Engaged couple Rebecca and James recently discovered patience is truly a virtue. Currently living in Melbourne, the pair tirelessly travelled countless kilometers around Victoria from North Melbourne to Burwood, down to Keysborough and then finally to Echuca in hope of expanding their family.

“We had been on the lookout for two female kittens for a few months and made numerous trips to a range of shelters , but unfortunately we did not find a pair of female kittens up for adoption,” Rebecca said.

Undeterred by the wait, the couple stuck by their decision to adopt, “We would never buy an animal from a pet store.  We were willing to wait it out and find the right kittens to adopt rather than going to a pet store or a breeder,” she said.

One day, while perusing the adoptions page on The Lost Dogs’ Home website, Rebecca and James came across two grey Domestic Short-Hair kittens.

“As soon as we saw these two, we immediately knew they were the kittens for us.”

“They were listed at the Echuca shelter and as I’m not from Melbourne I didn’t even know where that was! The staff however, were extremely helpful- they gave me directions to the shelter and allowed me to place the kittens on hold until the weekend. On the Saturday, my fiancé and I took a little road trip to pick them up,” Rebecca reflected.

On arriving home, the “balls of fur” formally known as Tina and Alley, were aptly renamed Slinky Malinky and Miss Sassafras. Perhaps overwhelmed after their big trip and a new home, the two shy, country girls initially spent the first few hours under the lounge room couch.

 “I put their litter and food in the lounge room and shut the door so they felt secure, before leaving them in there overnight. I was really impressed that they used their litter straight away.”   

Realising they needed time to adjust, Rebecca gave Slinky Malinky and Miss Sassafras all the time they needed to gradually explore and get to know their new home.

“I sat and laid down on the floor with them and let them climb all over me, creating some time for us to get to know each other.  They then slowly began to venture further around the house.”

“Soon enough we had well and truly bonded.  They started following me everywhere and eventually gave up on retreating under the couch and decided to sleep either on my head, my face or across my chest (which they still do)!” she said.

Two months on, the girls have settled into their new home well with their personalities as distinct as their quirky names,

“Miss Sassafras is bigger and more dominant than Slinky. Her name defines her completely- she is sassy, talkative, loves to purr and is always looking for trouble. Slinky, on the other hand, is hilarious.  She loves doing domestic chores with me – including making the bed.  Every morning she runs under the sheets as I’m trying to make the bed.  Sometimes I tuck her in and she likes to hang out in there for a while.”

The photogenic kittens have an archive of photos and enjoy expressing their artistic flair by getting paint on their paws,

“They love keeping me company when I’m paint. They sit on my lap to watch and quite often steal my paint brushes and run off with them.”

Another favourite pastime for the kittens is aluminum foil golf- a game devised by James,

“Their favourite thing to play with at the moment consists of James hitting rolled up foil around the house with a golf club. They love to chase after them, jumping in the air and catching them,” Rebecca said.

Totally smitten and wrapped with their decision to adopt, Rebecca and James can now vouch that sometimes good things come to those that wait,

“It is amazing how much joy and happiness they have brought to our lives.  It’s just wonderful to have these little balls of fur that love us and depend on us. They are the best decision we’ve ever made and certainly worth the wait!”

If you would like to offer a cat or dog a second chance, contact The Lost Dogs’ Home or check out our adoptions page for current candidates up for adoption.