PATRICIA KELLY AND SITTINGPRETTY MY FAIR LADY aka Mkango and SITTINGPRETTY MINNIE THE MINX aka Kambuku

26/12/2011
"Hi Rachel, Hope you both had a lovely Christmas, and managed to enjoy yourselves among all the kittens!

Mkango and Kambuku are really getting along well now, which is amazing! Yesterday I came back from a drinks party to find them curled up next to each other on the sofa - they almost looked as though they'd been caught out! Last night they both slept curled up next to each other on our bed (I was the little one on the edge, pushed out and duvet-deprived...!), which was great to see. Mkango has been grooming Kambuku very nicely, and there are only very occasional fights - mostly they seem quite happy together. They're not quite at the stage of playing together yet, but I think that will come.

So far Kambuku seems quite healthy - apart from when she eats Mkango's food, with the expected side effects. She is certainly a bold food thief - she grabs lumps of cream cheese from my breakfast bagel, and makes off with them, and since I've been having a tiny bit of smoked salmon on top, she's been going mad! I end up having to hold my food high in the air while trying to remove her from my lap! I'm going to de-flea and claw-clip both of them today - the claws need doing for me, not for them! - and I hope they'll be ok.

I can't believe how quickly they've settled, and I feel really lucky that they get on OK. They do share several antecedents, so perhaps that's why - whatever the reason, it's worked really well, which is a relief.

I've lots of photos, so I'll send them to you once they're loaded up. Best wishes, Patricia "

THOMAS SYKES AND SITTINGPRETTY VENUS WILLIAMS aka Nala

23/11/2011
"Hi Rachel and Tony. Venus Williams has settled in well. Her pet name is now Nala. She is so lovely and cuddly and is now best friends with Roger, one of our other cats. She is very human oriented and follows my family all over the house, she also likes to lick your nose and is always purring. You can see the Serval genes in her by the way she moves and plays with her toys. Also her ears and face and long limbs are very serval like even the way she meows is too. Every visitor we have she greets and makes a fuss. If she can she likes to sleep with us or Roger. She is also very smart and as Roger can open doors, she has watched him and tries to mimic him. She isnt big enough to open the door yet but I am still shocked she learnt that so fast. Thanks very much for her she is gorgeous. Regards, Thomas and Jess "

NICKY MACGILL AND SITTINGPRETTY LAPIS aka TOMMY

26/10/2011
"Hi Rachel and Tony, Nearly 7 weeks since Tommy moved in with us and my words are he is a dream! And makes each day a joy. He’s used his litter tray from day one no accidents. Tommy plays with our Bengal cat, rough and tumble. And he also respects our other cats space who is an elderly cat, only now and then trying to play with him. The dog is funny as at present as he is in fear of Tommy which has calmed the dog greatly. And he has been demonstrating that Tommy’s the boss and if in doubt the dog gets a swipe across the face. Each day we laugh and are so entertained by him, it’s cute how he rubs noses with you. He has a soft leather mousse and adores to play fetch and at night when told bed time, he runs down the corridor to his room promptly. We couldn’t have asked for a more fab cat, thank-you. Cheers Nicky x"

