Okay, this guy needs very little introduction - not if you've been visiting here regularly. Sid the Cat has become an internet star ever since I roped him in (ahem - bribed him with cat crunchies) to help me pick the winners of my prize draws in as fair a way as possible. Once his picture (he waould say his pawtrait ) appear on my web site he began acquiring fans - and groupies and general hanges on. There are two beautiful lady cats in South Africa who flirt with him and send him presents and just lately Ruby (India Grey's cat) has been thrilled to be called Sid's Floozy. there are others - many others - who send their photos to him. There are offers of bribes - salmon, tuna, more crunchies, if he will only pick out someone's name. They chose their bribes well - the way to this cat's heart is through his stomach.For those who don't know the story - one June night in 1998, I opened my door to let in the cats - in came Bob, Spiffy, Dylan - and Sid! Wehave no idea where he came from or how old he was when he arrived - just that one day we were Sid-less and then we were Sidded . And now we can;t imagine life without him. He is a big cat - a Force in Fur and he follows me everywhere - sleeps on my desk as I write and on my bed as I sleep.
He has many human fans too - writers who write to him and occasionally, like Anne McAllister receive missives in return. Among his other fans are Anna Louise Lucia, Trish Wylie, Julie Cohen, even Abby Green who, although allergic to cats was prepared to dose herself with anti-histamines in order to come and stay.
And of course I must not forget the Cat Calendar - every month, on the first of the month, Sid poses for a new photograph to mark the day. If you've missed any of these, all you have to do is click on the Cat Calendar link at the bottom of this post and you'll be able to see them all - and there will be another picture each month for the rest of the year.
To Whom It May Concern
There has been a great deal of hoopla and folderol hereabouts since the beginning of June. You may have noticed.
I have.
I could hardly fail to notice inasmuch as it is happening in My Office on My Blog and much of it seems to center around My Author. People of all sorts have written praises, lauds and encomiums heralding the publication of My Author's 50th book. All well and good. Anyone who writes 50 books should be praised, lauded and encomiumed. Especially My Author because she does this in her spare time. (And they are very good books I am told. They are a bit small as far as I'm concerned. They do not substantially s
upport my, er, bulk, when I am attempting to sleep on them. But no matter. I am a cat of superior understanding and tolerance. The books are nice, but they are a sidebar to her real life).
upport my, er, bulk, when I am attempting to sleep on them. But no matter. I am a cat of superior understanding and tolerance. The books are nice, but they are a sidebar to her real life).In her real life she takes care of ME.
I have been the center of Kate's life for a number of years now. We will not discuss exactly how many because age is not a proper topic of conversation. Nor is WEIGHT, but there are Those who quibble about Cats Of Substance and feel that they should be less substantial (an error in their thinking, I fear but am too polite to say so).
Anyway, all the others who write praise Kate's wonderful books (which deserve it, no doubt) and her helpfulness in teaching them to write (though catching mice would be more useful and probably easier) and in being 
a wonderful friend and colleague (and wife and mother, according to the BM and TYFOTH -- the youth formerly of the house). Let them, I say.
a wonderful friend and colleague (and wife and mother, according to the BM and TYFOTH -- the youth formerly of the house). Let them, I say.It is my duty -- and my pleasure -- to praise, laud and encomium dear Kate as a feeder and scratcher and stroker of Cats.
She is all that is good and wonderful when it comes to feline attention. There is no better in the land. She does everything in her power to make my life (and even the lives of those others who live here, Bob and Spiff and (horrors!) the dastardly Dyl) pleasurable and full of joy. Generally, she is top notch at this.
Lately, however (perhaps because she is busy with all these blogs) she has been letting down the side. She has been allowing it to rain. Rain? Nay. Pour. Dump. Drench. Drown. And it isn't just raining at one door. It's raining at all of them!
I have attempted to draw her attention to this. I have in fact complained bitterly. And she needn't think that crunchies and salmon will assuage my sulks. I want it to stop raining. Now.
So, please, dear Kate, Do Something About It.
