Category: Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Googie, Pearl and the Falconnier Family

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Once upon a time, two kitties were born with birth defects that didn’t allow for one of their back legs to develop correctly. With big, expressive eyes and sturdy, fluffy bodies, they were beautiful, but it would be a long journey ahead to find forever homes that would love them despite their flaws.

Melista Falconnier had always loved cats. When a friend suggested she start volunteering for Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center, she jumped at the chance and began going every Thursday.

“You end up falling in love with all of them,” Falconnier admits.

She had always considered adopting a cat with special needs and ended up falling head over heels for a pair of three-legged fur babies. Ross and Cami had come from less-than-ideal conditions at an informal breeder’s home. From that hoarding situation, 22 cats were removed and placed at Animal House in hopes of a brighter future. Falconnier watched the rest of the big group get adopted one by one, leaving Ross and Cami.

“I went to go see my mom, and I told myself that if they were still there when I got back, I’d adopt them,” she says. And they were, almost as if they were waiting.

Falconnier brought Ross and Cami (now named Googie and Pearl) home in December. The 2-year-old cats have kept her entertained ever since, amusing her with their playfulness and energy, despite having only six legs between the two of them.

“I was surprised how active they are with their legs,” Falconnier says. “They want to play and chase each other. They just tire out quicker.”

Pearl still has a fairly shy temperament, and Googie loves to talk. They’ve both come out of their shells quite a bit, Falconnier says, and are obsessed with chasing laser pointer dots and batting balls around. Googie in particular will vie for Falconnier’s attention, particularly when she’s talking on the phone.

“He’s so vocal,” she says. “If I’m on the phone for too long, he’ll let me know it’s time for me to pay attention to him.”

Falconnier speaks highly of Animal House and gives its staff credit for working with the cats so they can go to their forever families.

“They really get to know [the cats’] personalities and help them evolve,” she says. “They put so much time and effort into matching them with a family.”

As for her own two, Falconnier says Pearl and Googie have completely melted her heart.

“I love animals,” she says. “They keep you present and in the moment. No matter what your day is like, they’re always happy to see you.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Lee Marvin and the Whitlow-Raczkowski Family

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Once upon a time, a community member in East St. Louis was moving, but couldn’t take the household dog. The blue heeler/pit bull mix ended up at Gateway Pet Guardians last February, and it was difficult to find a family because of his struggles with separation anxiety and being crated. He had a hard time at the shelter, and the Gateway team rooted for him constantly, hoping to help match him with his forever family.

Meanwhile, Betha Whitlow and David Raczkowski were also having a challenging 2018. Raczkowski’s father passed away unexpectedly, and the family’s pit bull started declining in health – they lost him in November at age 15. Though the couple was mourning the loss of two important family members, Whitlow “recognized [they] had space in their hearts for a new dog.”

Whitlow was drawn to Gateway for two main reasons: the staff’s knowledge of the dogs in their care and how seriously they take the matchmaking process. She and her husband knew they were looking for an adult dog that was good with people, other dogs and cats. With that set of criteria, they were willing to handle other issues that potentially came with the dog.

Whitlow saw a dog named Mr. Bruno on Gateway’s website and immediately gravitated toward his expressive face and “giant bat ears.” She put in an application to do a weeklong trial with the pup, and they knew right away that he was a keeper. After 327 days at Gateway, the pup found his forever home.

“Though we thought he had severe separation anxiety, it seemed like he was just stressed out from a kennel environment,” Whitlow says. “He doesn’t mind when we leave and isn’t destructive.”

The couple decided to rename Mr. Bruno at the request of Raczkowski.

“My husband always wanted to name a dog Lee Marvin,” Whitlow says. “He was less ready to adopt than I was initially. I told him he could name the dog Lee Marvin, and it turns out it suits him well.”

Lee Marvin didn’t have the easiest life before he came to Gateway or the Whitlow-Raczkowski family. He was abandoned twice and had been dumped on the side of the road with no food or water. When he first arrived at Gateway, he tested heartworm-positive and experienced all kinds of complications with the treatment. Whitlow says she admires his resiliency and often thinks about the journey he went on to get to their family.

