I've got to get some pictures loaded up, but in the meantime, I'll just tell you about our "ladies". (Let ma just say we didn't realize how aptly named our cats were until they grew up!)
Shadow: "The Shy Lady" She's our oldest, 14, she's a beautiful mix of siamese and tabby, silver and cream. She is terribly shy of strangers. No one beyond the immediate family ever sees her, and there are some people that even doubt in her existence! But she is so loving, at night once the VERY active 2 yr old goes to bed, she comes out and jumps up in bed with us. technically she's my husband's cat. She'll be loved by both of us, but she sleeps at his head.
Mischief: "The Queen" - this is our middle cat about 6, she is also our smallest cat, but she reigns supreme! The other two cats know it. Shadow doesn't even try, Trouble will try - but gets backed down quick. Mischief is solid black a Halloween cat. She is a "true" cat. She will deign for you to pet her when she feels like being adored. She will also go streaking through the house for absolutely no reason whatsoever. She will announce to us that she is going to jump onto our kitchen counter and attempt to eat whatever leftovers we have not yet cleaned up from dinner. She will put up with the 2 yr old for approximately 1 minute, and then she leaves.
Trouble: "The Fat Cat" - She's only about 3 yrs old and weighs 18 lbs, she has all the appearances of a british blue (that smokey grey-blue color) we picked her up from the humane society. She immediately let me know she wanted to go home with me. I didn't even see her in her cage. She swiped out with her little paw and caught my sweater and wouldn't let go, and ket meowing and purring (when she does both she sounds like one of those little tribbles from the old Star Trek series)I finally detangled her to look at one my husband was looking at, and she pitched a fit! The HS director said, "I think you've been chosen". So home she came. She stands her ground against the 2 yr old. She will growl and hiss and spit at him, but has never clawed or bit him, she waits for us to come get him. She figures she was there first and if she makes enough noise, we'll rescue her!