I “met” Lucy and Leo’s mom Jane on Instagram about two years ago and immediately fell in love with her photos and her furry family. You may have seen her dog Kota in some of our #JaneryStyle features. We’ll share Kota and his love for our huge, designer dog beds next month. For now, his feline brother and sister have the spotlight.
I was excited to have them model several of our Janery pet beds and they were purr-fect for a feature interview - I needed to learn more about them, and thought you'd like to as well! Their mom Jane was more than happy to share some fun facts about her two fabulous felines.
How old are Lucy and Leo?
Lucy is 7.5 years old, and Leo is 2 years old.
What kind of cats are they?
Lucy is a dilute tortie domestic shorthair cat, and Leo is a classic brown tabby Maine Coon.
How did the kitties join your family?
I adopted Lucy from PAWS Chicago on my very first day of work. I took a train as soon as work ended and headed to the shelter. I actually planned to adopt a kitten, but I was told it wouldn't be suitable with my work schedule at the time, so I decided on an older cat! She was around 5 years old at the time. About half a year later I started working from home more often, so I decided to get a kitten. I picked out Leo from a Maine Coon breeder in Chicago, and the rest is history!
What are some of their funniest habits?
Lucy definitely has tortitude (a unique personality that tortoiseshell cats tend to have) and often lets me know that she's the boss around here. However, she is 100% a lap cat! She loves sitting in your lap, no matter what position you're sitting in. Leo is what I always affectionately call my big baby since he loves to be cradled and given forehead kisses. He is extremely vocal and always lets me know if he wants something.
What’s Leo’s sleeping style? Is he a curler-upper, a stretcher-outer, or a flop-down-anywhere sort of pet? What about Lucy?
Leo is 50% a curler-upper, 50% a stretcher-outer, and usually prefers sleeping in higher up places. Lucy is a curler-upper, but will settle down anywhere she deems fit.
What kind of treats do your cats go crazy for?
Leo loves pretty much any kind of treat on the face of the planet--part of the reason he behaves so well when we take photos. ;) Lucy, however, is very picky and pretty much only likes Greenies.
How have Lucy and Leo changed your life for the better?
I used to always consider myself a dog person, and never really likes cats much. After getting Lucy and Leo, I can safely say I LOVE cats and am equal parts cat person and dog person! They follow me everywhere and always keep me company.
Do you have other pets?
I have 3 ferrets (Evie, Pixie, and Chubby) and 1 dog (Kota).
What has been your biggest challenge with your cats?
The litter tracking. I'm still waiting on the day when someone invents the perfect type of litter, or a mat that actually traps the litter after they jump out the box. I cannot tell you the number of products I've tried while searching for a solution!
If you could give prospective or new cat owners one piece of advice, what would it be?
Always make time to spend some of the day with your cats. A common misconception is that they're completely independent, but they love to play and receive attention too! Also, don't forget to take a ton of kitten photos--that time flies by fast.
Don't Leo and Lucy make fabulous Janery Models? I couldn’t have asked for better pet models for our Catnip Mats. Make sure you follow Leo on his Instagram account @Leo.MaineCoon and stay tuned to meet their brother Kota in next month's edition of Meet the Model.
Pro tip: Leo and Lucy's mom keeps their Catnip Mats clean and fresh thanks to our unique washable, refillable design. Because cotton fabrics will shrink slightly in the first wash, we created custom care instructions to help you keep your Janery looking its best. And if you need more of our irresistible American-grown Organic Stemless Catnip leaf, we've got refill tubs right here.
