Swagger And Swoon - It's Milo Stepney

Milo, thank you so much for granting us this exclusive interview!

Can we start by asking who is your mum and what does she do?


My mummy's name is Annamarie...and as for what she does - well I'm not entirely sure, but she seems to spend a lot of time with something that looks alien-like in her hand - it' black and has an eye on the end - and it seems to point in my face ALOT and when she does it blinks and clicks rather loudly at me. To be honest I'm not a great fan of whatever it is!!!

When she's not driving me mad with the alien thing, she seems to either be sitting in front of her computer with a magic pen in her hand (which by the way I love lots as it means I can chase an arrow round the screen - great fun indeed, although not sure she's quite in to that game as much as me ;-)!

If she's not got the alien pen thingy in her hand, I can often find her talking in to a black shiny box....whatever it is, it makes her laugh a lot and can keep her busy for ages(I like this more than the alien, as she cuddles me and lets me sleep on her when she's busy).

Could you describe your looks and your breeding?


Mummy tells me that I'm gorgeous a lot and have lots of swagger when I stroll around the house, so I guess that makes me kinda cool - if you asked my mummy though she'd probably tell you that it's not always the case(between you and me only Jules, I've been know to miscalculate a few jumps and can be generally clumsy, which mummy seems to find hilarious and she teases me saying I'm seriously uncool!). I'm only a baby at the mo and my body is still growing at a faster speed than my head, but mummy tells me it's nothing to worry about, as I have all the makings of a very handsome chap indeed ;-) I can't wait as I'm in a lot of pain at the mo...my baby teeth are starting to fall out and my man teeth are growing in their place and so my gums are driving me around the bend...today I found myself  biting the glass table in the kitchen! Sorry Jules, I started rambling then...it's these teeth of mine, they are literally driving me crazy!!! So anyways back to the question....

Apparently I've been told by my furr mum and dad, Clio and William,  that I am a British Blue Shorthair, although thats a bit confusing as I don't think I'm particularly blue?!  Mummy tells me that my ancestors have 'blue blood' and that makes me a 'posh puss' whatever that means...all I know is that I love them very much and mummy sends lots of pictures to their mummy and they swap stories about us lots.

Who is the real Milo; sensitive guy, playful fool?


I'd say I'm best summed up as cute, purr-y and very mischevious. Mummy and daddy say if I was a human  I would most probably be a cross between James Dean and Bob Marley - which I think makes me a very cool kinda guy!! I like to purr a lot, play a lot, chill a lot and generally do my own thing... and I will let it be know if I don't like what's going down - like when I get put to bed every night, I cry really loud for at least 5 minutes...and when I hear mummy and daddy get up in the morning I do the same! Whatever it does it works as they come down and let me loose. Hehe!

Do you have a special place where you like to relax and take time from your hectic schedule?


I have lots but my favourite which she loves is when I carry my favourite toy(it's nothing fancy, just a long piece of string with sparkly silver wrapping ribbon tied on the end), which I carry up the stairs and into her office and drop next to her chair. The way I see it is that every minutes a play minute hey?!

I also do some mazing jumps that mummy says Mr Myagi would be proud of! I'm also known to pull the splits a few times whilst jumping to catch my toys(check me out in the picture mummy took today, cool or what?).

Last, but by no means least, is my ability to down a pint of Guinness.., Ok so it's not really Guinness and don't really drink it all...but I have to admit to having a special gift to track these down in the house. Whatever's in it, it tastes way better than what's in the bowl next to my food!

Your mum is a wonderful photographer, but are you a willing star or a reluctant muse?

Lets put it this way Jules..I humour her now and then, and she's quite relentless in her pursuit of me( I've overheard friends talking about this same problem with their mummies, seems she's a bit like the paparazzi - never knows when to give me a break!).

Your mum offers to prepare you a special meal, what would that be?


That is an easy one Jules, I LOVE LOVE LOVE fish - fish is the best! The only thing I don't like is mummy and daddy calling me 'fish face' all night after eating it! (Hhhmmm, it's OK though as I drink from their Guinness glasses when they're not looking). Heehee )).

Milo you are very young, but what would you look like in a Mrs Stepney?


Mummy tells me that she's the only woman for me, so I guess I've already got my Mrs Stepney.

Can I be rude and ask, are you planning to breed one day?


