This is Chiral.
When Kate moved back to Fort Collins, she decided that one of things she always wanted was her own cat. So she made an effort to find a place to live that would allow her to have a cat. Then she went to the Humane Society and met Chiral. Instead of taking time to get used to Kate, this cat hopped up onto her shoulders and starting rubbing against her face. Kate was sold at that point. :-)
Most folks who hear about our cats mistakenly think Chiral's name is "Cairo," as in a city in Egypt. In truth, chiral (pronounced: "KY-rul") is a scientific term used to describe an object or system that is not superimposable with its mirror image. I can't think of an example right now, but your hand is considered achiral, which means it can be superimposed upon its mirror image.
This is the geekiness that is my wife. :-)
Chiral enjoys playing and chasing her tail is one of her favorite games. Here she is combining tail chasing with some gymnastic stunts:
She also enjoys rolling around and wrestling on our stairs (which are opened):
Her favorite toys, however, are caves. Anything can serve as a cave, including paper bags:
...and discarded wrapping paper:
It allows both cats to play Hide-and-Seek, a favorite game.
This is Rune.
Rune was a stray kitten that a co-worker of my friend Tammy picked up near the local dog racing track. The co-worker was allergic to cats so she couldn't keep her. Tammy and Bill took the kitten in but already had a cat that wasn't too keen on company. I'd been considering getting a pet so I volunteered to try adopting Rune. It was rough at first because Rune was (and still is) quite the coward and so would cry and wail all the time. She has since gotten over her initial distress and seems happy in her home.
Here is one of the few pictures I have when she was a kitten:
I named her 'Rune' because of the wild markings and patterns on her back. She has target-like circles on her sides and a winged cross along her spine. Have a look:
Whereas Chiral is the happy and sociable one of the pair, Rune in contrast is often a grouch.
However, if there's one thing that can make Rune happy (and more than a little silly), it's catnip. Here are a series of pictures of Rune high on catnip:
Chiral, who is completely unaffected and uninterested in catnip, often doesn't understand why Rune acts so wierd. Here she looks at me in confusion:
Of course, after keeping so busy all day, both cats feel the need to rest and rejuvenate.
Chiral has no qualms about curling up just about anywhere, like on my discarded hat and gloves:
Rune is usually more selective, but she doesn't mind snoozing in a basket of freshly cleaned laundry:
And that concludes my post about our cats Rune and Chiral. For more pictures, you can click on the following links:
Chiral Slideshow
Rune Slideshow
Eventually, I'll have to post some little videos of the two cats playing with each other. But that'll be for a later time. :-)
Thanks for reading. Hope you're having a great day.
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