This page is dedicated to the happy owners of some of Abyrose Abyssinians

This page is dedicated to the happy owners of some of Abyrose Abyssinians & Ocicats. Making people happy & seeing them get so much enjoyment from their pets is very rewarding for me.

I often get sent lovely emails with photos from pet owners, here are a few of them.

Ra (top) and Bastet still wet! (bottom)

Hi Jody,

It's been awhile since I've updated you on Bastet and Ra, so I thought I would, as well as send some pictures. They're both doing great, and loving being allowed outside in their enclosure... hiding under bushes and chasing each other around, hunting flies, drooling at birds etc... They also love to run into the path of the water hose and then try to dodge it, taking passes until they're completely wet, then they lick themselves dry.
They've REALLY grown as you can probably tell from the pictures, in fact we just realised it when we compared these ones we just took to some just 15 or 20 days ago... Must have been a growth spurt. Everything is going really well and each of them have their own routines set around the house.
They're more affectionate than we can imagine.
Anyway, that's all for now.

Cheers,
Sid ~ October 2009

Hi Jody,
When we first got our wee man off you we hadn't had time with him to appreciate and see the results of all the time and effort you had put into him. Now we can look back and think wow! We did not and still haven't had a single accident with him as regards toileting. My partner is in a wheelchair, we have carers who are using noisy equipment day in and day out. He has his favourites and follows them for cuddles and will often sit on the equipment so he can see and supervise what is going on! He has won a lot of hearts! Thank you again for breeding a cat that has such a wonderful temperament.
His name after much searching is Einstein as we think he is a little genius!
I am typing one handed at the moment as he is asleep curled up in
my arm. Einstein is a very smoochy and cuddly cat. He loves hugs,
is very chatty, purrs all of the time and follows me everywhere I
go. Fortunately we are at home most of the time so he has company
nearly 24/7. He is interested in everything we do and loves a
challenge! If something is unattainable then it is his mission to
figure out how to get it. Einstein loves it when I have been to the supermarket. You would think that supermarket bags were designed for him. He loves to climb inside them especially when there are groceries and its a bonus if
one of them contains Muffins. He will drag the packet out across the
floor and try and get to them (photo attached).
My parents have 2 dogs (a toy poodle and a poodle/maltese cross
puppy) and live out of town. I was really worried when they said
they were coming to stay because Einstein had not had contact with
dogs before and we had not long had him. I don't know why I was concerned! The poodle took one look and decided that playing with a kitten was beneath him and ignored Einstein. And, the puppy who was the same age as Einstein thought that all his Christmas's had come at once - he had a new friend. They loved each other, kitten chasing puppy round the room then puppy chasing kitten, tumbling on the floor together, washing each other and sleeping
together. He has a very big personality and does a lot of things that make us
laugh. Take Care

Wendy
July 2009

Einstein is a chocolate classic Ocicat 'classicat'

(Petra is a Gen 1 Ocicat)

Hello Jody,

Thought you might like some updated photo's of Petra. She has settled in very well, and making a great addition to our family!

She has made a best friend in Hansel, though he sometime sees her as an annoying little sister! She is always wanting to play, whereas I think Hansel was settling in for a quiet life before her arrival!

Thank you very much for breeding and rearing such a healthy, happy kitten, who has adjusted so well to her new life...

Regards

Allanah and Doug ~ January 2009

Aloha Jody,

I wanted to give you an update on Lani. She has grown into a big cat! She never bothers me in any way, she never cries, when she wants out on the lanai (porch) she sits by the door until I let her out, she opens the screen door wider if I leave it cracked, so she can fly through it with the greatest of ease! She will talk to me under the right circumstances and I swear she says "I love you"! She has a three syllable bird-like chatter when we are looking at one another in a loving way. She catches little skinks and roaches for me! I am so enamoured with her it is a real blessing to have her in my life. Thank you for breeding such a fine feline for me.

Aloha,
Leslie (Hawaii) ~ October 2008.

Orlando is a cinnamon ticked Generation 1 Ocicat

Dear Jody,

I've attached a few pics so you can see what he's been up to. He’s a really remarkable character!

Orlando is incredibly nosey and brave. He certainly doesn’t have a fear of anything new and is always ready to cause mischief and to investigate new things. Except hair brushes! He is really scared of hair brushes...vacuum cleaners no, but a hair brush will really freak him out! He is loved dearly by his family especially his 'big brother' cat Williams. Williams would probably say otherwise but a picture tells a thousand words and Orlando has big cat wrapped round his paw. He loves the great outdoors but spends most of his time getting stuck up in the plum tree and then looking miserable until Mum gets him down. Another great pass time is to help with baths. He loves water and will attempt to walk around the very skinny edge of our bath when someone is in it. So far he has fallen in twice! It does nothing to put him off, he just gets out, licks himself dry and comes back for another go. He is always full of the joys of life and loves to help wherever he can. Laundry is a firm favourite chore and he often has a go at rearranging clothes on the indoor drying rack. It’s also really cool as a jungle gym for him as you will see. Very agile, he will often scale it and walk around on top. When he's not doing that he will most likely be stealing knickers and racing through the house with them in his mouth.

