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Ray Cook has a family of four: three boys and one girl. All in his family except one have blue eyes.

The girl, Sachi, is 5, the youngest. The boys are Casey, Casper and Zaniko.

They all have blue eyes, tall graceful ears and long tails with colored tips. Three are Siamese, and Casey is a tabby, with lots of white on his chest.

Cook, a volunteer with Siamese Cat Rescue, adopted Casey as a kitten.

When a co-worker mentioned seeing a kitten roaming through her neighborhood, Cook thought Casey would enjoy a companion. He took in the kitten, a flame-point Siamese, meaning he was more of a peach color than white and had peach-colored points on his head. He named this cat Casper.

Later, Cook adopted two more Siamese from Siamese Cat Rescue.
To pick up his cats, Cook met volunteer Emily Davidson-Begosh in Fayetteville. Davidson-Begosh told Cook about the need for volunteers.

Cook became a member of the Meezer Express, the transporting arm of the rescue center.

Though based in Virginia, Siamese Cat Rescue Center coordinates adoptions in 15 states. The center uses a relay of volunteers to deliver the cats.

The express is called “Meezer” to describe the low-pitched voice of the Siamese. The cat uses this voice to communicate to his peers and owner and sometimes to demand attention.

After volunteering as a transporter, Cook also volunteered to set up and help at some cat shows. He helps set up the stands with items to sell, such as the popular cat bed. It usually takes two hours to set up.

Cook has worked at the annual cat show in High Point. He usually helps with shows in January, February, March, April, August and October.

Cook also plans to help with a show in Winston-Salem Oct. 19.
Cook said he likes Siamese cats because they are so intelligent. He said they are a little like a dog in the bond they establish with their owner.

“I love their blue eyes, too,” he added.

“Most people say the Siamese voice sounds like a yow. My cats have squeaky voices though, not a yow,” he said. “Most of the time my cat family is fairly quiet. They are playful and like to chase each other. They are good sleepers and do not prowl at night like some cats.”

Casey rules the roost, but Sachi, the only girl, sometimes gives the others a hard time, Cook said.

Darrell and Siri Zwemke run the Siamese Cat Rescue Center in Locust Dale, Va. During the 11 years they’ve run the center, 6,315 cats have been rescued.

Darrell Zwemke said most of their cats come from shelters and are cats the shelters feel will not be adopted. Only 30 percent of the cats they pick up are kittens.

Zwemke said volunteers are always needed to foster cats, serve as interviewers for potential adopters, help run the Meetzer Express, do intakes of cats when they come to the center and serve as crafters to make items to be sold at shows.

The day I talked to Cook, I got to meet Casey and Sachi. The other cats were hiding.

Casey, the tabby, came to meet me right away. Sachi, a snowshoe Siamese with four white feet, came out at the end of our interview and showed me her beautiful blue eyes.

The cats vary in weight and each has a distinctive personality.

“My cats follow me all over the house and actually carry on a conversation with me. They talk back. I can tell by their tone and that certain meow,” Cook said.

“People who like cats should definitely consider adopting one. They are so intelligent and you never know what they are going to do.”

If you have information about High Point, please contact me at mjohnson2@triad.rr.com.