I adopted Buzzworthy (Buzz) from Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Leucadia, CA, on New Year's Eve, 1985. This was my first year of math graduate school, and with her help I became a full professor. Buzz was an extremely smart and entertaining cat-in her younger days, she broke into every apartment in my complex in a quest for the best food and beds. She disliked other cats but liked conversation and walks around the yard with people.
Oscar was adopted from the San Diego Humane Society in 1986. He was the most reliable lap cat that I have ever had; if I sat down, I could count on his company within minutes. He was also an excellent switch-hitting ping-pong ball player. Oscar was a jealous cat. If more than one cat was on my lap, he always had to be closest to my face. As a kitten, he was very timid and would not let other people pet him UNLESS I was petting one of their cats.
Sam was an unpremeditated adoption from Woods Humane Society. I always wanted an Abyssinian but I like to adopt homeless animals. Since the litter of half-Abyssinians that included Sam was snatched up quickly, I'm not sure I did a public service by adopting her. She certainly lived up to my expectations-as a kitten she would wade into the bathtub when it still had several inches of warm water in it. It took several tries before she discovered she did not like being wet. She also was compelled to jump onto any possible surface that was higher than she was, including the shower rod and the top rims of doors. She liked small bug-like dots even more than traditional cat toys. Instead of chasing the mouse on her "cat wand", she held the mouse in her mouth and put the 3 foot wand in front of her between her legs so she could chase the small black tip.
Misha is really my husband Matthew's cat. He adopted her from the Greenfield Animal Shelter in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 1994. However, since he soon wanted to move back to California, Misha got to fly home under my seat. She was very good.The only problem with Misha is that she does not understand that, as a cat, she should prefer the Atkins diet. Instead, she likes the same kind of unhealthy food that I do- ice cream, scones, and cereal. Matthew was determined that she would behave and not get on the table, but she is the worst of all of our cats about trying to steal human food right off our plates. The first cat my family ever had was a calico. Both my sister Karen and I now have our own calicos (if cats are considered community property).
After acquiring the four cats above, I started working once per week at the Cal Poly Cat Program shelter on campus. This organization is run by volunteers who trap feral cats on campus. The cats are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and either adopted or (if incorrigible) re-released somewhere on campus where they are fed by volunteers. I volunteered for this group so I could help cats and play with kittens without getting a fifth cat. I adopted Marshall from CPCP in 1998. He was with a wild hissing litter that was slated to be re-released (which is why his ear was clipped). However, when Edie (one of the group leaders) opened the door to his cat carrier, he refused to leave and seemed to like being petted. When I read this story on a note on his cage, I reached my hand in and he tapped it gently with his paw. This made me realize that Matthew probably really needed the Marshall amplifier he had been talking about... Marshall is an incredibly nice cat. When Oscar was sick, Marshall was devoted to him. He is now a nice lap cat, but he still runs in terror if I approach him from the wrong angle.