Ringo and Rascal, the Twins

Like so many of my cats, Ringo was dropped off in my neighborhood and was roaming around for a few days. My neighbor Cathy (bless her heart, she is an angel) and I chased him down and caught him. We thought he belonged to the people across the street who were on vacation, so we put him in their screened porch and gave him some food. Imagine their surprise when they arrived home to find a strange cat on their porch with food and water bowls and a litterbox!

After finding out that he was an abandoned kitty after all, I took him home and called my mom, whose 18-year-old Maine Coon, Smokey, had recently died. I told her that Callie, her remaining cat, needed a new companion. "Nothing doing," she said. "I'm moving to an apartment and I can only have one cat." I told her "That's okay, he can stay here and I'll try to find a home for him or just keep him."

The next day she called me back. "Why don't you bring him over and let me see him," she said. Of course I took him right over, and she immediately fell in love with the scrawny-ass thing. This picture was taken that day (my mom's feet in the background). He fell in love with her too. Then we tried to come up with a name for him, finally settling on Ringo for the rings around his tail.

My mom fattened Ringo up in short order and he became her constant companion. While Callie was a bit of a loner, Ringo would not leave her alone and always demanded attention and love.

Tragically, Callie suddenly died a few months later from kidney failure at the tender age of 5. My mom and I were devastated, and I'm sure Ringo was grieving as well.

As things always have a way of working themselves out, my friend Brenda called, in tears again, because she had been diagnosed with a chronic illness and would have to give up her beloved Rascal. I knew Rascal well because I always babysat him for two weeks at Christmastime when she and her husband went back home for the holidays. This is Rascal when he was a baby, cuddling with my mama cat Crystal. She is the best mama cat ever, mothering all kittens and even her own kittens who are now six years old.

I called my mom again. "Ringo needs a friend," I said. "Nothing doing," she said. "Okay, no problem, but he's really sweet and would make a great brother for Ringo. He looks just like him!"

"No, I can't take another cat, I'm moving to an apartment." Yeah, right. She's been saying that for the last four years.

Yes, she called me the next day. "I'll try him out for the weekend and see how he does with Ringo." I rushed him right over.

Rascal, who had always been an only cat and who Brenda thought would not like another cat, took immediately to Ringo. It was like watching the Patty Duke Show - they are almost identical! They started chasing each other around the house and playing right away - no hissing or even staring contests. It was instant bonding. Of course, my mom fell in love with Rascal too.

The boys have been together for a while now and love each other and my mom. I'm happy I was able to play matchmaker again. Aren't they adorable?