Dogs and Cats

Mo’i (the field spaniel) and Boots (the cat) are enjoying some late afternoon sunshine streaming in our livingroom window. The dark-furred animals can really absorb some heat — put you hand on them while they’re sunbathing, and you’ll feel as if you’ve been burnt! Mo’i could just barely work up the energy to open one eye to look at me, as I took this picture. Boots is a little scaredy-cat, so she was watching me warily, as always…

These three images are of Halala Pala, our most photogenic of cats. We think he’s a Maine Coon, from his looks, behavior, and ridiculously tiny and squeaky voice (as compared to the magnificence of his size). His belly fur is particularly curly and unkempt; in this upside-down pose (which he loves to adopt), it’s sometimes hard to tell where anything is. As I took these pictures (and about 20 more just like them!), he twisted and turned, posing for me as if he was a supermodel. The moment I stopped taking pictures, he stopped and went to sleep…

These three guys are the best of buddies, and they like to hang out in this cat tree together. The fellow on the right is Halala Pala, in a more normal pose. The other big fellow on the left is Alika — our biggest cat by far, and also the most afraid of people. Only rarely am I able to touch him, and he hates it when I do. The little guy in the middle is Maka Le’a, who only recently has learned to climb to high places (much to Debbie’s distress, as she imagines he’ll launch himself to a bad fall).

As usual, click on the pictures for a larger view.