Holly Mascaro & Sirius, Severus

 “Before adopting my Harry Potter-themed kitties, Sirius and Severus, I was looking for a more colorful cat - I grew up with black and tuxedo cats, and wanted to switch it up. Of COURSE, the skinny, big, elegant black cat alone in his cage immediately caught my eye - I felt destined to give him a home. He was found on the streets of Brooklyn by a woman who noticed him with a group of cats every day on her commute home. He always flirted with her, and one day he decided to just follow her inside. If a cat could achieve sainthood, Sirius would absolutely qualify. He's a sweet, calm soul with not a mean bone in his body - and way too smart for his own good.Then, after two years of eyeing adoptable cats on Instagram, I finally caved and decided to give another cat a home. Once again, I leaned towards switching it up with maybe a tortie or calico. I'd been volunteering a bit with local grassroots rescue teams when one of them suddenly got word that a 9-month old cat who'd been adopted out to a home 6 months previously, had now been inexplicably dumped at a kill shelter. He was a scared little tuxedo with giant eyes, and something about his face just spoke to us. As soon as my boyfriend and I met him we were sold - he was stunningly elegant, and even though super shy, I could tell how sweet he would be once he had time to feel safe and settled. Sure enough, once we got through 48 hours of hiding under the bed, he suddenly blossomed into a friendly little guy and luckily, he and Sirius had a pretty easy introduction. Now Severus follows Sirius everywhere and has added so much fun, entertaining energy to the house. He's clumsy and silly - we call him our "special" cat - and he's a great contrast to serious Sirius.I've accepted my destiny of always having black and tuxedo cats.” @hollylainem @siriusly_black_catsOriginally from Queens, Holly Mascaro is Marketing Manager at Interview magazine. She lives on the Upper West Side and is passionate about books, cats and animal rescue.