Little Lion

          This is Swami, my neutered tom, who is sporting his summer "lion cut".  His coat is much too thick and long for sunny California, so he is transformed into a little lion every summer. He seems to enjoy swinging the tassel on the end of his very long tail.

          Swami came to me by way of a philanthropic organization called The Cat People. They rescue cats and kittens. In Swami's case, his very pregnant mother was brought by her owners to a local veterinarian. When a last minute abortion was requested, the good veterinarian balked and words were exchanged. The owners left for awhile to think things over, but never came back for their pregnant cat. Three days later, Swami and his litter mates were born at the veterinary hospital.

          Three months and two foster homes later, Swami came to his forever home with me. He has been here for seven years. He is a large but gentle cat. He is a little shy and was worried about the automatic flash on my new camera, but finally relaxed enough for me to get a good picture of him.