Cat Bed Update

Making more cat beds for this winter season as my cats like to use them anywhere in the house I can find a spot they like.  I started out this time making the 14" size and noticed that though the cats will use them, they seem to prefer the larger ones for long time naps as they can easily move around in them and even sleep together.  My cats range from 7 lbs to 17 lbs and varying lengths.  The old original bed I had bought years ago is too small, I'm going to give away as the cats will not use it but all the rest seem to get used.

 The green bed is the 14" size.  Black Goldie can curl up in it easily as she only weighs 7lbs but her son Butch (on the right) is 17# and barely fits in. I probably won't make any more that size again.

The black bed on the left is 18" and easily fits 2 large cats but they are stuffed so a 19" would probably work better for them.  The brown one on the right is 17" and will also fit 2 cats at once but fits a single cat very nicely.  The brown one below is 16x18 (oval instead of a circle).  Rainey enjoys it as it sits next to my reading chair.  She's not a lap cat but does enjoy being close.  When she's not in it though, others will hop in to be next to me.  She's not happy about that and will pace the house for awhile until whomever has taken it over, gets out.  She's picky that way.

 Another thing I've noticed is that the cats like to rest their head on the side of the beds, hence the following pictures showing them.

Note that all of these are the 14" size beds.  No two come out exactly alike but they will use them especially if they feel cold.

The pattern for these beds is here

The Cats on Quilts

If you view cats on facebook, you'll come across pages that talk about Caturday.  Many pages ask their viewers to post pictures of their cats on Saturday -- on quilts, or quilts about cats. So, here's your introduction to my 5 current Cats on Quilts (even though this is not Saturday!).

Rainey and Diamond on my first quilt

Goldie, all ready for Valentine's Day.

Butch  during a July 4th photo shoot.

Diamond, not really wanting me to sew!

Rainey  came to us  September 8 of 2012, a stray found by our neighboring friends. She's now about 2 years old since we don't know her birthday.  We had been without any cats for about 10 years so were happy to have a cat again.

 Rainey is a Character Cat.  She's a diva type, noisy when she wants to be and grumpy when she wants to be but still quite sweet. She's also very observant of her surroundings and where she wants to be and learns quickly.  She does not like to be touched by the other cats except when she is totally ready for it.  It's taken her quite awhile to even let them sniff noses with her even though she watched them grow up. Rarely does she allow Diamond to groom her. At the moment, Diamond is the only one that she allows that priviledge.

Goldie came along 6 weeks later, on October 24, 2012, quite pregnant and wanting a new home.  She found us on her own and at the right time as she dropped those kittens 2 hours later, after we got her situated in her own private room with all the food she needed and fresh water.  Her age is unknown but she appears to be older than Rainey.  Though she appears to be all black, she does have some white spots on her.  We named her for her golden eyes.

Butch, Diamond, and Gypsum are Goldie's babies, born a little over a year ago on October 24, 2012.  There were 6 in the litter and 3 of those are now in other homes.  They were all relatively healthy, beautiful little kittens.

Butch, the black and white is a lover and also a Momma's boy.  He nursed on Goldie until he was about 5 months old and she finally decided enough was enough.  Butch has a nub of a tail, and the stubby body type of the manx breed though we don't know who the father(s) were.

Diamond is my sweetheart.  She's taller than her Mom, Goldie, and built like Butch but her tail is a few inches longer with a bend in it that causes her tail to look like a little flag when she's holding it up.
She's a tomboy though and doesn't mind getting into scuffles with her two brothers.  She can out leap either of them with twists and turns like a ballerina.  She resembles the Manx breed in her body build and the Snowshoe Breed in her coloring.

Gypsum this past autumn.

Gypsum is a beautiful seal point.  He looks like a Siamese but definitely not a pure bred.  He is most graceful and a wonderful "gentleman".  Never demanding but he does know how to get his way if he really wants something.  He's the largest of the 5 cats now.  Has a full tail that he controls quite well.  He loves to be brushed and comes in to the computer/sewing room several times a day to be brushed, gently asking, first with a little meow, then a gentle grab of my arm with his 2 front paws.  If that doesn't work (I'm busy typing), he'll sometimes pull my arm down and give me some gentle nibbles on the hand.  Who can resist?!

Both Gypsum and Diamond have pale cream eyes with hints of blue/lavender.  Their pupils reflect red while Butch, Goldie, and Rainey with their yellow/orange eyes reflect green.  Sometimes I'll reduce the red-eye in photos so they don't look so scary.

You may view more stories and photos of my cats and their escapades on Facebook at Rainey's Cat Daze page.