Today, Yummypets would like to introduce you to Salem and Pebbles! These two cats are so different, yet they get along so well! Pebbles is energetic and naughty while Salem is calm and quiet!
Salem and Pebbles are such photogenic cats! It's crazy how awesome they look in every photo that they take! And if that wasn't enough, they've already posted so many great photos on Yummypets! They can always put a smile on your face! In this interview, Salem and Pebbles share fun facts and stories about themselves.
When, where, and how did you meet Salem and Pebbles?
I met Salem when I was looking for a kitten to adopt. It was all fate! I was scheduled to meet another rescuer; however, I was given the contact of another one who had 2 male kittens, she lives near me. Of course, it was a sign for me to go and have a look at the cats. She has 12 cats at the time! Whilst I was looking at the cats that were roaming around, Salem, then named Noodles, came down the stairs to greet me. He was so affectionate; I fell in love immediately. I decided I was going to adopt Salem; he was 3 at the time. His rescuer said that he had been waiting to be adopted for 3 years, people overlook him as he is a black cat. I immediately bought the necessary cat things and brought him home the next day. Rest is history! Here’s a picture of Salem at his rescuer’s place, convincing me to adopt him. Didn’t take long, hehe. Here’s also a picture of him at my place on day 1. He is now 5 years old.
Now, Pebbles. I started to get busy with work, and Salem did not get much playtime. I thought it’d be great for him to have a younger, active cat friend. Salem is active at certain times, most of the times he is just lounging. So, I contacted the trusty rescuer, once again. She sent me pictures of Pebbles (I kept her name). As of now, she is 10 months old!
First photo: Pebbles as tiny kitten. She has always been a friendly kitty.
Second photo: I mean…. how could you not want to adopt her after this picture!
Third photo: Pebbles with her brother, Dash. Dash got adopted earlier than her.
How did their names come about?
Salem was first named Noodles. I thought he looked so much like the cat, Salem Saberhagen, I adored Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I was, however, contemplating between Salem and Dracula. Dracula because duh his ‘fangs’. But I had such a sentimental childhood connection with the name Salem, I chose that. I was not a cat person before, but I had told myself if I ever get a cat, it will be a male black cat and I’ll name him Salem. Dreams come true!
As for Pebbles, she was named after the Flintstones character Pebbles, by her fosterer. Suits her so well! I didn’t think about changing it at all.
Do you have any tips for your fellow Yummypals so that they can look fabulous in their photos?
Treats and toys! For cats, they are always attracted to treats, however they can get a little too excited and move from the frame. I find that using something dangling always does the trick! And I mean anything, I’ve even used my earphones. Make sure to have a nice background too.
What are their personalities like?
Salem is the calmest, quietest, gentlest cat I had ever come across. He is also very loving, and such a good cuddler. He would always chill next to me whenever I’m working. I used to not like cats because they can get scratchy and bitey, but not the case with Salem. He doesn’t cuddle with me so much now, because he lies down with Pebbles these days :’).
Pebbles…. If Salem is the calm, Pebbles is the storm. I was so used to a calm cat, that when I first got Pebbles, I was thinking about giving her back just a few days after! She was so active and naughty. She would get into every tiny space. But I must say that it was entertaining. She has broken 5 glass items, hahaha. As naughty as she is, she is also the cutest! Here’s a picture of her a few days with us, exploring the apartment. The second picture is of her being the Spider-Kitty. My poor couch, hahaha!
What is your favorite thing about Yummypets?
My favourite thing about Yummypets is the fun competitions! I had only joined a few, as I’ve been getting busy. The competitions are so creative, it will get your juices flowing to be creative and try to win. We also get to meet (virtually) many other pets, all around the world. The YummyPets organization is so inclusive and friendly. They love getting to know their members, which is a very warm feeling!
Whatʼs your best memory with your cats?
Oh, how do I pick the best? There’s so many! One that is memorable is when Salem finally accepted Pebbles as one of us and cuddled with her. That was so heart-warming to watch. He was very jealous and was hiding away from all of us the first few days when Pebbles came.
First photo: First time sitting next to each other.
Photo in the top right: This one lives rent-free in my memory; first time Salem let Pebbles touch him. They were napping in this position for a while. I could not move!
Photo on the bottom right: First ever time both were napping with me. Salem was recovering from a wound, thus the e-collar.
Have you got any funny stories to tell us?
Again…there’s so many to choose from! Off the top of my head will be when they ‘fight’. Salem often lets Pebbles win, hahaha. It is so funny to watch him fall, and Pebbles would jump on him. They also have a call for each other when they play hide and seek. Yes, they do. Salem would hide and call out for Pebbles, she would come running only to be jumped on by Salem, and vice versa! We have plenty of videos of them doing this, just go on to our Instagram and watch the reels.
Another funny story is when Pebbles stole a fish from the counter which was meant to be cooked. There were two humans trying to retrieve the fish back from Pebbles. She was putting up a tough fight!
Yet another is when Salem is deep asleep, Pebbles would annoy him by hitting his face. Absolutely hilarious! Salem would run out of patience, then has Pebbles locked and kangaroo-kicks her. Looks violent, but they’re obviously meant as a warning not to mess with Salem when he is sleeping.
What are some fun facts about your cats?
Salem does not like wet fish food. Yep, weird cat, I know. I spoiled with expensive cat food when I first brought him home. When I served him the tuna wet food, he smelled the food and looked at me. He was just waiting and not eating. This has happened a few times. When I give wet chicken food, he wallops it. How funny and peculiar! Salem also does not like loud noises. He hides under the couch when he hears any loud noises. When I say loud, it could be the thunder, a loud motorcycle, the vacuum…the list goes on.
Pebbles is a puppy stuck in a cat’s body. She loves belly rubs and playing fetch! She demands for belly rubs by just falling next to you and exposes her belly to you. She loves playing with her pom-pom ball. She would bring it to you and drop it next to you, then wait for your move. Just as you throw it, she would go flying to catch it. Then the process repeats. This is very entertaining to watch. We also have a video on our Instagram page.
Unlike many cats out there, Salem and Pebbles are both human-friendly, they never hide in the presence of a new visitor. They LOVE to get petted! They sometimes demand for pets by using their paws to touch you, to get your attention. Salem is gentle, he would put his head in your palm as a signal, but little Miss Pebbles would try to pull your hand using her paws. Either way, it is irresistible. Visitors to my house are always greeted by my cats, they are always out and ready to demand for pets.
What are their nicknames?
I call Salem Bubu a lot. Just because ‘baby’ felt too childish for a mature cat like Salem. He also gets called good boy, panther, Dracula, vampire, fatty bum bum, and gundu boy (which means fatty in Tamil).
I call Pebbles guci a lot. Why? Because she loves belly rubs so much, when I tickle I say “guci,guci,guci”. I also call her baby because she is so small. Other nicknames are naughty, little tiger, and small nose.
Any other social media handles?
We only have Yummypets and Instagram as of now. Our Instagram handle is @salem_pebbles. We are looking forward to entertaining all of you with fun pictures and videos!
You can find Salem's Yummypets profile here and Pebbles' Yummypets profile here.
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