This is Elsa, she's 19 and I've had her since she was 6 wks old.
I had a tabby called Heidi who I got from a local lady whose cat had recently had a litter. Sadly Heidi got run over when she was only about 2, but she was such a gorgeous character I wanted another tabby just like her. So I phoned the lady who I got her from (remember this was a long time ago, when many people let their mogs have several litters) and surprise surprise, the cat was pregnant, so I asked to have first refusal on any tabby kitten. The mother cat duly produced and the lady phoned and said she had a tabby for me (all the others were black and white!) Now, I didnt have much idea about colours in those days, and clearly nor did the lady whose cat it was, because I came home with this cat that I thought was a rather unusual shade of 'tabby'
Of course Elsa is a dilute tortie and was and is, nothing like Heidi in either colour or character! She is feisty and independent, has seen many others come and go in her time, moved house with me more times than I can remember, and I'm hoping she'll see her 20th birthday next year
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