KATHLEEN MACLEOD AND SITTINGPRETTY JASPER aka MANU AND SITTINGPRETTY ZIRCON aka JACKSON

09/09/2011
"Hi Rachel, Just a wee email to update you on Jackson and Manu. They are settling in nicely. They are best pals with our big grey Maine Coon boy Rowley and they all happily chase 'da bird' together (Rowley doesn't even mind when they mistime their jumps and land on him with their claws out). Coco our mainey girl was a bit phased at first (because they move so fast and are so little) and would hiss at them if they loomed up beside her - but even she stops to sniff them on the way past now - and all 4 happily eat in a row now - although I have caught them sneakily eating each others food quite a few times!. Both of them are happily drinking from both water fountains and they are both happily using all of the litter boxes (and have no problem finding them when they need them). All of the cats slept happily in the same room last night with no problems. The Maineys have their own comfy places and Jackson and Manu like to sleep cuddling each other (and me lol - apparently the closer to my face the better and i keep waking up to find them under my chin!). I can't get over how turbocharged these kittens are - or how affectionate - they are both very 'licky' and absolute purrmonsters. They are into everything. I caught Manu dragging one of my coats along the floor (it has a faux fur hood) - I could not get over the 'gallus' of him given the coat is so much bigger and heavier than him. he has now laid claim to 2 kickeroos and a furry cat draught excluder (he has claimed a corner as his 'lair' where he keeps things he has decided are 'his'). Jackson is already getting the hang of getting drawers open to get things (i think Rowley may have introduced him to that trick!). Jackson has also found a favourite spot and claimed his own chair in the conservatory (he tried to climb the glass in the window to get a big spider on a web outside) and was most annoyed not to have caught it. i then caught him trying to pinch a snowball cake from the packet (think he might have a wee sweet tooth) - they certainly keep you on your toes! They seem to be settling into a wee routine and either sleep on the video/sky player/ in the conservatory or on the cat tree for spells during the day. They are like rockets when they hear any kind of food though!"

13/09/2011
"Hi Rachel just a wee note to let you know that both boys arrived safely. They have exerted their authority as soon as they came in the door (before they even got out of their carrier) - Both my maine coons were out in the conservatory (to keep them seperate at first until they got used to each others smells) but even so - Jackson still managed a crafty swipe at my big maine coon boy Rowley (whose pride is now hurt at being 'owned' by a 1llb teeny when hes a 23llb monster). hes now watching them intently through the glass doors trying to figure out what on earth has hit him. Both boys came straight out of their carrier and explored the living room (they are both 100% fearless - and are strutting around like they have always owned the place). They are happily eating and drinking and using their litter box. I had forgotten how small 3 month old kittens are (our Maines were big at 3 months so I forgot other kittens were not so bulky at that age), They are also fearless rocketing up our cat tree to the top and climbing quite happily up onto the sideboard (i can't get over the SPEED of these cats!). Both are beautiful boys and the voices that come out of them are amazingly loud in comparison to their sizes. They expressed their disapproval about the bumpy Skye roads very vocally apparently! ;0) I can tell we are all going to have our wits about us with these lads ;0). Although Jackson is very bold - i don't think Manu is actually shy at all! he has laid claim to my mainey boys kong kickeroo toy and keeps dragging it into his carrier and snarling at jackson if he even looks at it (despite the toy being twice his size at least). Thank you so much for allowing these boys to travel all the way up here! I don't think stornoway (or us) knows what its in for. Best wishes Kathleen, Jackson and Manu"

15/11/2011
"Hi Rachel, another wee update to let you know how the boys are getting on. Both have settled in brilliantly. When they arrived Jackson was the more bold of the two - but now Manu seems to have become a very 'gallus' lad. Jackson is totally a 'lapcat' he loves nothing more than snuggling in on your lap (He is asleep on my lap as Im typing this). He has also turned into a wee podge - (I leave biscuits down all day for them all to graze on and give them a bowl of wet food/chicken/fish twice a day each - but while all of the other cats will eat a bit and leave and come back to it later - poor wee Jackson seems to think its his duty to try to eat ALL of the food left in all of the plates lol). I have now started to take the plates away when the other cats have finished so he doesn't over eat. They were no bother to give their worming or flea treatment to (my Maineys lead me a merry dance when they are being done but these two were no bother). Manu has learned that if he jumps up on the bin lid - it will open (its a touch open bin) and has taken to appearing with an empty food tin and dropping it at my feet if he feels his dinner is late! he loves sleeping sprawled on top of the heater in the kitchen. Jackson is best pals with my grey boy Mainey and Manu is best pals with my brown girl. Both boys have discovered the joys of the fire and sleep on their own wee cushions in front of it whether its on or not. Jackson loves watching tv and is always interested if there are animals or birds on it - and tries to catch them. They both go nuts over the "da bird toy. Manu has one corner for his "kills' and Jackson has commandeered the other corner for his - they are hilarious marching off with things twice their own size. Manu tends to take his smaller toys and stash them into the food bowls (clever wee boy! lol). I let them outside for the first time last week (we have a big enclosure built onto the back of our house for the Maineys with climbing poles and different platforms etc so they can get out but stay safe) - and they LOVED it. They adore rocketing up the poles and jumping onto the platforms and now just come in and out as they please with the other cats. A stray cat that comes to nosey here sometimes appeared - and Manu (teeny though he is) was like a gundog and I don't know what he said to it (vey loudly) but it ran for the hills. They are totally attached to each other and love to curl up together and still 'sook' each other (they tried this on my Mainey boy - who is also a big sook but he took umbridge to them trying to sook him and they haven't tried since). They call for each other if they dont know where the other is - and they always come running from where ever they are and meet in the middle - its really cute - but I think they would have been totally lost without each other - were they like this as wee kittens or is it something they have developed on their long journey up here?. I have attached some photos - sorry some aren't very clear as they were taken on my wee guys old mobile phone. I haven't managed to get a good one of Manu as he wont stay still long enough - he has the most beautiful chocolate fur (exactly like melted dairy milk) he looks like a Havanna (facially) -and his spots and stripes really 'pop' now (especially when he is outside). Both cats have the most beautiful glossy, shiny, soft fur and really are stunning cats. Its funny how both look so different to each other - but are the same in mannerisms. Best wishes from Stornoway. Love Kathleen, Manu and Jackson"

