My sister and I co-own our cats. Thus, they are my cats; they are also my sister’s cats. How do I put those two statements together correctly? “My sister’s and my cats” sounds bad, as does “My sister and my’s cats.” Is it possible to say this correctly without reverting to some cheater phrase like “The cats belonging to my sister and me”?
My and my sister’s cats.
Flawed premise in your example: no-one owns cats. Cats own people.
“The cats who belong to me and my sister, but like me better than they like her” perhaps?
“See them cats yonder? Those belong to me an’ sis. They’s ours.”
“Boots and Whiskers belong to us.”
“Wanna buy a cat? I’ll see you one, but we have to tell my sister it ran away. Both cats belong to us.”
“Cats? What cats? I don’t know who did that to your sofa, and neither would my sister.”
“My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. The possessive ending goes at the end of the entire phrase.
Some people will try and tell you that “my sister and I’s cats” is correct. They are wrong. In English we use oblique pronouns after conjunctions.
Our cats. :rolleyes: 
Don’t add an appostrophe to form the possessive of my. And I’s is also incorrect.
Andrew’s my and my sister’s cats is correct even though we don’t usually mention ourselves first.
I hope you’re joking.
Really, I hope you are.
Please call me whooshed.
I would go along with Andrew T on this one:
My and my sister’s cats, or you could say the same thing in reverse order:
My sister’s and my cats.
Why do you think this sounds bad?
I have heard the constructon
Mine and my sister’s cats - but to me that sounds stilted.
They are our cats; my sister’s and mine
These cats belong to me and my sister
My sister and I own those cats
I really really don’t think it is.
I think you’s pulling me’s leg.
Wouldn’t it be easier to say “our cats”?
Dang. Missed yours, jr8. Apologies for redundance.
Ah, but assuming Northern Piper is correct - “Flawed premise in your example: no-one owns cats. Cats own people.” - how would you state it the other way around? “The cats’ sisters” is obviously incorrect …
Julie
Whereas, wheretofore and heretofore the feline household pets lawfully owned jointly and severely and unconditionally by the defendant and his sister, first and second parties of the first part and which allegedly caused the damage on the premises owned jointly and severely by Mr. Tweet E. Bird and his wife, parties of the second part I here do resolve and rule and adjudicate and say . . . . .
Or, as the lawyer said to his date: I hope you are here for what I’m here for because if you are not here for what I’m here for, you’ll be here long after I’m gone.
I’m pretty sure this isn’t correct. Take for example:
Lewis’s and Clark’s expedition
vs
Lewis and Clark’s expedition
The first case, in which both nouns are in the possessive, indicate two separate expeditions. The latter case denotes joint possession of the expedition to Lewis and Clark.
Therefore, I would assume that you would not put both possessors in the possessive.
I know that colloquially, I would definitely use the construction “Me and my sister’s cat’s.” I’m not convinced this is technically correct, but it may very well be, and for me it certainly sounds the most natural. It’s weird, I’ve studied editing in university and worked professionally in copy editing, but never once came across this question.
All I know is, “My and my sister’s” is definitely out. The more I look at it, the more “Me and my sister’s” looks right. The only other alternative would be “I and my sister’s”
Take out the other person in the sentance and see does it make sense.
So remove “and my sister’s”
I’s cats?
Me’s cats?
My cats?
Me cats?
I cats?
My’s cats?
It ain’t hard
Why is it incorrect? There are multiple cats who “possess” multiple sisters. The cats’ sisters were good pets.
It seems to me that “our” is the best way to go. Succinct AND correct as can be.
When individual ownership needs to be indicated (that is, “our” isn’t appropriate), then the possessive form of each “owner” is used.
Joan’s and Sam’s apartments
My sister’s and my cats
This is only true if the narrator and the sister own different cats - no cat is owned by both people.
If the cats are owned by both people, then “our” should be used.
I hope this helps…
[Quote taken from:]
(http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm) *
So I guess it should be “My sister’s and my cats”, if this article has any merit.
Good question Vastard
By the way, my source was the Harbrace College Handbook, 11th ed.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by enderX *
*
Pronouns are not the same part of speech that nouns are, unfortunately, so they don’t necessarily follow the same rules. It seems to me that that article only explicitly addresses nouns.
However, I agree that “my sister’s and my” makes the most sense.