Trouble on 36 Legs [redux]

Ellis says: These were the first kittens of a litter of nine to born in the middle of a party. The dancing had to be stopped while Bronwen, our red Burmese queen, gave birth. Bronwen felt quite relaxed giving birth with lots of people around her. The ladies, dressed in their ballgowns, became instant midwives, helping to clean up the newborn kits. The gentlemen stayed well away and drank wine.

Each of our litters has a theme: this time round it was characters from Shakespeare. Each litter also seems to have its own particular character, and this lot were irrepressibly rumbunctuous, hugely affectionate and highly intelligent. Ariel was living proof that a name can influence its owner's character. He would regularly rush around the house and up the curtains with the speed and mischeviousness of Shakespeare's spirit in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Florizel was by far the most chilled and laid back of the Shakespeare Gang. He just went with the flow and let life happen. Autolychus (Tolly) was the big bruiser a friendly giant who was always to be found at the center of the kitten heap when they snoozed together. Perdita was the smallest, but the most athletic. She now lives with a family whose pictures regularly get knocked off their walls by her, a habit she developed in her birth home. Portia and Octavia were both very calm and collected. They were the little princesses who instinctively knew about their aristocratic lineage and behaved accordingly. Cassandra (Cassie) spent most of her time curled up with one of the others, or with a human, purring fit to burst. She was so laid back and relaxed you could lay her over the back of a chair like a towel and she wouldn't mind. Lysander was one of the more mischevious kittens of the Shakespeare Gang. Silvia may look cute but don't be fooled - she was the ringleader. Any serious trouble, like teacups being knocked off tables or food going missing from the kitchen counter, was usually down to her.