Zathras passed away on October 27, 2021 from bladder cancer. Here is a photo of him a few weeks before he died.

Rascal passed away on April 11, 2024 from kidney failure. Here is a photo of him about a month before he died.

Kali	Rascal	Zathras

The pictures on this page are in reverse chronological order, so the newest pictures come first.

Added July 9, 2009

• Zathras stretched out on the living room floor, with Rascal falling out of the cat bed beside him.
• Rascal sitting and posing for the camera.
• Zathras chasing a bug on the lamp in the living room, while Kali is on the cat tower behind him.
• Kali staring up into the lamp in the living room, looking for a bug.
• Zathras curled up sleeping on my cross-stitch.
• Movie of the cats chasing a tinsel toy on a stick. I get them to spin so much, they can't walk straight!
• Rascal laying in the cat bed with his front legs hanging out.
• Movie of the cats chasing the tinsel toy again, with lots of jumping. This movie has better lighting than the previous.
• Rascal and Zathras sharing the cat bed in a rare friendly moment.
• All three cats staring up at a toy that is hanging over the top of the fridge.
• Movie of Rascal jumping up to get the toy on top of the fridge. He doesn't grab it, but he gets high enough. He jumps about 45 seconds into the movie.
• Movie of Rascal getting a bag handle stuck around his neck, and removing it the hard way.
• The cats watching for me out the front storm door - if I don't come back, they might not get breakfast!
• Rascal stretched out across two dining room chairs.

Added December 20, 2008

• Rascal laying in the cat bed with a paw sticking out.
• Movie of me playing with the cats and getting Kali to jump a lot.
• Rascal laying in a pile of dirty laundry.
• Zathras posing for a picture.
• Kali sitting on the railing on the second floor along the stairway.
• Kali walking along the railing.
• Movie of Kali walking along the railing. She likes to stop and hang her front end way over the railing.
• Movie of Rascal walking along the railing. He isn't nearly as graceful as Kali is.
• Kali sitting on the railing, watching her brothers on the floor.
• Movie of Rascal underneath an upside-down laundry basket. I am playing with him and the other cats.
• Kali and Zathras both curled up sleeping on our bed.
• Zathras stretched out across our bed.
• Rascal posing for a picture.
• All three cats investigating our bathroom.
• Rascal curled up in the bathroom sink.
• Movie of Rascal laying in the sink when I turn the water on.
• Zathras and Kali laying on my lap.
• Kali hanging over the railing; the picture is taken from below, so you can see the white spot on her tummy.

Added September 7, 2008

• Zathras and Rascal sleeping together on the top of the cat tower.
• Rascal with the handle of a paper bag around his neck.
• Kali wrapped around my leg as she's playing.
• Kali frozen in action while playing on a scratching post.
• Zathras poised to jump up to get a toy.
• Rascal inside a Glad trash bag box.
• Movie of Rascal playing in a paper bag with a hole in the bottom.
• Movie of Zathras and Kali playing with a toy I am dangling.

Added August 8, 2008

• Zathras and Kali sitting on the stairs.
• Rascal chewing up his box. He rips off pieces, but doesn't eat them. You can see how much of the box he's torn away so far.
• Movie of the cats watching me get their food ready. Actually, they are pretty subdued on this date. Usually they are much more concerned and jumpy.
• Rascal sleeping in a box that's on top of a pile of cat toys.
• Zathras inside the wrapper of a case of water bottles. All of the cats are intrigued by this spot.
• Zathras inside the foundation of our new bed. He's walking around on a sheet of fabric, while the other cats are underneat chasing the lump he makes.

Added June 13, 2008

• Zathras playing with Rascal, who is inside the plasting wrapping of a case of water bottles.
• All three cats sleeping on our bed.
• Rascal stretched out in a funny way while sleeping on our bed.
• Kali stretched out in a funny way while sleeping on our bed. (It must run in the family.)
• Zathras yawning while laying on our bed.
• Kali laying next to two candles on the night our electricity was out.

Added May 2, 2008

• Rascal sleeping cutely on the loveseat.
• Kali sitting on the very narrow windowsill in the alcove.
• Zathras on top of a high cabinet in the living room, while Kali is curled up on the cat tower.
• Zathras lazing around on top of the high cabinet in the living room. (In reality, he wasn't sure how he was going to get down.)
• Kali sleeping cutely on top of the cat tower in the living room, showing her tummy.
• Kali with her e-collar on after being spayed. She is definitely NOT amused. You can see her shaved forelegs.
• Rascal in his blue e-collar after being neutered. He didn't seem to mind it that much, but it made him look like a clown!
• Zathras trying to eat with his e-collar on after being neutered.

