This picture of Mini was taken when she was 1 year old (she's about 1.5 years old now). Isn't it amazing how she stretches out her back legs like that? This is Denali when we first got her - she was about 10 months old at the time. She's a bit more plump now, and this picture shows her spirit and her mischievous and gregarious nature.

In this recent photo, Denali is having a rare quiet moment. This picture of Mini was taken when we first got her - she was 4.5 months old. She looks angelic in this photo, but she can be a mischief-maker.

As all cat lovers know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But if I truly try to be objective, I have to say that Denali is an ugly cat. She is so ugly, in fact, that she is cute.

When I brought her from the shelter last year, a friend remarked that she looked like ET, with her huge gold eyes and oversized ears on a small, wedge-shaped head-attached to a long, skinny body. I didn't think it was fair to judge a half-starved, scared ex-stray on her appearance; I know that good food and TLC can work wonders. Over the past year, Denali has put on some much- needed weight,attained a glossy coat, and become friendly and sociable, but she still looks like she was assembled from extra parts some crazed cat designer got at a jumble sale. Her long, ungainly body is supported by improbably slender and delicate, but rather short, legs. Her eyes and ears are still too big for her disproportionately small head, and her tortoiseshell markings are decidedly asymmetrical. There is a broad orange stripe down only one side of her body (as though she was wearing half a rugby sweater), an off-center orange stripe down her nose, and a few orange toes, but otherwise, she is mostly black. That is, except for the white blotch on the tip of the tail she carries proudly upwards, and a few white whiskers on one side of her face. On the other (black) side, they blend into her face so well that unsuspecting house guests often gasp in horror- "how did she lose her whiskers?"

There is no doubt in my mind that if cat shows reversed their criteria - an ugly cat contest, as it were, Denali would take home a few grand prizes. Mini, on the other hand, would return home empty-pawed. Mini is the epitome of feline beauty. She's almost a dead- ringer for a Russian Blue (although she almost certainly is not, being of uncertain parentage), down to the plush fur and emerald eyes, but is darker gray than is desirable in the modern-day breed-a tasteful charcoal (still very pretty). Although she is decidedly petite, Mini is perfectly proportioned and graceful, too.

What I like is that Mini and Denali are best friends-no envy or self-consciousness between them. Looks aren't at all important in the cat world-ability to get along is. There's a lesson there somewhere!

Copyright © Marca Doeff
June 30, 1998

Read Marca's article: The importance of vaccinations