We’ve read a lot about the widespread increase of adoptions of dogs and puppies in the first pandemic year. We’re hearing now that some of those dogs’ and some of those puppies’ relationships with their new families may this year become the casualties of that COVID-induced fervor to “Get a dog or puppy now during lockdown!” Due-diligence may not have been exercised in the rush to adopt.
What about cats? We’ve been following the stories of some families who chose a feline for a new family member even though they may never—at least as adults—have had a cat in the house before. We’d like to applaud and encourage those adopters who studied up on a new species and who did it right.
Lili Chin is a Los Angeles–based illustrator best known for her pet-centric art and gift products as well as her dog body-language infographics, which are popular with dog owners and relied on by renowned animal-behavior experts and advocacy organizations around the world. She also authored and illustrated Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend, which is being translated into multiple languages.
I’ve been following Lili’s animal adventures online for some time now, so when she and her husband decided to consider adopting a cat or cats, I was especially interested in posts about her new family members. I asked Lili some basic questions about how and why she decided to adopt.
Are you new to cats? Did you adopt a cat in the last year?
My husband and I adopted two cats in January. I had two cats in my twenties whom I’d had since they were kittens, but I was young and clueless back then so that experience doesn’t really count. This time we have two adult cats—our first cats—and we certainly feel new to cats!
Describe the cat (or cats) that joined your family—age, breed/mix, etc.
The two cats we adopted are a bonded pair, both around four years old. They were received by the rescue after their previous owner suddenly passed away from cancer last September.
Mambo is a handsome 11-pound fluffy black long-haired kitty with a tipped ear, white spot on his chest, and snaggletooth. He is very curious and adventurous around my apartment, loves climbing onto things, and loves treats.
Shimmy is a petite seven-pound grey and white tuxedo kitty who loves Mambo, and loves getting scritches behind her ears and making biscuits on your lap before settling in. She is very sensitive, easily startled and scared, and slower to accept new things.
Photo by Lili Chin
Where did the cat (or cats) come from? Anything to do with the pandemic . . . or not?
My Boston Terrier, Boogie, passed away in October last year. As someone who works from home, I had my dog by my side almost 24/7 every day for 13 years, so the lifeless emptiness in my apartment was unbearable after he passed. I really missed having a companion animal in my life, but didn’t yet feel ready for another dog to replace Boogie. So I decided to adopt cats instead.
My husband and I contacted Sante D’Or Rescue (Los Angeles), had a Zoom meeting, and then visited the rescue two weekends in a row to meet all the cats before adopting these two.
(So, nothing to do with the pandemic.)
What’s surprised you most about cats so far?
Everything has been surprising and fascinating about cats! Right now, we’re at Week 12 since their adoption day. The most interesting thing about Mambo and Shimmy to me is that they keep changing their preferences about what they want to eat, where they sleep, how they want to play, what they like and dislike. My friends with cats keep reminding me that this is totally normal for all cats. I don’t feel like I know our cats completely yet. Every day is a new day!
What do you like best about your cat (or cats)?
Aside from the fact that they are so cute and sweet, I love that Mambo and Shimmy are so bonded. They snuggle together, groom each other, play every day, eat from the same dishes, use the same litter boxes, and yet they are two completely different personalities with distinct likes and dislikes. I could watch them all day and get nothing else done.
What do you want to learn about cats ASAP?
I want to learn how to help Mambo and Shimmy not feel so stressed around strangers (e.g., the vet) and be okay with being picked up. So far I’ve had little success with training Shimmy, who is way less food-motivated than Mambo, and who is more particular about when she will and won’t eat. Shimmy had a recent emergency vet visit and came home traumatized—crouched under the table, frozen and unresponsive, not eating, for days. She is back to her normal self now, but it was heartbreaking to see her so stressed.
Lili is lucky to be getting good advice from friends online who have much experience with cats. Among her concerns addressed lately:
■ How to get a cat into a carrier for a trip to the vet (yes, there were photos of the scratches that happened before the advice)
■ What the best style of carrier is for transporting a cat in a car (hard-sided was suggested, with brands and features mentioned in most comments)
Lili’s social media has become a source of much reading material for other new adopters just learning about cats.
Are you new to cats, too?
Ask for help!
Your friends and family who’ve had cats for years can be a great resource. Not sure what to believe and what to ignore when it comes to advice about cats? Observe, if you can, the cats who live with the humans who are offering you advice. Do you like the behavior you’re seeing? Or would those cats drive you crazy if they lived at your house?
Keep in mind that every cat, like every animal, is an individual; what works for one might not work for another, even if the two cats are what’s called a bonded pair. Allow and appreciate their differences.
Discover the illustrations of Lili Chin here:
Website: https://www.doggiedrawings.net/
Doggie Language book: https://www.doggielanguagebook.com/
Shop: https://www.doggiedrawings.net/shop
