It's your thread, Jo, do what you want, although it seems we do chit chat on other threads too. Luckily no one here gets upset about it.

Orange color on the forehead, Mary Ann.

Ah -- that makes her a Calico, not a gray and white! I looooooooooooooove Calico cats!!

Oh, thanks for the ID!

Do you know that all Calico cats (cats with three colors) are female by default? The male chromosome prevents the third color. Interesting, huh?

I surely did not. Very interesting. I just told Russ, too.

How do you know all this?

I don't know -- I've known that forever. Had a lot of cats. A lot of cats. Calicos are my fave -- so I guess I know more about them than any other kind. Calico cats are not very common -- you're lucky to have one! All of mine have been sweethearts, too -- don't know if that's a trait. BTW -- Calicos come in pastel (grey, peach, white) and regular (black, orange, white). They also come in long-hair and short. They are ALL beautifiul. Do you have a picture of yours?

I might be able to get one tomorrow if she will let me.

Kool!!

I actually thought my little Whitney was a female at first because of the three colors -- but he turned out to be all boy. He used to have cinnamon colored eyes, but now that he's two they're turning more golden. This picture was taken at somewhere around one year.

My cousins cat Nutmeg.I think I painted this.
Is there a cat named Iris out there.I am embarrased at this behavior from me especially.he! he!

I have three calicos, one regular black white and yellow, and two of the cream, gray, and white. People seem to like to drop off their unwanted, and ususally pregnant cats in the country, and they all seem to migrate to me. I've spent a fortune having them neutered, and I have about 11 of them running around the farm.

You are the best.They cant survive in the wild. Our "no-kill" shelter is pressed to euthanize ferral cats and many kittins when the season is at peak.They hate it but they have no choice.

Betty -- the three colors has to include orange (or a shade of it) for the Calico/female thing. But your Whitney is a beautiful cat!! He has perfect face markings!!

Don't be embarassed JoAnn -- it's nice to chat about something else that many of us are interested in. Wish I could see Nutmeg's face...............

Tom -- bless your heart for taking in the strays, and having them neutered. Ditto here -- I never turn one away. My vet loves me -- I think I put his kids through school!! One of my goals with the white/tabby tom is to get him to trust me enough to climb into a cat-carrier -- for a little trip to you-know-where!! But LUCKY YOU to have three calicos!!! I only have tabby-cats now, and two blacks. Strays show up now and then, but never a Calico.

Here are paintings I have done of favorite cats
Nutmegs face


Paintings
Our laye cat Angel grey tiger

Ben and Jerry in a March sunny day

Ben and stranger

White cats wiyh Dahlia


This was painted of Ben and my vet has it

Daughter #3 cat Oliver He likes gin


GF's cat China

Neighbors White cat with my poppy Royal Wedding

Beautiful artwork JoAnn -- I had no idea you are so talented. These are watercolors, right?

yes watercolor. I dont paint as much as I used to.

Can we find a cat named Clumps? LOL

Clumps planted

Your cat watercolors are fantastic, JoAnn! You really do capture "the cat"!

Thanks for that info about orange being required, Mary Ann. Clearly I never knew that before. I do have one calico, and I just love her coloring because the dark color is a beautiful grey and the orange color is apricot. Here is my Batik.

I have three cats now, all males, ALL very different. Going from the oldest who is about 9-10, when we found him in the back yard, he was so weak and eye infections that was the worse the vet had ever seen and almost starved to death, his meow was more like a toy. Honey picked him up and I cleaned up the eyes and he took to the vet and vet said maybe he would live 24 hours or less, not much hope. Well a weak later he had ringworms all over and I ended up with them because I had to bath him every morning for 6 years. Now he is the biggest black and white and a lover, he believes I am his mom. Next along came my sons cat who the vet feels is a gold seal point Siamese mix. Goldest white fur with blue eyes, he is 6 now. The most mellow cat on the planet. He had never been outside until he came here, now my son will not put him in the city, as he feels maybe he can handle about 100+ acres as home. Then along came a drop off cat beautiful grey and white, at first you could not get within 20 feet of him, so I feed him outside, this for 2 weeks, then he came in the house and stayed on Sadie's blanket for two weeks, no touchy here, then later in the living room still no touchy, finally he decided that he wanted to see the rest of the house, found the food dish and got to pet him about 6-8 weeks, now he believes we belong to him and are his pets..we lost our old man this year he was almost 18 a furry black and white that was all my husbands pet. He would allow me to pet him but only if Cass was not around. He is greatly missed by us both.

I have decided that once my guys go up to Cat heaven that I will wait awhile before getting just one male cat and he will be declawed as the later two cats have done a number to all the doorframes....

Off to Portland and looking at Dahlia's
d

Have fun, Dee!

Bless you all for taking in strays and getting them neutered. We do, but we don't have the number of drop off you do. Living way back in the woods if a cat is dropped off we know who did it ~~last person here. I think a lot of people feel it's OK to drop animals off at farms, rationalizing they will keep down the mice and rats in the barns.

Iris gardeners are just kind people aren't they?

Jo, those paintings are so wonderful! I have seen them in person, and even have some of yours (thank you), but I'm always amazed at the level of your expertise.