photo by Picture People taken on May 1 '07
Glendale, Arizona


Registered pedigree as: CharminPaws Just a Chance / "Justy"

registered with: United Feline Organization (UFO)

new name: MELODY = Greek meaning 'song'

*Tortoiseshell Persian cat (black-brown w/ copper eyes)
*5-6 lbs.
*no PKD

*date of birth: Jul. 1 '00
*place of birth: Phoenix, Arizona

*breeder: Anita Worstell

date of adoption: April 24 '07
new owner: Karen Catalioto

Sire
Hardwood Carlisle (solid black)		 Sire
 Sire
Dam
Dam
 Sire
Dam
Dam
L Jolor Peaches & Cream (blue cream)		 Sire
Deserama's Cascade		 Sire
Dam
Dam
Ruzzles Sheila		 Sire
Dam

This pedigree page was built for free at SitStay.com

May 9, 2007...Melody & I came to meet pretty much unexpectedly. I was looking for another Shih Tzu baby to adopt after Beau passed away in January. I was looking at the Classified ads in the Arizona Republic website under Dogs/Shih Tzu when, on a whim, I also went over to Cats/Persian. I noticed an ad by: a retiring Persian-Himalayan-Exotic breeder who's giving away the adults and selling the kittens. I had thought of adopting another Persian adult while Brandy, my creampoint Persian, is still here. It's wise to adopt an older kitty than a baby kitty to go with Brandy. I went over to Anita (breeder)'s home to look at the kitties and requested to look at the oldest one (hardest to adopt out, too). She pointed to Melody and mentioned that she's spayed and about 6 years old. Her kitties were not experienced outdoors, so they were a bit fidgety as I was meeting them in her carport. (Anita mentioned she was re-modeling inside and that it's very messy). I thought of adopting Melody and told Anita I'd go home and think about it to be sure I really wanted to adopt. A week later, I decided to officially adopt Melody and went back to pick her up. I initially told Anita I was planning to rename her Melody and not keep the Justy name. Melody sounds good with Brandy. You also can't tell the gender with the name Justy anyway.

After I brought Melody home, I felt bittersweet, because in a way I felt that she replaced Beau. It became the first time I'd have two kitties at the same time; I used to have only one at a time. Unlike laidback Brandy, Melody was a bit more active and like a social butterfly. She's a petite Persian and has her size to keep up with, while Brandy is a big-boned girl. I also had to get used to her slight active ways; I was spoiled by Brandy. However, due to Brandy's influence, Melody mellowed out some more and is very familiar with an easygoing lifestyle around here. I bet it's mostly because Melody had spent the first of her 6 years with Anita; she was born in Anita's home and also shown at cat shows by Anita. So, she had to get used to her new home and was probably a bit overwhelmed. I e-mailed my review to Anita's cat show friend Terry, who replied back stating that we usually expect too much from the kitties; she also knew about Beau. I gave Melody some more time to adapt (and act more like a real Persian, LOL) and began to bond with her some more. I e-mailed Terry again letting her know how much better it's gotten, and she replied back stating she's happy about it and that Melody's really a good kitty. At first glance, Brandy blew Melody a very whispery hiss (making a very small "o" shape of her lips!). After a couple of days, Brandy accepted Melody as long as Melody respected her space. Melody took it very well on adoption day and took to Brandy and me immediately after finishing exploring every corner of her new home. I took her out again to take her to PetsMart to get her first picture taken with me for PetsMart's 20th birthday celebration(!) Then, I gave her a bath. She even slept on one of my pillows the first night.

In concluding, it looks like my loss of Beau contributed alot to my (& Brandy's) expectations of Melody. Beau was laidback like Brandy. What a patient trooper Melody was. Oh, so adorable, too. Brandy & I are now blessed!

(Oh, at the Picture People studio, the customers there marveled at Melody's portrait. And, here's the kicker...there was a baby who had Down's Syndrome who did not appear to be much of a smiler. When I caught her looking at Melody's picture, she smiled!)

