We present to you a very distinguished fellow for this month’s Critter of The Month. Milo, a 17lb hunk of handsome, leaves an indelible impression upon all he chooses to grace with his presence. Owner Eleanore is his number one fan and personal manager. We are so happy she chose to share his story with us.

Milo is a very large “Snowshoe Siamese,” (more on that later) an important member of our family for over eleven years.

We originally met Milo at the Berkeley Pound. In a very unusual situation, someone had dropped off a whole cat family the night before, the mother and father cat and a litter of about five kittens. The father appeared to be pure Siamese, the mother a mix. Some of the kittens looked like classic Siamese, others including Milo, had the V-shaped white stripe down the nose, and white boots. We chose Milo the best way: we put the kittens down on the ground one by one and watched what they did, how perky and interactive they were. He was the most spunky, sniffing our shoes and looking up at us. So we took him home.

We thought he was a mutt, a Siamese/American shorthair mix. Turns out there is a new cat “breed” called Snowshoe Siamese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_(cat)). Milo has a look that breeders are actually trying to achieve. He was an aristocrat all along, despite his humble beginnings in the Pound.

Likes: lap sitting (at the breakfast table or when we’re trying to work on the computer), grooming his favorite people, hanging out when we’re having a shower and gazing over the tub (which has led to some unplanned “dips”), personal training (he sits on our chests during sit-ups), rat hunting, green peas.

Dislikes: Unfamiliar house guests, restricted diets (anybody could be the dreaded “Cat Killer!”)

Think your critter can make the cut? January is fast approaching and we’d love some nominations for our next critter! Email us at .