Once upon a time, the Stillman house was full. Neighbors fondly referred to the Stillmans’ household as a petting zoo because they always seemed to house unwanted animals. Among the animals, the Stillmans had an elderly cat and were looking to adopt a second “when the time was right.”
Julianne Stillman’s 14-year-old daughter searched the internet for kittens that needed a forever home and stumbled across a picture of Enid, a kitten who was missing radial bones in her forelegs from a genetic condition. After the girl showed her mom, the Stillmans got in touch with St. Louis Pet Rescue to see about visiting the kitten.
“We met Enid and found out she has siblings,” Stillman says. “She and her brother Deacon came as a pair, and both had the genetic leg condition.”
The Stillmans fell in love with the kittens and made the decision to adopt them on the spot.
“We knew we could give them a loving home and work with their special needs,” Stillman says. “We were a bit nervous when we brought them home, though, because we weren’t sure they’d be able to do stairs.”
The Stillmans learned very quickly that since the kittens had been born with the condition, they didn’t know any different. Enid and Deacon army-crawl everywhere and sit up on their hind legs like kangaroos.
“They’re totally mobile and can jump and run like crazy,” Stillman says.
Deacon and Enid fit in perfectly with the other Stillman household animals. They’re close with the older cat, especially Enid. They also love the family guinea pig, who will chase the kittens around.
“They all run around the living room together, and the guinea pig will try to chew on [the kittens’] fur,” Stillman says. “They’re all about the same size, so it’s pretty funny to watch.”
Deacon and Enid are inseparable, but each has individual quirks. Enid is obsessed with the shower and will wait nearby until someone gets out to invade it; she’s also notorious for unrolling rolls of toilet paper.
“We’d wake up in the morning, and it will be all unrolled, shredded and everywhere,” Stillman says.
Deacon’s the more vocal of the two and will “walk around yowling.”
Although the two kitties weren’t initially part of the Stillman animal plan, Stillman says the pair came into the family’s lives when they were most needed.
“We’ve had a hard year, so I feel like they were sent to us,” she says. “They make us laugh every day.”
This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.
Once upon a time, Lael Cunningham wanted a cat. She really wanted a cat. She tried to convince her mom, Janel Cunningham, that she was ready to take care of one, so she drew up a contract of all the things she would do to take care of one. Last Christmas, Lael Cunningham’s gift was her contract back – notarized and signed by her mom.
Robyn Elizabeth Dexter 