I’ve always lived in homes with cats, ever since (and long before) I can remember, including in New Guinea.
Growing up in Australia we had a long line of cats, all of whom were outdoor. Their names will never be forgotten: Louis, Chookhead, Boris, Sarah 1, Sarah 2, Nelson, Momus. These cats were an important part of my life, and I loved them dearly. However most of them they existed only as dim memories for me, until now.
That’s Louis. He was the first cat I remember, and lived until I was in my mid-late teens. He was a massive and friendly fellow, equally happy outside or in. As the friend of two boys through their growing years, Louis put up with an awful lot, but he was always good natured about it and always came back for a hug even after we’d teased or tormented him too much! If I recall correctly, as with many of the cats pictured here, Louis ultimately lost a fight with skin cancer. I can remember vividly his final trip to the vet, even though it was probably over 25 years ago.
We think this is our only photo of Chookhead, ‘my’ first cat (for some reason, I think of him as mine), who we had for a short time around when I was about 10. I remember Chookhead used to get under the covers with me at night and fall asleep, even when he was full grown. Sadly, I don’t remember much more about him, or his eventual fate 🙁
That’s Boris, happy as she always was in the sun. Boris was aloof and mysterious, and as I recall spent the vast majority of her time outdoors. A fond memory was the time she almost passed out on our hot tile roof and I had to climb up to ‘save’ her (she was probably amused by the fact I thought she was even in trouble). Like her brother Louis, Boris also succumbed to skin cancer, the evidence of which is visible in some of these photos (look at her ear tips).
And this is Nelson. He’s a charmer isn’t he? I loved this cat so much, since he was a replacement for one that had died. He used to sleep on my bed when I played C64 games in my bedroom. Sadly Nelson’s life was cut short far too early. I’ll remember him warmly forever 🙂