengal belle’s got Xmas by the tail!

Doc Bill sends a photo of his beloved Kink:

From a few years ago.  Actually 2007 when he was a year old!

Reader Keiora McKenzie sent Plushie, whom we’veseen before, and greetings to other animals:

Here’s a dark Christmas kitty photo: Plushie’s a heathen feline and Christmas interests her not which suits her glossy black fluffiness.  I don’t have a tree (no room) though my courtyard is festooned.  However, nothing is in reach of kitty so here she is, reclining on a bed of tinsel, unamused. (The flash caught in her eyes renders her unusually demonic ’cause she is the sweetest girl). And may I wish you all the joys teh season gives you, & pass my greetings onto the delightful Princess of Poland & her family, including the delightfully tolerant Cyrus.

From reader Craig:

These are my cats Tennessee (black tuxedo, named for the cartoon character) and Fizban, my wizardly gray. They are brothers we rescued from the street when they were just weeks old with their three siblings. We found homes for the other three and mom, who was feral, was captured, neutered, and released. We keep these two and they are our constant friends and owners.

Reader Richard:

This is Popsicle animating the tree. His less adventurous co-manager Ginger was featured nomming wheat grass on black cat day.

From reader Debbie:

This is Woodstock who has made an appearance before on your website. I trapped him when he was about 8 weeks old from a feral cat colony at San Diego airport. (I also trapped his brother who we had to put down about 6 months ago. I think they had different fathers, but were from the same litter.)

Woodstock is 19 years old. Here he is enjoying a can of fruit cake. His favorite for the holidays. The figure at the top of the tree is a mouse. Another one of his favorites. [JAC: Note that he didn’t really eat the fruitcake. Nobody eats fruitcake.]

Reader Rachel sent us one frustrated moggie:

Technically, this isn’t a Christmas pic. My family’s Jewish, so those are a bit hard to come by. However, snow is kind of Christmas-y, so I hope this passes muster. This is from about 10 years ago, and it’s my Sophie’s first encounter with snow. We had recently moved to Minnesota from Washington state and she was Not Impressed.

Since our black cat had his moment on Halloween, here’s our other cat, Muffin, being much too helpful with the wrapping.  He flagrantly disregards my insistence that I’m the alpha cat, not him.

Reader Laura from California:

This is my cat Mooch reluctantly posing as a Christmas gift, in front of our Dalek-topped white Christmas tree. Mooch is 14 years old but still snuggles like a kitten, right up on your chest. Merry Christmas and Happy Coynezaa!

From reader Cate:

Our naughtiest cat Yossarian, terrorizing tiny Bedford Falls. Merry Christmas!

Reader Robin Branch from Boca Raton Florida:

Clementine is 7 years old now, and she graces our home in all seasons. But she first came to us as a terrified scrap of fur ‘n’  fleas weighing just 1 pound 4 ounces when she was rescued by a Very Good Samaritan from a busy street in West Palm Beach.

Reader Dennis:

Here is Chessie (named after the famous C & O kitty of course) keeping a close eye on the goings on in the kitchen at this most delicious time of the year. Chessie came to our rural Arizona door one day two summers ago asking to come in.  She was covered with Sticktight Fleas (Echidnophaga gallinacea) and was constantly twitching and shaking her head so much that she could not rest or sleep for more than a few minutes at a time.  We took her to the vet as soon as we could and after an application of Vectra® she had what must have been her first good nap in a long time.  No one looked for her or claimed her so she now commands our home not even showing an interest going outside anymore—looking at the world through a window is sufficient now. And we no longer have to worry about coyotes (Canis latrans) anymore.

P.S. I have also attached a 1935 Christmas advert showing Santa giving Chessie, Nip and Tuck a present.

Reader Simon:

A couple of cat pics, one of Paccecha investigating a new source of (pine flavor) water – not exactly festive but sort of seasonal, and ons of Titan who seems to have taken up residence under the tree, at least until the gifts arrive. We are trying to train him, or at least get him on the right track….(bad puns are also seasonal)

Paccecha:

Titan:

Reader Mark:

This is our cat, Knope (fans of the TV show Parks & Recreation will know where this name came from).  This was her first Christmas  with us and she promptly took to climbing the tree.  She has grown since her kitten days of last year and has yet to climb this year’s tree.

Reader Victoria:

This is Satchmo (1989-2007), named for the great Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) although she was a gal cat. Departed 18 years young and missed by all who knew her. The photo is her 2002 Xmas portrait.

(She is succeeded in our household by Strayhorn, named, of course, for the great William “Sweet Pea” Strayhorn. Perhaps she will make next year’s Xmas cut!)

Reader Kevin:

How about a game of Spot the Kitteh? This is Sophia (often referred to as “So Phia”). We rescued her last year and this was her first Christmas (2014).

Here’s Peyton (the Philosophickal Cat) inspecting her Christmas present.

Her name is Grisélidis and she now is ten years old. A few Christmases ago she crept into that empty Xmas present wrapping paper, I think she thought she was the best Christmas present ever… and I couldn’t disagree. She has a lot of character; my husband thinks she is the smartest cat he has ever known. To see her is to love her, everyone who has seen her (she is not one bit timid with strangers) melts in praise of her beauty and loves her instantly. She is the apple of my eye, the queen of my heart. 🙂