Q: How’d you get Hikaru and Kaoru?
A: So we first looked at about 20-30 (if not more) cats at the SPCA and Animal Care and Control (combined) for about 2-3 weeks. Then, we found them one day and we came back a couple more times over the course of like 2-3 days and then we adopted them! We also made sure to bring my little brother to see how they react with little kids.
Q: So would you recommend that people get cats from shelters?
A: Yes, 100%. There are so many cats that need homes and shelters are literally the best place to adopt them. They are treated for illnesses, friendly, and are trained to be good with people. AND they most likely come with a care package to make sure you’re prepared for the first few days of having your cat! (Like food, litter, medicine, and even a toy!) Plus, they’re spayed and neutered, and already litter trained which is the best part.
Q: What’s it like taking care of kittens?
A: OH BOY. They only have two moods when they’re young (which I’ve been told by workers at the SPCA and my friends who have cats): they’re either super energetic or sleepy. They’re almost always the first and they play with everything. I balled up an old receipt and they played with that for a solid hour. They started pulling their claws on one of our chairs but they stopped because I would spray them with a spray bottle filled with water. Other than that they’re not super difficult!
Q: I notice they fight with each other a lot. My friend also told me cats are very territorial. Do you think they’re play fighting or that they’ll still fight when they grow up?
A: They do play fight a lot but they still groom each other and sleep on top of each other so I know for a fact they don’t dislike each other. They were also in the same room together at the shelter. They’re still kittens, so hopefully they’ll calm down when they’re older. (laughs) They’ll probably still play together when they’re older because Hikaru is so high energy all the time.
Q: They’re twins, so how do you tell the difference between them (through appearance and/or personality?)
A: If you hang out with them for long enough you can tell that Hikaru is more energetic and dominant than Kaoru, he’s also slightly bigger and has lighter fur. Kaoru also comes quicker to you if you call him over. Hikaru is also quicker to purr if you pet him…. Hikaru is the bad boy and Kaoru is the goody-two-shoes if you really boil down their personalities.
Summer is full of cat-related holidays: June is National Adopt a Cat Month, July 10th is National Kittens Day, and June 4th is Hug Your Cat Day. To commemorate all of these holidays at once, I interviewed Solenne Castro who recently adopted kittens and hugs them on a regular basis.
Solenne’s kittens are twins—Hikaru and Kaoru. They’re named after the twins from the popular shoujo comedy anime, Ouran High School Host Club.
If you like kittens, and want to celebrate Hug Your Cat Day literally, please also consider celebrating Adopt a Cat Month and getting a cat from a shelter. As my friend described, they really are the safest, most humane option for prospective cat owners. And, you’ll be giving an animal a safe, warm home. Everybody wins!
Interview with Solene Castro, a Cat Owner
The TALK
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