Crown Heights

Crown Heights

Paulina Virgen & Schiap

“I met ‘the one’ in Greenpoint at the home of a woman who saved cats from the euthanasia list – her name was Eva. We knew we wanted to rescue and that perhaps we wanted a grey cat. So, I went and met the cats Eva had and fell in love with a little […]

Alexis Patterson & Mr. Claude

“I got Mr. Claude in 2008 from a shelter when he was about 3 months old. As the other cats meowed and fought for attention, he sat quietly in the corner shivering. They informed me that he may be suffering from cat laryngitis and may never meow. They tried to push “healthier” kittens on […]

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"Because of my allergies, unfortunately, I can’t sleep with her. But, she greets me every morning, bolting into my room as I open the door. My roommate and I work from home, so she gets endless attention and spends her days wandering from room to room napping on our beds and sunning in the kitchen. I travel a lot for work, and while some cats give you the cold shoulder when you leave town for a while, Lumpy is at her snuggliest when I get back from a trip. As I unpack, she’ll hang out on my bed and wait for me to lay down and rub her little face.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I adore my little princess and feel so fortunate to have her in my life—foot attacks, allergies, sassy pants, and all." @loveaprilkae⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ April Kae is a musician and writer originally from Austin, Texas. She is a champion for women’s issues, particularly body positivity and self-care. April performs regularly around the city with her band, @loveimanigold

"We adopted her near the end of her kittenhood, and within about a month she reached the size she is now. She grew into a petite curvy girl like her mamas, with short legs and a charming face. She’s never been shy, and she likes hanging out in the open rather than hiding. One of my favorite things about her is, like a puppy, she barks when someone is at the door and runs to greet everyone who visits. She loves people. So much that she once followed a delivery person down five flights of stairs and outside—that’s when we got her a collar. She adores playing with feet, which is equal parts adorable and irritating. Unlike Oprah and Queen who’d perch themselves on top of the refrigerator, Lumpy gravitates more toward the floor than she does countertops and cabinets. She likes taking naps on the bed but hates chairs. She doesn’t cover her poop in the litter box and is a very messy eater. She’s a millennial at heart and likes playing games on my phone and watching cartoons on my laptop. I’ve tried a lot of toys with her, but her favorite is the laser pointer because she can’t break it, and she loves chasing the little red dot around the apartment." @loveaprilkae

"I’m allergic to cats but love how sassy and snuggly they are, kind of like me. Because of my allergies, I was woefully resigned to never having a kitten baby of my own, doomed to live the life of a cat auntie, and never a cat mom.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Then, a couple of years ago when I was living with my sister and another roommate in the same apartment I’m in now, we got rats. Not just casual rats in the walls—which the apartment still has today—but big ol’ subway-style rats that left droppings in the living room and chewed through oatmeal packets. Yeah, we called an exterminator, but the reality is the best way to scare rats away is to solicit the services of a guard-kitten. Within days of the rats’ appearance, my sister adopted two spotted calico sisters we named Oprah and Queen Latifah @queenandoprahthecats. They not only held down the fort, but also won our hearts with their relaxed but assertive demeanors, and sisterly bond.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My sister moved out about a year later and took Oprah and Queenie with her. (She didn’t move out because of any conflict between us. Actually, we wanted to try to have “boundaries,” which is pretty ironic considering how often she’s at my place.)⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ With the three sisters gone, I was faced with a pretty easy choice: Do I want uninvited pet rats, or do I want to add another cat to the family? A few days after Oprah and Queenie moved out, my new roommate and I were on the Brooklyn Animal Action site. We instantly fell in love with a tiny black cat with big eyes and a spunky personality who was found on her then foster family’s porch in a cardboard box. My roommate rushed to Brooklyn to adopt her. I wanted to name her Meowcus Garvey because she’s a feisty little black panther, but my roommate was justifiably opposed to naming black cats after Black people. (If you’re in the mood to feel unnerved, go on any cat adoption website and notice the number of black cats that white people name after Black people.) So, we agreed on Lumpy Space Princess after the Adventure Time character that has the same cute, cuddly, lumpy, powerful presence she does." @loveaprilkae

"My love of cats is inherited from my mother. The first cat I got to know was one she had since she was 14 years old and in fact, her name was my first word--Nyambo (don't ask). She lived to the ripe old age of 19 and my mother was devastated when she passed. About 5 years later, my dad brings home a kitten as a surprise and my mom got so upset because she thought it was an insult to the late Nyambo. Of course, in a matter of days, my mom was obsessed with him. We named him Ochan (don't ask) and it turned out he was the spawn of Satan. He hated laughter and children and would attack me every chance he got. I still have a scar on my left calf to this very day. Even though Ochan was a nightmare, I still loved him and he did have his cute moments. After growing up and being around other cats, I realized he was an anomaly.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Luckily, Margot— though she has her moments—is a low-maintenance angel with a belly flap that swings to and fro as she trots down the hall. Sometimes, I think about what I would do without Margot. Her greetings at the door when I come home, her morning cuddles, her ridiculous personality; she brings such joy into my life! I’d be lost without her." @tatummangus⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Tatum Mangus is a photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. She loves traveling, experimenting with different cameras and riding her bike around New York in the summer. In the evenings, you can find Tatum taking on challengers at the nearest pool table.

"Margs, as I like to call her, is a 9-year-old, large-and-in-charge tuxedo cat with white boots and belly with the pinkest, most delicate lips. She takes after me in my sassy ways--she likes attention, but only on her terms. She has this gift of knowing exactly when I am awake, even if I haven't moved. She immediately comes over and makes muffins on my blanket while I try not to get clawed through the sheets. When we come home, she has a specific spot on the rug in the kitchen where she meows and rolls around, demanding pets. No matter how many toys I buy her, Margot insists on her one ratty toy she's had for over five years and although we never see her carrying it around, it's always sitting on our bed when we get home. She and I both love to sleep a ton and lay around the house all day, but her one passion in life is wet cat food. If I open a can of anything, she howls at me as if she hasn't eaten in weeks." @tatummangus⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ #tuxedocat #adoptdontshop #girlsandtheircats

"In 2009, I was living in San Francisco with my boyfriend and three other dudes. One day, we were all hanging out at Dolores Park and we saw this girl selling kittens out of a cardboard box for $10 each. They looked to be just a couple months old; I think the girl with the box had a cat with a litter of kittens and couldn’t keep them all. I’d been wanting to get a cat, but Terry (my bf) didn’t want the responsibility. I assured him that I would fully take care of the cat and then it was just up to the roommates to decide. Once they agreed, I chose Margot out of the bunch because I tried to pick the kitten with the cuddliest personality, but as it turns out, she was just having a good day. Margot isn’t much of a lap cat.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I originally thought $10 was a great deal for a kitten, but it turns out that getting her fixed and shots was over $200. I later realized I could've just gotten a ready-to-go kitten from the SPCA for $80, but obviously, Margot was worth the extra dough.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ She was your average kitten, loved to play and would get underfoot. We had this toy attached to a long elastic string that was hanging in a doorway and one day, she got herself tangled in the string. She wouldn’t let anyone touch her, she was in such a panic, but through the hissing and swatting and growling, I finally got her free. We obviously confiscated the string, but the toy attached was her favorite for years, until it mysteriously disappeared one day. She immediately won over the roommates and everyone loved her. She’s always been very chill and although she’s not the most gregarious cat, she’s friendly for the most part. In fact, she has become more social the older she gets, which is great!" @tatummangus ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ #tuxedocat #catlady #girlsandtheircats