Today is International Cat Day, created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002 to raise awareness of ways to help and protect our feline friends. So I would be greatly remiss if I didn’t share some cute kitty photos to mark the occasion.

After all, Pete and I have been blessed with some truly magnificent cats ever since we first got married nearly 40 years ago.

The first little guy to grace our lives was given to us by a friend whose new boyfriend was allergic to cats. This was definitely our gain. Torbjorn lived to be 16 years old and was a dead ringer for Morris the Cat of 9-Lives cat food fame. Here he is with us at our wedding reception in 1985.

Angela came to us in 2001 from the Animal Protective League, a no-kill shelter in our community, when she was three years old. Alas, this little calico beauty would only be with us for five years before we lost her to cancer. But while she was with us, she was a cuddly sweetheart who sat next to me every morning while I did my morning meditation.

Olaf da Vinci and Champaign Le Chat also came to us from the APL in 2006. Champie and Oley had formed a tight bond at the shelter and the staff said it would be really nice if they could be adopted together. So home we went, with two long-haired tomcats. We never regretted that decision, despite a lot of shedding. Oley lived to be 16 and Champie lived to be 18. So we got to have them with us for 15 and 17 years respectively.

Oley was a big, beautiful, majestic and totally lovable Maine Coon cat with a flamboyantly irrepressible personality. He had a studious little face, thick luxurious fur and a magnificent plume of a tail. He loved being the center of attention. He joined us at the kitchen table and begged for food, helped Pete grade papers, sat on my computer keyboard when he wanted attention and filled my lap in the mornings when I sat in front of the fireplace during morning meditation. Here he is on the table in our sunroom, the king of all he surveys.

Our little Champie was such a source of comfort to Pete and I, as we walked through our harrowing medical journey in 2023, that we took to calling him our furry little comforter. He kept Pete company and rubbed noses with him as Pete was recuperating from his surgery and multiple hospital stays. He cuddled up with me on those lonely nights when Pete was in the hospital and I had to sleep alone at home. He loved to turn pillows into cat beds. This is one of my favorite photos – I like to call it “the Prince and the Pea.”

Our newest furry little friends joined our household shortly before Christmas, and they certainly have made life interesting around here as they bless us with their unique personalities. We first met Bryce and Elizabeth at The Cat’s Pyjamas, a new “cat cafe” in our community that we were visiting regularly in an attempt to soothe our broken hearts after losing our beloved Champie. The cat cafe works closely with the APL, where we also got Angie, Champie and Oley.

As soon as we got our kitties home, Elizabeth spent the first several minutes sniffing every square inch of the house before making herself right at home on our bed. She has been affectionate and engaging and utterly irrepressible from the start. She loves to beg for food, or sit on the back of my chair while I’m at my computer. She also joins me for morning meditation in front of the fireplace.

For the first several weeks, our little Bryce seemed most comfortable when he was hiding. He disappeared into a pile of boxes in Pete’s office. We took to calling him Sir Bryce of Boxington Manor and were advised by friends that we should let him get to know us at his own pace. Now, though, he has gotten completely bold and has made the house thoroughly his own. He loves to cuddle up with me in bed, and joins Elizabeth in begging for food when we sit down for meals.

All of our little feline family members have been such a blessing! They’re so beautiful and adorable. We thank God for all of them.