Aby-a-Day – 19 Maj 2020: Kiipi and her kitten – Work in progress (Cartoon Tuesday)

Last week, my friend Sanna-Leena posted this awesome photo of Kiipi and her kitten on the Facebook group This IS an airport, please announce your departure: Aeroplane ear posting. I love Kiipi, and I have drawn her before. When I saw this photo, I wanted to draw it.

I tilted the photo a little, so I could add in their tails. This is my preliminary sketch.

I decided I wanted each cat on its own layer. This is my second sketch of Kiipi.

And this is the second sketch of the kitten.

And here they are together. The next step is ink, and then after that colour and texture. Stay tuned!

The mask crusader

Imma just leave this here…

Dashiell’s big brother featured in CFA announcement on Preservation Breeders!

Dashiell’s big brother, GC NW Anubis Loco-Motion of Santgria was recently featured in an announcement congratulating all the Preservation Breeders in the CFA.

Dash and Loco are full brothers from different litters. Doesn’t Loco look so much like Dash? I hope Dash will have half the show career Loco’s had. Some days, I just hope we’ll have shows again.

Loki Hunts With StarClan

Do you remember back in 2014, two Abyssinians in Australia who were who were rescued by my friend Phyll. They settled into their new home quickly, and were named Loki and Odin (because Odin lost an eye).

So it was very sad for me to see Phyll’s post yesterday morning in the Facebook Abyssinian Cat Club: “Hi all, it is with a broken heart that I let you know that Loki, one of the Renbury Rescue Abys that you all helped save in 2014, has passed tonight. I am heartbroken, he was such a gorgeous boy, but know I was with him at the end and after. The photos are of him when he was in the pound and the other, his life with me after you all helped save him and his litter mate. My new job is to help little Odin understand that his brother will not be back. Odin was given the chance to say goodbye to Loki as he came home with me. Arrangements have been made and Loki will be picked up tomorrow to be cremated and returned home. Not sure little Odin understands that Loki has gone as he is not the smartest of cats in the world, but I am hoping. Thank you all that helped these boys and remember Loki with love.”

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, dear Loki.

Bertil Hunts With Star Clan

Freddy’s breeder Karin posted today:
“Lilla Bertil (bror med Märta, Alfred, Greta och Kerstin) har somnat in.
2½ år ung. Urinstopp.
Enl ägarna var han den bästa katten ever.”

Which means “Little Bertil (brother with Martha, Alfred, Greta and Kerstin) has fallen asleep.
2 1/2 years young. Urinary blockage.
According to the owners he was the best cat ever.” Apparently, it came on very quickly, as urinary blockages can do.

I can’t imagine how we would feel to lose Freddy, our lovable boss chonk and break in artist, and I can’t imagine how Bertil’s owners must feel. We actually had first choice between the two brothers…

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend, Freddy’s littermate, has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, darling Bertil.

(PS…fear not, regular posts will return shortly. Between the Finland trip and acclimating Dashiell, I had a little bout of pneumonia. But I promise to get the posts back on track soon!)

Mosey hunts with StarClan

Yesterday, not even a month after Jacoby died just before his tenth birthday, Molly posted this on Facebook: “He’s gone, my beloved Mosey. Sweetest cat in 30+ years of Abys. Damn kidney disease! At age eight, one sad Vet, two crying Vet Techs and I walked him to the Rainbow Bridge. Lisa Kaelin I owe you the world for breeding my favorite cat of all time. Farewell, Ch. Red Fern Moses2 of Tigerflower. It hurts so much…”

Longtime readers may remember that Jake and I met Rosey Mosey at a cat show when he was a kitten. At the time, he was third best kitten in CFA! We also met Mosey’s son, Nikolai, at another show.

Mosey was such a sweet, lovable boy. I can’t believe he is also gone so young. My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, dear, sweet Mosey.

Reggie hunts with StarClan

Sad news from my friend Kim…her fawn boy, Reggie, died yesterday. He had several tumours in his organs and a polyp in his nostril. He was only 13½.