JENNIFER PITTMAN AND SITTINGPRETTY CASSIDY AND SITTINGPRETTY SHORT 'N' SWEET

26/09/2011
"Hi Rachel, A longer email for you about Cassie and Shortie. We are absolutely besotted with them and it's hard to believe they have only been here just over a week! They've settled in well and already found several hiding/napping places. They love to sit on the window sills and look out at the garden, especially when our two rabbits are in their run outside. They've even found the window sill that gets the sun all day and curl up there for naps in the afternoon. They both like to go on top of the wardrobe in our hall and I have come in from work on several days to find two inquisitive little faces peering down at me. Shortie disappeared for two hours on Saturday evening and we were starting to worry that she had shut herself in a cupboard or something when she sauntered out from behind a pile of boxes up there. We'd checked at the font of it but hadn't realised she could fit in behind them! Cassie's new favourite spot is on the chairs under the dining table, so we now have to be very careful when we go to sit down!

They're always looking for new places to explore and will attempt to rush into any cupboard as soon as I open it. We have a large cupboard in our TV room and they have both managed to climb the shelves of it and then get onto the top of the door, which is a comical sight when you walk into the room. They've also made it up onto the shelf in the kitchen and from there to the top of the fridge. Today I walked into the hall to find Cassie standing on her hind legs on the shelf next to the front door and leaning across to put her front paws on the window at the top of the door so she could see out of it. Alas, as soon as I walked in she leapt down so she could run over and rub against me so I didn't manage to get a photograph.

They regularly follow us round the house, which can make life difficult when we are trying to go out, but we love how they will start purring just because they see you come into the room. I'm often greeted in the morning when I open the bedroom door by two waiting cats who cannot wait to rub against (and get breakfast I'm sure!)

They've met both our families and were so well-behaved with large numbers of new people around I was just astounded. I was expecting one or both of them to be overwhelmed and go and hide somewhere, but they both just wanted to meet all the new people who were there to make a fuss of them! Ashley's parents and my sister both own cats and both commented on how much friendlier and less temperamental our two were than their ones. Shortie often comes to sit with me when I'm watching TV and will curl up on my lap and fall asleep. In fact, she will attempt to get a cuddle just about anywhere and always comes to walk all over my work when I'm sitting at my bureau (and to chew on my pencil!). She is such a pleasant distraction that it makes it hard to put her down. I'll send some photos over for you separately, Jennifer"

12/11/2011
"Hi Rachel, Another email for you to keep you updated with how Cassie and Shortie are getting on, Sorry it has been so long, I have been meaning to email you for ages but other things kept getting in the way. We are still loving having them and getting to know them.

