About Cats Picture of the Week

Abby

Abby, Photo Credit: © Sue Todd

This is Abby, short for Abacab. She's a dilute calico of uncertain parentage, my first-ever cat, and the love of my life. She, along with her two brothers and two sisters, was abandoned in the parking lot of my workplace in August 2005, at the age of 4 weeks. One of my co-workers came in from a lunchtime walk and said another co-worker's car had "had kittens"; coincidentally, the five kittens all were huddled under the car of one of the biggest animal lovers in the building. The car's owner grabbed a large box and ran out to the parking lot, where he eventually captured all five kittens (Abby ran right to him when he called them). He adopted Abby, another co-worker adopted her sisters, and yet another co-worker fostered the two boys for almost a month, until a forever home was found for them.

Fortunately for me, Abby didn't get along with my co-worker's dog and older cat, so she came with me when I moved to a cat-friendly apartment building. She is unusually energetic, very loving toward me (she seems to be firmly convinced that I am a very tall and usefully-talented mother cat), friendly - but particular about her friends - and so smart, it's almost spooky.

For example, when I visited her at my co-worker's house, I gave her little bits of greens from my salad, using a subscription card from the magazine I was reading for a plate. After eating the greens, she didn't seem to want a bit of cucumber right away, so I dropped it in her food bowl for later. When I returned to the room after about five minutes, she had gone to the nightstand, pulled a subscription card from one of the magazines sitting there, dragged it over to her food bowl and transferred the cucumber from her food bowl to the card, and was calmly nibbling away.

Abby wakes me up just before my alarm goes off, shakes the shower curtain when I've been in there too long, and turns off the TV via either the remote or the switch on the power strip if she doesn't like what I'm watching. She currently is learning to operate the intercom and buzz visitors in the front door of the building.

Last October, I adopted a 2-year-old, black and white, longhair female (Audrey) to keep Abby company, and the two have become like sisters. In other words, they play together, fight with each other and conspire to get treats, etc. out of me. Audrey, who is more consistently and openly affectionate (she's my cuddlebug cat), is determined to help her little sister groom. Since Abby doesn't want help and is the faster runner of the two, the only way Audrey can accomplish this is to pin the smaller kitty to the floor by her shoulders and forcibly lick her ears. This is the cause of many of their fights.
© Sue Todd

Cats Pictures of the Week are selected from general photo submittals. (I do not accept photos submitted specifically for "Cat Picture of the Week.") Abby's photo appealed to me, as did her story. She is beautiful and maybe even too intelligent for her own good. The story about serving herself with a new subscription card was mind-boggling. Abby's photo will also go in the July Calendar/Calico Cats Gallery as well as the Rescued Cats Gallery.

You may send your own photo, using the guidelines on the Photo Submittal page. Be sure to write a paragraph or so about the cat, at least two or three sentences. Our galleries have space for 2500 characters, including spaces, so don't be afraid to tell us about your cat within those parameters.

Remember that not only the quality of the picture, but the care you take in describing your cat may make the difference in its being chosen as Cat of the Week!