Written by ©Tina (flickr: ctmarie3).

We got them from our local shelter when they were so inundated they were having a special to "adopt one get one free." I've learned that if you want two cats, it's best to get them both as kittens otherwise they may fight.

We saw a lot of different kittens until one particular cage with three little cuties. The shelter volunteer told us they had been abandoned in a cardboard box in front the shelter after-hours. Monte was very sweet and mellow, so he was a definite. We held all three, and Maija went right over to Monte and fell asleep cuddled next to him. The last kitten was not interested in the other two and kept trying to explore the room.

Unfortunately almost every cat or kitten in the shelter had a cold, and ours were no exception. They seemed healthy until we got home, and they started getting sick. We went through two rounds of antibiotics twice a day for each kitten, including eye ointment for Maija, lots of cat wipes, and syringing cat food into their mouths. They did of course get better, but I look back on those first pictures with bittersweetness.

We named Monte for Monte Carlo. My husband is Finnish so we picked a Finnish name for Maija ("My-ah"). Maija likes to pluck the feathers off of her toys, chase string, and chew cardboard boxes. Monte has his favorite mouse, and also enjoys destroying cardboard boxes and paper. They follow us around to whatever room in the house we're in, sometimes sitting on our feet. They greet us at the door when we come home from work, bold Monte darting forward, skittish Maija hanging back a bit. The best part about having them is waking up with a cat wrapped around your head, or when they curl up in your lap for cuddles, or when they cuddle and groom each other :).

Photos courtesy of ©Tina (flickr: ctmarie3)