Cosette (Cosie, Cosie Kitty, Queen of the Night)

When Cosette came into my life, she had been a stray who was less than a year old and had already given birth to four kittens. I had the plan of adopting a male cat and naming him Marius (after the character from Les Misérables), but fate brought me two lady cats. So Cosette the name would be. Translating to “little thing” in French, it couldn’t have been a better fit.

The day after bringing Scarlett and Cosette home, Cosette disappeared. I found her hiding behind the piano of all places (which is insane, because it’s an upright piano with the back against the wall). The next day, she was hiding behind some canvases in the basement. And the next day, she was on top of the furnace. The next time, when I found her hiding in a small hole in the wall of my basement, I decided to stop hunting for her and give her space. I could tell she was eating at night, because the food I left out would disappear. If she wanted to be seen, it would have to be on her terms.

It happened three months later. I was on the living room couch when I looked up to see her standing like a statue by the front door. It was like meeting a mythical creature. She would dart off as soon as I made any move. But I took it as a major win.

The next time this happened, I made sure to have the laser pointer within reach. She started going after it! If the red dot came too close to me, she’s run off. But over time, she’d allow herself to get closer and closer to the scary human.

Then came the first time she sniffed my hand and let me pet her. And before long, I was relaxing on the sofa, and she jumped on to lay on my legs. I almost burst!

To this day, she hides from guests and only comes out when I’m the only one home. I cherish the trust she’s given me and it makes me proud to be her guardian.

Claude (Mr. Claude, Claudius Maximus, Black Panther)

Claude joined the family last September. He was part of a litter abandoned at One of a Kind Pet Rescue in Akron. When I met him, I could tell he was the kind of sweet, social cat I was looking for.

At six months old, I was nervous that I made a mistake bringing him home at first. I went really slowly introducing him to Cosette. Claude was bouncing off the walls in his quarantine room and ready to explore the whole house. After a few weeks of tension, the two made peace. Or more accurately, Cosette made peace with him. All Claude wants to do is play and enjoy life. I’ve never met a more confident kitty!

What I had dreamed for came true. Some of Claude’s infinite confidence and playfulness has rubbed off on shy Cosette. He’ll lay on his back while play fighting to give her a fair chance. Even when his little brother energy takes over and he gets a little too rough with her, she has no problem giving him a slap to put him in his place. I’ve never heard him hiss once. He’s just the kindest, sweetest boy.

Claude loves to be in a high elevation surveying his domain, particularly on top of the fridge.

So I’ve had to move a few of my plants to keep him from knocking them down and lock the door when I’m on the computer to keep him from walking on the keyboard. It’s a small price to pay for having Claude as a friend.