DESPERATE HOUSECATS

Named after the Egyptian goddess of sunrise and descended from an ancient family heritage in Thailand, she is beautiful, affectionate, garrulous and to some people, quite aloof. She is also high maintenance, but John doesn't mind, he loves her. John spends a lot of money on Bast, he buys her bling and expensive, tasty little meals. He takes her to a pricey, local salon for more grooming and they go out to shows several times a year.

Bast is intelligent, sensitive and has a slightly nervous temperament, although she is sociable, she is bonded only to John. Bast has fine bones, an aristocratic head, a slim muscular build, short pale hair and striking, almond shaped, deep blue eyes. She has a creamy, pale body with contrasting dark features. She moves fluidly, gracefully, and occasionally, with uncanny speed and agility but spends a lot of time in bed or grooming. Bast has won several awards for her beauty and attractive disposition. Bast is a Seal Point Siamese show cat...

Bast has a cousin in Thailand called Wichien-Maat it means Moon Diamond. They have never met. Bast looks just like her but she has less contrasting markings. Moon Diamond is a Chocolate Point Siamese cat. John is considering bringing Moon Diamond over from Thailand to live with them.

Everybody loves Bast including her two best friends Thai and Bali. They are sisters who live with John's cousin Benjamin where they all visit every week or two. Thai and Bali never come to visit Bast because Benjamin doesn't drive but sometimes, John takes everyone to shows. Thai and Bali are beautiful but they are unaware of it. They have more muted, pink gray markings than Bast. They are Lilac Point Siamese show cats. They are desperate for attention and they demand a lot of it from Benjamin. They are also desperate to ESCAPE. Thai especially, really wants to get outside and rushes to answer the door at every opportunity. But Benjamin says the streets are a dangerous place for slender, naive young females.

Thai and Bali are active, playful and inquisitive and they fuss around Bast. But she's more snooty than they are and less desperate for attention generally, since she travels regularly and has many celebrity friends. One of these celebrities Ting, is a Blue Point Siamese show cat with grey face, ears, tail and paws. Ting is very sociable and knows everybody so Ting, Bast, Thai and Bali talk a lot when they are together at a show, John calls them the chatty Cathys.

Lately the cats have been talking of climbing trees, of basking in the sun, eating grass and catching crickets, stalking birds and thrilling mouse hunts, things none of the cats have ever done but have always dreamed about. Recently the cats have been talking about only ONE thing when they get together...ESCAPE!

Once, Bali squeezed by Benjamin's leg when he answered the door and ESCAPED into the hall, she went up and down the hall but all the other doors were closed until finally a bell rang and one door slid open, Bali darted in, but only found herself in a tiny room with no other doors or windows, so after a while she gave up and went home.

Last year, at a show, John dropped Bast's leash, she made a quick little run and ESCAPED through an open gate, but around the corner there was another gate and this one was closed.

Ting thinks she's ESCAPED because once, she got out of her cat carrier, jumped into the front seat, put her paws on the dashboard and looked out the front window, but the other cats don't think this counts.

John and Benjamin are wise to the cat's plans and are careful not to let the cats out.

The cats know that ESCAPE is not easy but they think they are very smart and are still trying to pull it off.

JulianOnePlanet 2009