Mariah Bush and Sam Booth recently moved to WNY from Rhode Island. Sam is about to start his residency program in Buffalo, and Mariah is an artist who just graduated Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a degree in animation.
Having lost their beloved kitty Wilford in January, the couple decided to adopt another senior cat. “Wilford was a stray we rescued off the street back in 2016,” Mariah said. “We loved him to pieces, and our daily lives revolved around him and his needs.” Wilford was FIV+, asthmatic, and completely blind with eye complications. He had special food supplements, an inhaler, and four different kinds of eye drops that needed to be administered up to three times a day.
Mariah continued, “Despite his age and illnesses, Wilford had so much love to give. He made me realize how often older and special-needs cats get overlooked, and how much life and love they have in them. We also enjoy how senior cats have more defined personalities. They know who they are and what they like!”
Mariah found Cat by Cat Inc. while scrolling through the senior section at PetFinder.com. “Daphne’s sweet face caught my eye right away, and I found that bios from Cat by Cat were very thoughtfully written.”
Sam and Mariah visited the Cat by Cat shelter in person hoping to find a gentle senior they could dote on, and they ended up with two. “We were able to spend plenty of time getting to meet all the wonderful kitties,” Mariah said. “The staff was friendly and unrushed, allowing us as much time as we’d like to look around and get to know the cats. We had a pretty good idea going into the rescue that we wanted to take Daphne home, but we brought a second carrier just in case we found another cat that she would get along with. Tigger stood out to us with his sweet and friendly personality.”
Daphne and Tigger cried in the car but did well once they got home. “We made sure the house was quiet, and that they knew where the litterbox, food, and water were,” Mariah said. “Then we left them alone for the most part. It only took a few hours for them to start to settle. Within the past week they have settled wonderfully, finding all the comfy spots in the house and getting used to their new routine.”
Daphne’s name fit her perfectly from the start; Tigger was renamed Meeko because he reminded his new people of a character in the movie Pochahontas, whom Mariah describes as “a sweet but gluttonous raccoon who gets into fun mischief.”
At this point, the two cats tolerate—and sometimes even like—each other. “Meeko is super
easygoing, so it’s more down to how Daphne is feeling at any given time,” Mariah said. “Sometimes she’ll head-bump and rub up against him; other times she’ll give him a single swat in the face and then scamper away. Meeko just sits there quietly regardless of her mood.”
Mariah and Sam are thrilled with their new companions. “Daphne and Meeko are both incredibly sweet and social kitties,” Mariah said. “Daphne is the more independent of the two, content to spend the day sleeping in her cat bed and occasionally coming to socialize and get some pets. She loves mealtimes, treats, and getting brushed. When you pet her, she purrs so hard she drools.”
She continued, “Meeko, on the other hand, is a stage-five clinger. If you leave the room, you’d better watch your feet because he will be escorting you to your next destination. He loves getting attention—even if it’s just to hang out by your feet and feel included. If he needs your attention, he taps you with his paws. He likes rolling around on his back looking cute, crunching paper, playing with his new feather toy, and resting his head on your lap.
“Both kitties are making our new apartment feel like home.”