Orlando is such a wonderful addition to our family - I don’t know what we did for entertainment without him!

Regards Jane Toy and family ~ August 2008

Hi Jody, we just took Saffron to the vet today for her next injection. He said that she was doing really well and stated what a placid, good natured kitten she was. She is a delightful kitten and very, very friendly. She even allows James to put her in the toy push chair and quite happily lets him push her around the house in it. Thanks so much for helping her to be so friendly. I think we've all been licked over many times. We are so please to have her as an addition to our family. The vet was also impressed with the cat care sheet that you gave us-said it was really good information. He also suggested that we microchip her as well which we'll do in January.

Many thanks for the great job you did with Saffron as a kitten.

Elizabeth and family ~ December 07

Hi Jody,
Thank you ever so much for THE most wonderful Ocicat!! He is everything I hoped for and more....and you know what high expectations I had! I wanted a companion. Well, dear little Xavi is always with me and I feel very connected to him as a result of his wonderful long held direct eye contact. He is not a “lap cat” but is almost always in the same room as me, follows me from place to place, inspects what I am doing, often "helps" or is just happy to be near. If I pick him up and want him on my lap he is happy with that too. Household tasks are much more enjoyable now that Xavi is involved. He is such a character. Does all sorts of funny things and I seem to continually be laughing at his antics. One day he actually walked the length of the bath when it was filled with about 4 inches of water. He carries all sorts of things around in his mouth and looks simply charming doing so. I am delighted that he is fine in the car so he often comes with me to town. He is even such a smart boy that I have started clicker training with him. He loves to play fetch .....great way to give him exercise and I don’t even have to move! Oh, by the way now that he is with me I can’t bear the thought of him being exposed to dangers outside so have decided to keep him inside and will have an outdoor enclosure built for him. Well, I could go on and on about Xavi but really just wanted to thank you for your dedication as a breeder because if Xavi is any indication, your cats are absolutely amazing!!
Denise, Kerikeri - Nov 07

Hi Jody

I have to report that Dougie is a delight – he is very intelligent and definitely boss !! He loves being out doors and brining us little goodies, such as cicadas, moths, birds and, joy of joy, mice !!! Although he is a great hunter, he is also a great people cat and loves a cuddle.

One of his great tricks is to jump up onto the stool in the kitchen for a treat. We taught him not to jump up on the bench by putting him on the stool so he could “see” what was going on, and giving him a treat for being a good boy and staying there!!! When we were training him to go outside (because he has no fear he would have run off straight away) we used to put a little harness on him with a bell. We walked him around the house several times over a couple of months and then started to let him out on his own. He always comes when we call him which is really lovely. When he wanted out for a walk he used to jump up and knock his harness and bell onto the floor and sometimes bring it to us in his mouth!! He’s just such a great character. Another quirky thing that I haven’t seen before in a cat, is that he seems fascinated with water. He loves to sit on the bathroom sink and “pat” the water out of the tap when we’re trying to clean our teeth, or if Andrew is having a shave in the morning, and he’d rather lap the water from the shower than drink from his bowl. When I have a bath he walks around and around the bath rim and pats the water on the way. I’m sure one of these days he’ll slip in!!!!

I’ve attached a couple of photos that were taken in March so you can see how he’s doing. NB: Dougie is a chocolate silver ticked Gen 2 Ocicat

Cheers Avril (Christchurch) - April 07

Hi Jody,
At last we have managed a few of pictures of Lorenzo. It is hard to get him still in one place- we have a lot of blurred photos!.
He has a few favourite spots such as the top of the wardrobe and the
highest shelf where the towels are stored. He loves to climb trees and
hunt cicadas- and the odd bee! He also has a penchant for eating green
beans and asparagus which he "steals" when no-one is looking!
He likes to get up early and eat and then climbs up the door to try to
open it to go outside. He is very much a people oriented cat and likes
to have company. At night he sleeps curled up in his polar fleece rug
on the spare bed in our son's room- or nestled in his hair which he
kneads and dribbles into!
We have never had a cat who settled in so quickly and happily. Full of
curiosity and affection, he likes lots of attention, sometimes gets
very wild and races madly around the house and jumps out to tackle us
around the legs!
He talks and purrs and walks all over us- including leaping onto our
backs, shoulders and heads! at unexpected moments. Visitors are all
greeted with interest and he loves to stretch out and have his spotted
tummy rubbed.
He is growing fast and is more compact than his month older "cousin"
who has a slimmer build. Lorenzo reminds us a lot of our beloved
Abyssinian with his antics and his personality and is just so
delightful.
You have bred not only a very beautiful looking kitten but a happy and
healthy well adjusted little thing who is full of the joys of life. He
is just how we hoped he would be and we all love him to bits.

