The Cat Page!

Ok, I admit it. I am more than just a little wild about kitty cats. After all, my own felines were the inspiration behind songs such as "Kitten's First Snow" (In the Arms of the Wind), and "Maneki Neko" (Songs of the Spirit). Stories told in concert about my cats have become so popular, that I have been asked to put together a special cat page. Here it is...in progress. Enjoy!

Here are photos of Tyler (left) and Lance (right). These photos were taken on the day we adopted them, 12/13/03. They are 8-weeks old. I adopted cats Murray and Max 17 years ago as kittens and now that they have moved on to their next cat lives, it was time again to have kittens in the house! Tyler and Lance are named for cycling greats Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton, as my husband is a huge cycling fan!

Below are photos of Tilly-Lou and Lance today. Yes, we changed Tyler's name to Tilly-Lou after we took the kittens to the vet for the first time; "he" was really a "she"!

Here are our two current fabulous felines, Tilly-Lou and Lance (Armstrong) all grown up and ready for their closeups...

I adopted Murray and his litter-mate, Max in 1986. Their playfulness inspired my song, "Maneki Neko" (on Songs of the Spirit). Both cats lived long lives...Max lived until 15 years of age, and Murray died this year at age 17. In this photo...I was having new publicity photos taken and Murray kind of wandered into the shot. I was trying hard not to laugh.

Murray on Halloween 10/31/01

My cat from childhood, Pummy. Our family adopted Pummy as a kitten when I was about 5. He remained the family cat until his death at 19. Pummy inspired my song, Kitten's First Snow He also walked me to school every morning for five years, waited by the gate until dismissal, and then walked me home. What a great cat.

This cat, "Fox" was my husband's favorite. He passed on to his next kitty-cat life in January '08. He was the inspiration for the song, "The Orange Fox Waits" on my CD, A NEW KIND OF LOVE. Fox loved spending time in our office. His favorite past times were licking envelopes, "stealing" rolls of postage stamps and playing hockey with paper clips. Fox died of emphysema, although he never smoked a day in his life.

Baby Valerie gets acquainted with the kitties, Fox, Murray and Max circa Spring 2000.