Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: happy
  • Music: Heather Dale, "Lily Maid."

Still life, with Siamese.

Lilly is, without a doubt, the lovingest, clingiest, lickingest cat I have ever known. She wants to be where I am, all the time. If I'm in the bathroom, she's in the bathroom. If I'm in the bedroom, she's in the bedroom. The only exception comes when we're watching television: she's learned to recognize the volume changes from pausing a video or the live show going to commercial, and will remain patiently on the couch, waiting for me to come back. Did I mention that she's also one of the smartest cats I've ever known in my life? Because seriously, sometimes it's a little bit unnerving.

This morning, Lilly pulled her usual trick of putting her front paws on my thigh and looking at me beseechingly until I pushed back from the desk, then jumping into my lap, where she sat sphynx-style, leaned against me, and buried her head in the crook of my arm. It's amazing how good I've become at typing while she does that. Entire chapters have been written around the purring water hazard that is my Siamese.

Lilly can recognize the opening themes to The West Wing, Haven, Fringe, and Doctor Who; any of these songs will bring her running, as she knows they're a guarantee that I'm about to sit still for an hour. She hasn't learned to read yet, so she doesn't bring me those specific DVDs when she's trying to encourage me to spend some time on the couch, but she brings me other DVDs (and a much wider assortment now that she has Alice to help her get things down). Again, disturbingly smart cat.

Lilly is sweet, friendly, and relatively calm most of the time, which means she doesn't get as much "air time" as Alice, who is much pushier (and puffier). But Lilly is one of the best cats I've ever known. And yes, she's named after Lilly Kane.

I just felt the need to share that.
Tags: animals rock, good things, lilly
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  • 47 comments

mariadkins

August 20 2010, 21:19:47 UTC 6 years ago

grey lady somehow could discern whenever i'd put star wars into the dvd player. she knew the difference between the *other* dvds with the 20th century fox opening and star wars. it blew my mind. her favorite was episode 5.

ladyfox7oaks

August 20 2010, 23:40:15 UTC 6 years ago

It figures a cat would like "Empire Strikes Back"...

mariadkins

6 years ago

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mariadkins

6 years ago

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ladyfox7oaks

6 years ago

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mariadkins

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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kyburg

August 20 2010, 21:23:55 UTC 6 years ago

We're finding outselves increasingly surrounded by cats at home, when we get there. We have three, we have over 1,500 SF for them to meander about in.

They appear to think being within 12" of any of us is optimal. All three of them withing a yard? BONUS. Doing anything but being kitty loaves of purring? Nope.

But they don't want the beds, the couches, the chairs - unless we're already there. (And this includes the bouncy bouncy five year old.)

You got me. Two years ago, I'd be lucky to see them in one place to get tuna together.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:51:59 UTC 6 years ago

They are good kitties.

la_marquise_de_

August 20 2010, 21:26:23 UTC 6 years ago

Mooncat likes to sleep right next to the keyboard as I type, so that every time I type an 'a', say, it's with a puff of white fur. She seems to enjoy it.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:52:15 UTC 6 years ago

And mysteriously, there's never a bald patch...

vulpine137

August 20 2010, 21:34:22 UTC 6 years ago

Yay for cute quirky kitties :)

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:52:27 UTC 6 years ago

Sadly, none of mine have tentacles.

sheistheweather

August 20 2010, 21:35:33 UTC 6 years ago Edited:  August 20 2010, 21:35:53 UTC

She sounds like a darling. <3 Smart cats are one of the best things.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:52:37 UTC 6 years ago

True!

valdary

August 20 2010, 21:35:50 UTC 6 years ago

Cinders has grown out of lying on my hands while I type. This is just as well otherwise I wouldn't be able to move my hands, he's grown quite hefty.

He'll have to sleep in Mom or Resident Giant's room tonight. I'm too radioactive for cuddles after my scan.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:52:50 UTC 6 years ago

You don't want a superpowered kitty?

bigherman

August 20 2010, 21:36:59 UTC 6 years ago

You get today's big 'Awwww!'

Awwww!

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 14:55:09 UTC 6 years ago

Hee. :)

gwynnega

August 20 2010, 21:37:38 UTC 6 years ago

Awww, kitty!!