Kim adopted Reggie and his sister Cheri when they were 10 years old after their human went into an assisted living facility. She got them from Northeast Aby (and Somali) Rescue (NEAR) just before Christmas, 2015. Sadly, Cheri died from the same multiple tumours in multiple organs only a couple of months after Kim adopted them.

Here is Reggie last October on his last birthday (which was celebrated late because Jacoby’s Uncle Clancy had just died. He was so adorably crosseyed, and a drooling, purring cuddler. I’ll miss seeing his photos. My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, lovely Reggie.

Aby-a-Day – 8 December: The ears have it (Cat Show Saturday)

This weekend, we took Lorelai and Izaak to the Ädelkatten Kattklubb show in Västra Frölunda. Nobody got Nominated, but the show was very good for both Zak and Rory. About which I will post tomorrow.

I found my realistic cat ears and wore them to the show. As I posted five years ago, some cats have an…interesting…reaction to seeing a human with cat ears.

My friend Peter saw me taking the above photo and decided I needed yet another set of ears. Thanks, Peter.

But at the show today, we met an Abyssinian who had a very strong reaction to my ears.

When he first saw me, IP IC S*Aloysius Tiger Lily’s Trazan‘s eyes got HUGE. Then, he backed into a corner of his cage.

And, after careful consideration of my ears, he…hissed at me.

I mean, he really hissed at me. I gave his human some dry food we won in the lotteri to make up for his traumatisation.

Update on the Abys rescued in Rhode Island

Remember back in July when I posted about the SECOND rescue of 18 Abyssinians in Rhode Island? Well, according to this post from New England Aby Rescue (NEAR), those Abys are all at the Potter League for Animals and are are now legally free and clear to be placed with new owners as their veterinarian judges them to be healthy enough to be adopted.

The first two boys available for adoption are:

Thames

and Warner. If you are in New England and interested in either of these two young men (they are between one and two years old, the same age Angel was when I adopted her), click on their names to apply for adoption.

Uncle Clancy hunts with StarClan

Okay, 2018. Seriously. We need to talk. This death thing? You really need to knock it off with the cats I know and love. Because…and I cannot fathom that this has happened again, and only a month since the last one…Jacoby’s Uncle Clancy joined StarClan today.

Clancy was Jake’s uncle. Clancy and Scar had the same parents, but were born to different litters. Clancy is most likely the red kitten in the back on the left in this photo.

Clancy loved to wear coats in winter and costumes at Halloween. This is him in a hot dog costume with Finnegan in a flame cape.

Clancy and Seamus even starred in one of my cartoons.

I have gotten the best holiday cards with Clancy and Santa.

This was his birthday present, four years ago. He obviously loved his new cat tree. He was only thirteen. My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, dear Uncle Clancy.

Clawdius hunts with StarClan

I cannot believe I am having to write ANOTHER of these posts this year. But last night, my amazing friend Molly posted the following to Facebook: Walked Clawdius to the Rainbow Bridge tonight and our wonderful Vet sent him on his journey. I Clawdius II, 08/22/99 – 09/17/18. A life well lived. He will be so very missed…

Clawdius was actually three days younger than Björn’s Pyret, but he was able to celebrate one last birthday.

While the loss of any cat is sad, Clawdius’ death is particularly tragic as Molly’s husband, Don, passed away on 2 July. This is Don with both Clawdius and Mosey.

Ch. Tigerflower I Clawdius II‘s career ended (with 3 grand points from Wain Harding) in the third ring of his first show as a Champion. He growled at Lois Jensen and Molly pulled him. But he went on to father kittens, and his name appears in many well-known pedigrees. He is even very distantly related to Angel, Jacoby, Lorelai and Alfred!

It’s a different kind of sadness when you lose a longtime companion. When they’ve been by your side for 15 years or more, it’s not just their passing that you mourn. It’s also the loss of over a decade of always having been there. You reach out to pet them in the middle of the night, or you look in their favourite napping spot…and they just aren’t there.

