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Well, we begin 2014 with three cats- our oldest, the black-and-white longhair Lucky, our second oldest, the Bengal-patterned tabby Tyger, and our newest, with us since last October, the Siamese-mix Zack. By the beginning of this year, we have taken Zack to Florida five times, something not done with any other cats, because he travels so well. As I have done in past years, I'm going to put most of the pet pictures onto this page, regardless of when they were taken or whether or not they were in conjunction with some other event or trip.

January 1-11: Zack in Florida

As we have done a number of times before, we have brought Zack with us down here to Florida. Some of the pictures we took of him while we were here you will find on the regular album page for this Florida trip. Others I want to put here.

We actually arrived here in Florida on the 29th of December, and no sooner had we gotten out stuff into the condo than Fred took his first picture of Zack sitting regally on the high-top table where our laptops usually go. We had not even had time to set them up. That's the picture you can see at left.

As a matter of fact, when Zack is not asleep somewhere, or tearing about the condo playing with one toy or another, he is usually somewhere on the tabletop or on the windowsill beside us. He does like to look out, and likes it even more when we crack open the sliding glass window so he can smell the outside as well. (This usually gets him in the mood to go for a walk.) Click on the thumbnail images below to see three pictures of Zack, taken at three different times, in various positions he usually takes up to be near us while we use our laptops:

It's really pretty interesting where Zack lays down to be comfortable. One of his favorite places is on one arm or the other of the sofa, with his body on the arm and his front paws dangling down either side. One particular afternoon, he came and laid on the arm nearest me while I was reading; it's a cute picture and you can see it here. Other times, he just sprawls out in the same position and sleeps; one afternoon Fred took a series of pictures of him (waking him up in the process) and you can click on the thumbnail images below to see these photos:

I want to include two more pictures that Fred took of Zack sleeping on a sofa arm; it is an almost comical pose:

January 19: Sunday Morning Coming Down

It's a lazy (and chilly) Sunday morning, and the cats are keeping us company in the study.

For some reason, Lucky likes to get on the chair next to me, put his front paws on the arm of my own chair and lean up and head butt my shoulder. Even when I stop to scratch him so he doesn't have to go to such effort, I think he still prefers to do it himself.

Click on the thumbnail images below to see Lucky in action, and for another picture of him and Zack as well:

February 6: The Lions in Winter

This morning, Fred was supposed to go to his Mom's, but when we awoke, the eerie quiet outside could mean only one thing- a soft blanket of snow. Not much, but enough not to drive in and enough to take Zack out in. As is our procedure, we first put Zack's collar on for a while to get him used to it, and all three cats kept us company while we had coffee.

Then, Fred and I put our jackets on, attached Zack's leash, and led him out the front door.

Since this was the first time Zack had seen snow, we weren't quite sure what he would make of it. For my part, I thought that as soon as his paw pads touched down on the wet, cold stuff, he would be shaking them off, since cats usually don't like to get their feet wet.

To our surprise, he padded around in the snow like a trouper, basically just walking through it as if it wasn't there. I took a couple of pictures while Fred had Zack on the leash, and you can click on the thumbnail images below to have a look at them:

I also made two movies today. I made (actually, we made, since we switched cameramen in the middle) the first one as Zack was exploring outside in the snow. I made the second one when we put down a plate of snow to see what the other cats would do with it. You can watch both of these with the players below:

(Mouseover Image if Video Controls Not Visible) Zack Outside in the Snow

(Mouseover Image if Video Controls Not Visible) The Other Cats Investigate Snow

Of course, we took a few still pictures of the cats investigating the plate of snow, and you can see them below:

February 8: My Sleep Number is 72

Of all the cats, Zack has the most interesting (and endearing) poses when asleep.

I just couldn't resist photographing Zack as he slept in the study chair this afternoon. The way he has one paw over his eyes makes it seem as if he is trying to keep more light out; I should make him a kitty sleep mask!.

You can see another picture of him, taken from above, that shows his four paws all going in different directions; have a look at that picture here.

February 9: Cats...or Tribbles?

When all three cats are in the study with us, it almost seems as if there are tribbles all around the room. Here, each of the three is in his favorite place:

February 13: One Big Happy Family

As is often the case in the morning when I am in the study, all three cats are with me. That is even more likely when Fred is here, as he is today.

Each of the cats is in a typical place- Zack atop the cat tower, Lucky in the chair beside me, and Tyger lying on the table beside the laptop. (If I get up and move, even for a short while, I can usually count on Tyger migrating into my chair.) Anyway, Fred took a few pictures of me and the cats, and then I got up to take three of my own. You can click on the thumbnail images below to have a look at them:

March 29: Zack in Florida

Once again, Fred and I have taken Zack with us to Florida, this time for our Spring trip down to Fort Lauderdale.

Sometimes when we are working at the table on our laptops, Zack can be found on the sofa or sleeping in the third chair or just hanging out. But most times he is on the table with us, nestled between the laptops and looking out the window.

At these times, taking pictures of him is easy, and you can click on the thumbnail images below to see five of the best of the pictures we took of him on this particular trip:

April 14: Morning With the Cats

It's Monday morning, and I'm finishing my coffee while I work on my photo album. Well, I was working on my photo album, until Tyger decided that the best place for him to be was sprawled out right on top of my mousepad, mouse and even my hand. This while Lucky looked on from the adjacent chair and Zack was intent on looking out the window.

April 19: Saturday Morning With the Cats

Weekend morning with the cats is entirely different. Just compare today with last Monday.

Usually Lucky will rub his head against my shoulder by standing on the chair next to me. This morning, even though Tyger was lying on the table, Lucky used that as his base.

