Duchess:
Duchess, "Dutch" for short, is a two year old white domestic short hair. She was rescued from underneath an old car with her tiny kittens, covered in black grease. She was taken to a shelter in eastern Washington, and was later transferred to Homeward Pets, a local shelter. Dutch has a personality all her own. She sets the rules. She is a princess. She prefers to be pet and held on her terms, and when you try to pet or hold her when its not on her terms, she will let you know. She is very brave and likes to visit with strangers. She prefers to sleep on a nice warm blanket on the chaise or the bed. She enjoys playing with and chasing her brother-from-another-mother, and likes the laser pointer and sometimes "Da Bird". She prefers to sit and watch most of the time. She loves hard rubs on her head, and will drool everywhere when she's happy. She barely ever purs, and when she does, you must listen closely to hear it. She prefers to be carried to her food, or else she might not eat. She loves crunchy treats. You can often find her laying flat on her back, with all fours in the air. Above all, Duchess is very loved and respected, and she makes us laugh on a day to day basis. Life wouldn't be the same without Duchess.
Leo:
Leo is a one year old orange and white tabby domestic short hair. His rescue story is unknown, but he was brought to a shelter in Eastern Washington with his two sisters, and later transferred to Homeward Pets. He was adopted as a companion for Duchess, and the staff at the shelter thought he would be a great match. Leo is a mommy's boy. He sure loves his mom. He is our lovey. If you look at him he will immediately start purring. He always welcomes pets and snuggles. He follows me from room to room, crying if he thinks I am getting ready to leave. He sleeps by my side at night, sometimes under the covers. Leo is also our active guy. He loves nothing more than running and jumping and playing with "Da Bird". He always steals the spot light when it comes time to the nightly play session. He always takes us by surprise by how high he can jump and how many flips he can do. Leo is sensitive and is weary of strangers but warms up quickly. He loves dinner time. He lets us know when it is time. Leo loves his sister-from-another-mister, and on rare occasions I will find them cuddling on the bed or chaise. Leo compliments Duchess perfectly, they are complete opposites, but perfect for one another.
The other animals:
We also share our small home with two guinea pigs. Neko and Brown Bear are both Teddy's, Neko a silver agouti and Brown Bear a golden agouti. I grew up raising guinea pigs since I was around seven, and I was a 4-H student using my guinea pigs as my subject. I love having guinea pigs in my home again! They have such wonderful little personalities, and they can always put a smile on your face with their adorable faces and noises. The cats also enjoy watching them and listening to them, and they try their hardest to be respectful.
Last but not least, we have a goldfish named Douglas. His tank sits in the living room, and its so peaceful having a fish tank to watch. We have thought about getting more fish for the tank, but for now, we just have Doug. Leo especially loves to gaze at Doug, perched next to the kitchen sink. Duchess could care less.
