We are a family of four with five adopted cats; Mush and Posh being the senior most, adopted 6 years ago, at the age of 3 months from a family friend. They are non-identical twin sisters. Posh came in first, followed by Mush in the very next week. Being first time pet owners, Mush’s entry into the house immediately made us realize through first-hand experience that it’s always better to adopt and manage a pair rather than a single kitty.
Cats, as we know, are easier to look after as they are pretty low maintenance, asking minimal attention from their humans. But having a pair takes pet care to a different tangent all together. We could now carry on with our daily schedules guilt-free, with no worries of our lonely cat waiting impatiently for some company back home. All that was expected from us was to leave behind a bowl of food and water each and these two would take it from there, looking after each-other, eating, sleeping and exploring their new found world together. Also, after a long tiring day, there can be nothing more relaxing than watching two cats at play. They are outright hilarious and extremely entertaining with their cute tricks and fun wars. There is definitely no burden with the addition of another cat; rather it only minimizes the efforts needed to look after a single one. I would therefore always advice all single cat owners to adopt a playmate for their beloved baby since that is what they would ask of you if only they could speak.
About four and a half years after adopting Mush and Posh, a really sick kitten, Lyla had to be taken in as a foster along with another tiny playmate. Lyla was diagnosed with chronic depression that had resulted into partial paralysis of both her hind legs. She also suffered from multiple fractures and a bad case of anaemia along with a severe lack of appetite. Living in a confined cage for about a month with just enough space to rest comfortably, Lyla hated her medicines, refused her food and showed complete distrust towards everyone in the house. It was heart breaking to watch this barely 3 months old child suffer so much every single day just to make it to another horrid morning. We were slowly loosing hope. However, this little one was full of it. Her will to live was so strong; we could see it in her eyes. With her “never give up” attitude, she soon started responding to her treatment and there was no need to force-feed her eventually. Her fractures had now healed and she was out of her prison in no time. But this was the real test. We now had to make her try and walk again. Lyla would struggle to get on all fours, fail to do so, and then repeat. Her multiple attempts all in vain would often reduce me to tears, but she would never stop, I mean it, NEVER! This girl was so driven from within, it made me marvel. I was awe-struck by her tenacity and admired her pursuit of life. And then, it happened. She made it happen. On the morning of September, 29th, as part of my early morning ritual, I walked into one of our bedrooms now turned cat room at 8:00 am sharp with some delicious Tuna wet food, only to find Lyla standing next to the litter box. Yes, STANDING! Was this actually happening? I stood there for a good 2 minutes, contemplating the scene. “Maybe she’s just standing..she can’t really walk now, can she?” Soon enough, the enticing smell of her favourite breakfast along with the presence of her favourite person (or so I’d like to believe) got to her and the baby girl came marching towards me, however, with a regular cat expression, with no sign of excitement, no victory drumroll playing in the background, just a regular meow here and there. Seriously? Good Lord, this was unreal. While she was gobbling on the food, I started squeaking loudly with an attempt to call mom and dad to come witness what was happening. I did not want to leave the room. I couldn’t risk it. What if she goes back to her crawling in my absence and all this turns out to be a troll? Mum entered the room soon enough and we were both squeaking in no time. That’s possibly when Lyla realised it was party time and joined in. My brave little soldier was walking again, meowing loudly, announcing her victory. Bravo! It was during this precise moment of glory that I realized I could never let her go. She had taught me so much – Don’t Quit, Value life, Patience is a virtue - my guide and philosopher; I had to keep her forever. A small discussion with family and everyone at home readily agreed in no time as each one of us had grown too fond of this Wonder Cat.
Talking about the “tiny playmate” that goes by the name Peaches, we kept her too, since my Persians were too snobbish to accept Lyla in their cat clan and we did not want the poor baby to feel left out with no feline friends. Tiny Peaches, rescued as a victim of extreme negligence and abuse, isn’t so tiny anymore, but she is and always has been the naughtiest of them all. Her cute looks (looks always deceive) and crazy antics would make anybody fall for her instantaneously. She will mock you, taunt you, drive you to the end of your tethers; and then after a long, tiring day of bullying and causing chaos, this mischief maker will purr next to you and cuddle on your lap; and that’s all it takes to forgive all her bad behaviour and fall in love with her all over again. As simple as that! She makes me want to be a cat, what an awesome life that would be!
We continued to foster kittens even after these last two additions in the family. That’s the thing about cats. You can never have enough of them, mostly you can never say NO to a kitten in need. Many furballs have come and gone in these past few years, each one into a loving home that cares for them like their own kin. Then one day came a meek looking tomcat, resembling a flee-infested bag of bones. Rejected by many, he had hopped home to home in search of a family that would look past his temporary flaws and give him the purrfect life that he deserved. This one was rather difficult as he would go around pooping all over the house, trying to convey how disheartened he was with mankind. But that was just his way of expressing dismay and nobody could blame him for doing so. Three patient weeks in the house and he had already started picking up manners. Cocoa, as we fondly call him, metamorphosed into a very handsome boy, extremely affectionate and highly intelligent. We could now take a sigh of relief, eagerly looking forward to getting him adopted into a good family. But he had a different plan in mind, he surely did. Each time a prospective adopter stepped forward and took him home, this notorious creature would play sick and pretend to be dying, pee on people and poop in their cupboards every time. Maybe he was just testing them, wanting to see if they stick to him through thick and thin. It’s true, if they cannot handle you at your worst, they definitely do not deserve you at your best. Another lesson learnt!