“It’s amazing to watch him realize little pleasures like lying in the sun,” she says. “He’s super passionate about walks and loves car rides more than any dog I’ve ever met in my life. He likes to play with his rope and is currently in day training at No Leash Needed. He’s loving it and is so eager to please.”

Lee Marvin is also good with the family’s other four-legged friends.

“Our other dog, Ben, is 10,” Whitlow says. “While the energy match isn’t the same, they’re pretty inseparable. And our cat doesn’t mind him in the least.”

In the few months they’ve had him, Whitlow says Lee Marvin has been a total blessing for their family.

“He’s brought so much joy back into our house,” she says. “It was sad to come home and have that empty space, but Lee Marvin has more than filled it up – and he’s filled it up in his own way. We’re excited to give him the life he deserves.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Whippet and the Carmean Family

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Once upon a time, Melissa Carmean decided she wanted to foster a senior dog or one that had special needs of some sort. She and her family had previously fostered dogs when they were living in Texas, and when they moved to Missouri about a year ago, she began following Stray Rescue of St. Louis on Facebook.

“I got addicted to their posts,” she says.

Earlier this year, Carmean saw posts about a 7-year-old dog named Whippet who came to Stray Rescue blind in both eyes. He had glaucoma, and his eyes were rupturing. He had surgery to have them removed and went to a foster home to recover, since the shelter was confusing for the blind pup. Carmean saw his posts and “couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

“When he went up for adoption, I put in an application right away,” she says.

Whippet’s foster family was enthusiastic about the Carmeans coming to meet him, so Carmean and her husband went to pay him a visit and see if he’d be a good fit for their family.

“My husband wasn’t totally sold on the idea, but when we walked in their door, he was the first one on the floor with [Whippet],” Carmean says.

After a brief discussion with her husband, Carmean filed with Stray Rescue to officially adopt Whippet. They brought the pup home the same day.

The Carmeans have had Whippet only for a few weeks, but he’s fitting in perfectly with their family. Whippet’s getting used to having a dog brother and sister, along with a sassy cat sister. Carmean says that aside from his blindness, the Golden Retriever-“ish” pup is “as healthy as can be.”

“He loves to go for walks,” she says. “He just wants to be wherever you are.”

One little bit of adjustment the Carmeans have faced with Whippet is talking to him constantly to let him know where they are in the house.

“You can’t leave a room without telling him you’re leaving the room, because he won’t know where you went,” Carmean says. “You just have to keep talking to him so he can follow you. His sense of hearing is great.”

Whippet has been particularly excited about meeting the Carmeans’ cat, but so far, the cat has insisted on swatting at the visually impaired dog until he backs away.

“He just really wants to sniff her,” Carmean says. “As soon as she meows, he’s got to go find her.”

Overall, though, Carmean says the biggest adaptation is just being mindful of Whippet’s presence because he’s so quiet and low-maintenance. The Carmeans have incorporated him into their daily routine with ease, though, allowing Whippet to come along on car rides to pick up their daughter from school.

“Seeing him with his head out the window is so cute because he loves the feel of the wind on his face,” Carmean says. “He can’t tell what’s going on, but the expression on his face is so sweet.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Gertie and the Pontious Family

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Once upon a time, a Lab/Great Dane mix was lying on the side of the road. She had been hit by a car and went unattended for three days, waiting for someone to notice she needed help and was in pain. Eventually, ActNow Rescue picked her up, naming her Miracle because it was a miracle she’d survived. The dog would need immediate surgery on her injured leg to try to save it, however.

Out in St. Peter’s, Rachel Pontious and her family had fostered for ActNow for years. When she found out about Miracle, she immediately agreed to foster the recuperating 90-pound dog.

“I don’t understand how anyone could leave a dog on the side of the road in pain,” she says.

The pup came to the Pontious family right after her leg surgery, so she was under “cage rest” for a few months, meaning all she could do was go outside to use the bathroom, which even proved challenging at times. At one point, one of the pins in the dog’s leg came poking out, and she had to have another surgery to correct it. It wasn’t easy for Miracle, but she continued to get better – and make friends.

