A Tale of Two Kitties

This is a love story about how I found my heart and soul.    Since I am garrulous by nature, it will take me a bit to get to the core of this tale, but it’s worth the journey, I guarantee.

I love cats.  I had cats as a kid.  However, I’m also seriously allergic to cats.  In fact, I am allergic to everything from dust to wheat to pollen to…well…air.  For this reason, I eschewed having cats as an adult.  However, all my friends and family have them, so there was no escaping them.  I studiously tried to avoid said cats, but as those of you who have cats know, the more you ignore them, the more they go after you.

I caved.  I petted and I caressed, and I came home to a stuffy nose and swollen eyes.  My reaction was severe, but paradoxically, that’s when I started thinking about getting a cat.  I thought about it long and hard.  Then, two years plus ago, I was in a bad way.  I was unhappy with everything and everyone–especially myself.  I finally thought, “Since I am allergic to everything, I might as well have a cat.”  Kiki suggested I get a Devon Rex, but they looked like aliens to me.

So, since I do research before making any decision, I turned to the internet.  The only thing I knew ahead of time is that I wanted two black cats.  Why black?  It’s my favorite color, black cats are the most majestic and striking (to me), and black cats are the last ones adopted.  Why two?  I wanted two who loved each other and were only quite fond of me so they would spend most of their time together.  In other words, I wanted them to be each other’s main source of amusement–not me.

To that end, I went onto Petfinder.com and began searching for black cats in my area.  I didn’t want kittens because they are too high-energy for me and because, again, they get adopted quickly, but I was open in other ways.  I must have looked at over a hundred black cats when I noticed something funny:  90% of the cats I was drawn to were males.  I didn’t plan on it; it just happened.

So, over the course of a month, I obsessively scoured Petfinder.com and made a note of my favorite brothers.  One pair, nine months of age, named Shadow and Midnight caught my eye.  Initially, it was the wise look in Shadow’s eyes that drew me in, and I kept coming back to the pair.

It all came to a head one Friday night in December of 2006.  I looked at the pair again and re-read their descriptions.  Shadow’s said that he was psychic and knew I was looking for two cats.  Since I have an interest in the occult, that reaffirmed my attraction for these two cats.  Then, I noticed that they were going to be at an adoption fair at a PetCo. near me the next afternoon, and it seemed like serendipitious fate that they were to be mine.

I went the next day, only to find (to my dismay) that one cat was missing.  I asked their foster mom, Marie, where Shadow was (trying not to sound too accusatory), and she replied that she had left him at home because he hadn’t wanted to get into the carrier.  He hated the fairs, she added, and nobody ever looked at the boys.   So, she left him at home.  Midnight wasn’t happy about it because he and his brother were really bonded, but he did allow me to hold him.

It was a done deal.  I bought all the things I would need as a new cat caregiver, and Marie and I made an appointment for me to pick up the boys the following Monday.  When I got to her house, we had a hell of a time getting Shadow into the carrier even though I brought toys with which to tempt them.  Raven (nee Midnight) went in docilely, but Shadow was having none of that.  We finally got him into the carrier, and off we went.

Within a half hour of bringing them home, Raven was out and about in their designated homecoming room, playing.  Shadow, on the other hand, retreated to the box I provided and stayed in it.

Little did I know then that this was a harbinger of the years to come.   Raven is a gregarious, outgoing kitty who will let strangers approach him if they are quiet and move slowly.  He is also high-strung and moody, loving you up one minute of the day before turning his back on you the next.  He will yowl when he wants attention, yowl when he wants water from the tap, yowl when he’s hungry, and yowl just because.  Neither of my boys meow much, but Raven is definitely more vocal than his brother.  In addition, under extreme stress, Raven has peed inappropriately a time or two.

Shadow, on the other hand, is very skittish of strangers, period.  If you were to visit me, you most likely would think I only had one cat.  He is thoughtful and observant, more aloof with sudden bursts when he demands attention.  He will eat anything and everything, including split peas and ham soup.  He also eats incredibly quickly, so I sometimes have to guard Raven’s plate from him.  Shadow is bigger than Raven, but has a high, sweet meow.  He is also more docile, except when there is food or pretend-prey in the picture.  In addition, Shadow has a patch of white on his chest and his stomach, otherwise he is black.  Raven is completely black.

Remember I said that in the beginning, I wanted cats who adored each other, but who were only quite fond of me?  Well, as anyone with cats can attest, things never go according to your plans when you have cats.  While it’s true that they adore each other (except when they are fighting, as cats do), they also adore me.  If I am in the living room on my laptop, they are on my lap taking a nap.  If I stroke one of them behind the ear, he has to tuck his head into my hand.  If I am on my desktop computer, one or the other is on the desk, blocking my monitor.  Shadow, in particular, has an affinity for sticking his butt in my face (along with the disturbing propensity to bite me on MY ass when I’m on the toilet), while Raven demands I hold him in my right arm as I’m trying to type.  Of course, there is the ubiquitous wet, cold nose on exposed flesh, which is their way of saying, “hey, we like ya!”

Raven Inky Tohubohu Kitty One is my heart.  He is a loving, demanding, high-strung diva like me.  He can turn on a dime, but he is fiercely loyal.  He can be loud in voicing his displeasure, but he is equally demonstrative of his love.

Shadow Panther Mephistopheles Kitty Two is my soul.  He is reticent and aloof, a loner like me.  Still, he is steadfast and fiercely loyal as well.  Once he trusts you, nothing can break that trust.  He is patient with his brother (except when he feels the need to put Raven in his place), and he still has those wise eyes that drew me to him in the first place.

I can’t imagine my life without them, and I am glad that I have them.  They don’t sleep with me due to my allergies, but they reign over almost every other room in my house.   My life has been enriched in immeasurable ways since they waltzed into it.  For that, I thank them.

P.S.  Pics from top to bottom:  Pic one is a recent pic of them, Raven in front, Shadow in back.  Pic two is from when they were babies, with their sister whom their foster mother kept.  Pic three is Raven within a half hour of me bringing him home.  Pic four is Shadow within that same half hour.