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, darling Clawdius.

Other People’s Abys: Sky hunts with StarClan

I cannot believe I am having to write ANOTHER of these posts this year.

One of my best friends, Barb, just lost her loving companion, Alexy Blue Cream Sky of Aksum, to cancer. She’d been battling it for over a year.

Sky was only 10.

Look at those gorgeous eyes!

Sky was bred by Susan Graham of Aksum Abyssinians, and she was a very special Aby in more ways than one. Sky was a rare tortioseshell Abyssinian.
Susan is one of the few breeders in North America who works with sex-linked red (the true, genetic red, not the CFA “red” that most registries call either sorrel or cinnamon). And when you breed sex-linked red, you get torties (well, technically, torbies, since Abys are tabbies).

This photo of her after one of her operations really shows her tortie pattern.

I never got to meet Sky in person, which I truly regret. I can’t imagine what she must have been like…Tortitude combined with Abyssinian!

She was certainly a character in photos!

In her younger days, she was a TICA show cat and was even a model in the 2010 issue of Cats USA.

And Sky even appeared in one of my cartoons once.

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, sweet Sky.

Other People’s Abys: Indy hunts with StarClan

I hate making these posts. Our good friend Pat lost her lovely blue girl, Pentaclecats Indigo Blue, better known as Indy, died today. She had been losing weight and was finally diagnosed with cystitis. She was a retired showgirl, joining Pat, her son Mike and ruddy boy Coqui, only 4½ years ago.

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today. Sleep well in Tuonela, dear Indy.

Abys in Need – 26 dead Abys in freezer, 18 more living in squalor…AGAIN!

This is ghastly. Rhode Island Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered 26 dead Abys in a freezer and 18 more in “very poor condition” yesterday. According to the RISPCA investigator, the surviving cats were underweight and covered in feces, but none were in such bad health that they will need to be euthanised. Well, thank StarClan for that!

But what really pisses me off is…THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME this person has done this! Eight years ago I posted about this exact same idiot who had 48 Abys, along with a corn snake, one dog, a turtle and two other household cats confiscated by the RISPCA. Just as last time, the cats are at the Potter League for Animals, so if you’re interested in helping to rescue one or more of these Abys, please contact the Potter League for Animals (Newport, RI), 87 Oliphant Lane, Middletown RI 02842, Phone: 401-846-8276, Email: info@potterleague.org. But keep in mind it will probably take some time to get them healthy enough for adoption.

Additionally, my friend Meg has started a donation page on Facebook in Cousin Taz’s memory to raise funds to help the Potter League help these Abys.

And now I need to go hug Angel.

Other People’s Abys – Kudos to Cousin Taz!

Remember Cousin Taz? Once upon a time, he had retired from the cat show circuit. But this year, he’s come back with a vengeance!

The CFA show season ended on 30 April, and it’s official! Taz is Best Abyssinian in Premiership in all of CFA, the 2nd Best Cat in Premiership in the North Atlantic Region 1, and the 15th Best Cat in Premiership in all of CFA.

Taz is a year younger than Jacoby, and to win these honours at the age of eight is incredible. You go, Taz!

Happy Birthday, Molly!

One of my best friends in the Abyssinian world, Molly of Tigerflower Abyssinians, has a couple of major life events happening this month. At the end of the month, she is retiring…but today is her 80th birthday! Since Molly considers the CFA her extended family, I am trying to create a birthday greetings blitz with her friends. So…HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOLLY!

Molly has been breeding Abyssinians under the cattery name Tigerflower for over thirty years. Mainly working with dilutes, she’s raised countless litters of beautiful, title-winning Abys. Besides her Abyssinians, Molly followed a long New York fashion career – on staff at Mademoiselle and Glamour Magazines, freelance writing for Town & Country, wardrobe and speech writing for the Miss America pageants…she even once met Jack Benny!