Rachel’s 5-year-old son has autism and never developed a bond with either of the other two Pontious dogs. However, Miracle was different.

“She’s the only dog he’s ever shown interest in,” Pontious says. “She loves him, and he loves her. … She needed to be ours.”

Gertie

The Pontious family has had the dog, now renamed Gertie, for a year. They assume she’s 2 or 3 years old and has “the sweetest demeanor.”

“She’s so gentle and loves everyone,” Pontious says.

The road to recovery has been a long one for Gertie, who still has two bad back legs. Her cranial cruciate ligament (similar to the ACL in humans) went out, and she had to undergo yet another surgery for it. But her life is improved drastically, now that she knows the love of a family and other dog friends.

“She loves to play with other dogs, chew on bones and go on car rides,” Pontious says. “She just loves attention and loves to eat. She’ll bark if it’s dinnertime and we haven’t fed her.”

Pontious also notes that Gertie’s very intuitive about the feelings of her people and is great at comforting those around her.

“She knows when I’m sad and how to cheer me up,” Pontious says. “I just love how sweet she is and how loving she can be.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Zoey, Chaka, Timmy and the Brands Family

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Once upon a time, the Brands family found themselves without dogs after their three senior pups crossed the rainbow bridge one after the other. Kenna Brands and her family waited more than a year before even considering bringing new four-legged friends into the family. One day, she convinced her husband to go look at a dog at PetSmart. When they arrived, however, the dog they came to see wasn’t there – but a little 5-year-old French bulldog was. The pup was scared and had been a puppy-mill dog, but the Brandses took to her right away. Due to some health issues, she wasn’t available for adoption right away, but the foster group agreed to bring her out for a home visit. When the All About Paws member brought the bulldog for a visit, they also brought a Xoloitzcuintli (commonly known as a Mexican hairless dog, or Xolo) to keep the bulldog company.

“[The Mexican dog] showed up in her PJs and had a little white mohawk and a sweet, soulful face,” Brands recalls. “She was in our house for about 10 minutes, and we knew she was supposed to be here.”

They called All About Paws and said they wanted to adopt both dogs. The 3-year-old Xolo, now named Zoey, came to the Brands family in early March 2018, and the bulldog, now named Chaka, a few weeks later.

“Zoey has been awesome with helping Chaka learn how to become a dog,” Brands says. “Zoey wants to play so much, and Chaka didn’t know how to play.”

While the Brands family was acclimating their two new family members, they kept in contact with All About Paws. And that’s when they got the call about Timmy Tornado, another Xolo who was 1 year old. They brought Timmy over for a visit, and “Timmy and Zoey turned our backyard into WrestleMania,” Brands says with a laugh. And so, the Brands family grew by another member as Timmy joined the family in September of the same year.

One of the things that endeared the Brands family to Timmy was his patience with Chaka, who’s slower to warm up to people and other dogs due to her background of abuse.

“He plays softer with her and gives her snuggles,” Brands says.

In the months that they’ve had her, Chaka has adapted to her new family. It was harder for her than for the other two, and Brands said she almost cried the first time the pup came over to her asking to be held.

“When you see that from a mill dog, it’s so rewarding,” Brands says. “Her love is so pure.”

Hairless Zoey and Timmy are spending their winter months lounging around in their pajamas, though Brands says Timmy doesn’t seem to realize he’s hairless and loves to play in the snow. Brands says their skin is soft like a baby’s, and they need to be rubbed down with coconut oil after their baths. But the family has come to love the interesting-looking dogs and their quirky personalities – particularly how they all get along together.

“We just love our dogs so much,” Brands says. “We’re so grateful for All About Paws.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Ziggy and the Brose Family

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Once upon a time, a medium-haired Maine Coon mix named Ziggy was searching for his forever home. He had initially been adopted months ago from a Petco, but later showed up at the back door of a volunteer with The Cat Network, a cat rescue group that’s been helping stray and abandoned cats find their forever homes since 1991. The volunteer and other Cat Network staffers were able to trace his microchip information, but the contact info turned out to be bogus.

