There’s something magical about walking into an animal shelter and realizing that one (or two) of those tiny faces is about to change your life. When we visited Simply Cats, we were hoping to find a bonded pair of kittens. It didn’t take long for us to click with the kittens in Room 13 and I ended up leaving with more than just two new best friends!
But there was someone before the sweet kittens that came home with us, there was another cat that walked so they could run. Growing up, my parents were very anti-cat even though I’d begged for one for years. That’s why they weren’t surprised to find out I’d gotten one a year after I moved to Idaho. Many of you knew Kota from the 14-years of silly pictures I shared of him on social media, but I don’t know how many people realized that Kota wasn’t a shelter pet. He was a surprise gift from a co-worker that I just couldn’t say no to. From the moment I brought him home at eight weeks old, Kota was my fiercely loyal, ultra-cuddly shadow and my best friend…even if he could be a bit of a jerk to everyone else. The night he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, I felt this emptiness I wasn’t sure I’d ever fill.
What I did know is that I hated coming home to an empty apartment. My husband was very much feeling the same way, so in August we decided we were ready to open our home to another cat. Or should I say cats. Since I had Kota from a kitten, I wanted a kitten again, I wanted that experience again. Thanks to a Facebook post from Simply Cats, I knew that meant we were getting two.
Thinking About Kittens? Get Two!
Boise’s cageless, no-kill cat shelter made a Facebook post about cats that bite hands and ankles, meow excessively or shred furniture. Those behaviors hit a little too close to home. “How do they know Kota so well?!” Turns out only kittens end up missing out on socialization that teaches them how to “be a cat.” Those kittens are more likely to develop bad habits like Kota’s unfortunate love of chewing through MacBook chargers and pre-lit Christmas trees. While I once considered giving him up, not everyone is able to work through those challenges. That’s why Simply Cats encourages adopting kittens in pairs if you don’t already have another young cat at home.
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That advice couldn’t have been more right. We adopted our kittens, Daisy and Jemma, from Simply Cats in August. They’re sisters from a litter of six and I’m stunned how well behaved they are! They’re the complete opposite of Kota, the one cat wrecking ball. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with them having each other to play with while we’re at work but it’s also a testament to the great job Simply Cats does getting their cats of all ages ready for their forever homes…