Vanilla and Shadow prove opposites attract

They may be as different as chalk and cheese but these two cats are proof that opposites attract.

Good pals Vanilla and Shadow love getting up to mischief in their new home after being adopted by Tracy Brown.

Tracy fell in love with the pair when she went to visit them at our adoption centre in Southampton.

After her previous two cats passed away, she waited some time until she felt ready to have another.

She says: “I had found it all so upsetting but I soon realised how much I missed the joy that a loving pet can bring and how much they make a house a home, so I decided to pay The Blue Cross a visit just to take a look.

“Of course within a few minutes I found the two cats that I knew I just had to have.” 

After we carried out a home visit, Tracy was able to collect the two Persian cats and they’ve both made themselves at home in their own way.

She says: “Vanilla is so laid back it’s unreal and she loves nothing more than snuggling into the cradle of your arm and snoozing for hours on end, whereas Shadow loves dashing back and forth chasing a laser pen beam while snorting and hoping that it’s ‘treaty time’ again!

“Vanilla loves drinking out of the cold water bath tap – I was in the bathroom one morning cleaning my teeth and the next thing I see is Vanilla sliding down the back of the bath, going over to the tap and batting it with her foot which I turned on very gently and she started lapping away.”

While Vanilla loves being groomed, Shadow tends to look for the nearest hiding place when it’s her turn.

But one thing they do agree on is that they love playing in the garden.

Tracy says: “I feed the birds, squirrels and hedgehogs so there is a never ending source of entertainment for them to witness.

“Although it drives Shadow mad not knowing whether to try and attack or just sit and watch, Vanilla takes it all in her stride and hates to get her feet dirty so she nonchalantly strolls down the path and on to the garden bench and watches the antics of Shadow from a safe distance.”

Another thing they both agree on is where to bed down for the night.

Tracy says: “Night time is always a race to see who can get on to my bed first.”

Have you rehomed a Blue Cross animal? We’d love to hear from you. Email your story and photos to editor@bluecross.org.uk