‘Naughty Torties’ Win Over Hearts of Couple Who Were at Shelter Looking for a Dog

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My fiance’s elderly cat Oscar passed away unexpectedly following relatively minor surgery in September 2012; she had him many years and was absolutely devastated by the loss. He and I grew somewhat fond of each other, although he was grumpy and bitey and initially was jealous of my presence (he would literally ambush me from behind).

We had talked about getting a dog after Oscar died, although Lynne had never owned one. A couple of weeks after Oscar passed, we went to the Brands Hatch branch of the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, with the intention of registering to adopt, but we said we would not rush into adopting. (You can probably already tell where this story is going!)

It became obvious to me that, despite our talk of getting a dog, Lynne didn’t feel it was the right time to do so, as we travel a lot. After looking in the dog kennel, we made our way to the cattery. There were plenty of pretty felines there, but two young torties housed together caught our eye, as they were very lovely to look at.

The attendant let the sisters out to meet us, and Ariel (the classic lighter calico) immediately grabbed a toy from the toy box and brought it to Lynne so she’d play with her. She’d captured Lynne’s heart with that sweet, simple gesture, and if I had agreed, we would have adopted the pair and taken them home then and there.

I insisted we wait, but I agreed to place a hold on them for a couple of days so no one else could adopt them. Two days later, we went back and got them.

I am besotted with our cheeky, loving girls. We’ve had frights when both of them became trapped in neighbors’ houses, and earlier this week, Ariel (Smudgie) was very unwell and I could barely concentrate at work (the vet sorted her out and she’s back to her sweet, lovable self). I’d still like a dog at some point, but I’m so happy we have the “naughty torties” in our lives.

Story submitted by Ian Gilchrist from London, United Kingdom.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!