Authors' Bio
Jon and Jo had the idea to start this website after being frustrated at the lack of information easily available to the public about the fabulous cat statuettes in York. Here you can find out a bit more about the people behind this site.
Jon
Jon originally hails from North Devon, where he was born and bred in a guest house. He was interested in music and electronics and so decided to combine the two when choosing a degree. This is why he chose the Electronics Engineering with Music Technology Systems (EEMTS) MEng degree at the University of York.
Four years later he graduated (and was dating Jo), and a few months later started November 5th Web Solutions, a Web design business that specialises in accessibility. His company continues to go from strength to strength.
Growing up, Jon fondly remembers his two family cats – Whiskas and Smokey. Whiskas was a friendly cat with a tortoise shell coat who lived in the family’s guest house. Smokey was a playful cat with a white and dark grey coat – his dark grey tail looked like a column of smoke. Sadly, they are no longer with us.
Jo
Before coming to York, Jo had lived her whole life in a small town in Surrey, just on the outskirts of London. Her great loves have always been music (she plays several instruments) and writing (anything from poems to children’s stories to murder mysteries). Her other loves include history, the Internet, mythology and fairies. She has also always been a mad cat person.
She wanted to find a degree course in Music Technology, so when the University of York offered her a place on its EEMTS BEng degree, she jumped at the chance to live 250 miles away from home! There she met Jon, and made some lifelong friends into the bargain.
When Jo was very young, her family had a tabby cat called Tiger who she adored, despite the numerous scratches. Later, after Tiger passed away, her family got three more cats – Amber, Ember and Pebbles. Pebbles (the cutest little tabby you have ever seen) instantly became Jo’s own cat, following her absolutely everywhere! Sadly, she died in 2001. Her sister Ember died in 2006. Amber is still alive.
Where are they now?
Jon and Jo have now moved from York to North Devon, where they hope to someday soon get a cat of their own. Despite the move, they are still linked to the city in which they met. It will always be a home to them, and they like to keep informed on the goings-on in the area. They continue to keep this website updated as often as possible. So if you know something about the cats that is not on this site, or have spotted another one, use the Cat Chat page to let them know!