Added Mar. 23, 2008

• Rascal and Zathras laying together in the cat bed.
• Movie of Rascal under a box, which mystifies Kali and Zathras.
• Kali licking Rascal as he hangs out of the cat bed sleeping.
• All three kittens laying in the laundry basket.
• Rascal laying next to his favorite toy.
• Kali laying cutely.
• Zathras laying very properly on a chair.
• Kali stretching and showing the white spot on her tummy.
• Rascal and Zathras playing above and below a chair.
• Movie of Zathras and Rascal playing with plastic ring.

Added Feb. 24, 2008

• All three kittens laying on my lap on the couch.
• Kali and Rascal looking curious at the top of the stairs.
• Zathras laying in the cat bed.
• Rascal laying inside the case of water bottles.
• Kali and Rascal playing in the bathtub in the guest bathroom - Kali has her tongue sticking out.
• The basement just after the kittens decided to dump both their food bowls - Kali is chasing bits of food.
• Rascal peeking cutely out of the cat bed.
• Kali playing on the cat tower in the living room.
• Zathras and Kali sleeping very cutely together on the cat tower in the living room.

Added Jan. 31, 2008

• Zathras laying on the cat tower in the living room.
• Kali and Rascal laying on the cat tower in the living room.
• Kali laying on my cross-stitch under the lamp in the living room.
• Rascal sleeping under the lamp in the living room.
• Movie of me playing with the kittens in the basement.
• Movie of the kittens playing with a ball in the alcove.
• Kali laying on my sweatshirt on the couch.
• All three kittens sleeping on the armchair in the basement.
• Movie of Rascal being crazy and wrestling with the door mat.

Jan. 16 - 20, 2008

• All three kittens hanging out at the top of the basement stairs (before they were allowed out of the basement).
• Movie of all three kittens playing on the cat tower in the basement.
• Kali and Rascal playing on the cat tower in the basement.
• Kali and Zathras playing on the highest two levels of the cat tower in the basement.
• Me with Rascal and Zathras on my lap.
• Zathras and Rascal wrestling behind the basement door, while Kali sticks her paws underneath from the other side to grab them.
• Movie of Zathras and Rascal starting a wrestling match behind the basement door, while Kali sticks her paws in from underneath the door.
• All three kittens lying intermingled behind the basement door.

Jan. 13 - 16, 2008

• All three kittens playing on the basement stairs. The stairs are slippery, so this is tricky!
• All three kittens exploring the exercise room in the basement.
• Movie of Zathras going wild with the hanging cat scratching carpet.
• Movie of Kali and Zathras playing on the basement stairs.
• Zathras and Kali curled up together on the basement stairs.
• Rascal sleeping at the top of the basement stairs.
• All three kittens lined up at the top of the basement stairs.
• Movie of Zathras and Rascal playing on the cat tower in the basement.
• Movie of Kali and Zathras playing on the cat tower in the basement.
• All three kittens curled up on my armchair when I came back from lunch.

First Day Home, Jan. 12, 2008

• Kali and Zathras watching me a little warily.
• Rascal walking up to me curiously, and Kali balancing on her back legs like a meerkat.
• Kali bravely laying next to my legs at nap time.
• Rascal stretching as he lays next to me to go to sleep.
• Rascal and Zathras curled up together in the cat bed.
• Rascal climbing up the cat scratcher hanging from the doorknob.
• Movie of Kali playing with a toy, then it pans over to Rascal and Zathras sleeping in the cat bed.
• Movie of Zathras playing with a hanging cat toy - he can't decide whether to chase the toy or its shadow. Kali and Rascal come in and out, playing with other things.

Adopting the Kittens

We adopted the kittens through the organization Homeward Trails; they were fostered by Erica Wilmer and her family through that organization. Below are pictures Erica took of the kittens when they were about 5 weeks old.

• Rascal contemplating a dangling toy.
• Kali batting at a toy.
• Zathras looking cute.
• Rascal washing himself.
• A portrait of Kali.
• Rascal and Zathras nibbling on some food.
• A portrait of Rascal.
• Kali in a hammock.
• Zathras in a hammock.

• Kali curled up in her bed.
• Rascal wandering around while we try to entice him with a toy.
• Rascal staring intently at a toy.
• Rascal trying to make an escape up the stairs.
• Zathras sneaking around a corner.
• Movie of Rascal chasing a toy.
• Movie of Kali climbing onto a flowerpot and not being sure how to get down.
• Movie of all three kittens playing.

How they grow

avondale@astro.umd.edu