Happy Tail: Magritte (formerly Guava)
In the summer of 2021, Genevieve and Conor found themselves looking for a kitten. They weren’t alone. Lockdown companions were in high demand, and available kittens were hard to find across Toronto. They’d had a few disappointing instances of reaching out just a little too late and missing the chance to bring home a new pet.
Their luck changed when, shortly after their screening interview with ACR, they were alerted to the arrival of two new kittens: Guava and Papaya, and Guava (now Magritte) didn’t have any takers.
“We loved Magritte’s unique face and big eyes as soon as we saw them,” Genevieve says. She believes it was those unusual markings that made Magritte less popular with adopters in contrast to her sibling, who had plenty of interest.
“We like art, and Magritte seemed a bit like something of a modernist painting!”
After speaking with Magritte’s foster parent, Julia, Genevieve was even more convinced this was the pet for them. “She told us that Magritte was extra curious, a bit mischievous, and extremely social, always playing or snuggling with other animals and humans. We had recently adopted another cat, Fidalgo, and were hopeful that our new kitten could be a companion and playmate for him as well.”
Magritte’s playful and curious personality was evident from day one, and she settled easily into her new home. Thanks to lots of socialization from Julia, Magritte would continue to play for hours on end — she especially loves the teaser wand and would leap and twist in the air like an acrobat to attack the feathers.
She also loves playing with her brother, Fidalgo, and the two have become partners in crime — literally, as Fidalgo taught Magritte how to break into the pantry.
“They like to chase one another around at six in the morning and even though she’s half his size, she devises elaborate ambushes, jumping out from behind furniture on her hind legs, paws in the air.”
It’s not always rambunctious, however. Magritte and Fidalgo nap together, and when Magritte wakes up, she loves to visit her parents while they work from home.
She’ll “make the rounds,” as Genevieve puts it, between Genevieve and Conor at their respective computers, before luring them over to the couch for snuggles. She’s just making sure everyone gets their mandatory break, like the good manager she is.
“She still seems like a kitten with her big ears, her small stature, and her constant desire for stimulation and affection.”
It may have taken a while to get there, but Genevie and Conor found their perfect kitten, and Magritte found her forever home.
-Jennifer Reid
