Natascha (24) and her boyfriend (28) live in a small corner house in the Twente village of Denekamp. First just the two of them, but in the meantime their cats Snufje and Pip have joined them. Not from a litter or from a breeder – Natascha found the fluffy balls in a wild state in a forest near a farm where she herself lived temporarily. Because the kittens were not well cared for there, Natascha decided to take them home and give them the love and care they deserved. The cats really needed that.
Jeez, that sounds like an exciting story!
You could say that, yes. Snufje was only five weeks old when my friend took her in. Fortunately, she integrated quite well immediately. A month later, we picked up another kitten from the same farm, because we really wanted a friend for Snufje. And that was Pip. But with him it all went very differently. He was very sick and weak when he came to us. Pip had so many worms that he really let everything go – if we lifted him up, we ourselves were covered in poo and pee. My friend made a small wooden house for him so that he would stay in one place and the house would not get all dirty.
And after that it went a lot better with Pip?
Yes, fortunately. He is a real fighter. Although we haven’t been able to teach him much because of his bad start. Snufje, for example, goes with us into the shower and is not really afraid of anything. Pip is. He is scared of water and terrified of rubbish trucks and lawnmowers. In fact, he’s terrified of anything that makes loud noises. Then he runs and hides right away. But fortunately the cats are already four years old and very healthy. And we have been able to teach them both to go outside on a leash.
So your cats are allowed outside?
Sure, but only on a leash because I’m too scared to lose them. That has already happened once. When Pip escaped, my friend and I sat outside until half past midnight waiting for him to decide to come home. That’s why we immediately taught them to wear a collar and to go outside on a four-metre leash when they were kittens. And fortunately, this goes very well. As soon as we take the leashes, they both start meowing at the door. And sometimes we take them fishing. But they like to be inside just as much, because they enjoy themselves there as well.
Tell me, what do they do in the house?
Pip has a lot of energy and likes to play with his ball. If I throw it away, he will come and bring it back. Snufje loves a fishing rod with a toy attached to it. And most of all, they sleep a lot in their scratching post. We recently bought a new one and they are very happy with it – in fact, they always snore in it. And as soon as we switch off the light in the evening, they know: bedtime. Then they both crawl into bed with us under the blankets. Then it is nice and quiet in the house. Until they wake up, because then they run through the house again.
Do they both have so much energy?
Pip in particular can be busy and ask for attention. He plays a lot and likes to lie with me. Snufje is much less active and more on her own. She only comes when she feels like it. And among themselves it goes well. They can’t live with each other, but also not without each other. Pip, for instance, is very rebellious. He likes to bother Snufje while she prefers to go her own way. Sometimes I really have to separate them. We could stick them behind the wallpaper sometimes, but we really love them!
Everyone knows that we love cats. But why are you and your friend so fond of them?
Our cats each have their own character, they are sweet and it is very cosy to have them in the house. They really belong to us and we are very happy that we can give them a good life. Because they deserve that!
Natascha wanted a scratching post with enough space for both her cats. She chose our Turnpike 190 cat tree because it is sturdy, high and the parts can easily be replaced. She and the cats are still happy with it every day. And everyone who comes in says: ‘Wow, what a beautiful cat tree!
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Disclaimer: Petrebels does not consist of veterinarians or behavioral experts: all content, information and tips on this blog are intended to inspire and inform you. Does your cat have complaints or problems and do you have doubts about your cat’s health? Then always go to the vet or a behavioral expert.
