We’re Seeing Spots!

Hi Dad! (Niña - back)

It was a happy Valentine’s Day for us, as we drove the four-plus hours to Cottonwood, Ariz., on Feb. 13 to pick up our bundles of joy: two beautiful Bengal kittens. A mix between a wild Asian Leopard cat and a domestic cat, Bengals have gorgeous, exotic spots. They retain some wild traits from their Asian Leopard Cat ancestors: their love of water, their fascination with perching in high places, their raspy meows, and their spots, of course. They can get to anywhere between 15 and 20 lbs when they’re fully-grown.

Our boy, Macho (the reddish-colored beauty) is a bundle of energy. He was the biggest in the litter (of six) and makes our beauty queen, Niña, look very small. They are both so incredibly affectionate and soooo soft. I need to get a bigger chair for my desk, as the two of them love to crawl up behind me and fall asleep.

A bit about their names: Macho is named after Macho B, the only known jaguar living in the United States that was tragically euthanized after a botched examination/illegal trap was set in southern Arizona in 2009. And, as anyone who speaks Spanish (which excludes me) knows, Niña is the Spanish word for “girl.”

Enjoy the photos of our new kitties. It’s great to have furry little feet in the house again, though I have NO idea where they get all the energy. And, anyone who knows me will “get” why I wanted Bengals; I’m still obsessed with “big cats” and exotic, wild cats. These guys are our mini-versions, though very, very tame and loving!

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