in 1997, when I was 8 years old, I wasn't allowed to have a pet. instead, my parents gifted me the PF Magic virtual pet game for PCs called Petz. absorbed in caring for my virtual Dogz and Catz, I taught myself basic HTML to make a webite dedicated to them.

now that I am an adult and a pet-parent of a real cat, I decided that he deserves a website too. this is my website decicated to my cat Ingmar.

Ingmar was born on a farm upstate in Valatie, NY (pronounced "Valatia" - don't let locals hear you say it otherwise) in the Spring of 2018. the farmers could not tell me his age. when I brought him to the vet, they guessed he was about six weeks.

most vets do not recommend separating a kitten less than eight weeks old from its mother. as a result of being raised by humans, Ingmar has some unique qualities. humans that meet him usually comment approvingly that he is more "dog-like" than "cat-like." as a cat-lover who sometimes finds dogs annoying, I take offense to the implication that canine characteristics are more desirable than feline ones. however, I agree that Ingmar is more affectionate towards humans than your average cat.

he greets visitors by running up to them and often follows people from room to room. He loves to curl up with me while napping, although he doesn't always like to be pet. he is curious, dynamic, and loves to play. sometimes he can be very vocal, but as long as he is fed consistently and given enough attention, he is generally relaxed. he can also jump higher than any other cat I've met and sometimes likes to play fetch.

his dark grey coat flashes silver in the sun. although he resembles a Russian blue, a "cat DNA test" my mother gifted to me revealed no relation (the results came back part domestic-short hair, part Norweigan Forest cat, and surprisingly, part Maine Coon).

I named Ingmar after Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman as a homage to my Swedish heritage and my grandmother Britt. I vividly remember my grandmother laying on her bed in Stockholm and sorrowfully listening to radio show (radioprogram) honoring him on the day of his death in 2007. with his fearless attitude and sophisticated demeanor, Ingmar the cat embodies the filmmaker's spirit with grace.