Who needs writing with such wonderful captions?

Love the Soba!

first?

wOOt!

Love your post today!

Whew, with that last post about the storm and stuff, I was worried! Glad to see you're back. Nuzzle the kitties for me!

Gosh she's pretty! A dictator, maybe, but lovely. :)

Soba rocks! She is such a beautiful kitty.

Soba looks almost approachable here! Nice shootin', Tex!

she's beautiful! and also- I have a bunch of friends now that I met reading your blog and randomly clicking on names or even meeting them at your meet and greets. I just wanted to thank you for that.

Ok I'm done sounding mushy

Have an awesome day!

All Hail the Great Sobakawa **bows down before her majesty**

My daughter got your book for me for Christmas and I really enjoyed it. You made me laugh and want to cry and I've spent the last few days reading through your site. Thanks for sharing your life and your kitties!!
~kim in georgia

yay, you're back!

that's some countenance!

She does pose quite well.

Sobakowa reminds me very much of the Dictator Kay-tee. The dictator Katie is always unhappy. Funny enough, she loves to snuggle with you when you sleep though, snuggling while you're awake is unacceptable.

Such intensity in those eyes!

Does Soba sit on the furniture and just stare out the window? My kitty, Maggie, does....sometimes I wonder if I should try letting her roam on my porch, but I'm scared to!

*
I dare say he's smiling in that last one !

*

Is it a torti thing to look so severe? My Suki always looks like that but she is the best natured, sweetest little girl. She sounds a little bossy though. Meh! Meh! Meh! While I pet her like I'm not doing it quite right.

I love your cats.

Got any meow mix?

too funny

"...strong countenance." Love it, too funny. And yet, also true! Soba is quite photogenic...and masterful, powerful, all-mighty...well, you get the drift.

Glad you are back, we all get nervous when you don't post for a few days :)

Of course cats don't say "Cheeeese" like we mere mortals.
:-)

Yeah! You're back!

It's nice to know there's someone else out there who hears and understands their felines!

She's a pretty one. Even if she is so cattish.
.

Yay, you're back and with cat pix to boot!

Welcome Back! I hope you had a great time with your friend. I was going through some serious CAP withdrawl.

Hehe. Had to tell you-my cat Barnie left home 40 days ago, and came back this morning! He's dirty and skinny, but purring up a storm. Yippee!!

Love it! She manages to look scary and cuddly all at the same time. Emma the Delusional Alpha Cat wishes she had Sobakowa's style!

It looks like Soba is smiling omnipotently in that last photo ... hehe.

Is that SUNSHINE I see outside your window???

Laurie, glad to see you survived > The Weather.

I got your book for Christmas too. For some reason, I'm having a hard time reading it. Perhaps some of it hits too close to home at the moment. Please come distract me with witty posts about stuff!!! *grin*

Well, ok.... you can entertain everyone else too...

"Portrait of the Dictator Contemplating." What a classic, heroic, Soviet pose. Power to the people!

Er, to the torties.

Perhaps she is contemplating her deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Just happened upon your site and I love it. Busy reading your archives to catch up. I am a fellow cat lover from Manitoba Canada and do you ever make me laugh with your cat stories!

The glare is steely....What is thy bidding, my master!

Why do I love pictures of other people's cats so much? Soba is very pretty. My sister hates tortie cats. She thinks they're ugly and mottled but I think the melding of colors and tones in their coats is beautiful.

Very cute! Glad you're back!

Such a noble looking dictator. Her serene photos hide the fact that she is an iron-clawed dictator!
Viva La Soba!!

Green leaves? Open windows? I vaguely remember such things...

Give Soba an ear scritch for me, 'kay?

I can hear the "nyet" now.

Did you have a fun time off?

All here will be thrilled when they wake up to see more information on The Dictator.
Any publication update on THE MANIFESTO?

All Hail the great Soba. Oh, the burden on those furry shoulders. How grateful she must be to her most obedient server.
My dearly departed dictator, Bobbi McGee, a Tortie/Manx was often gracious to me in my time of servitude to her most excellent furry backside.
Most interesting weather we are ALL experiencing! Here in the Portland/Vancouver area we've had a major network gab-fest regarding a tiny tornado which blew in and departed. Gosh, guess none of these folks have ever visited the "Plains". (Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, etc,) Sorry, I don't mean to be insensitive. But, I believe there's gonna be a lot more interesting weather on the way. Click your little red high-heels if you want to go back to Kansas!

Well, I was going to come up with a witty comment but I can't top some of those above me. Had me giggling!

Soba is a doll...er...a Stern and Severe-Countenanced Dictator. I love torties, too, even dictator ones!

Wow, she's gorgeous! The position of her ears in that first photo, though ... I admire your courage in continuing to shoot!

Wow, you are one hot kitty dude!!! Headbonks, the Mitz

Glad you are back, Laurie! I was ready to start checking the canyons for you (and then I got really nervous when I saw Drew's last post was the 4th also)...Phew! You are back and so are the kitties!

Soba is a formidable cat.

Soba is so very Bailey...

I think that they are meant to be together, your cat and mine.

Tortitude in action! I love it! My own in-house benevolent despot Jezebel (under whose benign rule I've discovered the joys of tortitude) highly approves, and would like to open up diplomatic relations with Soba should the latter ever feel inclined... ;-)

Y'know she looks like a nice cat....

I really love the third one.
Hail Soba!