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:25:35 UTC 6 years ago

She Is Good.

groblek

August 20 2010, 21:43:39 UTC 6 years ago

Her coming running at the theme songs makes me think of one of our cats - she recognized the sound of the massage chair starting up and runs over, knowing that she'll have a captive lap.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:25:43 UTC 6 years ago

That's awesome.

peachtess

August 20 2010, 22:33:42 UTC 6 years ago

I love Siamese. Once you've gone Siamese its hard not having one in your world.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:25:51 UTC 6 years ago

Absolutely agreed.

lunalelle

August 20 2010, 22:46:28 UTC 6 years ago

I have a cat like that. And I feel bad, because the cat in the house that is technically mine doesn't get nearly as much attention from me anymore. Part of that is her fault, since she's skittish as hell and has cloistered herself in my parents' room or in my parents' closet. And she's very particular about the attention she gets. Whereas Cassidy, the newest addition to our family, is an attention whore who loves to lick my arm and follows me around the house and covers my room with his floofy marmalade fur and joins me at my desk or on my lap sometimes. And gives me those eyes and pathetic meow at the washing machine when he wants me to lift him up to his food.

Cassidy and the fat diva queen Sasha have got me so wrapped around their paws. Sasha is a bit more aloof than Cassidy and doesn't always want attention. But I've learned that she loves getting spanked, so now she runs to her favorite carpet or sometimes just sticks her butt in the air wherever she is and cries if I don't beat her. Or she cries to get her princess water from the guest bathroom sink.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:26:22 UTC 6 years ago

Sometimes you have to give them what they ask for, even if it means they get less love than you think they need.

Yay, princess water!

archangelsmom

August 20 2010, 22:53:58 UTC 6 years ago

Dogs have masters; CATs have support staff.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:26:29 UTC 6 years ago

True.

aliciaaudrey

August 20 2010, 23:47:15 UTC 6 years ago

That is awesome. :) Cats are the best.

I've been at my parent's house this week, which is nice because my cat is there. Beau follows me around the house, although he does the "I will pause and be about a minute behind you so you think it's MY idea." He will chirrup at me when I talk to him and he stares at me with very wise green eyes when I talk to him. I tell him he is the most beautiful boy, my little fuzzy-man, and he's the very best cat.

I really miss him when I'm not here. :(

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:26:43 UTC 6 years ago

Aww.

I'm sorry. :(

kippurbird

August 21 2010, 01:25:48 UTC 6 years ago

Chaucer knows how to open drawers. He doesn't close them, that's the human's job, but he does knock things out of them. Again, it's the human's job to put them back in. He's also taken possession of my beanie baby collection and will lay them around in certain places. He gets miffed when I put them back.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:26:57 UTC 6 years ago

Understandable. They're HIS toys, after all.

kippurbird

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:27:08 UTC 6 years ago

She's too smart for my own good.

aryana_filker

August 21 2010, 09:47:10 UTC 6 years ago

:) I love to read your cat postings! Thank you for sharing!

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:27:16 UTC 6 years ago

So welcome!

aryana_filker

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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aryana_filker

6 years ago

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You Asked for Photos...

starmalachite

August 21 2010, 10:15:56 UTC 6 years ago

...recently when I mentioned that we were adopting our Siamese mix Vir's littermate Kimba (his human's life has been in an exceptionally rough patch for a couple years now :( ).

When they were last together at 4 months old, it was extremely difficult to tell them apart. Now, though, our old theory that they are twins is pretty much out the window. This is Vir:

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t291/smbrinich/CatPics/Vir01.jpg


And this is Kimba:

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t291/smbrinich/CatPics/Kimba01.jpg


Vir is more gracile and his head is a Siamese triangle. Kimba is downright husky and more rounded all over. The vet says that Vir could stand to lose 1 of his 16 pounds, but that Kimba isn't fat at all, not even an ounce, at 18.5 pounds. He's also the tallest cat I've ever met -- the top of his back comes up to the top of my knee. They are both incredibly bright and very sweet-tempered, but Kimba is much less timid.

Since Kimba is so much bigger, bolder & darker than Vir, we considered renaming him Londo. Then we remembered how well Vir has lived up to his name (sweet, smart, pudgy, asthmatic, cowardly....) & common sense prevailed.


Re: You Asked for Photos...

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:27:26 UTC 6 years ago

Awwwwwww, babies!

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seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:27:36 UTC 6 years ago

They are good kitties, it's true.

peachtales

August 23 2010, 01:35:49 UTC 6 years ago

Lilly would have much to talk about with Matilda and Sunny, I think.

seanan_mcguire

August 24 2010, 15:27:48 UTC 6 years ago

And the world. Would. TREMBLE.