Happy Gotcha Day Casper and Archie

Holy cow mum is in trouble...its our Gotcha day and she forgot to prepare a post!!!  If it wasn't for wonderful KC and ML diligently posting birthdays and gotchas on the CB she would not have remembered....

Casper was Gotcha'd on February 9, 2008, he was nine months old...I fell in love with his blue eyes the moment I saw him!

Other than his tail he hadn't developed any of his floofs yet and we thought he was a shorthair

Then after he turned a year old he really filled out becoming the beautiful boy you know today :-)

Two years later to the day, we gotcha'd Archie, he was about six months old and super skinny

He was fearless from the get-go!

and grew into a robust and handsome mancat!!!

Happy Gotcha Day boys, I am truly blessed that you came into my life :-)
~love mum

Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Ben!

Thirteen has always been my lucky number, so I'm not surprised that March 13 (2009) is Ben's Gotcha Day.

baby Ben

He was a stray, found on the mean streets and taken to Toronto Animal Services.  Our Max had just died (see his story in the Just For Sweet Max tab), even though I was still reeling from that loss and not ready to get another cat, Casper was so sad and lonely without Max that we had to do what was best for him.  Robert said he needed another buddy and I had to agree.

Ben and big brother Casper

Three evenings in a row we went back to the shelter and basically ignored Ben (or Kennedy as he was known then) because he was only about five months old.  I was firmly against adopting a youngster, since the disease that killed Max usually hits kittens less than one year or older cats more than ten years.  But Ben was persistent, he would reach his paws outside his cage and try to catch us while dancing around on his hind legs, we thought isn’t he sweet as we walked on by and went to look at other cats. Finally Robert took him out and held him towards me saying “what about this little guy”? I cradled him in my arms and he lay contentedly on his back and made happy paws in the air. Well I was hooked and we took him home immediately. After two years together I constantly marvel at what a fantastic cat Ben is and how he knew that we were the right people for him and didn’t give up trying to tell us so!

best pals

Ben and Casper became fast friends.  Casper took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew (both good AND bad).  Sometimes I think back to those nights at the shelter and I truly shudder to think that we almost didn't pick Ben.  He is a quirky little guy who is intense and emotional and a bit of a Mama's boy, but I wouldn't change him one bit. We have been joyfully rewarded EVERY SINGLE DAY with Ben as a part of our family!

grown up mancat and big brother himself :-)

 Ben's very special ladycat Clemmie from Life from a Cat's Perspective send him this beautiful Gotcha Day Card.

Thank you Clemmie, I love you :-)  ~Ben xoxo

beautiful Clemmie

Happy Gotcha Day Casper and Archie

Hello friends and thank you for popping by for Casper and Archie's Gotcha Day celebration!

Ben and Jimmy help celebrate their brother's Gotcha Day

Please help yourselves to food while I tell a little story.

Don't forget cake

And a niptini

Now, are we sitting comfortably?  Then I'll begin...

On February 9, 2008 I went to visit my friend Pauline who rescues cats.  She had told me there was a beautiful white cat (nine months old) that was staying with her and I had to come and see him.  Now Pauline always has cats coming and going from her house so of course I went over to visit, just like I had done on previous occasions...only this time I fell in love!!  About twenty minutes after I met Casper and was so obviously smitten, Robert looked and me and said "Do you want him?"  Of course I wanted him, but we had no carrier (I held him in my arms), no litter box, no food bowls or kitten food for him.  I said to Robert "We are completely unprepared" and he replied with a smile "Who cares?"

Casper Day One

Now, fast forward two years on to February 9, 2010.  Robert and I had just returned from visiting my brother in England and out of the blue he said to me "I think we should get another cat."  Now you must remember after Casper we got Benjamin and before Casper we already had Molly, so we were a three cat family.   He reasoned that cats make me happy so why not get another and because one never knows what life holds, it is silly to put things off.  I happily agreed with his logic so off we went to the shelter.  Young Master Archie (who was not named that at the time) sat quietly at the front of his cage and stole our hearts with his happy little ginger face.

Archie Day One

The Gotcha Boys

Baby Archie with big bro

Casper watches out for Archie

Grown up mancats

Good friends

and they lived happily ever after :-)

Almost Mancat Monday

Today is the six month anniversary of Archie's adoption, his gotcha day was February 9, 2010.  He was five months old when we got him so that puts him at eleven months now, just one month shy of his first bithday and full mancat status. 

Therefore, I thought a few pictures of Archie being his wonderful self were in order :-)

Door Sitting

Baby Archie with big brother

Window partol

That sinking feeling

Fun with tissue paper

Top of the tower

Cute as a button

Happy Anniversary Benjamin

One year ago today (March 13, 2009) we brought Ben home and he has been making us smile ever since! He was good as gold from the first moment and I still can't believe how lucky we were to find a cat like him.