Hello Bean! Nice to make your acquaintance. Tell us a little bit about yourself: Nice to meet you too! I live near Glencoe Park with 2 humans and another cat. I don’t see the park much because I’m an indoor-only cat. But who wants to go outside anyway in 107 degrees wearing a fur coat!? This summer was brutal!

They call me Bean because my Calico markings resemble oversized beans. I think the name suits me fine. Lee and Yoshimi got me during a pet-give-away event at Northpark one holiday season about 4 years ago. I was only about 2 months old at the time. I must get back to Dillards and get those super cute earmuffs I saw there.

So what’s the story behind the Calico breed, little Bean? Well, first of all, Calicos are not a breed – Calico instead refers to our fur coloring. 13 different cat breeds have the possibility of becoming a beautiful Calico like me. You see, female cats have an XX Chromosome pattern, with X expressing fur color. One of the Xs can potentially express black and the other, orange. By contrast, male cats have an XY chromosome pattern, where Y does not express fur color. So male cats can only express 1 color other than white! A male cat can only be a Calico if he has the genetic abnormality of having the 3 chromosome pattern XXY. 1:3,000 odds). And, if you were to meet a male Calico, he will almost always be sterile. A lot of good that does anybody!

Any funny stories? I overheard Dad say that he’d never had cats until he got married. “Who needs them? They’re a waste of time, energy, money.”  But now he can’t live without me. I’m his favorite and we both know it.

Favorite Activities or talents? Sleeping - a lot – like 12 hours at a time. I have perfected the art. I’m an excellent food fetcher. Dad throws me treats across the hardwood floors - into the next room. I jump, follow with a slide, add in a cartwheel for good measure – and ninja my way to the treat. Once captured, I go back to Dad and say, ‘Let’s do it again!’ I could do this endlessly, but Dad seems to be slightly less inclined at 6 AM.

Any quirks you’d care to share? I only allow petting at certain times. When I’m in the kitchen window – that’s a ‘no touching’ zone. When I’m lying on the bed – that’s a hard no. I will swat you if you forget. But when it’s time to be in someone’s lap – just accept that it’s happening. Remember who calls the shots around here!

What else should we know about you Bean, and how have you enriched your home? I don’t mind saying that I am the Cadillac of Cats and no expense shall be spared when it comes to my food, healthcare or petsitters. I’m truly so very fond of Lee & Yoshimi; and I wouldn’t be the cat I am today without them. I’d like to close my remarks by repeating what Dad says most often about me, “She has made my wife very happy and I have a happy life because I have a happy wife!”