2 = 5: We Were Just Supposed to Get One

It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!

Those big eyes — those eyes looked pleading.

He deserves the world, the love, the everything.

He too has the same eyes as Yoda.

Theo’s story

He was fostered by these two lovely ladies. Theo was found by the vets somewhere, I think. He was thin and a bit scraggy. My heart broke for him. He was too friendly to be a stray, so we thought either he had been abandoned or had gotten lost and was never found.

Theo is from the Midlands, so we travelled there to meet him. We knew we wanted Theo then, so we took him home the same day. We got Theo on July 25, 2021.

Theo was small and shy, but he didn’t shy away from meeting us. At first he was unsure, but after a few treats he warmed up a little. The journey home was quiet — he meowed for a few minutes and then settled.

Now, I didn’t know how Yoda would react. I don’t think he had met another cat before. Theo, on the other hand, had lived with other cats. I was planning to separate them at first, but seeing how Yoda was with Max, I figured he wouldn’t harm him.

P.S. Please don’t do what I did! This is not how proper cat introductions should be done.

When we arrived home, Theo was anxious. Of course he was — it was a completely new environment. I got scared because he hid under the bed, and the last thing I wanted was for him to stay hidden. When he came out, bless him, he used the cat bed as a litter tray. That’s okay. That’s when we discovered that Theo is an anxious cat. (It took over two years for him to get to where he is now.)

Yoda and Theo finally met. Theo is an older cat — not a lot older, but probably a year, two, or three older than Yoda. I think Theo knew that Yoda was here first. Theo just lay on his side, playing with the toy I bought him. Yoda stayed nearby, yet at a distance, just observing. No hissing, no running away. Just curiosity.

After a few days, they got along. They played. I think Yoda was happy. My heart was bursting with joy. I was happy.

Theo is a sweet cat. He cuddles in the morning and he has the sweetest little sound. Over the years, we worked on his anxiety. He’s still jumpy, but much less now. He’s a lot more confident. During the first year, I think Yoda brought the kitten out in him — they were playing, chasing each other, all that cat stuff.

As the first year went on, Theo’s personality slowly showed. He loves his brother, and he loves me. One time, Yoda wandered into the neighbour’s garden. I’m sure I’m not the only one who talks to cats like they’re human — I told Theo, “Go follow your brother.” Even though I was already restless, scared that Yoda might get lost.

Off he went. He followed him.

They were gone for hours. I was nearly in tears. But they both came back. Now that is a responsible older brother.

Theo is very attuned to me. When I’m not well — whichever part of my body it is — he’s there. He will lie beside me, or right on that spot. I have tummy issues, so he’s usually pressed beside it or almost on top of me. When I’m sad, he’s just there. He rarely leaves my side, whether I’m in a room or even in the toilet.

Theo likes to play too, but he’s not much of a wand-toy cat. He’s more of an inanimate-object kind of cat. Toss him a mouse toy and he’ll volleyball the damn thing. Sometimes he’ll just catch it, bite it, and run. It’s funny. He’ll happily play with a small stone, just pushing it around.

He’ll occasionally play with Yoda, but over the years he’s gotten tired of him — and honestly, I get it. Yoda is a ball of energy, and he’s big too, so sometimes they just don’t match.

Theo can be cheeky as well. For example, if he’s sitting on a chair and Yoda walks past, he’ll swat Yoda’s butt. Yoda will look confused, probably wondering what he did to deserve it. If Yoda passes by again, Theo will swat him again – in the butt. Like, what is it with Yoda’s butt. When I call him out, he gives me this cheeky look, like he’s saying, “Yeah, I did that.”

Take note: Theo does not like it when it’s done to him. So his rule seems to be, “I can do it, but you can’t do it to me.”

My two boys were perfect together. They got on well, but over time I noticed a shift in the dynamic. It’s only been about a year, and Theo is older while Yoda is young and wants to play all the time. There’s only so much Theo can handle. Yoda would look sad when Theo didn’t want to play. Sometimes, I just wasn’t a good enough playmate.

So… do you see the pattern here?

Once again, I approached the better half. I explained my observations. Again — hesitant. I don’t know what sold him on the idea, but somehow…

We were getting a kitten.

And so here comes Mico.

To be continued…

Some photos, because why not, bask in his gloriousness. With Yoda. Until next time.