SNAPSHOTS: CATS CAN FLY

Kyo, our little big ginger cat, loves life. Whenever he gets super pumped or passionate about a toy or activity, he quacks. His little eyes get as big as lollipops and he starts quack, quack, quacking away.

A couple months ago, I bought one of those cheap feather-on-a-stick cat toys for the boys. Kaito (our oldest and most responsible) was fine with it, he would work up his courage and bat it around on his hind legs and then quickly run for safety when Kyo decided he wanted to play. Kyo is a little too exuberant about life for Kaito. Kaito prefers to watch at a safe distance, under a chair, when Kyo gets to his quacking stage of excitement. At first, Kyo was impressed my the new toy, but after a couple swings in the living room, his love became an obsession.

Now that we live in our new condo, there is ample room for feather-stick play. Although Kyo has left the poor stick featherless in a raging, feather-pulling fit of joy, in no way does this plumeless, well-loved toy wane his eternal love.

What a ham! Love my little ginger fur baby. ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KYO!

Today is this little ginger butt's birthday!! While we're at Universal celebrating, Kyo and Kaito are at my in-laws', most likely playing hide-n-seek in their basement. ;) Today, Kyo is one! And he's HUGE! I always thought Kaito was big until Kyo put on the muscle and now Kaito feels like a fluffy cloud. 

We adopted Kyo when he was four months old (see our welcome home post here) and he's definitely a sweetheart and a little booger. My favorite thing about his appearance is his freckly nose and his orange//golden eyes. What a looker! 

And just for kicks, here are some of my favorite pictures of sweet Kyo:

Much love from Orlando!! I hope your weekend is wonderful!! :)

SNAPSHOTS: KAITO + KYO

I never owned a cat before Jon and I were married. I always grew up as a "dog" person. My parents were particularly fond of English Springer Spaniels. They currently have Jake, a sweet ol' mutt we got when I was in middle school, and Jojo, a Springer Spaniel with loads of energy. I always loved having a "family dog". Jon grew up mostly having outdoor cats around and always mentioned how much he loved them, despite his allergies.

Shortly after we got married, we caught the "pet bug" and decided to adopt a pet for our little family and apartment. Since it's difficult having a puppy//dog in an apartment and caring for one with both of our full-time jobs, we decided to find a kitten. It didn't take long until I saw a high-school friend post pictures of abandoned kitties she had rescued on Facebook. I immediately fell in love with their little scruffy faces. :) Jon and I decided to adopt one and we spent 45 minutes with the three kittens deciding which would be ours. We picked our sweet Kaito. He was the smallest, he let us hold him without being shy or squirming, he played with us and showed us that he was properly trained to use the litter box and quite efficient at cleaning up after himself. We were sold and took our new green-eyed scruffy kitten home.

Kaito is very dog-like. He comes when he's called, he cuddles, seeks our attention and is very good. He's never been aggressive towards us and will even roll on his back for a good tummy rub.

 

 

And then we have Kyo...who is a whole different story. ;) We got Kyo towards the end of last year. Jon and I had been talking about getting another cat to keep Kaito company during the day while we were gone at work. We weren't seriously thinking about a new addition until we went up to Fort Mill, SC, for a family visit and wedding shower for Jon's sister. Jon's Aunt had rescued a kitten from the human society before he was going to get put down and she was trying to find a new home for him. Within 30 minutes of hearing about Kyo, seeing his picture, and meeting him, we decided to adopt the little ginger. 

When we brought him home, Kaito was NOT happy. He wasn't a fan of his new brother and stayed away from him for a good week. Slowly but surely over the next few months they really became brothers. We've even caught them snuggling together in their kitty bed several times. ;)

Kyo, however, has named himself alpha cat. He's much more cat-like but still very sweet and has never been aggressive towards us either. He's a big talker. Always giving us little mews when he's hungry, wants to play, wakes up from a nap, or if we give him a good stare. 

 

 

 

The boys have brought Jon and I a lot of joy. We love their little personalities and the presence they bring to our apartment. The above pictures were taken during their nap-time yesterday afternoon. :)

Their name meanings:

* Kaito (sounds like: kai-toe) - Japanese origin meaning Soaring Ocean. 

* Kyo (sounds like: key-yo, but said very fast) - Japanese origin meaning Apricot. Totally named after Kyo Sohma for any Fruits Basket fans out there.

I wasn't born a "cat lady"...I just accidentally became one. ;)

Newest Member of the Wallace Clan

Sorry it's been a little quiet around here! I just got back from a conference in Chicago for my job. It was an extremely inspiring conference...I feel refreshed, excited, and ready to get back into the swing of things! Since I haven't blogged in a little while, I have a lot to catch up on! -- But first things first, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our little family, Kyo!

Jonathon and I had no intention of adopting another pet anytime soon, especially while we still live in an apartment...We'd brought it up, here and there, because we want our little Kaito to have a buddy to hang out with while we're gone at work during the day...So, that brings us to last weekend...

Jonathon and I went on a little road trip with my in-laws to Fort Mill, SC, to attend his sister's wedding shower. While we were there, just before gift opening time...Jon's Aunt mentioned she was looking for a home for a small cat. Come to find out, the kitten was on a timeline with the shelter to be put down and Jon's Aunt was trying to see if she could find a home for him sooner...How could you put this little cutie down?

Within a matter of 5 minutes, Jon and I decided we would give it a try and adopt the little stinker and give Kaito a new baby brother. We knew pretty quickly we wanted to name him Kyo and keep with the Japanese cat name tradition we've already established. ;) -- The next morning, Jon's Aunt dropped off little Kyo and he very vocally (meowed his little head off) took a four hour car drive from Fort Mill to his new home in Atlanta.

What does Kaito think of his new brother?? Well, at first we could tell Kaito was pretty annoyed and irritated that all he got from Fort Mill was a new brother, but over the past week-ish, they've come to get used to each other. And I think they're in the middle of trying to establish the cat hierarchy in the household. Kaito seems to be winning, but Kyo WILL NOT give up; he's extremely stubborn.

It's funny to have a house full of boys now...I feel like I have two children and I'm trying to make sure they love each other and get along well...Oh my word...I'm a cat lady...

No, but seriously, it's been a real joy for Jon and I to have two little ones to care for and call our own. It also keeps the baby fever at bay. ;)

Glad you got to meet the new little one! -- Here's to hoping the boys like each other enough soon to snuggle together. :)