Fred took some other interesting pictures this morning, and I've selected some of them for you to see. First, he took two pictures of Tyger and Zack sitting side by side atop the cat tower, both intently looking out the window (until Zack decides to start playing). You can see those pictures here and here.

A bit later, Fred caught Zack on the desk stretching up to get onto the first shelf- something he does fairly frequently. Fred also took a couple of other good pictures of the cats, and you can click on the thumbnail images below to have a look at them:

April 20: The Cats in the Lap

Sunday afternoon, I sat down in one of the study chairs listening to something Fred had on the Internet, when two cats got up into my lap at the same time. This is unusual, and was well worth a picture, I thought. I didn't realize until later that Fred had snapped a couple of pictures while I took my own cat nap:

May 12: Behold, the power of yogurt!

Two human foods seem to fascinate the cats- peanut butter (Lucky mostly) and yogurt. I guess it's because it's a milk product, but all of the like it. Fred had some this morning, and Tyger and Lucky were intent on getting some:

June 1: Cat and Mouse Game

And here you thought that cats and mice were eternal enemies. Not so. Tyger has taken to lying on the table right beside the laptop, usually encroaching on my mousepad. Kind of like Russia and the Ukraine.

But if I have enough room to move the mouse, I usually don't mind. At least not after I moved out of the way the potpourri boxes that he always shoved out of the way.

June 13: An Interesting Pose

I suppose that the picture of Lucky that Fred took this morning isn't all that interesting, except for the fact that we had never seen him put both paws on the window ledge when he sits on top of the cat tower looking out. His paws are usually just draped over the edge of the tower and hanging down.

And he was apparently intently focused on something outside.

June 21: Lucky Stretches Out

One usually imagines a cat curling up into a round form when it sleeps; innumerable cartoons, pictures and little sculptures attest to that. Of our cats, Zack usually approximates that pose (unless he is sprawled out on the arm of the sofa in Florida). Tyger is also a "curler," except for the times he is lying beside my laptop or in the basket in the bathroom upstairs.

Lucky, however, hardly ever curls up. He sleeps all stretched out, or just lying on his side. When he has the back of a chair for support, he'll sleep on his back, with both his front and rear paws stretched out. The pictures we took today are of Lucky in this pose. (He also loves to sleep on top of clothes just out of the dryer.) Click on the thumbnail images below and you will see what we mean:

June 29: Zack and Lucky

I just mentioned that Zack usually curls up when he sleeps, but this morning he was only in a half-curl (degree of difficulty: 3.0). While he was dozing, Fred was giving Lucky one of his favorite treats- peanut butter:

August 3: Sleepy Time at the Cat Farm

I guess some cats are aloof, but ours aren't. Sure, each one has spots elsewhere in the house that he favors, but when I am in the study- and even more, when both Fred and I are in the study- the cats will usually be with us. Tyger will take my chair if I am not in it (or even if I have just vacated it for a moment). Lucky favors the chair and Zack the cat tower, but Lucky likes to get up there as well.

September 1: A Mystery Explained

Last year, when we returned from one of our trips to Florida, we discovered, strewn about the house, some blown-out eggs that were kept in a decorative wire basket on top of the cabinets above the refrigerator. The basket was in its place, but most of the eggs had been removed. We knew it must have been Tyger or Lucky (we had Zack with us), but until now we weren't sure which it was.

I came into the kitchen this afternoon to get a drink and while I had my back turned, I heard a noise, and when I turned around I didn't, at first, see the cause. But then I looked up and there Lucky was, sitting serenely on top of the refrigerator. (Fortunately, my little camera was on the counter right nearby, and that's how I got the pictures.)

So I assume that he was the egg culprit, but still he would have had to go a bit further up on top of the cabinets to get the eggs out of the basket. How he got them to the floor without breaking them is another puzzle. I haven't tried dropping one a couple of feet onto a hard surface, but maybe I should.

In any event, the eggs and their basket are now in a different spot- one I doubt Lucky will be able to reach.

October 19: Zack in Florida (again)

It is hard to believe, but Zack is on his 8th trip with us to Florida. He has become quite the seasoned traveler, although he may not find that his frequent-traveler miles are worth as much as he thinks.

When Zack is with us here in Florida, and he is in sleep mode, there are only a few places he can be found. One is in the third chair here at our high-top living room table. But the other, more common place, is snuggled between our two laptops, which are always set up on that same table.

And today, that is right where he is ensconced. Often, he sticks his head out towards the window, using Fred's binocular case as a pillow. So when I take pictures like the ones at left, you can see just his head and maybe a paw sticking out.

Other times, Zack just curls up between the two laptops. When he does that, he's almost invisible to either of us. We do have to be careful that he doesn't curl up right next to the cooling vents of the laptops. Here's a picture of Zack curled up in this way:

This was yet another neat trip with Zack here.

December 13: The Gang's All Here

After a hiatus of a few months from any pet pictures worthy of inclusion here, we are at home this Saturday afternoon. The Book Club Christmas party is tonight, and we are hanging out in the study as we often do after listening to Wheels on a Saturday morning.

It is usually true that two, if not all three of the cats hang out in the study with us; the only time they are elsewhere seems to be when either Tyger is asleep in his basket in the master bath, or Lucky is snuggled up in some clothes just out of the dryer and tossed on the bed.

But even when all three are with us, it is rare that they aren't spread out across the room. Today, we have an exception. Lucky had just finished getting combed in my lap, and had retired to the chair beside me. Zack and Tyger had been chasing each other around and had just ended up underneath that same chair. So before they got back to their play, I grabbed my camera to take a series of pictures of all three of them together. The best of the pictures I got is the one at left.

There are a few more that are worth keeping in this album, and there are clickable thumbnails for them below:

Well, those are our pet pictures for this year; there will be more in the next.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

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