It is amazing how these tiny creatures can inspire and teach you some very important aspects of life. Whatever it was, it didn’t work out too well for Cocoa and he was returned time and again like a commodity nobody wanted to claim. Once home with us, he would again go back to being the sweet, sweet boy that he is. Deciphering his true intentions, we came to realize this Tom would not leave us so easy. Aww, so much love! So here we are with our fifth cat, the only male out of the five. There’s not much of a difference between the genders, just that I can’t help wonder why this guy has to stand and pee, unintentionally spraying it all over the walls. There is a hack for that though; we now use a covered litter-box instead of the open one. Problem solved!
These 5 are a very important part of our lives. It is a wonderful feeling sharing your space with an animal. We feel more connected as a family with them being the binding factor. There are times when the only reason I want to get back home is because I know my babies would be waiting for me. They have taught us to share responsibility and stick together come what may. A typical day at home now starts with feeding them in the morning and ends by kissing them good night, more so as we can feel them reciprocate all the love, and that truly is the best feeling in the world. We now make plans/take decisions keeping in mind their convenience first. They complete our family.
Posh
A high-on-attitude, air-headed diva who knows exactly how to impress with those moves. This elite, 6 year old, enticing beauty, with her impeccable mannerisms, will catwalk her way into your hearts even before you know it.
PS. She’s the ruler of the house and you better not complain.
Mush
A complete momma’s girl! This soft, cuddly, gummy bear look alike follows her mom everywhere, right from the bedroom to the bathroom. Must be hand fed at least one meal of the day to avoid any tantrums that may follow in case of failure to do so. FYI, she hates the rest of the world. *Evil grin*
Lyla
A born fighter! This brave-heart has survived everything right from a chronic depression to a partial paralysis to multiple fractures before being adopted into a loving, cat-friendly family. Life is now beautiful with the only thing left to worry about being catching the best window seat for bird watching.
Peaches
Curious little feline that won’t stop till she’s found the answers to her self-created puzzles. Belongs to the “high- class” society as she’s always found hanging high up there on the fridge/storage shelves. Her only life mantra being, “We see paper, we tear paper”, she definitely is the naughtiest of the lot.
Cocoa
Youngest member of the cat clan and the only “man” of the house. Super affectionate, talking, kissing, lap-kitty with a serious food fetish. Plays fetch just like his canine counterparts. After several failed adoptions, it was destiny keeping him forever.
Cats, as we know, are easier to look after as they are pretty low maintenance, asking minimal attention from their humans. But having a pair takes pet care to a different tangent all together. We could now carry on with our daily schedules guilt-free, with no worries of our lonely cat waiting impatiently for some company back home. All that was expected from us was to leave behind a bowl of food and water each and these two would take it from there, looking after each-other, eating, sleeping and exploring their new found world together. Also, after a long tiring day, there can be nothing more relaxing than watching two cats at play. They are outright hilarious and extremely entertaining with their cute tricks and fun wars. There is definitely no burden with the addition of another cat; rather it only minimizes the efforts needed to look after a single one. I would therefore always advice all single cat owners to adopt a playmate for their beloved baby since that is what they would ask of you if only they could speak.
About four and a half years after adopting Mush and Posh, a really sick kitten, Lyla had to be taken in as a foster along with another tiny playmate. Lyla was diagnosed with chronic depression that had resulted into partial paralysis of both her hind legs. She also suffered from multiple fractures and a bad case of anaemia along with a severe lack of appetite. Living in a confined cage for about a month with just enough space to rest comfortably, Lyla hated her medicines, refused her food and showed complete distrust towards everyone in the house. It was heart breaking to watch this barely 3 months old child suffer so much every single day just to make it to another horrid morning. We were slowly loosing hope. However, this little one was full of it. Her will to live was so strong; we could see it in her eyes. With her “never give up” attitude, she soon started responding to her treatment and there was no need to force-feed her eventually. Her fractures had now healed and she was out of her prison in no time. But this was the real test. We now had to make her try and walk again. Lyla would struggle to get on all fours, fail to do so, and then repeat. Her multiple attempts all in vain would often reduce me to tears, but she would never stop, I mean it, NEVER! This girl was so driven from within, it made me marvel. I was awe-struck by her tenacity and admired her pursuit of life. And then, it happened. She made it happen. On the morning of September, 29th, as part of my early morning ritual, I walked into one of our bedrooms now turned cat room at 8:00 am sharp with some delicious Tuna wet food, only to find Lyla standing next to the litter box. Yes, STANDING! Was this actually happening? I stood there for a good 2 minutes, contemplating the scene. “Maybe she’s just standing..she can’t really walk now, can she?” Soon enough, the enticing smell of her favourite breakfast along with the presence of her favourite person (or so I’d like to believe) got to her and the baby girl came marching towards me, however, with a regular cat expression, with no sign of excitement, no victory drumroll playing in the background, just a regular meow here and there. Seriously? Good Lord, this was unreal. While she was gobbling on the food, I started squeaking loudly with an attempt to call mom and dad to come witness what was happening. I did not want to leave the room. I couldn’t risk it. What if she goes back to her crawling in my absence and all this turns out to be a troll? Mum entered the room soon enough and we were both squeaking in no time. That’s possibly when Lyla realised it was party time and joined in. My brave little soldier was walking again, meowing loudly, announcing her victory. Bravo! It was during this precise moment of glory that I realized I could never let her go. She had taught me so much – Don’t Quit, Value life, Patience is a virtue - my guide and philosopher; I had to keep her forever. A small discussion with family and everyone at home readily agreed in no time as each one of us had grown too fond of this Wonder Cat.
