Renee and her cats Sherry, Kruimel, Bob and Brutus – Petrebels

A look into the life of Renee, Joost and their four cats

Renee (33) had one cat. Her boyfriend Joost gave her three more as a present. And how special they are! One climbs like a squirrel in her scratching post and the other loves vegetables. Renee tells all about her cats here.

I have always had cats, even at my parents’ house. I really grew up with them. Joost did not, because his father was allergic to them. I therefore had to insist for a long time that we get cats. But once we had two, Joost was sold.

When one of our cats died, Joost took our Bob home – he thought it would be nice for our cat Sherry. Two months later he surprised me with Kruimel and as a Christmas present he took Brutus home for me in 2019. It was love at first sight!

So it’s a lot of fun at your place?

Yes, really! We now have four cats in the house and it never gets boring. They are fun and always make us laugh. Kruimel because she climbs like a squirrel and Sherry is a real chatterbox. She throws all her charm at us when we are standing by the cupboard with cat treats.

Special creatures, they are. Tell us more about them!

Sherry is a Scottish Fold lady of three years old. We always call her our princess, because when she doesn’t feel like it, she doesn’t hesitate to hit the other cats. Kruimeltje is also a three-year-old girl and is a cross between a Bengal and a Munchkin. A Genetta, they call her. She is our chatterbox. If she has to wait too long for attention she will really call me. She is only interested in me and Joost.

While Bob – a Maine Coon crossbreed of three years old – is a real friend of everyone. And Brutus is our Benjamin. He is only two years old and really a Maine Coon in character. He is a bit of a softie, because he always lets himself be picked up and cuddled easily.

They are all quite solitary cats. Although Brutus still likes to play with the other cats. Only Sherry never feels like it, haha.

Don’t they sleep together?

Since we got the new scratching post (the Turnpike 200) I find them there the most. It is also a nice and sturdy thing with lots of different sleeping spots for the cats. They are really happy with it. The pictures say enough I think!

But they also have their own favourite spots in the house. Bob likes to lie in a wicker basket in the living room, Kruimel on a fleece blanket on the sofa, Sherry on the back of the sofa and Brutus prefers to lie against me. They each have their own thing.

Cats are certainly known for that. Do yours have any quirks?

Yes, of course! Brutus loves wet food. You can really wake him up for that! Sherry is a terrible sloth and loves vegetables. She really does. We’ve already let her taste green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, peas and broad beans. She loves them!

Brutus was very ill as a kitten and so had a difficult start. But you don’t notice anything anymore – he is sweet and strong and can even play fetch. And Bob is a real outdoor cat who is very popular with the neighbours. When the neighbour has not seem him for a day, she goed looking for him.

So your cats can go outside?

Actually, only Bob really goes outside. And then I mean that he climbs over the fence and out of the garden. The other three cats are sometimes allowed in the back garden. And luckily they stay there. Although Kruimel did escape once. She crawled under a plank of the fence. Fortunately, Joost and a neighbour quickly figured it out.

I went outside and rattled the food bowls. Luckily, she recognized that sound. She came towards me and I immediately picked her up and brought her home. That was quite a scare. We immediately closed the hole under the fence!

And how do you do that at night?

Then they stay inside. Even when we’re not at home, because I think that’s safer. And cosy! Because at night Kruimel and Sherry are sleeping at my foot end. Bob lies snoring in the attic and Brutus often lies on Joost’s side of the bed. And in the morning they come downstairs with me. Then they get something to eat and rummage around in the living room while Bob goes for a walk.

Last question! Why are you so fond of cats?

I grew up with cats. And I have always loved them because they are so sweet and cosy and they all have their own special character. Renee was looking for scratching furniture with enough sleeping places for her cats. Her cats sometimes like to be on their own. She chose the Turnpike 200 scratching post because it has lots of soft baskets, houses and hammocks. She is very happy with it. The scratching post is nice, sturdy and has many thick scratching posts. Very versatile!