Every week, we look for interesting stories of cats and their owners. This week, we ended up in Kampen, the Netherlands. With Joan and Mike, we talked about their cats: Mickey and Nala. Both cats are British Shorthairs, chosen by the couple for their cute looks and character traits.
Surprise!
When Mike's birthday was in 2020, Joan played a prank on him by giving him a box that she led him to believe contained a cat. Instead, he got a fantastic surprise anyway... namely the news that they were going to get one! Mike actually always wanted a dog, but since they both worked full-time, that was not an option. He then suggested a cat, and after researching, they both fell in love with the British Shorthair because of their cute looks. They joined a Facebook group dedicated to this breed, and after posting an appeal that they were looking for a kitten, several catteries contacted them. Nala was one of the first, and they immediately nurtured a bond with her. Soon after, they received a picture of Mickey, and they couldn't resist adopting him, especially since the candidate who wanted him first had refused.
We realised, that having 2 kittens is even better than one kitten
Social and curious
Mickey was the first one they picked up because he was already 20 weeks old. He was immediately curious and his character matched what British Shorthairs are known for. The character traits of a British Shorthair:
- Quiet and calm; they are not overly active and usually like to relax at leisure.
Social; they enjoy company, both from their owner and other pets.
Patient; the cats are often very patient and do not get easily irritated.
Independent; despite their social nature, British Shorthair cats are also quite capable of entertaining themselves. They don't always need attention or interaction to be happy. As a result, they are easy to get along with and adapt well to different lifestyles.
Scared and uncomfortable
Regardless of the breed's character traits, each cat
naturally has its own unique personality. For example, through their background
and experiences. So it was different for Nala 'she was very scared, and we
think she may have suffered a trauma from staying in a cattery with more than
20 cats' says Joan. That has become much better in the meantime, she shows her
affection by, for example, sitting in front of them and asking for a pat.
'Mickey loves cuddles and regularly comes to lie on our lap, Nala will never do
that,' says Joan. Nala prefers to keep an overview from her Kilimandjaro
scratching post.
Also read the following article
The cats at Villa Samson
17.03.2023
Every week we look for interesting stories from cats and their owners. This week we spoke to Milly, employee of Villa Samson next to the UZ Brussel. Villa Samson is a homely place where they encourage healing through contact with animals. ‘With us, everyone is welcome to come and taste our animal medicine: young, old, bipedal, four-legged or on wheels’ Milly tells us about the mission they stand for, bringing patient and animal one step closer together, because contact with animals works wonders both physically and mentally.