So Ziggy came under the care of The Cat Network, which found him a great home. Unfortunately, when the family welcomed a new member after adopting Ziggy, allergies and asthma prevented them from keeping the cat. Ziggy returned to The Cat Network six months after being adopted.

Over in Olivette, Allison Brose and her 4-year-old, Lydia, were out running errands and stopped into Bentley’s Pet Stuff to pick up a few Christmas presents for the cat of Brose’s sister and brother-in-law. Upon entering the shop, Lydia fell in love with a huge orange cat that was up for adoption.

“He reminded me a lot of the cat we used to have before my kids were born, Charlie,” Brose recalls. “He was a huge gray Maine Coon and was so sweet.”

While the Broses hadn’t been talking about getting a pet anytime soon, Brose felt in her gut she should inquire about the cat in Bentley’s. She contacted The Cat Network and soon heard back from the group’s secretary, Kristi Hill. Unfortunately, the Bentley’s cat was in the process of being adopted. But the timing ended up being just right because Ziggy had just come back to The Cat Network, and Hill asked if Brose would be interested in meeting him instead.

“I showed the pictures to my husband and kids, and they were all so excited,” Brose says. “We made plans to go meet Kristi and Ziggy at Petco. She stayed there with us for an hour while the kids got acclimated to him.”

Ziggy was only without a home for 23 hours. The Broses adopted him just before Christmas and welcomed the cat into their home for the holidays.

In the few weeks since his adoption, Ziggy has settled into his new home with ease. Brose calls him a “gentle giant” and says having Ziggy is almost like having a dog because he loves to be around people and inserts himself into whatever happens to be going on around the house. Brose says he’s extremely tolerant of his new younger housemates, who are 8, 6 and 4 years old.

“They’re so gentle with him, and he’s always trying to be around them,” Brose says.

Ziggy’s current hobbies include jumping onto and off countertops, playing in the shower, watching squirrels and hanging out in the bathroom and kitchen sinks. Brose says it feels like he’s been a part of the family for much longer than just a few weeks and loves that he’s so social.

“I just feel like he was meant to be,” she says. “I wasn’t searching for a pet, but this fell into place.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Minnie and the Awtrey-Hammack Family

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Once upon a time, a bone-thin pup was used for breeding. When the breeders didn’t want her anymore, she went home with one of the breeder’s co-workers as a surprise for his wife, who didn’t even like dogs. They named her Lucky because they were “lucky they kept her,” but before long, she was surrendered to the Animal Protective Association of Missouri.

When Lucky arrived at the APA, she weighed only 25 pounds and had a protruding rib cage and sunken-in facial features from lack of nutrition. She was petrified, never having known a life of love and affection.

Devan Awtrey, a veterinary technician with the APA, was immediately drawn to the quaking youngster. She sent a photo of the pup, who had been nicknamed “Skinny Minnie,” to her boyfriend.

“An hour later, he said we could foster her,” Awtrey says.

She brought Minnie home to her boyfriend, two stepkids and their other pup, who warmed instantly to the newcomer. Minnie, however, took a bit of time to adjust.

“She didn’t want to do anything for the first 24 hours we had her,” Awtrey recalls. “But she perked up as soon as she got some food in her belly. I think she realized she was home.”

Two weeks after they initially brought Minnie home as a foster, Awtrey and her boyfriend filed to permanently adopt Minnie. and the pup became the newest member of their family in July.

In the months since then, Minnie has made herself completely at home. She’s best friends with Awtrey’s other dog, and they will “lick each other’s faces for hours.” Minnie waits patiently while Awtrey’s 7-year-old stepdaughter paints her toenails and even enjoys bath time when it arrives. Her favorite activities include chasing squirrels and going for car rides.

“She also loves having her picture taken, and she’s got a goofy snaggletooth that catches on her upper lip,” Awtrey says. “She’s looks like a little gremlin. It’s so cute.”