Talking about the “tiny playmate” that goes by the name Peaches, we kept her too, since my Persians were too snobbish to accept Lyla in their cat clan and we did not want the poor baby to feel left out with no feline friends. Tiny Peaches, rescued as a victim of extreme negligence and abuse, isn’t so tiny anymore, but she is and always has been the naughtiest of them all. Her cute looks (looks always deceive) and crazy antics would make anybody fall for her instantaneously. She will mock you, taunt you, drive you to the end of your tethers; and then after a long, tiring day of bullying and causing chaos, this mischief maker will purr next to you and cuddle on your lap; and that’s all it takes to forgive all her bad behaviour and fall in love with her all over again. As simple as that! She makes me want to be a cat, what an awesome life that would be!
We continued to foster kittens even after these last two additions in the family. That’s the thing about cats. You can never have enough of them, mostly you can never say NO to a kitten in need. Many furballs have come and gone in these past few years, each one into a loving home that cares for them like their own kin. Then one day came a meek looking tomcat, resembling a flee-infested bag of bones. Rejected by many, he had hopped home to home in search of a family that would look past his temporary flaws and give him the purrfect life that he deserved. This one was rather difficult as he would go around pooping all over the house, trying to convey how disheartened he was with mankind. But that was just his way of expressing dismay and nobody could blame him for doing so. Three patient weeks in the house and he had already started picking up manners. Cocoa, as we fondly call him, metamorphosed into a very handsome boy, extremely affectionate and highly intelligent. We could now take a sigh of relief, eagerly looking forward to getting him adopted into a good family. But he had a different plan in mind, he surely did. Each time a prospective adopter stepped forward and took him home, this notorious creature would play sick and pretend to be dying, pee on people and poop in their cupboards every time. Maybe he was just testing them, wanting to see if they stick to him through thick and thin. It’s true, if they cannot handle you at your worst, they definitely do not deserve you at your best. Another lesson learnt!
It is amazing how these tiny creatures can inspire and teach you some very important aspects of life. Whatever it was, it didn’t work out too well for Cocoa and he was returned time and again like a commodity nobody wanted to claim. Once home with us, he would again go back to being the sweet, sweet boy that he is. Deciphering his true intentions, we came to realize this Tom would not leave us so easy. Aww, so much love! So here we are with our fifth cat, the only male out of the five. There’s not much of a difference between the genders, just that I can’t help wonder why this guy has to stand and pee, unintentionally spraying it all over the walls. There is a hack for that though; we now use a covered litter-box instead of the open one. Problem solved!
These 5 are a very important part of our lives. It is a wonderful feeling sharing your space with an animal. We feel more connected as a family with them being the binding factor. There are times when the only reason I want to get back home is because I know my babies would be waiting for me. They have taught us to share responsibility and stick together come what may. A typical day at home now starts with feeding them in the morning and ends by kissing them good night, more so as we can feel them reciprocate all the love, and that truly is the best feeling in the world. We now make plans/take decisions keeping in mind their convenience first. They complete our family.
Posh
A high-on-attitude, air-headed diva who knows exactly how to impress with those moves. This elite, 6 year old, enticing beauty, with her impeccable mannerisms, will catwalk her way into your hearts even before you know it.
PS. She’s the ruler of the house and you better not complain.
Mush
A complete momma’s girl! This soft, cuddly, gummy bear look alike follows her mom everywhere, right from the bedroom to the bathroom. Must be hand fed at least one meal of the day to avoid any tantrums that may follow in case of failure to do so. FYI, she hates the rest of the world. *Evil grin*
A born fighter! This brave-heart has survived everything right from a chronic depression to a partial paralysis to multiple fractures before being adopted into a loving, cat-friendly family. Life is now beautiful with the only thing left to worry about being catching the best window seat for bird watching.
Curious little feline that won’t stop till she’s found the answers to her self-created puzzles. Belongs to the “high- class” society as she’s always found hanging high up there on the fridge/storage shelves. Her only life mantra being, “We see paper, we tear paper”, she definitely is the naughtiest of the lot.
Cocoa
Youngest member of the cat clan and the only “man” of the house. Super affectionate, talking, kissing, lap-kitty with a serious food fetish. Plays fetch just like his canine counterparts. After several failed adoptions, it was destiny keeping him forever.
