Penric and Elena Gleason: Furry Friends Fur-Ever

“I started the year with three cats and had lost two by summertime,” says Elena. “They had been with me for over 12 years and their loss left a large hole in my life. After taking some time to grieve, I began searching for a new cat to introduce into my household.

“I originally saw Clyde (I renamed him Penric after the main character in a fantasy series by Lois McMaster Bujold) on PetFinder and then met him at the shelter. I chose him because I was looking for an easygoing male who would get along with Kamala, my ornery 10-year-old female. Because he was described as mellow, brave and good with other cats, I thought he’d be the perfect complement to my ‘spicy chaos demon.’

“Penric is indeed very brave and was ready to explore the house within a few days. But I did a much slower introduction for the sake of Kamala who wasn’t happy about the ‘invader.’ After spending several weeks in the guest bedroom, Penric had free rein of the house, and a few weeks later, Kamala was ready for him to share her space full time.

“I love having Penric around! I’ve never had such a chill and unflappable cat. And he’s amazing when it comes to Kamala. He gives her space, has never growled or hissed at her and gently invites her to play with him. After four months together, they’re getting along much better than I could have hoped, often hanging out together in the same room as me.

“Penric lives to play, and will make sad, pleading eyes at me several times a day until I pick up his favorite teaser toy. Nothing makes him happier. Most of the time, however, he prefers playtime to petting and usually tolerates physical affection rather than seeking it out. But on the rare occasions that he decides it’s cuddle time, watch out! He confidently climbs onto me and rams his very large head into my hands even if they’re holding something. Naturally, his favorite time to initiate cuddles is in the middle of the night when I’m asleep.

“Penric sleeps in my bedroom almost every night, either in a cat tree or curled up against my legs.”

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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.