It all started when I was five and we adopted a Siamese cat from a local animal shelter. Tammy was soon joined by another shelter Siamese, Mauritia (pronounced “Mar-i-sha”).

Jonathan’s first cat as an adult was Curaca, a true alley cat. Jonathan’s wife, Melissa, was helping a friend feeding a stray mama cat and her kittens in an alley behind a storefront, when the mean store owner came out and told them that if the cats didn’t disappear, he’d take care of them. Melissa and her friend scooped up the kittens and gave them away, saving the best cat, Curaca, for us. 

Shortly after that, we realized that Curaca needed a friend, so Leo, an Abyssinian joined the family. They got along famously. A few years later, Melissa encountered a very thin abandoned cat scrounging for handouts at the entrance to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Henry (named after Henry Shaw, founder of MBG), soon joined the family.

About 10 years later, as our original trio aged, a feral cat was run over by a car. Some people knew that she had just given birth—her two-week-old kittens were rescued and fostered by a wonderful friend who takes care of cats. At four months, Winston and Jane, littermates even though they look nothing alike, joined our family.

Dad gets another cat! 

For many years, my parents had been cat-less, but when dad turned 85, it was agreed that a companion cat should join the family. Melissa did some research and discovered that the European Burmese breed of cats was particularly well suited as an affectionate, friendly and playful lap cat, appropriate for an older family. At a cat show in St. Louis, Jonathan learned that the European Burmese Rescue Network was looking to rehome an EB currently in foster care, and the next thing you know, Aten moved in with mom and dad.

The entire family immediately fell in love with Aten, who was instantly crowned as “best cat in the world.” So, Melissa and I decided to get an EB of our own, and Nelson joined our family. We soon realized that Nelson needed a buddy so he wouldn’t pester the older cats; two years later, Archie, Nelson’s half-nephew, joined us as well. Nelson and Archie quickly became best buds!