Ummm, I'm afraid Jules I don't know what the word 'breed' means, and when I ask mummy to explain she looked shifty, went red and asked me to ask daddy! (Note to self, ask daddy next time I see him! I wonder if it has anything to do with the conversation they keep having where daddy puts his hands over his ears!?!?)

It's quick fire time;


Litter or wood chip?


Litter, I love to flick it all around my bedroom.

Wet or dry food?


Dry, my biscuits are the tastiest ever, and mummy tells me they are good for me teeth too! Apparently I'm very spoilt as I also have freshly cooked fish or chicken once a week too!

Water from a bowl, fountain or toilet?


Oooh, this is a hard one Jules, my favourite has to be any kind of running water...whenever I hear it I gallop  through the house and take a running leap towards it... mummy and daddy find this especially funny! Other than that my favourite place is when it's in their Guinness glasses.

Bed or basket?


I love sleeping in my basket, and I love playing on the bed with mummy and daddy. Funnily enough mummy and daddy don't seem to fully appreciate  all my games here - OK even I have to admit that maybe lacerating the bed sheets whilst miscalculating the height of the bed and hanging on for dear life  as I fell towards the floor, may have been going a little too far! Although they don't ever get mad at me, mummy says 'I'm just too cute.' They are also not that into toe biting game, or the long jump game I like( I award myself special bonus points when I land on their tummy). Hee hee, happy days!!


Fur balls or fleas?


Fur ball - I'm all prepared for it. Mummy and daddy have grown me some special indoor cat grass though I have not had the need to use it yet!

Milo: What that's it? No more questions!?!? I was just getting into that. Well thanks Jules for the interview and I look forward to seeing myself on the web soon!

Big kitten love to Quentin and Mishka and you Jules you lovely lady...

Milo
XOXO


Oh Milo, you old flatterer you! 

Annamarie's website can be found Here.


Thank you Annamarie and thank you Milo!


*Annamarie would like to make it clear that she and daddy are the bestest parents and Milo only ever drinks water...! Not a drop of Guinness ever has or will ever pass his cute furry lips!

Meezer Models

Being pedigree's we don't actually feel we should have to work for our keep. Our lives are very busy, and between playing with pipe cleaners, watching taps run, staring out the window and the usual 'meezing' for food, we have to fit in 18 hours of sleep a day. Tough times.

However, when mum asks if we will allow her to photograph her we nearly always say yes( we occasionally wait until she has all her gear out then disappear). Modelling is hard work, but generally we are required to hold a pose, such as sleeping, for a few moments. Often we feel she must have the shot she needs, but for some reason will continue clicking her black box for longer than is necessary.

For this shot I was required to lie on a warm blanket, it was tricky but I managed it.

In this shot mum asked me to stare wistfully out the window.

I don't like this picture of me, mum says it's arty. Arty? Where's my body gone?

I think I was saying something like 'Enough!'

Occasionally we must risk dangerous locations, such as the ironing board.

A series of action shots. Particularly draining, but we suffer for our art.

These are the hardest shots, it's not easy looking this good.

Make up malfunction.

Ultimately we retain creative control and let mum know when enough's enough.

Leave now, time for some serious 'R&R'.

Celebrity Cat Interview with The Bekkers!

Toffee, Coco & Roxy Bekker welcome us into their beautiful home.

　

Could you start be telling us a little bit about who your mum is?

Our mommy’s name is Heline. She stays at home with us while she works on her computer and plays with a clicky thingy that goes in a bag that we are not allowed to even touch.

Could you each describe yourselves for our readers.

Toffee: Sure, my name is Toffee and I’m the only boy. I’m also the oldest. Mommy and Daddy saved me from a very weird man where I slept on a broom in a dirty kitchen. So I’m very spoilt and I always harass mommy for food. I’m very good at that – harassing J Mommy and Daddy always laughs at me when I play with toys because I don’t bend my legs and they say it looks like sticks. I’m not allowed to bite my sister and when I get caught I run away. I’m very quiet and only meows for food. And if the food has been in my dish for longer that 1 hour, I will not touch it! I jump on daddy’s lap and pretend to sleep. It’s all part of my master plan to show them that I own them. You may give me kisses, but don’t touch my belly!

