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A young Cleo with her buddy Sampson, winter 1992-93.
Cleo became a part of our family because Princess was very much "Mom's cat", and not much for being a "family cat". So, when a friend of a friend was giving away kittens, we chose one to fill the void for a family cat. She made herself right at home with the boys, who were only 4-years-old, 3-years-old, and 1-1/2-years-old at the time. She enjoyed playing with them... and patiently endured their occasional roughness as they learned how to treat a kitty nicely. At first she tried to chose Melissa as "her person", but learned she was already claimed by Princess. So, she eventually chose our oldest boy, Andrew, to be hers. When the boys all shared one bedroom, she began sleeping with him every night on the top bunkbed. Now that Andrew has his own room, she still sleeps with him most of the night... although she does wander into the other bedroom to check on the other boys.
Cleo was born in the spring of 1992, in Chadron, Nebraska. Her mother was a black and white shorthaired cat. We think her father was a Siamese... or that Siamese must run strongly in her genetics somehow, because she certainly has Siamese-like markings, the blue eyes, and the "demanding" almost cranky sounding Siamese meow.
An alert huntress by nature, Cleo always lets us know if we have mice in the house. Sometimes in the fall we get a few mice that find their way inside. When Cleo posts herself in the kitchen, eyeing the area under the refrigerator and sink, we know it's time to set the mouse traps in the drawers. Cleo is certainly the reigning matriarch of the pets in our family. She regularly surveys her realm, walking through the house with a "casual yet in charge" air. Mandy tries to ruffle her sometimes, but doesn't get too far. When the boys go back to school in the fall, she gets restless for a few days until she gets used to them being gone all day again. If we leave for a couple days, she's always eager to see us and has lots to say. She fills her role as the family cat quite well.
Cleo in the kitchen, 1999.