Read time: 2 mins
We love it when there’s more than one cat in the mix, double the fun. This weekend we got to talk to Newcastle-based Lauren over coffee about her two furry babies Alfie and Milo.
So tell us about Alfie and Milo, did they arrive as a pair?
No actually, Alfie was bequeathed to me by two former housemates, a very welcome gift might I add. And then Milo made eyes at me in a shelter in Milton Keynes and the rest is history. Alfie is a distinguished senior gentleman of 8 years old, he’s a domestic short hair and permanently sports a shiny tuxedo. Milo is a little moggy, but she has the markings of a diluted tortoiseshell and the attitude to match!
Quite the complementary pair! What do you guys typically get up to on a Saturday morning together, run us through your routine.
We tend to wake up to the sound of a chirpy, needy alarm clock called Milo wondering why she can see the bottom of her food bowl. She thoughtfully addresses this issue by climbing up to our bed and informing us, loud and full of head-butts that it’s time to wake up and feed the alpha bug. Following this is the support from older brother Alfie, who adopts a more stealthy strategy of sneaking his request into the shape of a cuddle – showing not only will he get what he wants, but he’ll be adorable doing it. When they’ve both decided their Dad and I are alive, well and allowed to live in their flat, they follow us through to the kitchen to make sure everything is where they’ve left it, and Alfie does his duty of checking the top of the fridge and inside of the bath for dangerous intruders. Alfie takes his role very seriously. He usually then demands to be outside to catch up with his pals on Friday night’s antics (he usually comes home smelling like Blue WKD’s and Dreamies, but he’s a big lad and makes his own decisions), and Milo enjoys a morning stroll of the inside of the kitchen cupboards.
We’re pretty certain cats don’t believe in lie-ins. These two sound like a proper team, do you have any nicknames for them?
Alfie – Big bug, Mr. Baby, Mr. Man, Large Gentleman, Señor Gentleman (when he’s on holiday).
Milo – Lady Bird, Hippo (she’s a bit chunky), Chirpy Bug (she’s more of a chirper than a meower, hence the bird names!)
Divine. Have you always been such a cat person?
Absolutely not. Before the girls I lived with brought Alfie home, I’d never had a cat or any interest in one. Here we are nearly ten years later and there’s no me without him and Milo.
Oh, they certainly know how to hook you in. Back to Saturdays, if you were going to treat yourself how would that look?
I’m a huge fan of lazy days as we’re so busy during the week. A treat weekend would always include a decent lie-in, carbs for breakfast and a long little-bit-too-hot bath.
And say you only had £5 to spend over the weekend, what would you buy and why?
We love buying cardboard cat scratchers. They’re cheap and do their bit to save the arms of our chairs.
Genius. Now we know you work as a marketing specialist, but if you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
You’d be a cat cuddler, wouldn’t you? I’d invent that job and be that.
The perfect career. So if you’re working 9-5, do your cats also live by any sort of schedule?
Nothing in the world makes Milo happier than a routine. She knows what sound our alarm clock makes, and what time the heating comes on, and is distraught when she isn’t fed at exactly the same time mornings and nights. Alfie just prioritises his day around cuddles and playing outside. What a life.
It sounds like Alfie’s cracked it. Last question, what’s the coolest cat person thing you have in your home?
Alfie has his own house. The only eight-year-old I know who owns a property. He really has got it made.
Get featured on Saturday Morning Coffee.
