Greetings from Raven and Max!

We can't take ourselves too seriously, so it seemed appropriate to include my 'desk accessories' in the web site. Raven and Max keep me company when I'm not on the road, and I thought you might get a kick out of meeting them.

This is Raven when she was all of 13 weeks old (she's bigger now). She doesn't talk much (almost silent), but is our #1 cat.

When I first went "kitten shopping", I was really looking for a longhair 'baby' to adopt, as we'd become quite accustomed to our oversized houseguest of 3 months - a 15 pound Chocolate-point Balinese named "Mocha". I contacted All Creatures Animal Caring Society and went out to look at two Persian kittens not far from here. They were both beautiful to look at, but not terribly personable. While I was trying to get either of them to become responsive, this energetic, playful little black shorthair bundle of energy came bounding out of the picnic basket she'd been sleeping in. OK, I can be flexible, so I went over to her and reached out to touch her. She immediately responded by arching her back to be stroked and purred enthusiastically. The rest, as they say, is history (or HERstory, if you prefer).

Raven has a shiny velvet black coat that is as soft as a cottonball. She likes to sleep on my desk while I work and isn't much of a lap cat, but we call her our "close by cat". She always wants to be in the same room - just not necessarily on your lap. Her one really unique personality trait is that she likes to lick our noses in the morning (sometimes in the middle of the night) until she gets the attention she wants.

Max has 'the good life', wouldn't you say? Here he is, asleep on top of the scanner (one of his favorite locations). After having Raven for a few weeks It became apparent that she really needed a playmate (and we needed some sleep), so off I went in search of a little brother for her.

Max was one in a litter of four little orange and white blue-eyed babies that were 8 weeks old and adorable.

He was more or less the runt of the litter (the same size as his only sister), probably due to the fact that everyone else nosed him out of the food dish, which he has more than made up for. He also is bigger now.

Both of his brothers were longhairs and had beautiful markings. They just didn't have the personality, though. I went back twice, just to make sure, and Max was the winner - hands (paws) down! I took my 21 year old daughter with me when we made the decision. Max immediately curled up next to her on the couch and proceeded to purr like that was his mission in life - and he had found a new home.

Max's most unique personality trait is an unusual one. Max likes to curl up somewhere cozy, suck on his little hind toes, and purr like a cropduster (I don't know). He's also a "bedlump". Max likes to tunnel underneath the covers, make himself at home and settle in for the night.