Thank you Jody!

Don & Michele, Wellington - April 07

Dear Jody

Sophia (Loren) our new Ocicat has settled into our home and made it her own. The Italian Sophia is known for her beauty and elegance; our Sophia has the same qualities plus a whole lot of energy and inquisitiveness.

Sophia or Sophie for short keeps us entertained, she likes to bring the outdoors inside, leaves and twigs are the norm in our house now. Folded washing and soft toys are moved about the place (she does have lots of kitten toys to entertain her self with). Socks, jocks and teddy bears anything that can be thrown up in the air or knocked down the stairs is snatched.

We have a nine year old Siamese boy who was missing his old mate who passed away last year. He has accepted Sophie as his new friend and is good humoured towards her and her antics. It is so nice to see him back to his old self, cats like company and Sophie who is a social little kitten has fitted in with him well. They sometimes share the same food bowl which is nice to see, in winter they will snuggle up together to keep each other warm.

So thank you Jody for sending us Sophia, she is a lovely girl.

Regards

Liz and John (Christchurch) - March 07

Hi Jody
Well, Lily is nearly six months old now and we've absolutely adored
getting to know her. She is everything I could possibly want from a
kitty companion. She is so affectionate, but at the same time
confident, easy-going and independent. She is incredibly relaxed with
children of all ages (she has become a neighbourhood favourite and is
so gentle and patient with the various little kids who instantly fall
for her and then want to carry her around! I couldn't tell you the
number of times I've given 'how to pick up a cat' lessons ((and not
wander off with her!!!)) on the footpath outside our house).
Strange dogs are about the ONLY thing that faze her.
Lily sleeps in our bed every night and mothers us all at every chance she gets.
She has an incredible vertical leap and can even out-sprint Alfie!
Alfie has completely and unashamedly fallen for her, and they are very
good at looking out for each other.
She is very vocal in a truly charming way. She's not loud like a
Siamese, but more like R2D2 from Starwars! A little bleep and whirl
for every emotion. Lily also has a 'hello' sound which sounds exactly
like a duckling quacking - she also cracks this out when she spots
something 'stalk-worthy'. It's so cute.
Lily also likes to bring me things, from flowers to lizards, and she
likes to carry toys around in her mouth so it would be very easy to
teach her to fetch!
Little Lilybelle has completely stolen our hearts and Alfie is
definitely happier now that he has her company.
Thanks so much for entrusting us with her, she's an absolute gem.
Kathryn - Chch (March 07)

Tobais is now 7 months old and he has been such a delight ever since we
have brought him home, he is so loving and communicates with us all the
time, he loves to play fetch and when he goes out side he is always
calling us to go around the yard with him, he has his favourite chair
now and likes to watch the animal planet on TV (I think it is the animal
noise's and movement), when he goes outside he will always come back
meowing when he has caught something, and believe it or not he enjoys
rides in the car, he is too cute for words sometimes, and we spoil him
to bits.

Colleen and John
Stokes Valley (March 07)

Hi Jody
As you can imagine, our once tranquil house is very chaotic with a puppy and kitten in residence ... but lots of fun!
The puppy is called Devo and after his flight from Akld took 24 hrs to settle in and feel at home. Sinbad took 24 seconds! He didn't even bother inspecting the premises, just leapt on the nearest toy and started playing.
We of course were anxious about the first puppy/kitten encounter. Devo sniffed Sinbad who responded to his greeting by hissing and scratching Devo's nose. Devo promptly leapt backwards and peed on the carpet! (Classic 'dog' act of submission) Once 'The boss' was established, they became firm friends as you can see from the photo attached.
Allan is besotted with the little monster and he can get away with murder. Yes I'm starting to get jealous of the cat :-) !
Sinbad is growing fast certainly nothing wrong with his appetite!
All in all he is very happy with his surroundings: - nice home - easy to manipulate humans - good food - great toys - puppy companion to torture, then use as a pillow .... he couldn't be happier :-) !!
Jane & Allan - Wellington (March 07)

Jody I cannot thank you enough, we are all really very happy with Jiggy and are equally as happy that he has managed to settle down with us and to say that he is part of family would be an understatement as he is probably the heart of our family now!

As you will see from the photos he is very adventurous (bath tub, linen cupboard etc) and he comes for rides in the car to the shops, to drop Mikalah off to her caregiver in the morn and just when I am turning the car around in the driveway.

