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In May 2000, having been without animal companions for six months (and for the first time ever), we adopted two nine-week-old tabby kittens that had been born to a stray being fed by a co-worker of Susan's. We tried putting red and blue collars on them to tell them apart. Then we needed names that started with R and B (Rhythm and Blues did not occur to us, for some reason). Shirley rejected Susan's proposal of "Rhoda and Bella." We settled on Rhiannon (Irish goddess of horses and other animals) and Boudicca (actual historical figure; a Celtic warrior woman who, with her ally Carradoc, almost succeeded in driving the Romans from Britain).
 Boudicca |
Rhiannon |
They were afraid of us for the first few months, and discovered every hiding place in the house. Their favorite is a "cave" in the corner of the kitchen cabinets.
Susan befriended them by sitting on the floor every evening, with a bowl of wet food between her feet. After a week or so, she began trying to stroke them while they ate. They didn't like it at first, but after a few weeks Boudicca accepted it. On the fourth of July weekend, Boudicca showed up in the kitchen one morning and began weaving figure eights around Shirley's ankles. Shirley began rewarding that behavior with little treats. A few days later, Boudicca had a petting fest with Susan. For three more weeks, Rhiannon watched with interest, but rejected Susan's overtures. Finally, Rhiannon began playing "tag" with Susan, by sneaking up on her when she was petting her sister, darting her paw out to "tag" Susan's hand, and scooting away just out of reach. Susan began reciprocating and it was a true inter-species game. A few days later, Rhiannon rolled over under Susan's hand and has been a housepet ever since.
Rhiannon is Susan's computer cat; as soon as Susan sits down at her computer, Rhiannon leaps onto her lap. Boudicca is Shirley's TV cat. It's a perfect set-up: two laps in the house, and two lap cats.