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. ;)