Shortie is fascinated by water and will always come and see what is happening when one of us has a bath or a shower. Bubbles in the bath seem to particularly confuse her as she cannot work out if she can stand on them or not. She's still rather tentative though, so hasn't fallen in the bath at least! She's also decided that she much prefers running water to the water in their bowl and has us well trained to turn the tap on for her to drink from whenever we go near one. I think they will be getting a drinking fountain for Christmas!

Cassie has realised that when we pick her up she can climb up on to our shoulders to get even closer to us, and an even better view of whatever we're doing. Her balance up there is pretty good so I can now walk round the house and get on with whatever I'm doing with her sitting or lying
across my shoulders. Pretty much ever day when I get home from work she likes to come and sit on my shoulders and just purr - I don't think even Ashley is as happy as she is to see me when I get home!

They have been sleeping in our bed recently and when the weather is cold they like to climb under the covers with us. Cassie in particular likes to curl up at the bottom of the bed and lick our feet, which can be a bit surprising in the middle of the night! Ashley also complains that sometimes she tickles his feet with her tail!

They have been to meet the vet, who was completely enamoured with them, just like everyone who meets them is. Ashley said they were utterly unphased by the waiting room full of other cats and dogs. They've also been really good at having their flea/worming treatments. I am constantly astounded that the things most cat owners seem to find such a trial are so easy with these two.

We absolutely love having them and regularly tell each other how happy we are with them, they are just so much more friendly than other people's cats seem to be! Thank you again for letting us have such wonderful cats, and sorry this email is longer, but Cassie is sitting on my lap, making it
a bit difficult to type. I'll try and send you some more photos soon, Jennifer"

JACKIE AND AMY AND SITTINGPRETTY WALTER THE SOFTIE aka ARTIE

03/09/2011
"Hi Rachel, Just a quick email to let you know Artie has settled right in, he has such a wonderful personality, he is very vocal & extremly loving, licks everybody to death who comes in the house, he has absolutely no fear of anything, he loves to climb & to splash the water in the sink whilst we have a wash :-). He has re-invigorated our 3 year old Bengal boy Pepe, who has gone from spending lazy days on sofa to bounding about the house after Artie. It really is a pleasure to watch them having so much fun. We can't wait to get Artie measured up for his walking jacket & take them both out for energetic adventures. We couldn't have asked for a better addition to the family.

We would also like to say a huge thank you for the whole experience, from start to finish, you were extremly flexible about us visiting in an evening & allowing us plenty of time at your house despite the fact that you had been at work all day yourself. You also kept us regularly updated on Artie's health checks & vaccinations & sent us photos of his developement, we really couldn't have asked for anymore. Thank you & we will keep you updated on Artie as he continues to grow & developes Jackie & Amy x"

18/10/2011
"Hi Rachel, Hope you guys are well. Just a quick update on Artie, he went in for his casteration on Friday & has had no issues, he was up & about really quickly, wrecked the vets we were told but all the nurses fell in love with him, mind you he tends to have that effect on people. He has been a constant bundle of joy since he arrived. He is still obsessed with water & climbing. Just recently he has noticed the light fitting in the lounge & he keeps eyeing it up, I'm giving him a couple of days till he builds up his courage to launch himself, I certainly won't be surprised to find him perched up there one day when we arrive home from work. I have attached a couple of recent photos of Artie, he loves to pose which is nice as Pepe really is rather camera shy. Regards Jackie & Amy x"

CHATTERIE MOONWALK AND SITTINGPRETTY SAD SAM

The following was taken and translated directly from French into English from Chatterie Moonwalk. We are proud to say that in selling and exporting Sad Sam to them, we helped them to set up their breeding program, providing them with their first ever foundation (F6) SBT stud.

"Sam is our young F5 SBT male. He is the the most friendly cat we have ever had of all the races of cats we have had. He is absolutely wonderful. The children can do anything they want with him, other domestic animals, friends too. He is always happy. He comes on holiday with us, he comes for walks with us in the garden, plays on the trampoline and by the swimming pool.... If he transmits his character to his babies we will have successfully reached an important stage in the improvement of the Savannah race."

