Pebbles and Toast and Yvette Elrod : Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail

“We kept the kitties’ names because there’s a backstory,” Yvette explains. “I collect Flintstone and Bugs Bunny paraphernalia and I’m also a sugar cereal fiend. When we sadly lost our best kitty Max, in January, it left a hole in our hearts that needed to be filled again.

“Pebbles is a pretty calico with gorgeous green eyes, plenty of ‘attitude,’ and of course, her name suits me perfectly. Toast, her brother, who, by his appearance is a tabby Siamese, with bright blue crossed eyes, matches the name on the breakfast cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and is both a big talker and a mischief maker.

“When it’s only me in the house, they love to hang out. No touching so far, but lots of play and snacks, of course. When my daughter brings friends over, Toast will roam about if I’m there. Otherwise, both Pebbles and Toast retreat to my bedroom until everyone’s gone. They’re extremely smart and I’ve never had to train them: except for the fact that I had to move my plants into another room.

“They’re delightful when they get along (Toast can be quite the bully), and being partially feral, they keep us on our toes. The heights they reach! The plants they’ve killed! The socks Toast carries around the house for entertainment while Pebbles who’s more curious than he is, especially enjoys interactive toys. They both love the flying bird feathers, the covered arm that spins in a circle under a plastic bib, their cat tree, llama tree stand with the hidey-hole, and the giant three-ball scratcher.
“Pebbles still turns up her nose at being petted and cuddled. She’ll join us in the room, play and eat treats out of our hands, but she remains aloof, simply observing and silently judging. Toast, on the other hand, has slowly discovered that he likes being petted --- despite his tendency to grumble if he’s petted too much or not enough -- and he now enjoys a good rub behind the ears. But neither will engage if they’re approached directly.  

“Unfortunately for Pebbles, she continues to be picked on by Toast (I’ve invested in Bully drops from Jackson Galaxy, but haven’t yet seen any results). Toast believes he’s running the house and I let him believe that. Both kitties are as quirky as can be. Pebbles carries her wet food off in one big chunk and goes under the furniture to eat, while Toast is an absolute feline Scooby Doo. He jumps and runs at the slightest noise or movement, legs literally flying everywhere on the hardwood floors.  But he’ll stop everything if there’s food. He’s even tried to knock my hand away from the bowl while I’m filling it so he can shove his face into it first. He’ll hoard 5 or 6 pieces of dry food in his mouth, then drop them on the floor, like a crow admiring its treasure!

“At night, Pebbles typically sleeps in my room either on the window shelf, the llama or in a corner away from Toast. Toast has taken to sleeping on my bed. Touching is only allowed if it’s from behind and he can’t see your hand.”
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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.