We never need an excuse to celebrate our felines but it seems more appropriate than ever during Black Cat Awareness Month. Meet Quink and Quill (previously Chips and Nugget) who have recently marked one year in their forever home.

Their new owner, Hazel was heartbroken after losing her previous cat, Chou, but she says adopting these two ‘demons’ really was the best medicine.  Hazel explains what life is like with these two sleek felines:

“They were quite shy when they first arrived and like many cats, the sofa was their safe place for a few weeks until they settled in. Now they are ruling the roost and keeping a close paw on me, who obviously needs to be supervised while gardening, eating and of course, so familiar to all us cat lovers, standing guard when I go to the bathroom.

“ Their personalities were always distinct from the off and so much more so now – Quill is much calmer and a homebody, wanting to lie by my left thigh when her brother is off and away with his boyfriend (he’s made friends with a neighbour’s cat – Lewis), and the two are constantly in and out of each other’s homes, playing and stealing each other’s toys!.

Quill loves being curled in the bathroom sink for belly cradling, as well as being an excellent hunter of sky raisins (flies) – spicy and original flavours. She taught me to play fetch with her by tapping my leg with her paw/claws to notice the elastic band she’d dropped by my foot (she sometimes drops it in my coffee) and hasn’t gotten bored of this daily game yet – my left calf is a map of ‘pay attention and play!’ scratches… She calmly tolerates Lewis the neighbour’s cat when Quink is around, but is a fierce defender of her home and territory when it’s just her indoors, and if the boys outside games are rowdy enough for her to hear, she will automatically chase Lewis in order to defend her brother.

Quink is the impetuous ijit (idiot) – exploring and galloping around, having daily adventures with Lewis, skipping over for a quick pet of reassurance, before springing off again to chase – skittering and clambering around, skidding to a halt and utterly determined to destroy my handbag with his claws, bringing in large leaves and obsessed hunting down and playing with some cosplay ears I have whenever I put them away – most days I discover them left somewhere new. He clambers behind me on the sofa and shouts for cuddles. Very talkative! He’s definitely the baby brother.

I love them deeply and they enhance my life and mental health in countless ways, so are completely deserving of all the spoiling.”

Looking for your own  black cat to love and spoil? Then please check out our adoption pages.

Quink and Quill when they were first adopted from Mayhew, see how they grew into sleek and glossy miniature panthers!