Featured soul cats: Violet and Giro

About the soul cat series: This series celebrates cats you’ve had a soul connection with.

Today’s soul cats are the snuggly brother & sister, Violet and Giro. They live with their soul-humans named Jenna and Eric.

Violet and Giro are a constant source of love and fun at Jenna and Eric’s home, but Jenna tells the story of how she hadn’t planned on picking them.

How did you find each other?

My partner and I had been looking for a pair of sister kittens for about a year.  He was very ready and would have lovingly welcomed any kittens into our home gratefully.

I was much more nervous about choosing the “right” ones and was taking my time with the search.

Along with the pressure I felt about the commitment and responsibility of having pets, I was being very particular about what they looked like and had my mind set on finding solid charcoal grey shorthairs.

When I found some kittens on Craigslist that had just been born 5 weeks earlier and were needing homes, I drove an hour to meet them to see if there was a connection.

When I finally met the litter of 6  kittens, all of my pre-conceived notions about which kittens I would choose slipped away when I noticed a brother and sister that seemed especially bonded and sweet.

While the 2 charcoal ones I admired in photos ran and hid behind every piece of furniture, the other pair of kittens were joyfully interacting with me and the boy (Giro) was quite talkative.

Though I thought I was certain I wanted 2 girls, and that they were going to look a certain way, I followed my heart and allowed the brother and sister duo to choose me.

I scooped them up, paid the $70, and we were on our way to their new home.

As I listened to them cry as they huddled fearfully in the cat carrier box strapped into my passenger seat, I assured them repeatedly that they were safe and all was well.

By the time I got about half way home, I could tell that I was already in love with them and felt totally committed to love, protect and care for them always!

Are there certain traits that stand out about them?

Giro continues to be the loud talker and has a lot to say. He also still tries to nurse and loves wool sweaters for this reason.  He was the runt of the litter and seems to have certain qualities that may only be learned by a kitten who has this role.

He is a little more “needy” and sensitive, a true “Mama’s Boy” who maybe didn’t get enough mothering from his birth mother, but that is fine with us as we find it very endearing.

Violet, on the other hand, is fearless and bold and definitely the leader.  She is very clever and fast and teaches her brother well.

I am so glad that Giro has his “big” sister to look up to as she seems to teach him so much about being a strong, confident cat that he might not have learned on his own.

They both seem to have preferred times for their intense doses of cuddling we have named “Cuddle Time.” Violet likes hers first thing every morning after we just wake up and are still in bed, and Giro prefers his in the evening after dinner.

What made you aware of the special bond you share with these cats?

The special bond that we share became clear very quickly as they expressed their complete trust in us and so perfectly communicated their every need.

The amount of love in the house has quadrupled since their arrival.  They complete the loving feeling of family to us and we are eternally grateful.

Any cat care or feeding techniques that are working well for you? (Optional question)

We feed them mainly organic raw chicken livers with added organic egg yolks and a sprinkling of brewers yeast on top (which I learned about in this blog as a natural flea repellant, and it works!). We are now expanding their raw meat selections to raw organic chicken meat, hearts, and other organs, so that they don’t miss out on any other nutrients that liver may not have enough of.  We also grow organic oat grass for them and they seem to enjoy it. They also get some goat milk kefir, and every few days we give them some organic dry cat food from Castor and Pollux.

They are indoor/outdoor cats, so they tend to pick up fleas.  The Brewers Yeast has helped a lot and we also took another suggestion from this blog about regularly flea combing them and that is a big source of relief for them and for us!

They are the healthiest looking and acting cats I have ever seen, with fabulous lustrous coats, bright eyes, well-adjusted personalities and lots of energy.

We want them to live as long and well as they possibly can, so we spare no expense when it comes to keeping them well fed, healthy and happy.