Last year Tas and I made the executive decision to adopt a couple of cats now that we had moved into our new (larger) place. We began the search tentatively at first, looking up little faces on various shelter’s sites, imagining what it would be like to have them in our home.
We had a few criteria but nothing that couldn’t be bent if the fit was just right. We were hoping for a pair knowing that often pairs get split in the adoption stages. And knowing that having two to play with one another and to keep one another company while we spent the occasional time away doing conventions and trips would make their experiences a little less lonely.
I had a personal preference toward black cats, knowing their terrible luck in adoption circles. I remember when we found these two online and I remember the moment we excitedly decided to inquire. The disappointment knowing that someone else had inquired first and was going to see them first. Surely they would be snapped up the moment the other couple laid eyes on them.
But then we got an e-mail. The other couple bailed, changed their minds and everything fell into place like some sort of fate. We fell head over heels for these small slinky boys upon visiting them. The lady who was fostering them was nervous that we would waver but we couldn’t leave without them.
God the first few weeks were an absolute mess. Two eight month old little tyrants sprinted through the halls, scrambling through the hallways and getting us in trouble with neighbours. Pepper got into absolutely everything while Ghost was so afraid of us we could barely touch him to start with.
They’ve both grown so much in the short time we’ve had them so far. I figure I would take this opportunity to share some photos and talk about each one in their own right. They both have such distinctive personalities, its about time I introduce them a little bit more.
GHOST
Also goes by: Lil Goose, Goost, Gustav, Gustavio, Goost on the Loost, Loosty Goosty, Sweet Boy
This little guy is honestly the sweetest little thing. He started off really quite weary of us but is now quite fond of us. He still prefers Tas’ energy over mine and will demand her pets before bed and the moment she wakes up in the morning. He is an absolute snugglebug. If you sit on the bed by him he will pull himself out of his sleep to come purr and rub his entire body weight into your back.
His one and only terrible habit is that his sleeping all day generally means he will find that one toy at 5 am and decide to play with it in the same room as you until you get rid of it somehow. And man, when this kid has got the zoomies he can run.
We’re still working on being able to pick him up without him scrambling straight out of our arms but he has already come such a long way since we once got him. And I’m sure we will manage this last hill too.
PEPPER
Also goes by: Peb, Pebby, Pepperoni, Mister Peb, Beb, Bebby, The Peppered Roni, Little Gremlin, Bastard
He’s a bit of a dual personality this one and each of those has a name. His sweet side (Piment) usually consists of the moments he is most curious, watching us as we work on our packaging and playing with anything he can get his little paws on. Recently he has also become something of a lap-cat and insists on favouring my side of the couch/the bed– just me in general. He will roll and demand belly rubs.
His spicy side (Poivre) is every single moment he is too smart for his own good. He has a bad habit of scratching our couch for our attention, knocking things off shelves and honking his horrible little meow hoarse in the mornings when we kick him out of the room for being too rowdy.
The biggest question we get asked and perhaps isn’t too obvious in the photos is ‘how the heck can you tell them apart?’ And honestly we were wondering the same thing, getting ready to pick them up.
In person they really don’t look the same. Pepper has gotten much bigger and still has the very sleek frame. He’s also got a little patch of white fur on his chest. Ghost, we’ve noticed in the sun you can sometimes see some tabby stripes in his dark fur, and upon noticing these we couldn’t help but take notice of the way his personality falls in line with the tabby attitude. Ghost is definitely more stocky and timid and more ‘cat’.
Pepper is sometimes convinced he is also a human.
As a bonus here are some more photos from my horde that I really love!
Here’s to hopefully many many MANY more years with these two hooligans. <3