THE HOLDEN FAMILY AND SITTINGPRETTY GINGER ROGER aka MARLEY/SIMBA

01/05/2011
"Hello, Just an update for you on the kittens. Soon after they arrived Simba became Marley as we thought it suited him better. He and Alfie are doing really well and seem to have grown loads, Marley's already outgrown his harness! They both enjoy going out on their harness', Alfie loves to walk around and explore whereas Marley enjoys just chilling in the sun. They are both extremely playful and friendly! (They have cuddled with every visitor who has been) Marley has the loudest purr we have ever heard. They both enjoy sitting really high up on their cat tree watching everyone go by. We really enjoy having them both and will update you again soon. From Bethany, Kay, Gary, Elliot, Alfie and Marley "

04/08/2011
"Hello Rachel. They are both doing well and have grown alot,they are still the best of friends and play together all day then snuggle up together to sleep. Marley loves hte snakes you sent home with them and he now has a collection of about five,he walks round the house with them in is mouth like a comfort blanket,he loves playing and jumping amazingly high. Then he feeds them by putting their heads in his dry food(thankfully he dosnt give them wet food it would be a bit smelly). Alfie has 2 spiders that are his favourite toys he is also very good at tree climbing when he goes outside on his harness which can get a bit complicated and tangled. They are both great fun I will get Bethany to send some more photos soon. Kay Holden"

10/08/2011
"Hi, As promised here are some new pictures of the kittens. They are both still a lot of fun and I have trained them both to play fetch which Marley really enjoys. Even though Alfie looks so angelic he gets into so much mischief such as ripping up toilet rolls, emptying the bin and racing up trees when he is on a lead in the garden. Everyone who visits the house wants to take Alfie home because he's so friendly and beautiful, Marley is quite shy with visitors but very loving to everyone else. Kisses from Alfie and Marley, From Bethany."

DARREN ARDRON AND SITTINGPRETTY CHARLIE BROWN

21/04/2011
"Hi Rachel. Charlie is fine. He was quiet until I let one of the cats in the room and he ran straight out of his box to play. Now there's no stopping him. He's running round everywhere like a maniac. He keeps stealing a feather toy and running off! He's ace, thanks alot. Darren"

22/04/2011
"Hi Rachel. Charlie is on his harness and lead already and not even noticed its on! I can't believe how he is, he's an absolute dream kitten! He is such a good boy! He loves cuddles under the duvet and he slept there all night!

Hi Rachel. My mums been down today. She's not a cat fan but she thought he was cute. He went straight to her for a cuddle! I put a picture on facebook and have had loads of comments and people can't wait to come and meet him. I'll definately reccomend you, he's the perfect little kitten!"

JANET HINES AND SITTINGPRETTY JIMMY WHITE

28/04/2011
"Hi Rachel, Jimmy is great. The dog loves him, they played all day today. Jimmy is very brave, he's been all over the house and in the fridge. Janet x"

10/05/2011
"Hi Rachel. Just to let you know, Jimmy is happy and well. The little dog and he are great pals. Jimmy is lots of fun, couldnt have wished for a better kitten. Janet"

ADAM BLAKE AND SITTINGPRETTY RUBY SKY aka SUKI

20/12/2009
"Hi Rachel, Suki has settled in real well and with all my years with cats I have never seen one so fast, she is like greased lightning..... She also has developed a destructive passion for our vertical blinds, but hey ho cats more important than that. All my family have seen her and think that shes so cute. When we come in from work she comes straight up to us meoowing and leg rubbing and when we sit down if she's tired she comes and sits on our laps. If not shes like an elastic band around the rooms pinging backwards and forwards or using my legs and a lauch or landing area with claws. Regards, Adam, Jen & Suki"

05/03/2010
"Hi Rachel, hope all is well, just an update on Suki for ya... she is growing quite fast and is a big girl already. She is into everything and loves sitting on the edge of the bath or sink watching it intently then dabbing her front paws into the bubbles fishing for toes. She has managed to get me a couple of times. She has a facination for ear buds and will run off with one in her mouth every chance she gets. Though she likes her time with Jen in the evenings as a lapcat as well, see ya, Adam & Jen"

