Gracie continues her study of fish, snails and aquatic plants

Gracie is a truly lovely cat. Her personality combines the best of ferals with a really loving house cat. You can only really enjoy both sides to her if you know her really well. Thanks to Joe, Angie, Evan, Biddy, and Duncan (another cat who passed away late last year) for giving Gracie a chance for a happy and long life.

 

PONGO AND ELVIS

Pongo was a sickly kitten of under 3 months when I found him--dumped near the campus swimming pool, sick with a cold, and in mortal flight from crows. He rebounded and is now a strapping, healthy male (neutered) of around 9 months age. He seems to have got along well with any cat he has been put with. One of his favorite older friends was Elvis. He loved to cuddle up to Elvis, and, now that Elvis has moved to a new home (with Gracie), Pongo cuddles with me a lot. Pongo misses Elvis, Gracie and Nana, but he still spends a lot of time with Babe. They have become like brothers actually.

THE ELVIS COLLECTION

When Elvis dreams, what does he dream of?

No more wars? Health care for all Americans?

ELVIS FOR PRESIDENT!

Another snap of Elvis and Gracie in their new home in Erie, PA

ELVIS AND GRACIE IN USA

They were born in Japan and made their lives as feral to semi-feral cats. Then they spent months in my office, with Pushkin, June, Nana, and Pongo. Now they share a home with Angie, Joe, and Biddy (a rescued cat). And everyone there misses Duncan very much (Duncan was a rescued cat who lived 14 years but who recently passed away). Please note just how much Gracie's right eye has improved (btw, Gracie is the cat roaring/yawning at the top of this blog on the masthead).

Elvis album and slideshow

Elvis made the trip with Gracie to Erie, PA.

He retired from being the 'boss' of the Swimming Pool Gang. Elvis was an excellent 'officemate' with me, Pushkin, June, Gracie, Nana and Pongo.

I'm so happy we could find him a new home, and he now no longer eats his dinner under a car!

He is all around one of the coolest and nicest cats I have ever encountered. Very macho but also very sweet. He acted like a surrogate father to Pongo the kitten, cradling him and licking him. And he put up with Nana wanting to love him all the time.

Photo album (mixes some early photos of him with some later ones taken this year):

http://picasaweb.google.com/jannuzi/ELVIS#

Or run it as a slideshow:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jannuzi/ELVIS#slideshow/5390539291853391378

In a future post, I will have photos of Elvis' and Gracie's long trip from Fukui, Japan to Erie, PA, USA.

ELVIS in the wild

From the photo you would think he is a wildcat in the wilderness. Actually, he is the tamest of the campus cats and he likes to sit in the shrubbery outside the number two building (south wing) of the College of Education. This is really on the edge of the territory that Shaun, Orange Blossom and Caramel maintain, but for the most part Elvis does not go out of his way for a fight. Shaun frequently goes over to the swimming pool with me to visit Elvis, and Elvis often returns the visit to Shaun.

MISCELLANEOUS PORTRAITS OF SOME CAMPUS CATS

Below is Sheba, of the Swimming Pool Gang.





Next, it's Orange Blossom of the Dining Hall Troop. If you like orange tabbies, OB is your man!









Below is the 'boss' of the Swimming Pool Gang, Elvis. He is overall the friendliest cat on campus. There never was a set of arms on a human that Elvis feels wasn't meant to hold him. He is adorable.






This is the last photo I took of Bigwig, late last year. He was always willing to sit still for photos. Such an agreeable old fellow.

ELVIS LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meet Elvis newest member of the Swimming Pool Gang (unless I can convince Gracie to move over there). He appeared last year, in mid summer. He was very shy at first and seemed like a totally wild cat. Apparently what he was just a very scared domesticated cat (an escaped and lost pet or perhaps a pet someone dumped?). He soon became male boss of the Swimming Pool Gang and is absolutely the friendliest cat on campus. He even lets strangers pick him up and handle him for petting. He has an engaging and playful personality too.




Elvis recently visited my office and tried out the new office furniture.





Here he is asserting 'BOSS' status at the swimming pool. There is a certain swagger in that walk. He will boss around the other cats, but he doesn't bite. So I think most of the other cats don't mind his bossiness that much.