When a much-loved pet goes away all too soon, they often leave a hole in the hearts – and homes – of their furparents.
That was what Rajagopal Yagambram and his wife, Shalini Punithakaran experienced when they lost their 10-year-old cat Didi to sudden organ failure.
Initially, the couple weren’t sure when they would be ready for another pet. But one day, as Shalini was scrolling through Facebook, she came across a photo of a beautiful cat up for adoption.
“She then felt ready, so we decided to adopt the cat,” Rajagopal, 37, told FMT. The female cat was less than a year old, and Shalini named her Shenzi.
A couple of months later, Rajagopal’s aunt, who owned a pet shop, told them about two cats of Bengal-Persian mix.
And when the couple saw one of the cats, they were immediately captivated. They decided to give her a fur-ever home. She was also less than a year old and Shalini named her “Lilo”.
Admittedly, the couple were concerned how the two cats would get along and decided to give the girls the space and time they needed to get to know each other.
“It took three months before they could eat at the same place and play with each other,” Rajagopal recalled.
And today, the kitties live happily with their human family – although Raja fondly admitted that just like siblings, they do fight at times.
Lilo also doesn’t like it when Shenzi plays with their furparents. “She pushes herself between us as though saying that it’s her time now,” he said with a smile. Classic dynamics of sibling jealousy!
The two are also wildly different, character-wise. “Shenzi is like the typical older child who likes to please the parents, but Lilo can be indifferent,” Rajagopal said.
He also described Shenzi as more “prim and proper” than Lilo. Shenzi likes to groom herself, while Lilo doesn’t quite bother about her appearance.
And when it comes to human interactions, Shenzi has a friendlier personality and warms up to strangers quickly. Lilo, on the other hand, is more reserved.
Curiously, the kitties seem to switch characters when they are at the vet or groomers. “There, Shenzi becomes the more difficult cat to manage,” he shared with a laugh.
Both girls enjoy a regular diet of dry food daily, although their furparents treat them with wet food occasionally – and it’s something that they absolutely love!
“When they hear us opening a can of wet food, they will immediately come running. In fact, even when we open a can of tuna for ourselves, they’ll get excited thinking it’s their food!” he shared affectionately.
The kitties keep their humans well-entertained – and up at night – with their antics. “They seem to enjoy playing and chasing each other at night.”
Shenzi also has a particular fascination with handphones when it rings! “She gets very excited and starts making sounds,” he shared with a laugh.
Although Didi can never be replaced in the couple’s hearts, they are truly grateful for Shenzi and Lilo. The kitties may have characters as different as day and night, but they have brought sunshine into the lives of their furparents.