Australian Mist Cat

Lukan

I found this Australian Mist Cat breeder up in the Gold Coast. I really liked her down to earth nature. Here name is Carol Higgins at http://www.aacarmar.com/
She really interviewed me in a casual yet focused manner. After about 2, 1 hour phone conversations, I think I had passed the test. Now the Australian Mist Cat is not cheap, as any pure breed of cat isn't. The going rate then was $650-$700. I was not sure if I wanted to pay that much, as I was also thinking about rescuing a cat from the pound, and you pay about $200 for one of those.

I mentioned this to Carol, and then she said, well I have a kitten who might be a good match for what you're after. "Tell me more", I said.

And so began Lukan's journey into my home. He was a 3 month old kitten who had broken his leg due to a lack of calcium in his diet. Luckily it was the good sort of break that would not leave a legacy of ongoing problems. My own vet checked out his x-rays thoroughly and gave him the thumbs up.

We agreed the price which matched what I would have paid for a pound kitten and I felt like I was still rescuing a little life. I had seen photos and he looked beautiful. He is a chocolate spotted Australian Mist cat. With the biggest green eyes.

So soon Lukan was winging his way down to me in Sydney accompanied by the breeder.

Here was this gorgeous little kitten, who was so relaxed in his carry cage. And then I got him home. And we bonded instantly. He was incredibly affectionate, ate heartily and was keen to stay close to me (another quirk of the breed, they are not wanderers).

As the days unfolded, I realized I had a mighty handful with this kitten. In the nicest possible way he was incredibly in your face (still is). He purred non stop around me, had a habit of wanting to sit on my head and see if he could squeeze into my ear at 3 am in the morning. And would eat as if he had been starved and this was the first meal in 30 days (and how he never got indigestion I don't know - he literally inhaled his food).

I intuitively knew this cat needed company. To be honest as much as I loved him, I was struggling to get any work done (I work from home) as he was demanding my attention in all his waking hours - thank goodness kittens need sleep.

I knew he needed a playmate. So the journey started again to find him a buddy, and I wanted to keep it to the same breed. And this time I thought an older woman would settle him - well knock him into shape really (are there analogies for real life?! :-) )

And then I found...

Rose

Whilst Lukan was definitely a handful, I was very much taken with the Australian Mist Cat breed. As Lukan did not have a nasty bone in his body - still doesn't. And I just knew so strongly that a companion would iron out a lot of the challenges I was facing with him. Just like with people, some are extraverts, others introverts.

So along came Rose. A 3 year old ex breeding Queen from the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's popular wine areas (I wondered if she would like red or white wine? :p). Ex breeding queens are also discounted and 'saved' - so again I was fulfilling that desire to give a cat a home.

Rose is also a Chocolate Spotted Australian Mist. With saucer like eyes. And my goodness what a difference in personalities. She too does not have a nasty bone in her body. Neither cat are prone to biting or scratching (maybe a few love bites). Whereas Lukan has evolved into the typical gregarious teenage boy, who I think if he was human would have written off more than one car, and gotten into wild partying.

Rose is the elegant lady. Lukan inhales his food. You can almost fall asleep waiting for Rose to finish her meal.

Here was the most amazing thing. I followed what the cat breeders and my vet said about introducing another cat into a household. But Lukan had other ideas and barged into Rose's allotted room o the 2nd day. I waited with a nervous inhalation, as I was sure there would be hissing and raised fur. Instead Lukan went up, kitten to cat and just started to wash her - and that was it. Bosom buddies.

Now the two of them are inseparable. They play together - doing Monty Pythonesque races from room to room, swapping from chaser to being chased. The rumble around myself and any guests as if we weren't there - running as if they are in the Olympic sprint finals. They sleep together, wash each other. And if one happens to do the 'cat cough' where you are sure a furball is not far away (or worse their dinner!), the other will rush over and try to comfort them.

These two Australian Mist Cats are a constant source of joy. They really are. Rose keeps Lukan in line, and Lukan is irrepressible. Lukan is the extrovert. Rose is the introvert - but no less loving, just not so 24/7 and she does need time by herself away from humans (often with Lukan glued to her side, which she's OK about).

I could not recommend this breed more heartily - if you want cats with personalities that truly love you as much as you love them. And I didn't even get to the playing fetch and helping me with my computer stories...I'll leave something to another time!