One of Awtrey’s favorite characteristics in Minnie is that she’s a mediator.

“If the kids are arguing, she’s the first one to come in and literally put herself in the middle of whatever is going on,” Awtrey says. “If we’re play-fighting in the kitchen, she comes up out of nowhere and bulldozes us.”

Even though she’s now 60 pounds instead of 25, the 2-year-old pup still has the nickname of “Skinny Minnie” whenever she visits her old friends at the APA. Luckily, thanks to the love of Awtrey and her family and the staff at the APA, Minnie will truly never, ever be “Skinny Minnie” again.

“She’s such a good dog,” Awtrey says. “She just kind of hopped into our lives.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: D-O-G and the Duo Family

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Once upon a time, a kitten lived in a barn at Netherfield Natural Farm bed-and-breakfast in Fontana, Kansas. The youngster spent his days in the barn with his brothers and sisters, mixing and mingling with the other farm animals and greeting guests who stayed at the B&B. One day in July 2017, Nadine Wenig of St. Louis’ Duo (formerly Support Dogs) stayed at the farmhouse while working with new handlers in the area. After going to the original barn to hear some music one night, she was greeted by the kitten and his siblings – most of whom scattered when she opened the door. All of them, that is, except the black-and-white one.

“He came up to me and was meowing at me,” Wenig remembers. “I picked him up, and he just snuggled right up to me. I came back later in the day, and the same thing happened. All of the kittens scattered except for him.”

Wenig and the Duo team, which has trained assistance dogs for individuals with mobility and hearing challenges since 1981, had previously discussed getting a cat to help with distraction training for the organization’s dogs. The service and hearing dogs go through two years of training to make sure they’re proficient in more than 50 skills, like opening and closing doors and picking up dropped items. Clients are often curious if Duo pups are good with cats, and Wenig thought she might’ve found the perfect candidate.

“I asked [one of the owners] that night if I could have one of the kittens out of the barn to take back to Duo,” Wenig says. “He agreed, and we started our four-hour trip back the next morning.”

During the trip home, the kitten didn’t complain at all. He was content to purr and sleep the entire ride back to St. Louis, where he hit the ground running almost immediately. Wenig took him to the vet to make sure he was up-to-date on his vaccinations, and he started his job at Duo right away. By then, Wenig had named him D-O-G, pronounced “dee-OH-gee.”

“From the minute he walked in the door, he thought he was a dog,” Wenig says. “He eats out of the dogs’ bowls and has never met a stranger when it comes to a dog. It’s made him such a useful tool around here.”

Now 1 year old, the cat spends his days lovingly tormenting the organization’s dogs in training, playfully swatting their noses and lounging on top of their crates. When the dogs are in the training rooms, D-O-G comes with. While six or seven dogs practice their “down,” the cat will meander around them and play with toys in front of them.

“He’s very much a typical cat,” Wenig says. “He wants to be held when he wants to, but he’s never scratched or bit anyone since we brought him here. He does so many silly things with the dogs. He’s a great part of our team.”

His work hasn’t gone unnoticed. On Thursday, Nov. 15, Wenig, D-O-G and other Duo representatives traveled to New York City to receive the ASPCA Cat of the Year award.

According to Duo’s website, such awards “honor animal heroes who vitally help humans or other animals in extraordinary ways, as well as people who demonstrate great commitment to assisting at-risk animals.” Following a nationwide call for nominations, D-O-G was selected for the Cat of the Year category – an honor Wenig says he absolutely deserves.

“You can’t be around him without laughing,” she says. “He’s a part of our organization, even though he’s a cat. He helps us in so many ways.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Roxy and the Conyers-McFadden Family

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Once upon a time, a young pit bull/boxer mix was picked up wandering the streets of the city. Crestwood Animal Shelter took her in and set her up with a foster family while she waited for her forever home. On one of her first days with her foster family, she jumped the backyard fence and ran off. Her foster mom whistled for her, and she returned, earning her the name Whistle. Her high energy levels, though, were too much for her foster family, and she ended up going back to the shelter for another six months, waiting to be adopted.

