Two of the least known Jellicles on The Cat Site would be the quiet, reserved duo of Peanut Butterum and Sassy Sasparilla. I have them together because that is how they do everything. They have, over the last year, gotten a bit more independent of each other, but for the most part, are still a pair.
Peanut and Sassy were surrendered to the shelter because their human had lost her job and was having to move in with her parents, and the cats were not welcome
She had asked them to keep the two of them together if there was any way possible, because although they were from different litters, they had been together since they were but a few weeks old.
They had already been in the shelter for 2 months when I found them there. I felt like I didn't have any room at home, but I did sponsor half of their adoption fee, where both of them could be adopted for the price of one, to up their chances. A month later, they were still there. Several people had wanted Sassy, but not Peanut, and never both. It seems that any time Peanut was taken out of the pen, she would get upset and "squirmy", acting practically antisocial.
At the end of that month I got the news. They were either going to have to be split up for individual adoption, or moved from the adoption center back to the old shelter, where they would go back on the "countdown clock". The director told me, "we'll drop the fee's to 2 for 1, and you've already donated that much, so if you have room....?"
I went back to visit, and lifted Sassy out of the pen. She was, and still is, a little lovebug, that likes to twist and wiggle while you scratch her back. Peanut took that moment to hop out of the pen onto the floor. Still holding Sassy, I scooped up Peanut; and she gave me a great big licky kiss right on the cheek.
As it turned out, Peanut was only upset if she and Sassy were separated. Holding both of them, they were the happiest little bundles of fur ever. I didn't know how the tribe was going to take to having 2 new cats show up at once, but I knew I couldn't let these two be split up. So, without so much as an adoption application and their medical being up to date and complete, the two came home with me that very afternoon.
I put the two of them in a bedroom with 2 boxes, food, water and toys, and started the introduction ritual. Even though I had the door open within 3 weeks, it was almost 2 months before the two of them ventured out of the bedroom. They were ok with other cats visiting, but they were in no hurry to leave their "territory". But, they finally came out to socialize and explore.
It's a bit embarrassing to say, but it took me over 2 months to discover their secret. The reason that Peanut is so desperate to stay close to Sassy is, because Sassy is her ears. Peanut is almost completely deaf. The tribe was having dinner one evening while I was cleaning up the kitchen, and I dropped a cookie sheet I was washing. Cats scattered to the 4 winds (Hobo went straight up); but Peanut never moved, happily munching away. She had scooted her bowl up against the stove and couldn't see Sassy, and didn't see that that Sassy had run from the evil, bouncing, banging cookie sheet. Some other little noise making tests, like tapping 2 glasses together, produced the same result, she heard none of them. She does her best to keep Sassy in her line of sight, and if Sassy moves, she moves.
So, we started making allowances for her. I put a bamboo curtain at the doorway of her bedroom. This way, other cats entering the bedroom have to go around the curtain and into her line of sight. She doesn't mind them being there, but she hates being surprised. And, her bed is a boot box on top of a set of drawers in the bedroom, high enough for her to see everyone.
I've tried a real pet bed, but she doesn't care for it. She would much rather have her box
They are becoming more independent of each other than they used to be, with Sassy actually being quite adventurous.
But the thing that brought the both of them out more than anything was when baby Freeway came to live with us. Peanut and Sassy took him in within a couple of days, like an adopted mother and aunt. Peanut, once timid and reclusive, would rough-and-tumble wrestle with the baby, and Sassy stepped up to watch after the baby, keeping others away from his food and watching while he slept.
Peanut and Sassy were surrendered to the shelter because their human had lost her job and was having to move in with her parents, and the cats were not welcome
They had already been in the shelter for 2 months when I found them there. I felt like I didn't have any room at home, but I did sponsor half of their adoption fee, where both of them could be adopted for the price of one, to up their chances. A month later, they were still there. Several people had wanted Sassy, but not Peanut, and never both. It seems that any time Peanut was taken out of the pen, she would get upset and "squirmy", acting practically antisocial.
At the end of that month I got the news. They were either going to have to be split up for individual adoption, or moved from the adoption center back to the old shelter, where they would go back on the "countdown clock". The director told me, "we'll drop the fee's to 2 for 1, and you've already donated that much, so if you have room....?"
I went back to visit, and lifted Sassy out of the pen. She was, and still is, a little lovebug, that likes to twist and wiggle while you scratch her back. Peanut took that moment to hop out of the pen onto the floor. Still holding Sassy, I scooped up Peanut; and she gave me a great big licky kiss right on the cheek.
As it turned out, Peanut was only upset if she and Sassy were separated. Holding both of them, they were the happiest little bundles of fur ever. I didn't know how the tribe was going to take to having 2 new cats show up at once, but I knew I couldn't let these two be split up. So, without so much as an adoption application and their medical being up to date and complete, the two came home with me that very afternoon.
I put the two of them in a bedroom with 2 boxes, food, water and toys, and started the introduction ritual. Even though I had the door open within 3 weeks, it was almost 2 months before the two of them ventured out of the bedroom. They were ok with other cats visiting, but they were in no hurry to leave their "territory". But, they finally came out to socialize and explore.
It's a bit embarrassing to say, but it took me over 2 months to discover their secret. The reason that Peanut is so desperate to stay close to Sassy is, because Sassy is her ears. Peanut is almost completely deaf. The tribe was having dinner one evening while I was cleaning up the kitchen, and I dropped a cookie sheet I was washing. Cats scattered to the 4 winds (Hobo went straight up); but Peanut never moved, happily munching away. She had scooted her bowl up against the stove and couldn't see Sassy, and didn't see that that Sassy had run from the evil, bouncing, banging cookie sheet. Some other little noise making tests, like tapping 2 glasses together, produced the same result, she heard none of them. She does her best to keep Sassy in her line of sight, and if Sassy moves, she moves.
So, we started making allowances for her. I put a bamboo curtain at the doorway of her bedroom. This way, other cats entering the bedroom have to go around the curtain and into her line of sight. She doesn't mind them being there, but she hates being surprised. And, her bed is a boot box on top of a set of drawers in the bedroom, high enough for her to see everyone.
I've tried a real pet bed, but she doesn't care for it. She would much rather have her box
They are becoming more independent of each other than they used to be, with Sassy actually being quite adventurous.
But the thing that brought the both of them out more than anything was when baby Freeway came to live with us. Peanut and Sassy took him in within a couple of days, like an adopted mother and aunt. Peanut, once timid and reclusive, would rough-and-tumble wrestle with the baby, and Sassy stepped up to watch after the baby, keeping others away from his food and watching while he slept.