Coco: Hallo, I’m Coco. I’m Toffee’s adopted sister. Mommy says I look ‘main coon’. I’m very eccentric and sensitive. I love to sleep and Mommy says I make sleep look so yummy. I LOVE catnip! I go crazy sometimes especially if daddy puts the laundry basket out. I hide in it and attack the other two! I don’t like dirt and I like to look gorgeous! Mommy always brushes me so I look pretty. You may rub my belly and kiss me. PS: don’t touch my front paws!

Roxy: Hi, I’m Roxy and I’m the youngest. I’m a ginger girl. The vet says that I’m anti social! TUT TUT!!! I like being grumpy and I like to give everyone evil looks. I don’t really like to be touched. And please DO NOT pick me up, I might just die!!! Also I hate kisses. The more I try to put my parents off with my grumpiness, the more they love me. They say it’s ‘cute’ or something. But sometimes I give in and pretend to be cute to please mommy and daddy. The poor things, they love me very much.

What’s the neighbourhood like?

Mommy doesn’t let us out. She’s worried the Boogeyman will get us. So she & daddy had an outdoor playpen built for us that is connected to the house. They hope to one day move to a house with a secure garden for us. Oh, and mommy said she’d like to take us walkies on leads. Would like to see them try!

Would you say there is any friction between you, or are you just one loved up gang?

Toffee: No way!

Coco: What!!! You bite me at least once a week!

Toffee: Yeah and then you scream so loud that I get in trouble! You are no fun at all! Pfft…

If mum could create a signature dish for you, what would it be called and what would the ingredients be?

Biltong stew! Biltong is this yummy meaty human snack that originates from mommy’s birth land.

Have you heard of a human film called ‘X Men’? If you could be X cats, what would you each be?

Sorry, mommy is not sure what to answer. Maybe she has a fur ball stuck in her head!

Yes, that was a bit of a tricky one wasn't it!

 What was the best thing you ever caught and presented to mum?

Earthworms and spiders! But mommy hates the spiders :( Then we just play with them till their legs fall off!

Any plans to mate? Do you see yourselves having kittens?

No, mommy took us to the vet when we where kittens and we came home with a boo-boo. After that we didn’t have any  more plans.

OK, quick fire round.

 Litter; clay or woodchip?

Mommy buys us the best cat litter, it’s wood based cat litter, made from the finest plant fibers. Yes, we are spoilt and mommy says it’s easy to clean.

Rabbit or fish?

Fish

Furr ball or worming tab?

Furr ball

Water: tap or toilet?

Special kitty fountain and tap ;)

Wow, a special fountain? I had better not let Mishka and Quentin hear about that or they'll go off in a huff!

Thank you for sparing some time in your busy schedule.

The Bekker's mum is Heline Bekker, a talented photographer based in the South of England.

Visit her website here.

　

Brighten Up Your 'Blue Monday'

Here is a selection of ever so slightly daft and amazing video's to brighten up your 'Blue Monday'! Enjoy.


Here's the beauty of cats, pick a theme, lets say 'riding', and search for videos;

And this is simply amazing!

And to finish, a  musical prodigy. Wow!

Cleo & Lemur, Surrey Massive

Cleo and Lemur Collyer welcome us into their beautiful home for an exclusive interview

Who is your mum and what does she do?

Cleo – is she talking to us?

Lemur – no idea? Shall we speak to her?

Cleo – yes, let me do the talking.

Cleo – Hi, Our mum is Zoe Collyer and most of the time she walks round with a dark black thing in her hands pointing it and then she presses a button and it clicks.

Lemur – I’m scared of it and hide from it.

Cleo – You’re scared of everything.

Lima – When she’s not holding the big black thing, she sits at her computer and we like to keep her company by sitting on the keyboard or in front of the bright screen. We spell check all emails for her! Also I like to drink from mummy’s cup but it's not so funny when I get my head stuck in it.

Cleo – yes I like to jump on mummy’s desk too as I can see my reflection in the screen and it has the added bonus of the moving thing on the screen that I can swipe at. Hours of amusement and very helpful to mummy when she’s working.

Could you give us your names, or would you prefer to remain anonymous?

Cleo – I’m called Cleo – short for Cleopatra  but I’m also affectionately know as Pudding as I used to be large. My good friend is Lemur, named after the Lemur monkey (with the stripy tail).

How would you describe yourselves in terms of looks?

Cleo - We are standard street cats, Heinz 57 variety, not a posh bone in our bodies. No pedigree certificates for us. I came from Tooting Bec Market and Lemur came from a broken home in Balham. Lemur is slightly more pretty than me and very slim. We think she may have a little bit of Siamese in her, as she’s very chatty – can talk for hours.

