Mochi and Dylan Diaz: Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail

“Although this is our third cat, I had cats growing up,” explains Dylan. “His name at the shelter was Jaspurr, but we named him Mochi since he’s soft and fluffy, and because we have a personal connection to Japan.

“I was browsing PetFinder, looking for an adult male cat, and I immediately fell in love with him. He had unique markings, a not quite full moustache and the longest whiskers I’d ever seen. But he also had a very soft expression: that’s what drew me in. We met him at PetSmart and he was very sociable. He allowed me to pick him up and promptly started purring. I knew then that I couldn’t leave without him.

“He adjusted fairly quickly, but we kept him in his own room for several weeks to prevent our other two cats from feeling threatened. Mochi also had a cold at the time and we didn’t want to spread it around. He makes us extremely happy. He’s very sweet and chill, always chats with us, clearly trusts us, and gives us copious blinkies. I think he knows we love him and he makes us feel that he loves us too.

“Our male and female cats are both 1½ years old and Mochi is estimated to be 2½ to 3 years old. Our male cat accepted him immediately and adores him so much that they often sleep together. Our female cat, though, tolerates him now, after months of hissing. Thankfully, Mochi is very respectful of her space and they’ve never fought.

“While he’s not that interested in toys, he does like peacock feathers and some wand toys. A mix of sociable and self-sufficient, he likes being nearby, often follows me around and nestles next to me on the couch to nap. He also loves chin and head scritches, forehead kisses, and being brushed.

“On the quirkier side, Mochi likes to bonk and rub his head against mine, and sometimes when I pick him up, he buries his face in my neck. It’s adorable. He’ll often ‘announce’ his entrance into a room by meowing and then ‘splooting’: lying down and, stretching out with his back paws facing up. Not to mention sometimes yelling around the house at night, which is less adorable, but it can be funny.”

As for Mochi’s sleeping arrangements: “He has several places he enjoys -- a window hammock, a cushioned chair, the couch, the top of the cat tree, a specific spot on the living room rug. The house is his oyster!”

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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.