Lately, Mae and Hiboux have taken to curling up together on the couch in the sun room, napping the day away. I say “together,” but they’re not exactly curling up in the traditional sense—it’s more like parallel curls.
Usually only the tips of their toes actually touch. And even that is a big step for them; when they first became reluctant step-siblings about five years ago, this kind of closeness would have been unfathomable.
Mae, you see, was my cat, the scrappy gray queen of the castle; and Hiboux was my husband’s marmalade cat, the sweet and sensitive shy guy. Let’s just say that in the beginning, they fought. A lot. The merging of our feline families led to some hilarious drama, but that’s a tail—er, tale—for another time.
True to her namesake, one Ms. West, Mae is a diva and a dame, a mischief maker and a charmer. She’ll greet any newcomer at the door with a purr and an invitation to scratch behind the ears, then proceed to get friendly with your shoes and intentionally knock over your glass of water.
Hiboux, on the other hand, will dash off at the first sight of someone unfamiliar. When he warms up, though, he’s an affectionate marshmallow. Unless you’re tardy about filling his food bowl, in which case he’ll mew plaintively…then meow insistently, an inch or two from your face, until you’ve remedied the situation.
Yep, they’re odd all right. And they’re a pretty cute couple of cats.
—Nina Hämmerling Smith
Welcome to the new blog for all our fellow feline fanatics out there. We’re three GUIDEPOSTS staffers who sure love dem cats—with all their quirks and eccentricities. They know how to purr their way into our hearts and bring joy to our lives.
Hope you enjoy getting to know our cats, and we’d love to hear about yours! We’ll be sharing blogging duties and opening one week a month to you, so you can shout out your pretty kitties.
Want to tell us about your cats? Just email us at lovedemcats@guideposts.org
