Mac is a young writer who misses her childhood pets (and vice versa). This blog keeps her up to date on their hi jinks…

Catman is a 15 year old Seal Point Siamese who MM brought home when he was 6 weeks old (and she was 8). He is a cat genius…

This kitty has never met a stranger and his talents include saying “Hel-lo”, begging on command, opening any door, staring you down, and of course, blogging. He’s been dubbed a “Dat” – part dog, part cat – and is referred to as “the cat who thinks he’s a dog” by neighbors as he strolls by on his leash.

Catman does, however, have a dark side in the form of a total meltdown whenever he visits the vet’s office…

RaRa was our beautiful little Lilac Point Siamese “panther” who died in August 2010 from cancer, just a few weeks shy of her 12th birthday. She was so graceful and athletic that we had always assumed she’d make it to age 20 plus… We are heartbroken…

What a character… Nobody was allowed to touch her tail!  And what a back talker… She especially loved MM’s step-dad and demanded in loud Siamese – Ra!Ra! – that he rub her with both hands. Then she would gratefully pat him on the face and knock off his glasses…

Thanks to this little bundle of personality, “Hep me, RaRa”, “Going White Cat”, “Jump RaRa Jump”, “Cat Roundup”, and “Sweet Kitty” all became part of the family lingo.

“Sweet Kitty” is deeply missed.

Gentleman Duke was our 15 ½ year old mixed breed (half Lhasa Apso, half terrier) who passed in September 2010 from a long standing health problem.

As a puppy, Duke was rescued from a house with 40 dogs, originally going to an elderly woman who became too ill to continue to care for him. He was turned over to a Rotweiller rescue group who had a hard time finding a home for the “fugly” little dog with chronic allergies. Then, while on a cat food run at PetsMart, MM’s step-dad happened upon an adoption event at the store and Duke had a home.

Duke was with us for 12 ½ years… Although he had a long canine life, the end is still very sad (and especially hard coming just a few weeks after the passing of RaRa). Dukie was an exceptionally easy going dog who loved his Siamese cat “wolf pack” and vice versa. He and Catman were especially good buds…

Gentleman Duke, master of the “Stink Eye”, is greatly missed.

In the summer of 1988, young Roman was found floating in a causeway with hypothermia. She required tubing of food and medication to survive, but being a young chick with a soft bill, the resulting curvature of her bill meant that she could never be released into the wild…