“Otis, whose original name was U2 when I adopted him, isn’t my first kitty,” Erica explains. “And the reason I chose him is because I simply couldn’t resist his tiny little face and his baby pink pig nose.

“While he was incredibly friendly and loving with me from the start, his relationship with his big brother Costello, who was 10 months old at the time, took awhile longer. And since I didn’t have enough space to separate them and then gradually introduce them over the course of the first few days, we just sorta went for it as soon as I brought Otis home. They definitely did not like each other at first — lots of hissing and swatting — but I made certain both kitties knew I was there for them as I played with them at the same time to make them both feel special. After a few days, it was like they were old pals!

“Otis has made this home so much happier, while he and Costello are now inseparable. Not only does Costello love having a little brother to play and nap with, they lovingly fight over snacks, bathe one another mid-nap and chase each other around the house. For my part, I love having a second kitty for double the number of snuggles. Otis loves to sleep right next to me, in a little nook under my arm, and it makes me very happy.

“Agile and athletic, Otis is great with any sort of ball or toy that he can bat around like a soccer ball. He especially loves wands and goes CRAZY over the laser pointer. He also cracks me up when he’s chasing the laser. He gets very excited and tries to move faster than his little legs can carry him.

“Although he might not love being picked up, he loves crawling onto my lap or chest to be petted, especially under the chin (his purring is VERY LOUD), not to mention planting himself there for his naps – which I LOVE!”

____________________________________________________________

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. She lives with her adopted Maltese named Mini.