In spring of last year, Patricia McFadden and her boyfriend adopted a dog named Moose from Stray Rescue. Moose was great with their little family, but when McFadden’s father became ill after Christmas, she and her sister planned a trip to see him in Florida. When her sister came down with a bug, though, the two delayed their trip. Moose died suddenly that weekend.

“One day she was fine, and the next day she was gone,” McFadden remembers. “She had a respiratory issue that was too much for her.”

The next weekend, still distraught over the loss of Moose, McFadden and her sister went to Florida. Before she left, McFadden saw a photo of Whistle on a friend’s social media page and inquired about the dog.

“I told them we were interested in meeting her, but that we had a family emergency and would check in when we got back,” McFadden says. “I left it at that, thinking the thing with my dad would be over pretty quickly, and he’d be better soon.”

Unfortunately, a few weeks later, McFadden’s father passed away. To add to her sorrow, McFadden also found out Whistle had been adopted.

But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Crestwood Animal Shelter contacted McFadden to share that Whistle had been returned to their care. The shelter staff relayed that if McFadden was still interested in Whistle, it might be best for her and her boyfriend to get to know the pup slowly.

“I work at night, so before work I’d go take her for walks at the shelter,” McFadden says. “They brought in a trainer from the East Coast to work with [Whistle], and we slowly got to know her better.”

McFadden and her boyfriend officially adopted the dog, renamed Roxy, at the end of March. Though the shelter gave them a month trial period during which Roxy could be returned, McFadden knew the pup had found her forever family.

Roxy loves to go for walks, play with balls and gnaw on chew bones. The high-energy pup is estimated to be about 2 years old, and McFadden says she “still has a lot of puppy in her.” But thanks to the trainer and numerous shelter staff members who were “really invested in her,” Roxy is much more ready to handle day-to-day life with her people.

“She loves people and is so smart,” McFadden says. “She was kind of aloof at the shelter because so much was going on. But over the past few months, she’s really started to trust us. It’s been so nice to see how she’s grown and settled in as an awesome member of our family.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Ira, Winnie and the Martin Family

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Once upon a time, Sally Martin was interested in adopting two young cats. She’d had cats her whole life, but she’d never actually chosen them. Most of the time, they’d just wandered into her yard and stuck around until she took them in. The last set of cats she’d had were sisters, so she knew she wanted to get a pair of youngsters that were already at least friends. Upon doing a brief Google search in March of this year, Martin found Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center. She was attracted to the fact that Animal House was a no-kill shelter, and she saw they had a number of young kittens.

She made a few visits to the St. Louis shelter, getting a feel for the way the rescue organization operated. After Martin explained that she was looking for two young cats, a staff member’s “eyes lit up.” The staffer told Martin that two, then named Felix and Rachel, had just come back from being fixed. The black one – Felix – jumped down from his cat tree and right into Martin’s lap. Rachel, a tabby, was sleeping, but woke up to greet Martin, too.

“I stayed with them for an hour,” Martin recalls fondly. “I said, ‘This is it.’”

She didn’t take them that day, since the cats still needed another standard veterinary visit before they could go to their forever homes. But later that March, the Animal House staff brought the two youngsters out to Martin’s home in Webster Groves.

Martin renamed the duo Ira and Winnie. Ira is around 14 months old, and Winnie is about a year, so they’re “still full of mischief.” She has a bird feeder right outside the dining room window, which is “like TV for them,” Martin says. “Ira particularly loves that.”

Winnie likes nontraditional toys and is content to play with things like twist ties, and her brother enjoys rubber bands and shoes. He also enjoys messing up the second hand of a clock Martin has.

“It’s kind of like having toddlers,” Martin muses. “You can get toddlers cool-kid toys, or you can give them a set of wooden spoons, and they’ll just go to town.”

Since adopting the cats in March, the trio has settled into a routine. Martin knows that around midmorning, Ira and Winnie will go into “crazy chase-each-other mode,” but she enjoys their lively company.

“They’re so playful,” she says. “I couldn’t be happier.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.