Ms. Wally and her sister, Kili (below), are now the senior cats. They've been with us since January 1998's dramatic rescue when we scooped them up from the middle of Kahekili Highway where they had been dropped from a passing car. They were lucky to survive, and we were lucky to adopt them.

Wally is a demanding lap sitter and, as our Australian friends would say, she loves her tucker. She appeared to the the inheritor of the "Queen of the Whole xxxx-ing Universe" title, but recent changes in household dynamics have shaken her claim to the throne.

Ms. Kili is the champion ratter of the current cohort. There was a period this winter where she caught at least one rat a day and, of course, enjoyed bringing them into the house, dead or alive. We decided that she delivered the live ones for the edification of the younger cats. If they failed to dispatch the critters, Kili would return later to do the job.

Oh, did I say that usually the first cat into bed with us at night? She appears as soon as the lights go out and takes up her position curled across Meda's chest, where she purrs and paddles until they both fall asleep.

Then there's Leo, Mr. Neurotic. He's a Siamese disguised as a gray tiger, with all the typical Siamese character traits. He's high strung, demanding, and dependant on human attention. And when "someone" pees on the coffee maker, toaster, or other sensitive area (an effective attention getting device), you won't lose any money betting on Leo as the culprit.

Harriet (a.k.a. Ms. Harry) has suddenly become quite the homebody. Leo apparently tired of harassing her and she's also gotten better at defending herself. So instead of disappearing into the wild most of every day, she's now usually found enjoying cat naps in various spots around the house.

We had to hand feed Mr. Toby after rescuing him less than two weeks after birth, but now he is all grown up. Toby's still a sweetie, although he's extending his range and can sometimes be found visiting friends two houses up the street. We worry about his roaming, but haven't yet found a successful intervention. But he still loves people and is fond of nipping exposed parts (like ears or noses) if you're not paying attention or happen to be asleep. That's an interesting wakeup call!

And then there's Ms. Annie. She's quite a petite cat, physically the smallest of the current nine. But what she lacks in stature she makes up in attitude. She's not about to let the boys push her around.

Mr. Duke is wonderfully mellow, having inherited his mother's calm personality. He's the only one of our cats raised from birth, now grown into a big cat with thick plush fur and, unfortunately, a seemingly chronic hairball. He also has those beautiful blue eyes, just like Silverman.

Silverman has been stopping by regularly at mealtime for nearly six years, but he refuses to be fully "tamed" despite our best efforts. He's a very nice cat but fiercely independent. So it's "eat and run" for Mr. Silverman. I've figured out some of his other haunts so I can now sometimes track him down between meals if necessary.

And then there's Romeo, the latest addition to the household. He showed up under our house after the New Year's Eve fireworks and didn't want to leave. Somehow, although we fully intended to avoid further adoptions, he showed the right "stuff" to earn a spot in the household.

And that's our Kaaawa household in the Spring of 2005.