Cleo and the Jeromes: Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail
“Zoe is our current five-year-old Tortie whom we adopted from another shelter when she was approximately six months old,” Maria says. “They said she was two years old, but she was more of a playful kitten! It wasn’t long before my husband Jeff and I thought Zoe could benefit from having a playmate. We attended the Furry Friends’ adoption weekends over the next month, and as soon as we held Cleo, whose name at the time was Yoshi, we knew this was our new kitto! (My dad nicknamed me Cleo when I was growing up).
“Because Zoe had no prior experience with other cats, we spent three weeks gradually introducing her to Cleo while also giving Cleo time to adapt to her new home. Zoe was very interested, yet nervous, about ‘whatever’ was in our bathroom. They could smell each other under the door, and we would let them see each other for brief periods as the weeks progressed. This slow process was worth it in the end, and now they’re great pals!
“Cleo has brought so much joy to our family. She’s goofy, curious and playful, and finds the game in any situation. She loves being loved on, being brushed and petted and cuddled and snuggled, whether it’s on our laps or when we’re on the couch. Then, when she’s ready for the next adventure, she’ll wiggle free. Springs are her favorite toys. She gets them moving across the living room floor and has her angles down from under couches or off the walls. She chases her own tail until she spins out, then goes again and again.
“Cleo also loves playing with shadows, watching the birds outside the window, chasing balls and fishing out toys that she puts in her felt “cave.” She carves out her naptimes in her favorite spots -- under the blanket on the couch, on a dining room chair or in the cat tree hammock. And she simply LOVES boxes and bags. We gave her a rectangular box, and she shoves as much of her body as she can into it before pushing it around the floor.
“She and Zoe love to chase each other, wrestle, and snuggle (Zoe lost a pound in the first few months due to all of the increased activity). They are both independent and will spend time doing their own thing and napping in their own favorite spots. While I initially gave them their wet food in two bowls, from day one, they decided to eat out of the same bowl. Ever since then, they get their wet food or churru from the same bigger plate in order to share a meal. Too cute!
“Cleo was the best thing we could have done for Zoe. They both have companionship and someone to play and snuggle. Cleo sleeps at our feet at the end of the bed at night. She’ll often start at my feet only to end up with Zoe on Jeff’s side, snuggling.”
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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
