Kittens, Kittens

I'm finally following up on that promise I made more than a month ago - to properly introduce readers to my new kittens. Picture me in a scene from The Lion King holding up these cute bundles of fur on the day we adopted them:

Saro is the one with the white chin, nose and paws while Serefina is almost completely black except for a wisp of white on her body. Of course, they're not that small anymore. Almost two months later, Saro is evolving into a mighty cat while Serefina is growing at a slower pace.

These two sweeties might be lockdown adoptees, but I've wanted kittens for a long time. Some of you might know Joe Joe from my Twitter feed - he's a stray who decided to move in last year. He's a grouchy, opinionated goofball and we love him to bits, but he's not exactly a clingy cat. His idea of affection is usually to resist scratching you on your way down the stairs. This is him at a quieter moment:

So, my desire for kittens to make our household complete grew during the long lockdown months, though the final nudge was having to give up my co-working desk due to the coronavirus uncertainty. Suddenly, I found I was working from home permanently, giving any kittens the human scratch post they need for most of the day. My long-suffering wife (also a cat person) agreed and we began the adoption process.

Saro and Serefina were part of a feral litter found on the streets by a volunteer. Their mother was nowhere to be found, so it's very lucky they were found when they were and they were fostered along with their sister, Sitha, (adopted by another family). For some reason, they weren't popular choices when new adopters were going through the process. Other kittens were being snapped up, but not these two. I like to think that's because we were waiting to come along, although the more pragmatic side of me thinks it's because tabbies and gingers are currently popular while black cats aren't. I swear, though, look into those faces and tell me they're not beautiful kitties.

Nearly two months later and I'll admit it - I'm exhausted just watching them. They've come to something of a truce with Joe Joe and love chasing tissues. Honestly, Saro is more like a puppy sometimes, but they've turned into very loving kittens very quickly. If you discount the time I spent crying that Saro "hated" me, it's been a lovely few months.

If you want to be bored by cat pictures, I post them most regularly on Instagram while my Twitter followers receive frequent updates about what Saro's eating now (hint: usually everything).