Oh, kittens, you’re in for a treat today.
It’s snowy in central Jersey, but our hearts are strangely warmed by one double-shot of espresso angels, Aech and Artemis.
Er, I mean Frassy and Star.
But don’t take it from me when you’ve got the little leopards’ own mama to tell the tale.
Thanks to uber-volunteers Susan and Charlie for the following feast of joy. — A.H.
We have been the happy owners (or staff) of the kittens formerly known as Aech and Artemis for about three months. They have been renamed Sassafras (AKA Frassy) and Starlin (AKA Star). We actually were conned into adopting them (this is 100% true, I participated in the con, and I have no regrets — A.H.), but it has turned out more wonderfully than we could have imagined.
We originally fostered them at the age of about 5 months. Cute kittens, they loved to play and did everything together; my son called them “yoked oxen.” After 3 weeks, they returned to Tabby’s Place, and we didn’t think too much more about them. We visited them once in a while in their suite, where they seemed happy to see us, but no more than other people.
I asked that they be adopted together, since they were so bonded. This was so important, we offered to pay the second adoption fee, so they would be a two-for-one pair. Then we went on vacation for almost 2 weeks. When I came back, I checked in at Tabby’s Place and was told that someone was interested in adopting just Aech. So, of course, we took them both.
Back home, they settled back into the master suite as if they had never left. We integrated them with the other three cats with no problem. Fellow Tabby’s Place alumna Sage thinks she is their mom and constantly wants to groom them. They respond with head butts and purrs.
However, we were very anxious about introducing them to Sable (another Tabby’s Place alumna), our aggressive girl. She had already attacked one of the other cats very severely, and we were worried about our new kittens.
After a month or so, Star and Frassy were dying to get out of the master suite, which is very large and filled with their favorite toys and places to sleep and windows to watch birds. They knew there was more out in the big world. So with, supervision and trepidation, we sprang them.
Being confident cats, they didn’t let Sable bother them, even when she tried to ambush them from behind her cat tree. When she saw that they weren’t afraid, she ceased to be interested in them, and the threat was mitigated (we hope). While they aren’t the best of friends with Sable, they tolerate each other and, so far, we have a peaceable kingdom.
We feel so very fortunate to have our new babies. They are the most well-mannered cats we’ve ever had, and the most affectionate, both to each other (although they are wont to tussling) and to us. They now sleep on the bed with us (and the other three cats) and constantly weave through our legs while purring and and head-butting us.
They make adorable little squeaking sounds rather than mewing. They love sitting on their window hammock and watching the birds at the feeder that Charlie provided for them. And they sleep snuggled together in the sweetest way.
We adore our sleek black house panthers, and are so grateful that we adopted them.
Adopt a pair! Tabby’s Place always says “adopt a pair” of kittens. What a wonderful story about how your house full of cats has found and added new joy and happiness for you and for the kitties. Star and Frassy are charming! You (and the cats) are so lucky. Thank you for sharing this happy story.