And The Winners Are...
Meet the April 2008 Cat of the Month Photo Contest Winners

April 2008 Cat Connection Winner
Voted "Cat of the Month" by The Cat Connection Shop Cats


Owner: Dennis Mathias
Cat's Name: Bella
Breed: Domestic Short Hair (Tortise Shell)
Age: 5 years old

About the Winner:
Here is what Anna has to say about her incredible kitty, Dennis.

"Those eyes! They have always been the first thing you note about our six-year old Bella. Her name means 'beautiful' and we fell in love with those wide eyes almost too big for her kitten face, filled with curiosity and trust, when we found her picture cradled in the arms of a Cat House volunteer.

The Cat House, Lincoln, Nebraska’s only no-kill shelter, told us that Bella’s momma had been a pregnant cat that had been dumped during the cold winter of 2002. Bella and her two brothers were born February 14th in All Feline Hospital and for her first months only knew love, nurturing, and safety when we came to adopt her to complete our family and be a “sister” to our other found kitten, Skeeter.

Bella thinks of herself as a pampered princess filled with energy, confidence, and love. She has never really known adversity. She is a bit high-strung, but her runs in the self-made obstacle course through the house, leaping over and around furniture, scattering area rugs and narrowly missing lamps and vases wrings the anxiety out of her and creates awe in all who watch her. 

We know who her mother was – who also found a home through the Cat House – but we have always theorized that Bella’s father must have been a bird. She loves to fly with amazing leaps around her cat trees to the real trees in our enclosed back yard. She loves to pursue laser dots and reflections off watches and glasses. 

When our little princess wants to unwind any lap is considered her property and the moment one of us gets up in the morning, the warm spot in bed is claimed. Or, her latest haunt is our newly redone attic. Bella thinks we made it all for her and is often found lounging in the sun or in the heat of the fireplace, preferably on her back, legs splayed open to maximize exposure to her belly. She also has excellent views of the birds where she gets her inspirations for her next leaps of wonder and chatters her desire to “play” with them.

Bella loves her life and does say ‘thank you’ to the wonderful people of The Cat House for starting her off, her buddy Skeeter, and us. She does vocalize her love or shimmies her way to a comfortable burrow next to us and reminds all around what is really important in life."

Congratulations Bella!

April 2008 Cat Connection Winner
Voted "Cat of the Month" by the On-Line Poll Participants

Owner: Anna Timone
Cat's Names: Jacques
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Age: 19 months old

About the Winner:
Here is what Anna has to say about her wonderful kitty, Jacques.

"Jacques was found on the streets in the Bronx in August 2006. He was taken to a shelter on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where I found him two days later. When I picked him up, he grabbed onto me for dear life and didn't want to let go for a moment! Even now that he is almost 2 years old, he waits for me by the door - and always knows when I am coming home!  He won't leave my feet until I pick him up and hold him. 

Jacques was 6 weeks old when I adopted him, and he has become such a major part of my life! He likes to play with all kinds of toys - little springs being his favorite. I have a small stuffed animal frog wearing a fairy dress (don't ask) and I always come home to find it in a different place. He ignores his froggie girlfriend when I am around, not wanting to make me jealous! Speaking of jealousy, whenever I am visiting a friend with a cat or dog, Jacques sniffs around the moment I walk into the door, and is not happy at all to smell the other animal on me! He really wants me all to himself.

In addition to his many, many toys, Jacques has invented an interesting game of his own.  He hops on a stack of decorative boxes next to my bookcase, then hops onto the bookcase. From there he moves along to the curtain rod, doing his special tight-rope walking act for me. Sometimes he tries to nap up there but never quite gets comfortable enough. Sometimes he just paces. When it's time to come down, he shakes his hips back and forth, focusing on the soft leather couch, his landing pad.  Then with a burst of lower body strength, he pushes off and flies through the air, landing gracefully on the coach.  My friend Martine who lives in Paris calls him, "le chat volant," because he is the flying cat! The photo that I submitted was an action shot of him jumping from the curtains to the couch.  I have so many fun photos of him, but this one really captured his spirit of adventure.

He likes to sit on a throw rug by my sliding glass doors and check out the squirrel and chipmunk action outside. They come just to tease him and he goes nuts, whipping his tail back and forth, wanting to get out there and teach them a lesson or two about teasing!  Every once in awhile, if he is lucky, a big deer or a flock of wild turkeys will stroll by. Ah, the entertainment of the sliding glass door.

Being a teacher, I have a good amount of time off, during which I like to travel. Jacques likes to go on vacation at this time too - he visits his "grandparents."  My mom makes him little beds out of towels in front of all the action-windows, so that he can enjoy the wildlife. Over spring break, he was fascinated by the nest-building behind the bathroom shutters! He likes to jump out at my dad and my little brother and scare them (they are not as amused with this as my mother is!).

I usually awake to find Jacques sleeping somewhere on my bed, and the location is always surprising! He explores at night, but always winds up somewhere near me - occasionally right next to my face, so that the first thing I see when I wake up is Jacques' perfect sleeping kitty self. He is truly a sweet being, and I am so happy that he is a part of my world!"

Congratulations Jacques!

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