I met Molly at a show in Groton, CT back in 2011. It was a memorable show for many reasons: Jacoby achieved his Grand Premiership, I met Richard of Chanan for the first time, and Jake and I dressed up as ancient Egyptians because the second day of the show fell on Halloween. But among the most memorable things was meeting Molly and Red Ferne Moses2 of Tigerflower.

He was quite the little firecracker, little Mosey!

He did well at that show, too.

When I lived in Boston, Molly lived in Orlando, FL and then in New Jersey, so we didn’t get to see her very often…but she did come to a couple of NEMO shows. This is the group of my friends and I after the first day of the first NEMO show…Molly supplied the plastic wine sippy cups.

She and her young red boy, Nik, were enchanted by this spectator at that show.

Molly was one of the few people who came to Björn’s and my wedding…in fact, having guests at our wedding at all was Molly’s idea!

If it hadn’t been for her, we would not have had a wedding party.

She also gave us this incredible stained-glass Aby, which hangs in our front room window in our apartment where we can see it every day.

So…Molly…give your beloved Clawdius a hug from all of us here in Sweden…and have an absolutely marvelous birthday party! We wish we could be there to help you celebrate!

Abys are Everywhere – Player’s Cigarettes cat cards

My friend Marsha posted a photo of a reproduction cigarette card featuring an Abyssinian the other day on Facebook. I actually managed to find an image of it in the digital collection of the New York Public Library!

Cigarette cards were the precursor to collectible cards in bubble gum packets, and date back the 1890s, when cigarettes were wrapped in paper packets instead of boxes. Manufacturers began inserting pieces of card to protect the contents, quickly realising that these would be useful for advertising their products. Soon this evolved into sets of cards featuring various things of interest, in the hopes that smokers would want to “collect them all” and continue to buy that brand rather than another.

Usually, they were marketed to men, and so featured sports players, pretty actresses, trains and ships…but there were some animal-themed sets as well, including a 24-card set of different British breeds of cats printed in 1936 by Player’s Cigarettes.

The originals are not dated, but these were reproduced in both 1986 (with blue ink and the Imperial Tobacco Ltd. logo on the corners)…

…and in 1997 (this time with red ink). Therefore they are not hard at all to find, especially from UK sellers on eBay. I got this one for about 80kr (less than $10 USD) including shipping.

Catalina hunts with Star Clan…and now, Jacoby is an orphan

I have the saddest of sad news to share. Last night, Sherry messaged me from her vetrinarian’s office. She was there with Catalina, Jacoby and Dillin’s mother. Catalina had painful cancer in her lower jaw which made it difficult for her to eat.

Ch. Instincts Santa Catalina of Pellburn was only 11 years old…just two years older than Jake!

I never met Catalina in person, but I know she was always a wonderful mother and she had many wonderful kittens. Here is a video Sherry made of Catalina with one of her litters.

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.

Abys are Everywhere: A Quite Interesting Aby

Since moving to Sweden, I have been watching a lot of BBC Brit. I have fallen in love with the comedic panel shows, especially

My Cat From Hell: Mimi the Abyssinian

I realise that this is almost six years old…but apparently they have only just started showing My Cat From Hell in Sweden on a channel we get, so I only just saw this episode. It involved a couple with a 10-year-old overweight cat, Molly, and a young Abyssinian named Mimi.

Now, Mimi is NOT the cat from Hell in this episode. In fact, she’s the victim of Molly’s bad temper. As Jackson describes it:

“Mimi’s an Abyssinian. Abyssinians are spider monkeys. They swing from the chandeliers while everyone else is eating dinner. They need to have directed activity, and they need to have that activity constantly. In the meantime, you’ve got an older, crankier cat who’s saying ‘Just make it stop!'”

Molly actually sent poor Mimi to the vet for stitches after a gash in her flank!

The link above leads to the full episode on Animal Planet’s website, but you need to sign in with a television provider. However, you can see Jackson’s final visit to Molly and Mimi and Jackson’s follow-up with Molly a year later online without signing in.