He often climbs up on top of the fridge and sleeps in the sun during the day too. He also loves sleeping on the windowsills in the sun and chasing the flies, bugs etc that we have taken to Venetian blinds in most rooms of our house now. We went through 4 sets of nets in our bedroom till we gave in and finally got blinds.

Jiggy and out dog Tui get on like a house on fire and they have become quite close. They often run around the yard chasing each other or a ball. we even caught him with a wee field mouse, just toying with it and chasing through the grass giving it a few soft banters between his paws before he finally got sick of that game and came inside.

He has also done really well with toilet training and now meows at the closed door if he needs to go outside to the toilet.

Well I really wanted to let you know how happy we are with Jiggy.

Kind regards

Nic, Mike, Mikalah, Jiggy and Tui

NB: Jiggy was an ex Ocicat stud that went to his new home in October 2006.

Keiko & Jamara at play 4 months old ~ Wellington.

Hi Jody, Keiky is very cheeky and very vocal - she talks all the time!! And Jim (Jamara) is very laid back and teaches her sister what she knows. Actually, Jim seems as though she is very "street wise" about every thing! They cannot stand to be apart, and when they are together they cause
havoc until they are re-united! But they are the most adorable things we have ever had!!
Stephen & Cheryl

Hi Jody,

Olly has fallen in love with the girls and cries whenever they leave (although Steph told me today when Murray and I left last night she cried for us!!) very cute... She is a very happy little pussy cat and purrs whenever any of us get too close to her.. ....and PL AY... she's exhausting!! she fetches anything .. and even brings the chosen object to our feet... for us to throw first thing in the morning or before we've even thought about playing!!!.. it is needless to say extremely amusing!!.. she can be a bit timid if she gets a fright.. but she has a 'safe place' to go.. We haven't let her venture out side by herself yet but she's been out with us and gets easily lost in the undergrowth with her spots!! they are a great camouflage.... Everything they say about them is so true.. she loves having conversations and we are learning her different meows.. as no doubt she's learning ours.. she is very smart..

Jude ~ Wellington

Hi Jody, Minka has been nothing but a pleasure for both Delwyn and I and is definitely a loving, companion cat, we've loved her from the day she arrived. Delwyn and Minka are almost inseparable at times. She is very vocal and has the most expressive body language of any cat we have ever known. When she's pleased to see us, or has had enough attention, she will twitch her whole back and flick her tail in a generous arc. She's a keen hunter and brings home all of her prizes for us to admire and Ben to steal.

Benjie has developed into a beautiful boy and is very cuddly in a boy sort of way! He's become a firm friend of Minka....even though he gets a bit boisterous at times and she beets him up as a result. He is a busy, very chatty wee man.

Richard & Delwyn ~ Wellington

Hi Jody,

This is a picture of Thor at 3 months. This is one of the few photos the he’s stayed still in! We are enjoying having him with us immensely. Having him around makes our house feel more like a home. He gets on quite well now with our other cat Taffeta. She has accepted him and protects him from other cats that come into our garden. They don’t sleep with each other (as Thor would like) but sometimes share the beanbag. Thor loves going outside and playing in our huge backyard. He and Taffeta play a lot together out there, which is always amusing.

We’ve come to learn his likes and dislikes. He is not a fussy eater (unlike Taffeta), but tries to eat out of the same bowl as Taffy. But Thor doesn’t like having to eat his biscuits and not Taffeta’s. When he eats he bites the biscuits too hard and they fly out of his mouth! Thor always jumps up when he hears a car and runs to the door to meet anyone coming in. Our friends all love him and he has been a great asset to our social life! He is very cuddly and bubbly, exactly what we wanted. We haven’t quite got him to walk on a leash yet but he carries toys in his mouth. He is a great little purer who can be heard from across the room. Thor always comes and sits on someone’s lap when they are on the computer and loves watching the letters come up on the screen. Sometimes he helps type! Thor has little bands of lighter fur on each of his toes, which looks very cute. He stands up on his hind legs quite a lot to see better and to reach things. He does a really cute thing when he reaches up for a toy and he can’t get it, he rubs his paws over his head. I think we’ve used about a film and a half in total with pictures of Thor, though in most of them he’s moved!

Regards Pam, Olivia, Richard and Thorö - Wellington

Hi Jody, These photos were taken about a month ago, you'll see that they have settled in and they enjoy playing with the grandchildren.

They seem unfazed by anything. None of the appliances seem to worry them - the dishwasher, dryer, washing machine - even the vacuum cleaner.

They also investigated the walnut tree!! Dembie came down and left Opal up there - piteously mewing but she came down with encouragement.

They are lovely cats and have grown a lot.

So thanks again for breeding such lovely animals - we are getting a lot of pleasure from them.

Regards, Janice ~ Hastings

(you'll need to look hard to spot the abys in the tree!)