NEIL AND FRANCESCA AND SITTINGPRETTY REGGIE aka SIMBA

"Hi, Simba has settled in very well! He had a quiet evening on Saturday till about 10PM then decided to explore... He was very playful on Sunday and has been back to his usual self and found a bed to hide under when he wants some time to himself. I must say, well done on bringing such a happy little kitten up! I have never known a kitten purr and be so loving. We are both really happy with him. Felt bad leaving him this morning when we went to work but he has made up for the lost time since we have got home... He still hasn't managed to be brave enough to sit on the window sill on his own yet but im sure he will soon! Kisses from him, Neil & Francesca"

TOM KERWIN AND SITTINGPRETTY BOYCIE aka RONNIE

01/07/2010
"Hi Rachel, Ronnie is fine. I was a bit worried as he cried all the way home, but as soon as we got him in and opened the door he shot out and started playing and didn't seem the slightest bit nervous or concerned. He has spent most of the time playing, especially chasing and eating flies in the conservatory! He has also been eating and drinking his own food (and helped me type this email). He tried to play with our cat but she isn't too keen at the moment, she did a lot of hissing and growling last night and has generally avoided him since, but I think she'll be fine in a few days. She hasn't made any effort to actually bite him or anything so there shouldn't be any problems. I'll keep you up to date with how he gets on and send you some pictures in a few weeks once he has grown a bit. Thanks Tom"

10/07/2010
"Hi Rachel, Ronnie is fine, he still wants to play all the time and has already started to play fetch (with pretty much anything he can get into his mouth). He's also keen on climbing and can pretty much get anywhere in the house. He's managed to work out how to get on top of doors if we leave them open and he's climbed on top of (and fallen off) curtain rails, picture frames and even the air conditioning in the conservatory (which is about 10ft up!!). I think we are going to start taking him outside on a lead soon, so hopefully within a few weeks I'll be able to send you some pictures of him playing in the garden. Hope all his brothers and sisters are doing well!! Tom"

27/08/2010
"Hi Rachel, Just thought I'd send you a few photos and let you know how Ronnie is getting on. He has finally made friends with Dave as you can see in the pictures. They're both really playful together now and stay up most of the night charging round! He's growing really fast too, we cant weigh him anymore because the scales we use only go up to 6.5lbs and he is more than that. You can tell from the photos he's really long and tall now. Ronnie went to the vets to be castrated on Wednesday and he's doing fine, I don't think he even knows he had anything done, he was back the same day eating, climbing and playing with Dave as normal, he didn't seem to have any side affects whatsoever. Anyway, the pictures aren't great quality as its difficult to get him to stay still, but hopefully you can see how he's growing and that he has a new friend now! He also goes outside most days, on his lead at the moment (unless I'm feeling brave) and he heads straight for the pond or stream every time! Hope all the other cats are ok. Take care, Tom"

ADAM BENNETT AND SITTINGPRETTY COLUMBUS aka LEO

17/07/2010
"Hi ya, got some pics of Leo walking on his lead. Pics aint brill but will try get some more very soon for ya. Just to let ya know aswell, all the cats are playing together realy well and he met my rabbits and tryed to clean them. Really funny to watch! Will keep you updated on his progress, regards aj. P.s hes a big fly catcher and tree climer, lol"

01/09/2010
"Hi, just a few more pics for ya. Got a wicked video of Leo and my other cat Missy playing...will get a video of my sisters 16week old English Bulldog and Leo playing. Looks realy funny as Tish is alot bigger but runs away when Leo puts his paw up, aj"

03/11/2010
"Hi ya, he is growing very fast he is as tall as my other cats and they are 2 years old, he loves climbing up trees and investigating every where my addy is"

01/01/2012
"Hi Rachel, just a quick update... Me and my partner Hayley have had a little girl, named her Roxy who is coming up to 9months. Leo is brill with her as you can see in the pics. When she was smaller he always laid next to her. Ive had some profesional pics done, just waiting to get them back then will send you some. Got a few for now though. Hope you had a good xmas and hope you have a good new year aswell. AJ and Hayley".