My Kate tells me that I am supposed to ask a question and that people will answer and then I can pick a winner and they will Get Something Wonderful. Do you all want cat crunchies? Or salmon? Or would a book suffice (provided it's big enough to sleep on)?
Very well. My question: Who is the handsomest, finest, most distinguished cat you have ever met (and even if you have met me, you do not need to list me. We all know that if you have met me there is no other cat who can come close. But there must be other Runner-up Cats in the world. So who are they? And why are they wonderful (though not as wonderful as me).
Kate can choose the prize you will receive. I wonder if I tear all the entries into little pieces and put bits of chocolate on each, if she will like that method of picking a winner. Hmmm.
Congratulations, dear Kate. It was indeed a wonderful day that I found your house and called it home.
Sir Sidney St John Willoughby Eamon Portly-Lummox, ACOSB, DLitt 
Oxon, Earl of Hellions Bumstead and Blubberhouses, etc etc etc
Oxon, Earl of Hellions Bumstead and Blubberhouses, etc etc etc PS from Sid's post - He has decided that his GIVEAWAY prize will be a book from his two favourite authors - Kate Walker of and one from Anne McAllister who knows just exactly where to rub him behind his ears. It may be more than one book from each - it depends how many books it takes to Support a Sleeping Sid. I suspect that two will not do it
22 comments:
My dear Sid,
You are, of course, my favorite living cat (Spiff runs a close second, I must admit, and of course Bob is a force when it comes to sleeping under beds and making extraordinary amounts of noise. Dyl is, well, Dyl. I will leave it to Biddy to wax poetic about Dyl.
My favorite former cat was our Goliath -- also a force in fur -- who came to live with us when his mum, our daughter, couldn't keep him in her dorm room (he outgrew it). He was a middle-of-the-room cat, an eater of chili cheese fritos cat, a stalker bats in the basement cat. He also, like Gunnar, loved to watch birds. They would sit on the bed together staring out the window with their binoculars having "Audubon society meetings" and drooling (at the ordinary human Audabon society meetings I've been to, no one drools when they bird watch). There was no better cat in all the world (at least this side of the pond) than Goliath. He was a King Among Cats.
And thank you for giving away a book or two of mine. I hope Kate enjoys the chocolate and the little pieces of paper.
ps: who on earth paragraphed your blog entry?
As a closerunner up to Sid I think I would have to pick my old cat Lightning.
He too just turned up one day and adopted us. He was a feral cat who disliked most people but loved to spend his days hanging around my shoulders like a scarf.
His favourite thing to do was scare visitors by suddenly lifting his head from off my shoulder and hissing at them :)
I really missed him when we had to give him to a local vet (his new home until he was old) because my husband had been posted away and Lightning was to feral still to travel by plane (the only way we could reach our new place).
Cough.
There are other four-legged friends who are important too.
And some of us have owners who are, ahem, rather nervous around felines, after a very nasty experience when they were in their prams. [I know she hasn't met you yet, Sid, and your human claims she will love you... but I know my owner and she is a complete and utter wuss. Spot a cat and she turns to stone.]
So my owner begs to ask if she can twist the question slightly to talk about the most distinguished dog she's ever met. One who has LOTS of field trial champions in his pedigree, so he has a very distinguished lineage.
However, he doesn't work in wet, cold, nasty fields. His job is to snooze on the rug in her office and snore gently to help her establish a typing rhythm, and woof to let her know the postie is at the door...
Yours cordially
Byron
Titan, my kitty friend of eight years, takes walks with me (With no leash involved. He just likes to walk with me...for real.)
He knocks on our front door when he wants in. No kidding. He grabs the screen with his claws and pulls it until it bangs. He'll keep going until we open the door. Then he strolls in like royalty.
He simply MUST have his bed on my desk. I've tried to move it many times and he sits on my desk, mortified at the insult, and complains loudly to me until I move it back. He will do this for as long as three days. I've never held out longer than that. He sits right on top of whatever I replace his bed with and glares at me while complaining to let me know that the spot belongs to him. Have you ever tried to write with an unhappy kitty yelling at you? I'd much rather have him curled up sleeping happily. In the end, I don't know why I try to move him. He always gets his way.
