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JACK CUDDLING WITH ARNIE. THEY LOVE TO LAY TOGETHER

Meet Arnie and Jack

by Alison D.

Our precious grey cat, Corky, passed away on September 6, 2004. I had him since he was 10 weeks old and he passed away at the ripe old age of 18.5 years. My husband Doug and I both knew when Corky was getting toward the end that we could not have a home without a cat. Doug and I decided that when the time came, we would adopt littermates so they would have a companion when we are away from home.

A few days after we said good-bye to Corky, I visited the Folsom Feline rescue web site and saw photos of "Luke and Lauren," two male domestic shorthair grey "tuxedo" kitties. They had the sweetest faces and I knew I had to meet them in person. They also looked like they would be cuddlers, which is important to us. I talked with FFR volunteer Lilo a couple of times and finally met the kitties in mid-September. I saw how distressed they were from being carted to and from PetSmart. I came home after meeting them and talked to Doug. We both agreed that we would bring them home.

Luke was renamed Arnie (Arnold Palmer) and Lauren was renamed Jack (Nicklaus). (Doug is a huge golf fan.)

Our first night home was interesting. Jack gets spooked very easily and I think he may have been on sensory overload. We had a bit of a "rumble" with Jack coming out the winner. Since then, we have handled them with kid gloves and they are adapting nicely. They constantly purr, they love to be nosy, and they adore laying in front of the fireplace. We put their bed in front of the fireplace and then turn it on, and they both lay there and bathe. Our Corky used to do the same thing! 

They absolutely love to play -- with anything. A piece of paper (although Jack will eat it and prefers the taste of the Sacramento Bee classified ads), their furr-covered mice, foil balls, or anything that moves… even our toes. They have also perfected the WWF "takedown" maneuver with one another. They love to wrestle with each other and they also give each other baths.

Having lived with a senior cat for so many years, we had forgotten how much fun and energy kittens have. We can spend all evening playing with them and never get bored. We both look forward to coming home to them and trying to find new ways to spoil them rotten.

These kittens are precious. We have had them for three months and can't imagine life without them. It took me awhile to open my heart to them completely (because it is still hurting from our loss of Corky) but they are the best medicine. When you come home from a bad day at work, they make you forget all about it. They are so innocent in this world, and Doug and I feel it is our duty to give them the best life and the best home possible. We don't know what they had been through before they were rescued, so we want to be sure that the rest of their lives are filled with good food, clean water, a clean litter box, and plenty of comfortable, warm places to sleep -- and yes, they have discovered that sleeping with us keeps them plenty warm.

I still tear up when I think about Corky, but the kitties help us to keep his memory alive.

ARNIE RELUCTANTLY AWAKENS FROM A NAP IN HIS HIDING PLACE (THE CLOSET).

JACK -- NOSY, NOSY, NOSY!

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