happy birthday, kittens!

around this time 9 years ago, jack and billy were born.  a few days after that their mother was hit by a car and killed and my aunt kathryn took over bottle feeding a litter of five tiny kittens.  i visited her when the litter was probably about 2 weeks old---eyes just opening and ears still partially closed.  i fell in love with two little boys, one, all black, the other, a gray tabby, and took them home with me.  i kept them in a little box in my room and bottle fed them until they were old enough to eat on their own.

they've been good companions over the years and i'm happy they're still with me.  they lived most of their lives at the ranch in catheys valley and i wasn't sure how they would handle a new environment but they seem to be quite comfortable up here in the pines. 

billy is the lazy, house cat type, a bit of recluse, preferring to spend most of his time napping in out of the way places (i can usually find him under the mill office).  jack is the wildcat troublemaker, he's much more social than billy, spending a lot of time with me in the garden and following me around during the day when i'm outside.  

being cats, they are of course horrid little beasts at times, but i love them---they were so cute when they were kittens...

playing at killing each other

they always stuck pretty close to each other.

i still find them hanging out together quite a lot these days.

 they got along well with grove...he was quite tolerant and accommodating.

 



they get along well with zane too.  billy seems to tolerate the pup more than like him but jack enjoys hanging out with zane and they even play together sometimes.

jack seems to have adopted staal.  

actually i think the adoption is mutual.

saying good morning

jack and billy are both sweethearts and fun to have around.

black jack mcmew (aka  jack, jack sprat, jack damn't, booger, boo, bruiser)

william w. purrbody (aka billy, billy mew, beeely)

happy birthday, my furry little beasts!

***update***
jack and billy were just sent happy birthday greetings from their sister, sophia (sophia louise whitstocking) who still lives with my aunt kathryn.  she's looking good. 

   happy birthday, sophia!