He lets my seven year old son drive his little matchbox cars over his fur, creating roads. My son loves the tracks and Titan loves the "massage".
He is a guard kitty. He lets no other animals in our yard. He's chased wild turkeys and other animals bigger than he is to let them know the yard belongs to him, and yet when people come to our house he greets them with pleasure. He jumps on their laps and checks them all out for us. He lets us know who passes his test and who doesn't by either settling in or walking away with superior condescension and a distinct disapproving whip of his tail.
He sleeps with me every night. He had to fight our dog, who is only a year and a half old, to keep his spot, but he remains king of his domain.
He's my best kitty buddy ever. My Titan.
Lee
Sid,
You certainly are the most articulate cat I have ever known. Of course, living with Kate, one should not be surprised. I would say other than you, my favorite cat is my cat, Bud. He was a stray, when we took him in to live with us. He went about becoming very fat and exceedingly lazy, while still remaining utterly charming. If only we humans could so easily achieve this state lol.
My cat Tom-Tom is the most patient, laid back cat I know. We have a female German Shepherd that loves to give him affection and he calmly takes all the licking and rubbing she does.
Dear Sid,
Thanks for undertanding that we do tend to think fondly of other cats. For me it was my himalayan, Alex...well, Elmo. I got him when I was ten, named him Alex, and while I was at school my brothers (4 year old twins) renamed him after the Muppet.
I was panicked as I was about to set off to college...it is hard to find apartments that accept cats, and Elmo was an outdoor cat...so he spared me the trauma. Decided to go to sleep, bless him.
Sid is a charmer! I can see why he has so many admirers. My favorite cat has to be the family cat Tiger.
Sid is gorgeous & big. But I would have to go with my cat from high school. Fuzzy, he just showed up one day and I had him for about 3 yrs before he took off again. He would just follow me around . I was pretty upset that he left, I never did find him.
Dear Sid, You will always be #1 but I guess Fluffy will have to be #2 in my book. He was a beautiful gray and white cat with a big long fluffy tail. He lived with us for many years and you see his children running around in the neighborhood to this day, they have big fluffy tails too. He got sick and left us a few years back and it was a very sad day. So we don't have cats anymore, because my son seems to be alergic to them now.
Dear Sid,
My human just checked the weather forecast for the next two weeks. I know we're a bit south of you, but you're East Coast, too... and I'm afraid the next two weeks see rain, rain and, um, rain.
A little tip about enjoying the weather. What you do is go searching under every bush (just in case there's something interesting hiding underneath it), spend a bit of time eyeing up the sparrows and getting REALLY wet, then come and dry yourself off on your human. If she protests, do the Big Sad Eye thing. Works every time.
Cordial woofs,
Byron
Dear Sid,
I would not dream of choosing one favourite. I have had lots of cats in my life and treasure each and every one.
Tuppence and Penny, my current cats are both refusing to type. Penny is busy upstairs in her morning perch curled around my daughter's head and Tuppence is curled up on the sofa.
Both are elderly ladies now of 15 and depending on which one you speak with, they would each claim to run the house. Tuppence though is a little more vocal about it and insists on being cheif taster of any titbit going.
My dear Anne - or The Lady Acros the Pond.
I have heard stories about Goliath the greta and I agree that he might well have been me in one of my previous lives. Even his friend shiop with Gunnar does not horrify me as it might as Gunnar is an exceptional d-o-g. Chilli cheese fritos - hmmm? I've never tried that particular delicacy.
Bob, I will concede, is a force -
but my dear LATP, may I point out that Spiff never *runs* anywhere. Dylan - ah, but it is the tragedy of my life to be burdened with the Nemisis that is Dylan. We will indeed leave it o others who can see something in him to wax poetic there.
