What are the names of your cats?
Chai, Thyme and Evan
Photo (above): Thyme (left), Evan (middle) and Chai (Right). Taken by Sydney Cat Photographer, Furry Munchkins Pet Photography.
Where is your cat family located in?
Sydney, NSW, Australia
What are the breeds of your cats?
They are all domestic short-haired cats.
How old are your cats?
Chai and Thyme are 3 years old. Evan is 2 years old.
Where can we find your cats on social media?
On Instagram @chai_thyme_evan and @furrymunchkinsphotography
Photo (above): Thyme (left), Evan (right). Taken by Sydney Cat Photographer, Furry Munchkins Pet Photography.
In a few short words/sentences, tell us about your cat's personalities.
Chai (see photo below) is a sweet-natured boy who loves cuddles and pats. He is very gentle and absolutely adores climbing high up onto our cat tree. He is the only one out of our 3 cats that will come to you just to have head and back scratches.
Thyme (see photo below) is a princess trapped in the body of a grey tabby cat. She is extremely vocal and cries for food or attention. She really sounds like a baby which is adorable, but can also be a tad bit annoying at 4.30 am in the morning. She is the secret boss of the family and will put everyone in their place if she gets the chance.
Evan is a ginger cat who I would describe as the spoilt brat of the family. He is adorable though and absolutely adores my wife. He loves to be close to her and will purr loudly when in her arms. Evan has always been the cat who will go for whatever he wants, no matter what the consequences. His motto is "do first, think later". This often makes the other two cats a bit upset though they give in to him as well.
How have your cats transformed your life from the moment you've met them till now?
We can't imagine life without them now! They absolutely made our lives 1000 times better. The three of them have brought us so much laughter, joy, and love for our family. Growing as a young married couple, we felt that it was "wrong" not to have kids. Our cats have taught us that our family is already complete with them.
What do your cats mean to you?
Our cats mean the world to us. We love them to bits and would do anything to keep them safe and happy.
How did you and your cats first meet? Tell it to us in the form of a short story.
It all began a few years ago when we began fostering a kitten by the name of Spicy. She was the first kitten we had as a couple and quickly fell in love with her. We had always known that a family was interested in adopting her at that stage and still took her on to care for her at that time.
A few days in, we found ourselves hoping that her to-be parents would not be able to adopt her so that we could. We cried the day she left us to her new family. A few weeks later, we fostered our next two kittens (who were Chai and Thyme, a brother and sister pair). It didn't take long before we fell in love with them too and signed the adoption papers a few weeks later.
There was a lot of talk at that time about whether we could raise two cats, but about a few months later, we met Evan. Evan came to our local vet clinic as a 2-week old kitten. We saw him and felt we needed to give him a chance as the only other option was that he would be put down. He was a feisty little kitten, but as he grew up, we felt a strong bond to him. The staff at the vet clinic said they would actively try to find other people who might want to keep him, but no one really showed their interest.
We believe that they knew we the ones for him. One of the things that really made us decide to keep him was when he was 3 months old and snuggled up next to Thyme. She had always been a bit wary of him, but on that day, she allowed him to be close to her and even began licking him. A few days leading up to my birthday, I said that adopting Evan would make for the best birthday present. My wife agreed and we adopted him on the day of my birthday. The rest is history!
What do you think your cats think of you?
Our cats definitely see us as a source of comfort, food provider and game master!
Your cats are part of your family. What are some things they do that make you think that consider you part of theirs?
Evan loves to be physically close to Charlotte and starts purring incessantly. All three of them definitely love to be around us. When we are at different parts of the house doing something, they will always be close by, sleeping, exploring, etc. Chai will come up to both of us and "ask for pats". He does this by arching his back as if to say "please pat me!" Thyme will occasionally fall asleep on our laps, which makes us feel on cloud nine/the chosen people.
Photo (above): Evan the ginger ninja with my wife, Charlotte.
What are some accounts your cats like to follow on Instagram?
@tomonhajime
@kate_and_caesar
@waynenohair
@roxythe_kitty
@theadventuresoflumosandnox
@vancatmeow
@luna_misty_blue
@miloandmarilyn
@meetmymilo
@diegothepurrmachine
Chai's Superhero Origin Story below! (Check out this short video)
Why do you feel that it is important to show the world that "Cats are Family"?
I was very wrong about cats when I was growing up. It wasn't until living with my 3 cats did I realize how unique and special they are. I know that many people who have never had the opportunity to care and love cats would fall in the same trap. This is important because, in some cultures and countries, cats are seen only as pests. I don't think that's anything wrong on the cat's part. Cats growing up with no human interactions would, after all, be feral and not an ideal member of the family.
But I believe that now is the time to share with the world that cats can be part of the family if they are given the chance. It involves a relationship born out of sheer determination, love, and respect for one another. It empowers other cat families to share their stories and relationship with each other with the world. To laugh off the idea that cats can be part of the family or label someone as a "crazy cat lady" is wrong. I firmly believe that this campaign will change that notion with the help of one cat family at a time.
Over to you...
YOU can start making a difference to Cats and their families everywhere!
Join the Cats are family campaign and SHARE your cat family story with the world.
Here's how...