Leo and Gunnar and Jim Roane and Mike Stasio: Furry Friends Fur-Ever

“Mike volunteers at Furry Friends and we’ve fostered several cats,” says Jim. “The last two, however, never went back. Both cats had entropion correction surgery six months apart and we took care of them afterward, adopted them and named them Orion and Cassiopeia.

“Leo, formerly Diego, at Furry Friends, captured our hearts, and we decided he needed a constellation name. I noticed some stars in an unfamiliar place one night and the sky app showed it was Mars in Leo. LEO! (He has a ‘mane’ of sorts). He’s such a snuggle bug and a love, as big as a moose, but as light as a feather. Our other two cats didn’t like him that much, so Leo simply did his own thing and minded his own business.

“Gunnar is another story. Several days after we started fostering him, he couldn’t pick his head up and was just dragging it along the floor. Terrified, we took him to the ER. He stayed there for almost a week due to some internal issues, but he seemed to be making a good recovery. While we were fostering him, he became attached to Leo, following him around closer than his own shadow. There was no way we could separate them.

“Leo and Gunnar immediately loved each other. They snuggle, they play fight and they groom each other. Our other two cats have slowly warmed up to them, despite some hissing and chasing, and we’re at the point where all four can be in the same room together, but not on the same bed. Orion and Cassiopeia were definitely Mike’s, but now Leo and Gunnar like to snuggle with me, too.

“Gunnar loves chasing balls around and he’s obsessed with the ribbon wand. If you don’t play with him enough, he'll drag it around the house and drop it at your feet. Leo loves to play by lying in his favorite chair and watching Gunnar run around! While they like being petted and cuddled, Gunnar doesn’t like being held. Both Leo and Gunnar love to snuggle at night, lie on you, and be brushed.

“Among their most endearing quirks: Leo and Gunnar will sit and stare at you in the hallway like the twins from the Shining. They turn into statues. Both cats must also be in the bathroom with you when you’re in there. It’s not negotiable. There can be no closed doors! Leo is missing one of his big teeth, so he often gets his lip snagged and it’s the cutest thing. His favorite sleeping position is on his back (very odd).
“At night, they sleep in my bed curled up with each other and touching my leg or spooning against my chest.” 
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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.