As to my blog entry - I know not. My Mum has tried and tried to reparagraph it into the state it was in when it left my paws but each time, Blogger puts it into this appalling mess. I am afraid we have given up the struggle. I am sure that Kate's readers are clever enough to read it as it was meant - and as it was wrote.
yoo ar my fave sid.
yoo ar gorjus
luv from
Ruby xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My one and only cat Mimi, was the cat who converted me into a cat lover. She came to us after her owner could no longer keep her. From being a formerly house bound cat, she took to freedom outdoors so well that I was always worried if she stayed out late. But she'd let us know when she wanted to be let in by sticking her paw into the mail slot on the door and rattling it like her own personal door bell. She had a standoffish personally that made me try harder to please.
Dear Sid
I must take issue with your description of the wonderful Dylan. I will try and list the points why I adore Dyl The Vyl.
1. He is the namesake of the original grey cat called Dylan, this is the small grey cat I grew up with who sadly passed away at age 21. Still much missed.
2. He is discriminating in bestowing his favours. Not all are chosen to be worshippers of the man.
3. He might be small but he is perfectly formed. The wide muscular shoulders, the slim hips, the swagger.
4. He is a pirate. That one eyed look, the menace... he could take on Cap'n Jack and win.
5. His rusty hinged purr goes through you and reverberates in your bones.
I realise that your personal issues(may I hazzard Jealousy?) with Dylan will probably prevent me from winning but I couldn't rest without redressing the balance.
My son has 2 cats and they are complete opposites. Oliver is playful and Stitch reminds me of an egyptian cat. Sable in color, aloof and regal in temperment.
In Robin D. Owens Heart books, my favorite parts are with the cats.
You know, you resemble my kitty named Kitty with the coloring and white paws. . . and she's only really nice to me when she wants food, like right this moment, she's waiting for her treats. ;)
Lois
Sid, I must confess a repining love for you since I first laid eyes on your handsome face. Those emerald eyes, those whiskers, the way you wrap yourself up in sleep. It takes my breath away!!!
Since you're already taken, I've had to console myself with your twin, Saff. He's my Big Guy and the most loving feline on the planet, next to you. I've often whispered in Saff's ear that he would be my cat husband if I were a feline. Yes! I have admitted it to him while we lay on the bed and he dripped saliva on my face.
Saff especially loves it when I pick up one of Kate's books - right now it's THE SICILIAN'S RED-HOT REVENGE, because he knows I pet him while I read. :D He goes belly up!!!
Hugs, JJ/Blueberri
Well.
I see Biddy has come and rattled on about Dyl. I Am Not Surprised. But then, there is no accounting for taste. Some have it, some don't. Meaning no disrespect, of course, dear Biddy. You have wonderful taste in Music. It is just your, er, cat taste that seems to have gone sadly awry.
I am delighted to read about all these other fine felines. And I do appreciate JJ/Blueberri's and Ruby's notes more than I can say. I always appreciate Admirers. Thank you.
I have instructed my dear Kate to create bits of chocolate and am allowing her to pick the winner. I trust she will have one and be with you shortly to announce it.
I am working on increasing my spatial demands so whoever wins will get LOTS of books.
(Byron, I thank you for the weather report. I do not thank you for the information it contains. There has been Far Too Much Rain hereabouts. Enough. Fie on the wet stuff.)
Cordially and sleepily yours,
Sir Sidney, ACOSB etc etc etc
Well Sid you may be finest male cat,but my cat Bailey is the finest female.As a matter of fact she is a grey tabby[no white paws]with 6 toes. She is very affectionate although she doesn't like her paws touched.She will touch us with her paws though when we hve stopped petting her and she decides that it isn't enough and we need continue.I think if you didn't live so far away you two would be a great pair.
Next to you Sid it would have to be Tommy or Tomboy as I call him. He was my parents' cat at the farm and he looked very much like you. He loved them and they loved him. Tommy was scared when we arrived though with our baby, Sam, the apricot poodle. After a while he got used to us being there. He would purr so nice and loved being talked to.
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