Popular cat names

We named the cats in 2025 but I had no idea their names made the 2026 most popular cat names list.

Piper on the chair and Ruby on the back, as usual. It's rare to get a picture of them together.

Super cute cat puzzle

This Cobble Hill puzzle is called The Purrfect Bookshelf. My cat puzzles are usually 750 pieces, but they're a different brand (Buffalo). I do like the quality of Cobble Hill puzzles. Ruby likes the box.

Supposedly they're challenging because the puzzles are "random cut," meaning each piece has a different shape. I've done at least two Cobble Hill puzzles before - this candy one and this cookie one (both Halloween) - and never realized that. Maybe only some are random cut? I then noticed the box says "random cut."

While Ruby is in the puzzle box, Piper was sitting on the top of a nearby chair. That's usually Ruby's resting place. Weird cats.

Done and complete. That was a fun one!

Halloween puzzle

It's officially fall so it's time to bring out the Halloween puzzle. Piper and I thought this eould be a hard one - it wasn't easy - but once I got going it came together pretty quickly.

Finished and complete!

So many cute details on this one.

Harvest puzzle

This is one of the puzzles I picked up from a neighbor's porch. Had the note been on the box, I wouldn't have grabbed this one. At least it says where the missing piece is.

Piper usually doesn't bother me when I'm working on a puzzle but here she is ... and caught in the act of taking two(!) pieces in her mouth and racing away. No wonder I lose so many pieces.

It's done but I'm missing three pieces!

Funny that instead of a brand, the tractor says, "Farm Tractor."

Sleeping beauties

Piper ...

and Ruby.

Togetherness.

Gotcha day anniversary

Yesterday, July 26, was the cats' one-year anniversary of being with us. They've grown a lot. They're still more skittish than I'd like but they're still young. Maybe in another year they'll be calmer?

Here's Ruby. She loves to sit like this on the back of the dining room chairs. She seems to like me more than Andy and sits with me in the evenings. She's cuddly but still likes to lick me ... too much.

Piper seems a bit more adventurous. Here she is on the kitchen counter. When I'm getting ready in the morning, she hoos up on the bathroom sink and waits for me to turn on the water so she can get a drink. Usually when I get out of the shower she is sitting on the bed waiting for me. She sits with Andy every night so we say she's "his cat" but she sleeps by my legs. Ruby comes to bed with us too but usually wakes up and starts licking our faces so she gets tossed out.

They both like to play, like treats, enjoy sitting on my puzzles and follow me around all day when I'm home. They're both scared of loud sounds and sudden movements. Let's hope they get calmer and cuddlier in the coming year.

Is it dark in here?

It seems Piper wanted to turn light but I think she was chasing a fruit fly.

The cats

My cute jungle cat. Should I tell Piper the plant is fake?

Ruby has a knack for looking scared in photos.

Sitting pretty

Piper enjoys having the windows open. She's probably been looking for her friends from next door. Their dining room window is across from our kitchen and sometimes their cats sit there too.

Piper's latest, favorite sleeping spot is Andy's office chair.

Cat friends

Our neighbors have three indoor/outdoor cats who apparently are very curious why our cats stay inside.

Make yourself at home, cat. I'm not sure what this one's name is but she's a beauty.

This one is funny with their black cat, Frankie, sitting on our air conditioner. The other cat is just chillin' on the sidewalk. Our cats are in the window checking Frankie out.

Cat library puzzle

Piper usually doesn't bother my puzzles, but this one must have been particularly interesting.

Ruby prefers puzzles with bigger boxes. This one doesn't quite fit her.

All done with one piece missing.

Make me move

Piper loves to sit on this countertop despite our many efforts to make her get down. We think the dishwasher makes it warm and toasty for her.

Yes, I’ll wash it

The problem with getting the linens out early for a holiday is that the cats think I've given them a new place to rest.

Piper chillin’

As much as I try to keep these cats off the counters, they insist. Piper looks like she's challenging me.

Grr.

And sitting pretty on the buffet.

The grass is greener

It was so warm yesterday (almost 70) I opened the windows to let some fresh air in the house. A few hours later, the neighbors sent a video of their cat watching Piper, who was sitting in the open window above the kitchen sink, with the caption, "The grass is always greener."

Pretty poses

Piper

and Ruby

Cuddling cats

Well, this is just adorable, but wait. Piper isn't alone ...

she's being cuddled by Ruby. Look at Ruby's paw resting in Piper's tail. Aww.

Enjoying the sun

I ran an errand yesterday, came home and found both cats lounging (napping) in the sun.

It's been a while since we've had warmer, sunny days.

Chasing the sun

I thought Piper was chasing a gnat, bit she was chasing a sun reflection.

Silly cat.

Bad cats

These two cats are something.