What are the names of your cats?
Tabitha and Kitten
Where is your cat family located in?
We live in Manila, Philippines.
What are the breeds of your cats?
Both Tabitha and Kitten are Domestic Shorthairs.
How old are your cats?
Tibby is 11 months, Kitten is 1 year 11 months
Where can we find your cats on social media?
On Instagram @tibbythetortie
In a few short words/sentences, tell us about your cats' personalities.
Tabitha (Tibby) is sweet, fearless, adventurous, and always hungry! She's always on the lookout on ways to escape and explore, she likes hunting and can catch a roach, mousie, or lizard easily any day of the week. She has a low, raspy mew/meow as compared to most cats, which makes her more endearing and unique.
Kitten is picky with her furriends and humans. She bites and swats a lot, but all this "independence" is thrown out the window when she cuddles and sleeps beside me late at night. She has her mood swings (as most gingers do), but we love her so much just the same.
How have your cats transformed your life from the moment you've met them till now?
They made me realize that I still had so much love to give! And they made life so much more interesting. Once I leave the house, I miss them already 5 minutes later. I certainly love them and consider them my babies.
What do your cats mean to you?
Oh my. Tibby was taken in shortly after my first cat and tortie passed away due to Chylothorax. I wasn't in a good place then, and concentrated mostly on Kitten (and my other Chihuahuas), giving them all the love I could give, given the circumstances.
You could say, cats are my life. I grew up a dog person, my family didn't really have any cats growing up. We'd pet one every now and then when we'd see them on the streets, but it never occurred to me, how they were such characters. I felt like I missed out on a lot because I love all my cats dearly, quirks and all. There is a certain kind of love that I feel when they snuggle or when they purr loudly when I give them scritches.
How did you and your cats first meet? Tell it to us in the form of a short story.
Tabitha: Two months after my first tortie (Mittens) passed away, I had heard about a tortie from the volunteer group, Cats of Eton Centris. We've frequented this area for coffee and food but this tortie was pretty new and was up for adoption. Apparently, she was caught on video being kicked by a young kid and it was recommended that she be adopted ASAP. I wasn't sure about going as having a new pet would entail more expenses and truth be told, I wasn't ready emotionally. With every tortie photo on Instagram, I would cry and think of Mittens. But, my sister and fellow cat mom urged me to just check out the Meet & Greet event. I can always say no anyway.
So I went, and I spotted Tibby (formerly named Scar, from Lion King). She was patiently in a cage just hanging out on her hammock looking at people. Having another tortie in front of me made me very emotional. And so right then and thereafter playing with her for a bit and touching her paw, I told the volunteer that I am considering her for adoption. I took her home a few days later and the rest is history.
She's the only cat I can only bring along on trips as she's not fussy and loves car rides, she interacts well with people, and she's known to be an escape artist as she has escaped many times since we took her in. We love her to bits and kiss her several times a day, of which she obliges us all the time. She also won as Pawspin Super Meowdel last April, a fun poll held among the Pawspin Adventures Community.
Kitten: I heard a very loud distress cry at 1 am on a rainy and cold Wednesday night in June 2018. As we have a colony of street cats outside, I'm used to hearing the occasional meows which usually goes away after a few minutes. This one, however, kept meowing non-stop. I opened the gate and snuck out, seeking out the source of the meows. I found a tiny ginger kitten, seemingly still blind, meowing on the cold pavement with two roaches walking towards her. Rescue 101 says that you should only pick up kittens when they are in imminent danger - to me the rain and the roaches indicated imminent danger. So I picked up the poor kitten and took her in, much to the dismay of my Mom.
With the intention of fostering and having her adopted, later on, we took her in, cared for her, and eventually (because of her very sweet nature), took her in permanently. Kitten, back when she was 2 months old, was very observant and watched me work, and even snuggled when I'd watch Netflix. Unbeknownst to me, she'd grow up swatty, bitey and proud. But we love her just the same. What a pleasant surprise this ginger has become, and she has now been named WWIII Kitten.
What do you think your cats think of you?
Kitten probably thinks I'm her meowmy for sure. Since she's picky with people, she follows me around when I'm home (and when she feels like it), she asks me for food and snuggles beside me in bed. The other people she swats and bites, and does not give the time of day. So in a way, I feel special.
Tibby, on the other hand, although she is the nicer of the two, she will follow anyone with the food plate. So I feel that Tibby thinks I am probably one of her moms but also one of her sources of sustenance. Haha.
Your cats are part of your family. What are some things they do that make you think that they consider you part of theirs?
What I love about Tibby is she looks for me every so often by inspecting each room and meowing. And once she finds me, she plops onto the bed and makes herself ready for scritches. If I don't respond, she will rub and meow until I do.
Kitten just basically sleeps beside me and allows me to kiss her, and that is good enough for me. I know they love me as much as I love them - they're just too proud to admit it.
What are some accounts your cats like to follow on Instagram?
@toothlessthetortie (Tibby's BFF)
@centris_cats
@mr.bennypants
@little_miss@priscilla
@siomai.mcchonk
@liempo_wempo
@piece.of.brownie
@panksy_bangsy
Why do you feel that it is important to show the world that Cats are Family?
In the Philippines, cats aren't as preferred as dogs and we want to share the message that cats deserve loving homes, too. Regardless of breed, pattern, or aesthetics, cats make lovely companions who will love you, care for you - if not more than your average house pet! My cats are my babies and I love them forever and am prepared to hell and high water for them.
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