Miso (as a kitten) and Dragon (6/04) Miso (though smaller) shows his dominance over Dragon

Miso and Dragon (8/05) Tigger (who disappeared in early 2004) and his brother, Dragon

I adopted two kittens from the local shelter in June 2002, about when I first started living here. Shakti, my partner then, saw the two brothers at the shelter, and encouraged me to get them. Shakti named the kittens, Tigger and Dragon, after the Chinese animals of our birth-years. I quickly put in a cat door, so they could come and go as they pleased. There are miles of woods to explore here, and fortunately, I also live more than 200 yards off the road, so people don't present many dangers to my cats. There are dangers though from other animals. A coyote or a wild dog may have gotten Tigger in early 2004 when he disappeared without a trace.

As a replacement, Shakti brought home Miso in June 2004 from the dairy farm where she was working. Miso is now fully grown, but still weighs only half of what Dragon does. Nevertheless, it is Miso who challenges Dragon to wrestling matches. It is also Miso who is the fearless one when my mother's dogs come to visit.

The cats have been good companions. In the colder months we sleep in my king-sized bed together. In the summer, however, I don't let them on the bed because I am wary of the poison ivy oil (and ticks and fleas) that they may be spreading.

The cats also keep too many mice from living underneath my floor boards.

Africa & Dragon on their favorite perch - on top of the TV (10/06)

2007 Update: Unfortunately, Miso disappeared in the summer of 2006, like the cat he replaced in 2004. Africa replaced him in August of 2006. He was a stray that was offered to me when someone heard I had lost a cat. I gave him his name because of the blot around his nose which I think looks like the continent of Africa 'upside down' (in quotes b/c who's to say that north is the right side up), and I spent four years growing up in Africa.