Life can be so stressful for a cat, how do you like to unwind?

Lemur – I’m a scaredy cat so hide from the noisy humans and waggy tail (the evil sausage dog that uses our cat flap). I sleep in mummy and daddy’s bedroom under the radiator with the curtains disguising me. No –one knows I’m there, its great.

Cleo – To unwind, I like to torment waggy tail. I will sit at the top of the stairs and block the top one. When mummy comes upstairs, waggy tail always follows but she won’t dare pass me on the stairs, as I will use my flick knife claws to scratch her and hiss at her. Waggy tail has to sit there for hours until I decide when she can pass. Oh it’s so so funny.

As ‘Surrey Street cats’, how would you describe your ‘’hood’?

Originally we were from Sauf London but now we live in leafy surrey. We’ve come along way & moved up in the world, we have a detached 3 bedroom, with large garden, radiators in every room and two fireplaces. Bliss. We count ourselves lucky to have a stable comfortable home. The only thing we miss is being mummy and daddy’s babies but now they’ve got small humans we had to take a back seat. Oh and waggy tail arrived 4 years ago too. But….life is looking up as we now have two tiny tiny hamsters that we can watch all day. We drool over them and are waiting for the day when they escape and we can eat them. Yum.

This is Lemurs hiding place that no-one knows about - and I mean no-one! its top secret!

In the words of Boy George (a funny looking man), is ‘everyday like survival’ out there?

Cleo – F’real. Well for a start you’ve got the squirrel that winds up waggy tail. Then there’s Paddy and George the cat twins that rule the road.  You’ve got Gromit who lives opposite and rules his kingdom from the back of the sofa, strategically placed in the bay window. Then you have the gang of five with the albino next door, they think they rule our garden so I have to sit on the shed and defend our palace. We send in back up .....waggy tail if we can’t handle it. It’s wall-to-wall cats on our road. We are Street cats from London town though, we can hold our own.

What’s your daily routine, for instance, what time do you like to roll in of a morning?

We start the day by standing on top of mummy and putting our head close to her. Then we purr like tractors really loudly. Normally that gets a reaction and she gets up to feed us. Then after eating breakfast we go back to bed and sleep. We just about manage to squeeze in around 23 hours of sleep a day so, it’s quite tough.

Yes, I got my way, a small human opened the window.

Mum wants to involve you in a location shoot to reflect your characters, but where would that ideally be?

Cleo – mine would definitely be sitting in the middle of the lawn in a rain storm. I like getting wet as it means I can lick all the rain off my coat – I’m slightly obsessed with water.

Lemur – mine would be in any open drawer. I like to get into things, like boxes or wardrobes. Once I jumped into the wardrobe and got stuck in there for the whole day. I had to meow really loudly before I got released.  I snagged one of mummy’s tops whilst I was in there so I don’t think this will ever happen again! 

It’s quick fire time;

Litter or wood chip?

Cleo - Neither we go outside & we cover it up with mud.

Lemur – then we walk all over mummy and daddy’s white sofa and fresh bed sheets.

Wet or dry food?

Both. But we trick mummy and daddy into buying a variety by refusing to eat on some days. Works every time. Currently we are lording it up on Sheba individual trays!

Water from a bowl, fountain or toilet?

Cleo – Water from the bath, fed personally from mummy and daddy’s hands. Or I sit in the sink and when people come to the toilet I meow until they turn the tap on. Genius.

Lemur – I’m dehydrated mummy and daddy have never seen me drink. I have a secret source of where my water comes from but if I told you where it came from I’d have to kill you.

Bed or basket?

Cleo – Bed, preferably on top of the dog (who’s under the duvet).

Lemur – On mummy’s pillow round her head. I kneed her curly hair at nighttime. I also purr and dribble.

Fur ball or fleas?

Cleo - Nasty Jane the vet makes sure we are free of fleas but I've has been known to barf up a fur ball with some food thrown in the mix. I’m quite considerate when I do bring my food up; it’s normally on the stairs so one of the small humans steps in it in the morning.

Well we've kept you for long enough, all that remains is for Quentin, Mishka and myself to say a big thank you for sharing your time with us today.

Many thanks to Cleo and Lemur's human slave,  talented Surrey photographer Zoe Collyer.

Zoe Collyer Photography