Annabelle!

Finally, the promised ALL ABOUT ANNABELLE post!

Anna, December 2006

Anna is a "doll-faced" Himalayan, meaning she doesn't have the extreme or "flat face" that show quality Himmies have. This makes her eyes easier to clean. While she does get "goo," it cleans up quickly and easily as she doesn't have the folds around her nose like Zuzu.

Though Annabelle is her real name, we usually call her Anna or "B."

This happened as gradually her named shortened from Annabelle to AnnaB to finally just "B."

Anna's personality is quite different from Zuzu's. Anna is WAY more curious than Zu and has been from the day we brought her home. She is either very brave, very trusting -- or very stupid, as it seems she is afraid of nothing! Unlike Zuzu, Anna LOVES to be held -- in fact, she will stand on her hind legs and very gently knit her claws on my leg, begging to be picked up:

Visitors don't bother her -- she'll come right up to new people and is fine if they hold her. When she was younger, she was completely fascinated whenever my 8-year old daughter Mia took a a a bath. Anna would sit right on the edge of the tub and stick her paws in the water.
Eventually, she did fall in -- three times!
But, the next time Mia took a tub, Anna would be right back on the side of the tub, ready for more water fun.

Unlike Zuzu, she isn't much bothered by Carter, our 9 month old German Shepherd puppy. When he was smaller,Anna would lie, belly up, right in front of him. These days as Carter nears 80 pounds and is still learning -- slowly! -- not to chase her and to play GENTLY, she avoids him more than she used to. But as long his licking stays gentle, she'll still roll over and purr as he does this.

Anna and Carter, about 6 months old. He's much bigger now!

And boy oh boy does Anna roll -- and rolls and rolls and rolls! I think her motto is "Look at my belly!"

Ever since she was a baby, Anna's always had a very inquisitive/"Who?ME?" look on her face.

Picture by breeder Suzette.

Today, at over a year and a half old, she still has a similar look:

"OH! What you has there?!"

Anna is also GREAT BIG TROUBLE! Zuzu, trouble too, but Anna, oooh, she big trouble!

See?

"I do this."

"Will TOO get lamps!"

"I WHACKS you!"

"WILL eat this!"

"Too, eat THIS!"

Another one of her nicknames it The Anna Bear, so-named for her penchant of standing on her hind legs:

Picture by breeder Suzette. The very scary ANNA BEAR!

Again, The SCARY ANNA BEAR, one year old.

Anna is also much more vocal than her sister. She has much louder "meow" and ain't afraid to use it!

"Meow!" = Pick me up!
"MEEow!" = Did you stop petting me? Pet me more!
"Meeeow!" = I wanna go in the basement!
"MeeeeOW!" = I wanna go outside!

She big noisy baby!

She does want to go outside. Up until now, I haven't let her as I was afraid if she got scared, she'd wiggle out of a harness and I'd lose her!

Anna: Do TOO wanna go outside!
Kim: But it's too rough out there for you!
Anna: Do SO wanna go outside! WILL go outside!
Kim: But if you got lost, you're just a big, white, fluffy BABY and you'd stand out like a sore thumb 'cuz you're so white -- and predators would EAT you, Anna!
Anna: WOULDN'T!
Kim: They would, Anna!
Anna: WOULDN'T ! Go outside!

See? But now, after seeing Goma Brother and Sachie's harness, I'm thinking I'll get one of those for Anna. I feel mean keeping her in. She cries at the door when I'm outside on the porch, begging and begging to come out.

Too, oooh, she FAT! Even though Zuzu is a bigger cat frame-wise, I bet Anna out weights Zu by at least 4 pounds. I'll have to watch this. She may have to go on a diet.

Anna: HATE diet! WILL eat! Wanna eat what YOU eat, too!

So that's a little about Annabelle. I think my favorite thing about her is how I think she would literally let me hold her all day! Whenever I need to hold a kitty -- and sometimes you really do just need to hold a kitty! -- I pick up Anna and walk all around the house with her. She loves it -- will start grooming herself and purring as I hold her.