Some of the neighborhood’s felines are blessed with memorable names—such as Captain Blackbeard, Daniel Tiger, E.T. (for Exotic Tail), Itchy Valentino, Mr. Kitty, and Persepolis. For this Caturday, we celebrate with the unforgettable Herbie, The Love Bug—and, yes, that is his real name. Perhaps you’ve seen one of the Disney films featuring the charismatic car (VW Beetle) that inspires this handsome shorthair’s moniker.

I met Herbie and his owner along Panorama on April 18, 2018. She sat on doorway steps, while The Love Bug lay prone sunning. He is an indoor putty-tat who gets supervised outdoor jaunts. It’s an exercise of love: At 14, he couldn’t jump over the tasteful fence onto the sidewalk, so he is fairly safe on the lawn. 

What a lucky Friday the 13th find is this adorable white, which my wife spotted six days ago as we walked by Carmelita where it meets Mission Cliff. Aylin, or so her tag says, stood quietly in the grass of one house before coming out into the street to greet us.

I captured the Featured Image and companion using Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens. Vitals for the first: f/8, ISO 100, 1/60 sec, 50mm; 9:30 a.m. PDT. The other, taken four minutes later, is same except for 1/125 sec shutter speed. 

My wife and I unexpectedly encountered two 18-year-old felines on the same afternoon, April 12, 2018. The first, Precious, lives on Alabama Street. Anne called my attention to the other, on Louisiana between Madison and Monroe; I crossed the street to capture the moment—and unexpectedly meet her owners. Her name, Gracie, comes from the Bible. Appropriately, perhaps, her owner choosing it is called Kitty.

Gracie came to her owners as a pregnant stray, who would bear four kittens. The married couple of five years (at the time) kept the momma—and from the litter one male, who later died. He was a brat, whose misbehavior led her to be somewhat shy and reclusive. But after his untimely passing, she found herself, warming greatly to her caretakers.

We welcome this fine Caturday with the first of two 18-year-old kitties met on the same day, April 12, 2018. Precious resides next to Smokey, who lives, or did, next to Monkey, before his recent passing. Laramie and Lupe are across the street. Those are real names all. Holiday is the other furball from the same block of Alabama. Precious is the seventeenth furball featured in the series from this street.

Her home is undergoing renovations, which presented uncharacteristic sighting opportunity. The owner explained that Precious typically suns behind a grated security door, which makes her difficult to see from outside. But with the enclosure temporarily removed, she sunned in the open doorway while he talked to construction workers.