Pearl & Gary

Cinnamon is now Pearl, and Nutmeg is now Gary. When we first started looking for cats, we knew we wanted one cat and planned to name him Gary because we’re such big SpongeBob fans. Then, when we found out we’d also be bringing his sister home, we had to come up with another SpongeBob-inspired name. That’s how we landed on Pearl!

They have adjusted to their new home so wonderfully. During the first week after we brought them home, Gary developed conjunctivitis in his right eye. We brought them to their veterinarian, Ragged Mountain Animal Hospital in Plainville, CT, where he was prescribed eye drops. He took them like a champ, and the infection cleared up quickly and has never returned. Thankfully, Pearl never caught it from him, even though the two of them are incredibly bonded.

Bringing them home together has made such a difference in helping them adjust. They eat together, sleep together, and are constantly checking in on each other with little licks and playtime. They both have such distinct personalities, and the best way I can describe them is by imagining who they’d be in human form.

Gary is energetic, loves climbing to the highest spot he can find, but also appreciates a good nap. I like to think he’d be a nerdy scientist, maybe not blessed with the best social skills, but incredibly smart, observant, and delightfully goofy.

Pearl, on the other hand, is cool, calm, and collected. She would much rather watch Gary chase the wand toy than risk messing up her fur. I don’t necessarily think she’s a diva, though. She’s more of a smart, calculated survivalist. She lets her little brother have all the fun while she sits back and quietly makes sure everyone is safe and protected.

They’ve also developed some adorable little hobbies. They never pass up the opportunity to claim a freshly delivered Amazon box, spend hours bird watching from the windows and door, and love climbing onto our desks to supervise us while we work. Whether they’re carefully walking along our monitors or stretching across the keyboard for a closer look, they always seem determined to be involved in whatever we’re doing.

It’s just Griffin and me in the house with them, so there aren’t any other pets or family members living here. However, we recently took a five-day trip to Colorado and had our friend Abby stay with them while we were away. They absolutely adored her! They purred constantly, happily accepted all the treats and attention she gave them, and were wonderful companions the entire time. Our parents have also stopped by for brief visits, and Pearl and Gary have been friendly and confident with them as well. They really don’t shy away from visitors.

We’ve been feeding them one can of Friskies wet food every morning. When they were younger, we also gave them one scoop of Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials dry food at lunch and another scoop at dinner so they had multiple opportunities to graze throughout the day. As their first birthday approaches on July 24 (YAY!), we’ve started transitioning away from the lunchtime scoop and now simply give them two scoops at dinner instead. Other than that, they’ve always done a great job eating at a healthy pace, drinking plenty of water, and we’ve had no health concerns or litter box issues.

Thank you again for bringing these two into our lives!