Arlington Pet of the Week: Conner

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Conner, a playful black cat who loves hunting for fake mice. Here is what his owner, Len, had to say about him:

Conner is a 5-year-old domestic cat weighing about 10 pounds. I adopted him and his sister Cali when they were 10 weeks. Conner is an all-black male with a small patch of white on his chest (he looks like a black bear cub!). As a young kitten, he grew up in a home with 7 cats. He became aggressive at an early age, pouncing on the tails of much larger cats because it was fun and really irritated them. He is a long-haired cat so I groom him often to keep down the development of hairballs.

Conner is entertaining to watch and is sometimes aloof. He derives great pleasure from going into the smallest spaces possible where he knows he’s not supposed to be. He is an instinctive hunter but because he’s kept indoors, I often bring out fake mice and other toys for him to chase which gives him satisfaction that he is protecting Arlington from vermin. Once his hunting instincts kick in, I sit back and let him entertain me while he jumps in the air and plays with any movable object on the floor. Despite his curious nature and hunting instincts, he is the sweetest cat I have ever been around. He never bites or claws at me and he purrs loudly and often.

Despite being a black cat, Conner is very photogenic as his expression changes greatly from picture to picture. His favorite activities are sneaking up and chasing his sister Cali, staring and meowing at walls, pawing at sliding closet doors until they open (this can be annoying), hiding and timing his leap and exit when I open the front door, diving under throw rugs and hiding, and randomly running around and bucking like a yearling thoroughbred.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.