Snickle...What?

Do you have room in your heart and home for two affectionate cats?

Bandit (black) and Snicklefritz (tabby) are siblings and have been together since they were kittens. They are seven years old, have both been neutered, and have both recently had dental cleanings. They are fairly shy, quiet boys, but they are both absolute lap cats and will make the perfect addition to any family. They are very laid back and get along with pretty much everyone: cats, dogs, and kids. They would love to find a home where they can relax together.

Health: Good (but beginning to get a little overweight from all of their time in a kennel)

Nicknames: B&S

Favourite treats: Love

Favourite activity: Tunneling under the blankets

Major dislikes: Not many, they’re pretty laid back

Endearing qualities: They both appear to be shy at first, but once you offer pats and love, they cannot get enough of you. They are both total lap cats and will fit into any home very well. For some reason they love to tunnel under their blankets, but this is not their way of hiding; it is just their way of playing.

If you live in the Greater Victoria area and you’d like to adopt these two lovebugs, please contact Catherine Clayton at the Victoria Pet Adoption Society by calling 652-4312 or e-mailing vpas@wormers.com.

Feline “Acatemy” A Good Beginning

A group of animal behaviourists have taken their “acatemy” on the road in the United States. A training school that helps people understand their cats by teaching them to behave like cats, the acatemy travels around the country, offering various innovative classes.

People learn to think, stretch, and sleep like a cat and the benefits are obvious. Not only do the cats’ owners come away from the classes understanding their pets better, they’ve also learned a new way to de-stress from the day. Few members of the animal kingdom have mastered the art of relaxation like cats have — most are better at it than dogs. A cat doesn’t have a dog’s “Lassie” list of responsibilities: for example, most don’t care who comes to the door and couldn’t care less if little Timmy falls down the water well as long as he doesn’t make too much noise.

The example set by this “acatemy” is heartwarming and the potential spin-offs are tempting. Someone should now organize a “lab-ratory” for those who want to understand their dogs better by behaving like dogs. In a lab-ratory, we humans would learn how to:

• be wildly happy about everything
• take a restful nap in a sunbeam despite the sunbeam’s location in a high-traffic area of the house or deck
• yawn grandly and noisily without covering our mouths
• accept everyone for who they are, not for what they have
• have fun spontaneously without needing someone to organize it
• trust without reservation
• forgive wholeheartedly
• take each day as it comes and not worry about tomorrow

Anyone who has ever been loved by a dog or a cat knows that our furry companions have many traits that we would do well to emulate.