Cozy, one cat in the house... Or seven?

Adopt, don't shop!

Chantelle's cats are all adopted cats or street cats. "Don't let a cat's past scare you off and save the cats that are often overlooked," says Chantelle. She believes it is important that they also get a new chance. "We took one of our cats, Mufasa, from a shelter. They found him on the street. We are very close with Poonam, the founder of Lola's Sanctuary. They do amazing work."

MooMan

Poonam refused to give up on Mufasa, even after a veterinarian told her to have him euthanized. "He had been kicked so hard that his bladder no longer worked. Poonam did everything she could and discovered there was a kind of medicine that helped him go to the toilet on his own. Saving a cat with a traumatic past has made me incredibly humble. I'm amazed that MooMan (Mufasa) is able to trust us and love us after people treated him so badly. He makes progress every day, and it's amazing to see him blossom."

Happy cats

The couple takes the best possible care of their cats. They even built a tunnel and a castle for them! "The cats have access to our garden, but they are not allowed beyond that. If something were to happen to them, I don't know what I would do. My fiancé built a cat amusement park for them, and they absolutely love it! They are very lucky," says Chantelle.

Gaining trust

Chantelle and her partner are very happy with the bond they have with their cats. "You have to earn their trust. It's different with dogs. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but cats don't immediately love you. You have to work for it, to earn their trust. And once they trust you and they come for that first cuddle or head massage, you just melt and it means even more. They have taught me a lot about consent," Chantelle says.

The cats also help her a lot when she is having a hard time. "They are always there, everywhere. We take them into account with every decision we make. I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the cats are always there for me. Jim immediately notices when I'm struggling and always comes to cuddle."

Her first cat tree

A litter box, a cat amusement park, and a tunnel... The only thing missing is a cat tree! "We just bought our first one! We have the Corner Coon Blackline. It is in our living room because we love to see them enjoy it. There is such a big quality difference compared to the other cat trees we have. Honestly, I can't believe it. Louis is quite a crazy cat and he can jump on it like a maniac and the cat tree doesn't even move."