Zee, Giles and Travis Giobbi and Kris Zickert : Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail

“We’ve both had cats all of our lives, but it’s been 5 years since our last ones,” says Travis. “Zee, a grey tabby, and Giles, a tuxedo originally named Houdini, are the first bonded pair we’ve adopted. Found on the streets at 12 weeks of age, I believe they went to Furry Friends or a foster right away.

“They caught our eye on the Furry Friends website a month before we were ready to adopt. While it’s unfortunate that bonded pairs take longer to adopt, it worked out perfectly because these two siblings were still there -- waiting for us. In less than 10 seconds, we knew that we’d be very good for each other! Since Zee is the protective bigger sister, we were thrilled that she was so welcoming so quickly. That way Giles would have her to comfort him while he got to know and trust us.

“Over the next four months, Zee became more of a lap cat, stretching out for long, luxurious belly rubs. She also plays with any kind of bouncy ball that she can kick around: she’s a pro soccer player. Giles is a semi-pro, preferring to kick around lighter, fuzzy tinsel balls, which he also likes carrying in his mouth from place to place. That said, their favorite activity together is running through their rainbow tunnel. We had to buy several backups because they’re literally tearing them up.

“When it’s time to relax, they both enjoy peering out the window, perching on the couch next to us or cuddling under our bed. If they’ve been separated for too long, they’ll play ‘Marco Polo’ where Zee sings out and Giles comes running. You can hear Zee’s ‘songs’ throughout the house. Giles, on the other hand, makes teeny tiny, barely audible peeps (this has earned him the nickname Peepsqueak), and yet his purrs permeate our entire house: such a motor boat!

“Kris and I can’t recommend bonded cats enough -- it’s been quadruple the fun. When these two are roughhousing, there aren’t any hisses or yowls, just wrestling intermixed with their cleaning one another. Or we hear a herd of elephants as they chase each other from room to room, slamming into walls and chair legs like pinballs!”

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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.