Shelter cats, gray and white

            There is an odd phenomenon that I have noticed over the past ten months as I volunteer at my local animal shelter. We seem to go through periods with many cats of the same or similar coloring: sometimes we have a lot of black cats, sometimes a lot of tabbies, etc. These pictures are of two cats in the same community room, both gray and white. When I took these photos, we also had gray and white kittens and gray and white adult cats in the other community room as well.

            These two handsome fellows are Patches and Pongo. How do I know which is which? Well, looking at these photos... I don't know. The way I tell when I'm there in person is that Patches is smaller and less skeptical of me when I come over to brush him.

            These two are often found lounging separately: Pongo in the windowsill, Patches on a bench across the room from him.  But when they feel like playing they find each other in the middle and the games begin.

            Patches and Pongo were very shy when I first met them. They hid in corners and behind the cat tree, eying me distrustfully and flattening their ears. Pongo was so worried that the best profile photo I was able to take of him came out with those flattened ears and wide-eyed stare. But as often happens, they slowly came out of their shells. I am able to brush them now, and I do that every Saturday. They do shed a lot, but then again it is spring. They seem to like being brushed now that I am not such a frightening apparition to them.

            They make an adorable pair, but they do not have to go to the same home. I could not resist taking these photos when the opportunity presented itself, though. I hope they get adopted soon. I hope that someone who thinks gray and white is the nicest pattern for a cat comes in and falls in love with them.