Charlie, Shadow, Mochi, Felton, Dale and the Fiordilinos: Furry Friends Fur-Ever

“In 2022, my husband, Sal, and I lost our two beloved senior cats, Mr. Whiskers and Mrs. Furr to cancer and diabetes, leaving us devastated,” says Jami. “Mr. Whiskers was my cat, a total snuggle baby and biscuit-maker, while Mrs. Furr was my husband’s quiet companion. Our remaining cat, Felix, preferred solitude over snuggles, and so, we decided to adopt again.

“We reached out to Tanika after seeing some kittens posted online and adopted Charlie and Shadow, a bonded pair. Charlie is shy but sweet, and sleeps on our daughter Hannah’s bed every night. He loves visitors, especially my mom, and has a quirky preference for affection strictly when he’s upstairs. Sadly, one day, both Charlie and Shadow slipped outside, and only Charlie returned. Losing Shadow was heartbreaking, and I still miss him dearly.

“Once again, I reached out to Tanika and subsequently met Mochi (formerly Bichon) at PetSmart. The moment I picked him up, he purred and nuzzled into my neck and ears. He used to sleep on my head at night, but now he curls up beside my pillow. Mochi loves paw rubs and playing with the other cats. Everyone adores him, especially the neighbor girls, and he’s my heart.

“By late 2024, I was volunteering at the shelter, constantly sending photos of cats to my husband, begging to adopt or foster, and he’d always refuse. Then, at Christmas, he gifted me an adoption voucher! I chose Felton (formerly Fella), a big, lovable black cat I’d met a few weeks earlier. Gentle, affectionate and a total teddy bear, he flops for belly rubs, ‘talks’ when he wants attention, and often sleeps on our feet. He’s perfect. While the other cats were wary at first, Felton fit right in, and he and Mochi became fast friends. 

“Then came Dale (formerly O’Neill), our unexpected foster fail, thanks to my husband! An older cat, he’d been over-grooming and had bald patches from anxiety, but as soon as you touched him, he’d start purring. We dressed him in tiny shirts from the foster closet to protect his healing skin, his fur eventually started to grow back, and he proved to be a total sweetheart. He’s playful, extremely affectionate and a little clingy, sometimes annoyingly so. If I call another cat to come sit with me, Dale will beat them to my lap or just plop himself on top of them until they give up and leave. He loves Mochi and Felton -- the three of them are constantly grooming each other or lounging in a pile. He usually sleeps downstairs on the couch, which works out perfectly because that’s when Mochi and Felton get their snuggle time.

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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.