July 2, 2007...Melody just celebrated her 1st birthday here, turning 7 years 'young' along with big sister Brandy, who's estimated to be just under 10 years 'young'. I purchased a chocolate/vanilla ice cream cake made by Carvel (partly because Carvel reminds me of my childhood) covered with whipped cream with chocolate crunchies as a filling, topped with rainbow sprinkles and frosted rainbow colors draping off the cake. Of course, the cake was not to be eaten by them; they were welcome to sample a little of the whipped cream only (NOT chocolate). Melody and Brandy patiently posed by the cake as I videotaped and photographed them in various colors and black & white. Melody even tempted to reach up and sniff the candlelight where I quickly and on-time nudged her back down for her safety(!) Her whisker(s) couldn've been singed to the nubs, heh. After I cut a slice, Melody sampled a little of the whipped cream and licked it as if it was scrumptious (can't blame her), and she got some on her whiskers! Brandy sat like a classy lady and watched the entire scene; she must've been bemused by Melody's antics. Check out the link below and see the photos!

Melody has enjoyed living here very much. She and Brandy get along famously- to the point where Brandy even lets her lick her precious forehead. In essence, I'm just appreciative everything's going well. We three are very happy living together, and I look forward to many more years with the two precious kitty "sisters".

August 23, 2007...An announcement that I'd like to share...there's a new magazine release by Popular Cats series by Fancy Publications (Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy magazines) all about Persians! It's a blue backdrop with a white Persian as a front-cover model. Just like Popular Dogs (I have 2 Shih Tzu editions), they're now starting to do the cat series. This Persians edition is wonderfully written by various columnists. There are stuff written in there that you don't see in other publications about Persians. I needed that. They even include rescues and special-needs (especially in detail on the dreadful PKD). They describe more in details on recognizing and identifying various coat colors (i.e. bi-color meaning more than just 2 colors, that it's actually a white cat with a 2nd color). They even mention that some owners of Torties reported that there is some dominance in them (not sure exactly what a dominant cat is really like- tempermental, leader, fights easily?), but Melody's not like that at all. She's actually a soft-hearted sweetheart. This magazine is easy to find- I purchased mine at PetsMart...

May 12, 2007...yesterday was Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all of us moms of Furkids! Melody & her Persian kitty sister, Brandy, have a new doggie non-pal, a Shih Tzu pup named "Romeo"! Romeo was officially adopted on April 7, 2008 at 3 months old. R.I.P. Beau, CGC,TDI, my 1st Shih Tzu dog, who's very very dearly missed. Yes, they all get along, after Melody initially gave him warning black-belt karate bops not to get playful with her. Read all about him here! Another media update: a reality TV-series on Animal Planet's Groomer Has It featured Himalayans & a Tortie being groomed by 'professional' groomers competing for Best Groomer of the Year title. I'm so glad the one groomer got eliminated for cutting off the precious Tortie's whiskers- all of them! Sorry, but shame on her. How dare she? Cats relay heavily on those whiskers for various sensory purposes. However, why didn't anyone stop her? I hope no one uses her to groom their poor Persians. She lied to the one wise judge, who was a top cat groomer for decades, when she asked the groomer whether she cut off the whiskers, and the groomer said she didn't but might've plucked the face- thus making it look like the whiskers came off as a result of the plucking. The kitty didn't even like the groomer anyway. Good-bye groomer. She's lucky she didn't touch my precious Melody. I certainly hope that Tortie's whiskers grow back the way they used to look. Persians have beautifully long curvy whiskers...

More to come someday.


Melody & Me at PetsMart's 20th anniversary wearing party hats!
April 24, 2007
CLICK here to my "Time Capsule" site and scroll down to find pop culture happenings on Melody's birthday!

Melody & Brandy: Summer Babies birthday !


EASTER portrait w/ Brandy!

Happy Meow-ween --> Melody wins 3rd Place in costume contest!

My Last Will and Testament

My St. Francis of Assisi / pet blessing

Melody's paw imprint in cement/silica sand by Stepping Stone, dry dye mix in 'red' by Quikrete. Name "Melody" traditional-style stone stamps by Milestones. Shape of paw mold ordered from The Lighter Side mail-order catalog. Melody was very cooperative during the imprintng! Here are other similar pawprints of my other Furkids !
Summer, 2007

Updated: April 9, 2009
© 2007-9 Karen Catalioto

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