Tabs

Great horned owl, Tabs was a such a birder! He would sit for hours in his window nook watching the birds on the hill outside, cacking and chirping to himself. He was definitely all about the birds.

I’m sure I mentioned this before, but he actually managed to catch birds while on his leash — not once, but at least two times, and it was always a shock for me. He would just leap or dart into a shrub or up a tree and fly through the air, capturing his prey. I always tried to stop him, but sometimes I couldn’t move fast enough. He was that good at being a birder.

He just loved birds…

Rosie

Rosie likes birds too, but not entirely in the same way. I think she’s interested in them…but it’s perhaps out of scientific curiosity. As a scientist torbie, she appreciates their facility for flight. The physics is fascinating, after all.

In fact, she’s so intrigued by it that she upgraded her new spring collar this week to include a yellow and pink robin.

She’s quite proud of it. 😸

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Tabs used to say, “Meow,” in this case meaning, “It’s a spring thing.”

He used to treat the vernal equinox like a holiday. The office closed, potlucks, picnics, sleeping in (later than usual). It was grand. When the clocks sprung forward, Tabs sprang into action with party planning.

The kitty modeling business also got extra busy.

And, as you know, Tabs was a firm believer in striking while the feline fashion iron is hot.

Springtime Rosie

Rosie, while not a professional kitty supermodel, has also upped her personal springtime rigmarole with a borderline Tabs-caliber floral ensemble. She wore it on her walk today and during her tree climbing workout.

I’m telling you, it was something else. Tabs would have been proud. 😸

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

All of the cats I’ve assisted, no matter what their original origin, were, or are, part Irish. We do St. Patrick’s Day big in this house.

It’s all because of El Hub. He’s part Irish, so the cats are Irish. If we had a fish or a parrot or a dog, they would be part Irish too.

Tabs fully embraced this part of his identity. You know he loved any holiday involving merriment, rainbows, gold and copious amounts of corned beef and cabbage. Plus, he loved how he looked in green, so that may have been part of it. Each and every one of his St. Patrick’s Day outfits matched his eyes.

I think for a while there he even meowed with an Irish accent.

Rosie

When we took Rosie out this morning, I told her we were looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so of course she took out her Periodic Table and looked up the atomic mass of gold.

I told her we were also looking for four-leaf clovers, and then she went into the statistical probabilities of us finding one…

Odds were not good.

I do love how the green in this collar plays off the orange in her fur. I think the combo is particularly fetching.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

That little lion sure could work the camera angles, couldn’t he? Tabs was always a consummate kitty modeling professional, even when you thought he was just chilling. He could simultaneously look completely relaxed while striking the most epic kitty modeling poses. It was something to behold.

He did some of his best work in spring too. When the flowers started blooming, his colorful collars came out, which made his photographer’s job easy.

Rosie

Rosie may not have Tabs’ modeling aspirations, but she still loves a good photoshoot.

As far as kitty modeling goes, it’s more of a hobby for her…a way to unwind after a tough day in the lab.

I gotta say, she’s still getting good though. She’s sure working those lynx ear tips somethin’ fierce! 😼

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rosie is a multifaceted cat. Yes, she has a knack for numbers and science and logic, but she also loves getting lost in a good story. I found out that she really enjoys being read to, especially storybooks. We’ve gone through half of Connor’s library, and Rosie just can’t seem to get enough. Her favorites, surprisingly, are the picture books with a soft, dreamy feel to them. I think she likes exploring other worlds through fiction and stories.

She’s also a dreamer, which I didn’t expect based on our initial conversations about dark matter and astrophysics. I used to wonder if she ever led with her heart, and I think she just might. I catch her sometimes thoughtfully staring out into the distance watching butterflies and looking as though she’s crafting an elaborate storybook world in her head.

Well, duty calls. Rosie just asked if I’d read her another book (Hans Christian Andersen’s Complete Fairy Tales). A cat lady’s work is never done. 🙂

Of course storytelling always came naturally to Tabs. He was a true showman (cat?), after all. One of the things that made him such a great kitty model was his ability to convey a story with just his body, or with his eyes. He could convey the emotional depth in a 300-page novel with a single flick of his whiskers!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen