Shima is a very exotic-appearing calico who came to us with her kittens. Just a baby herself, she is so happy and grateful to be in a safe and loving environment. As you can see, she has lovely markings. To me, her eyes appear to be peeking out from behind a veil.....

This mama and her four kittens were living outside and rescued by a nice woman who brought them to Judy.  The kittens were at the end of being weaned when taken into a foster home.  Since the beginnning it was obvious how much these kittens loved their mama, and Shima loved the kittens.  This is not always the case.  I think this is what contributes to their great personalities.  This sounds so cliche' but really all they want is love and affection.

03.20.09 Foster Update:
Shima is "mother" in the Native American Navajo language. This young girl is a great mom to her four little kittens. And, I do mean young. She was probably chronologically still a kitten herself.

04.06.09 Volunteer Update: While I'm not currently fostering Shima - only her kittens at this point - I always stop to see her when at the Center. She is such a sweet girl - and was a great mom. Her kittens are built like her for the most part - long and slender; however, the boy is a little "thicker" and bigger than the girls. They all acquired the sweet, affectionate personality of their mother.

I was just looking through the photos of Shima that I took while fostering her and it reminded me of what a gentle, loving mama she was - and just a great cat in general.

05.28.09 Volunteer Update: Shima is an absolute doll!  She is so sweet.  She doesn't mind being picked up at all and enjoys being in my lap or next to me.  She is not shy or reserved but she is not aggressive either.  She does not mind the other animals in the house though she is not quite sure what to think about my other cat.  They lay with each other and she washes his head but when he rolls around on the ground to play she kind of looks at him like he's insane.  Quite frankly she is just lovely.

07.06.09 Volunteer Update: Shima has proven to be a wonderful cat.  She gets along great with everyone and has learned to love my other cat.  They are often seen roaming around the house together.  I'm glad they both are able to be friends.  She loves to snuggle and will jump up on my lap while I am on the computer.  She likes to sleep with my son and lay with us while we read at night.  She likes being picked up and hugged and kissed.  She is so special.  She also LOVES wet food and would probably eat 3 cans if I allowed her to but she still stays very petite. 

According to cat-lovers-only.com, the Calico cat breed is actually not a breed at all, but a tri-color coat patter, often black, red, and white. Many different types of cats can have this coat pattern, and it is not restricted to any particular type of breed. All three colors are in a distinct patches, not mixed as in Tortoiseshells. To be a true tri-color, a calico cat's colors must be: 1) white; 2) red or cream; and 3) black, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, or fawn. The variations in color from red and black are caused by a gene which dilutes, or lightens up the basic color, and produces a dilute calico cat, most commonly with a coat of white, cream, and blue."