The Grandcats

Growing up having only dogs as pets, I never really cared for cats. Now I have an understanding and appreciation for felines because of the time I have spent with three cute little furry boys. These cats have opened up my animal world to a whole new experience.

Opus and Roscoe are brothers. Born in the fall of 1995 on a farm in Indiana, they moved to Italy in November 2004 with their female human parent. Opus is the cat on the right and his little brother Roscoe is on the left.

Opus, we believe, is the first-born as he seems older, wiser, and more cautious in the ways of life. Opus has a gentle manner and is quieter than his younger brother. He enjoys sleeping in their human's bed, by the heater in the winter, or wherever their human mommie might be. He also enjoys cat treats sent over from the States and pasta sauce. Opus likes to sneak food items and get up on the table, though he hardly ever gets caught for these actions. He is wise as he knows his little brother is always tagging along and Roscoe forgets to get away from the scene of the crime when the humans are near, so it looks like Roscoe is the one doing the bad things. Opus does not like to be away from his little brother as the boys have always been inseparable. When his little bro has to go to the veterinarian, Opus always goes along to give protection and comfort to little Roscoe.

Roscoe is a happy go lucky cat! Like his older brother, Roscoe enjoys sleeping in front of the heater, napping in a stream of sunlight coming in through a window, and sleeping on top of his human mommie's head. Roscoe, believe it or not, does engage in conversation though we humans find it hard to know what he is saying most of the time. Roscoe is also protective of his brother and when Opus becomes missing, Roscoe will let his mommie know this. He will not stop until Opus is found then all is once again well in the home. Roscoe does not like a lot of company at one time and does not like storms at all. When these things happen he will find a good hiding place and not come out until it is safe.

Panther, who was born May 20, 1999, is the opposite color, as you can see, than that of his cousins but like his cousins he is also an indoor cat. Panther has an alias name a.k.a. "Scaredy Cat" and this name is said with love and affection. Panther is pretty much afraid of all loud noises, fast movements, and being held too close. When Panther was an only child in his household he would run and hide whenever company would stop by. He only liked to play with his human parents.

Panther's favorite thing to do is to run by and grab one of his mom's Boyds Bear and run through the house with it. It is a fun game and you can find bears around in different parts of the house. He also enjoys cat treats and when he hears any bag noises he will run into the family room hoping to find cat treats waiting for him.

Panther's world changed last summer when his mom and dad brought a tiny little human person into the house. He wasn't sure what was happening or who this person was but soon found out that he no longer was the only child. Panther noticied that company coming to see the little one gave her a lot of attention. It looked like a good idea to him so whenever anyone visits, Panther is more than happy now to enjoy a visit with all instead of running away to hide.

Panther is still getting adjusted to having a little sister in the house. Sometimes the little one makes loud noises, causing him to run into another room. He doesn't mind too much when the little one touches his fur but he does not like it at all to have his tail touched. Going from a family of three to four has not been too bad; besides, sometimes the baby with mommie's help will give him a cat treat.