'Very Playful' Doctor Who And Dorian Gray: Huntington Adoptable Pets Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Doctor Who and Dorian Gray, little fluff balls approximately 3 months old, are the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pets of the Week.

They were rescued from a homeowner’s backyard in Freeport in January, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

A mother cat, her two older kittens, and Doctor Who and Dorian Gray, were all passing through when the homeowner reached out to the Town of Hempstead and animal rescuer John Debacker for help, according to Larkin.

It was decided that the mom and the two older kittens would be trap-neutered-released and the babies trapped and placed with a rescue, according to Larkin. That was when Grateful Paw got the call to help.

"Despite their size, they had lots of vim and vigor, hisses and spits and general 'cattitude' issues," Larkin said. "It took them at least a week to calm down and not freak out when touched or handled."

Doctor Who is the larger and darker of the two kittens with large round eyes and very long, thick black and brown fur for cold weather climates.

"Luckily, he loves to be brushed which will keep his fur from getting matted," Larkin said. "He even rolls over on his back so you can reach his belly...very unusual for a cat. His brother, Dorian Gray, is much smaller with the softest grey medium length fur."

Dorian loves to bathe his brother and will do it all day if someone does not keep an eye on him, according to Larkin. Dorian also loves to stretch out on the bed and take up as much room as
possible.

"I guess he is trying to show us how big and fierce he is!" Larkin said.

They both appear to have some sort of Siberian mix in them, but without a DNA test, it is "only a guess," Larkin said.

"Siberian cats are sweet and loving with their family, they enjoy being petted, which these two boys love, and are very comfortable snuggling on your lap," Larkin said. "They are curious, love to
chase things, enjoy exploring and are strong and alert. A lot of these attributes match their personality so you may have a very unique kitten as part of your family."

At first, they are a bit leery of strangers, giving a small hiss, but quickly warm up as soon as they realize a person means them no harm, according to Larkin. They immediately start purring and accepting tummy rubs.

"And if you are not feeling well, like their foster mom was recently, they gladly joined her on the couch and perched themselves on top to make sure she was warm and cozy," Larkin said.

They are both very playful and love wrestling and chasing each other around the playroom. They love all sorts of toys and love climbing on the condos and any other furniture that might be available. They love looking out the windows to watch all of the activity in the backyard..squirrels, birds, wild turkey and the resident dog in the house. They have great appetites and sound the alarm when people are not getting their meals fast enough.

"Wait until they join the others in the kitten room!" Larkin said.

They have been vetted, but not completely. They are due for neutering and another set of vaccines by Feb. 12.

They have both tested negative for FELV and FIV, had their ears and hearts checked, "finally"
tested negative for parasites after receiving various meds, are litter box trained and received two sets of vaccines, Larkin said.

If you are interested in meeting Doctor Who and Dorian Gray, you may call the shelter at 631-757-4517, email cats@laphuntington.org, visit the Facebook page or visit at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter.

The rescue is at 3 Verleye Ave., East Northport, and visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The shelter is also open from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights only for those who cannot make it during the daytime hours.

"These two boys are extremely bonded so we would like to keep them together unless there is another cat/kitten in the house," Larkin said. "Two kittens are always better than one, so why don’t you share the 'love' this Valentine’s Day by adding these cuties to your family? Guaranteed they will make every day a Valentine’s Day for you!"