Whew! indeed...I see now though that All is Fine in Chez Cathair, as long as Her Holinessness is keeping things Under Control. I trust LA has recovered from the Severe Case of Damp, too. We had a sneaky bout of Warm (unnatural in January, just plain unnatural) but it's snowng again. The globe has scrunched around on its axis and things seem to be coming straight to rights. eeee-HAH!

Laurie,
You and your cats are awesome. If only there wasn't an entire country between us...

Yes, I'm straight, and I love cats. I also enjoy shopping. So sue me.

Soba is orgeous! (bowing and scraping)
How did you put the captions into the pictures? and how are Bob's litlle pink toes?

Will you be hanging larger than life posters of Soba at Chez Spinster similar to how the communist countries hang pictures of their leaders to rally the people? That would be so cute.

What a beautiful cat.
And now I see why you live in southern CA. You have your windows open in January?!?!?!?!?!
My cat is going bonkers -- our house (in upstate NY) has been under "lockdown" since Sept. She'd kill for an open window about now.

I live in Paris and just today I saw a lady in a shop with her cat standing on her shoulders as she walked around. That is so far from something my cat would ever do. I also saw one very mellow cat on a leash the other day strolling down the street with his mistress. I myself only have one neurotic cat with "issues" but he's sweet.

You are such a hoot! Brings back memories of having to read "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man." Love the noble cat poses.

All 4 of my kitties are dictaors! The 2 oldest insist we sit and pet them while they eat and both of them have their individual ways of making sure we do just that. The 2 14 week(or so) little boys are learning that trick, and they also demand we pay proper attention to themeven to interupting the girlies food bowl attention. Amazingly they all get along for the most part.

I always think of her as La Sobasita. To me it reflects her duality. She is petite and charming, and appears so delicate, yet she is omnipotent. And if you don't believe that, I bet she has a great right hook! (After all, one must keep the minions in line somehow.)

I just want to squish her!!! Yes she would probably scratch the heck out of me and I might even lose an eye, but as a cat person I'm willing to take the risk.

Thank you so much for featuring Soba. I have missed her lately.

I have a lovely regal tortie with green eyes, and she demands my obeisance as well!

Soba is such a pretty kitty, er I mean, majestic cat! What a great series of photos!

I can't take a picture of my cats without having massive red eye attacks. It seems their eyes just reflect the flash. I have red eye reduction on my camera but it doesn't seem to help. Do you not use flash at all?

Nice Joyce reference. Love it.

Dear CAP - I read your book this weekend and really enjoyed it. Am hoping that you make so much money you can roll around nekkid in it with a hot Italian man....

I have a terrier that can top that haughty look.

pam, that sounds like a blogger picture showdown. put yer pixals where your post is, girl.

mck.

Strong, regal face with impressive fur. The perfect profile of a dictator.

My boss gave me your book last month when I told her my husband wants a divorce. Said it reminded her of me! I'll be checking the blogs more often, yes? Thanks for the humor. It fits in nicely and offers a rich contrast to my 21 year marriage.

You must check out www.ObeyTheKitty.com - I think Sobakowa should be next for a propaganda drawing.

Hi Laurie - I know this has nothing to do with the cat pictures, but a while back you posted about greening your cleaning, and I finally got around to doing it myself. I just cleaned my bathroom with vinegar, water, baking soda and Method bath cleaner. Let me tell you, I can actually breathe in my bathroom and it's just as clean as with the nasty toxic cleaners. Thanks for posting about this and as usual, inspiring! :-)

Hi Laurie-
I found your book at the library and I can't put it down. You write wonderfully and I'm finding myself giggling often one moment and the next wanting to join you in crying. I'm not divorced, but I do have a friend who is going through one so I thought I'd read up a bit so I can try and understand what she's going through. I'm going to recommend your book. I haven't taken up knitting yet...I did learn when I was little, but I forgot it all. An old supervisor I had was really into it.:) You own beautiful cats.
Hope you have a great & adventurous 2008.

Um. Yeahh. My sister sent you to me a few onths ago. I am a divorced 40-something with 4 cats and I've been knitting the same (totally awesome) baby blanket over and over for the past 5 years. Last year I decided that I suck and so knitted an actual sweater (using cheap chunky yarn) and it's my handmade sweatwhirt that I won't wear in public. But I MADE IT AND I'M PROUD!!!

I'm so happy to know there is another divorced (congrats BTW - divorce is a wonderful thing once you live through the first 2 years) cat-collecting knitter who uses parentheses more than one person should. I am going to buy your book. So now we're best friends, right?

Great photos of a terribly dignified cat! :)

I love Soba, she is the best little dictator to come along in a long time :)

I love your book it was so funny. You have a great blog. I have made one Magic scarf and working on #2, I have the yarn you used in the Giant Pom Pom scarf and I plan to start the scarf as soon as I get finished with the Magic Scarf.

OMG Laurie...Tell me why I am now completely addicted to How Clean is Your House?!...I remembered reading it on your blog and so when I saw it on the guide I thought..hmmm...I'll Tivo an episode of it to see how it is...TOTALLY HOOKED now! They had a marathon of them on yesterday and I'm not ashamed to say that I spent an abnormal amount of time alternating between watching it and running to scrub my sink and vacuum my baseboards:p

What a cute kitty!
I also have a tortie. Aren't they fun. Such personality, these kitties. :)

Thought you might want to check me out oh Dishy one...in my new cat-o-rific vest!!!

http://veggiesyarnsandtails.wordpress.com/2008/01/16/sassy-sweater-mitz-and-soups-on-too/

Headbonks big fella!!