This week two rescue cats are Arlington’s Pet of the Week: Vila & Macchiato.
Here is what the felines’ owner has to say about their lives in Arlington:
Vila and Macchiato began life on the streets of Belgrade, Serbia. Vila and her birth brother were in a parking garage; Mac was in a street. Some kind people found them, bottle fed them, and those people’s cats helped raise the tiny kittens to be well-socialized bigger kittens, ready to go to a permanent home. Their new Mom & Dad met them, fell in love, and adopted them, living first in Belgrade, where the humans were U.S. diplomats representing American interests to that country. Eventually, the humans were transferred back to the U.S. and found their new home in Ballston, bringing the now-American kitties with them.
Vila, whose name means “Fairy” in her native Serbian, is a wiry, spunky girl, which is helpful as her big brother sometimes picks on her. She usually holds her own. Macchiato doesn’t actually mean “coffee;” it means “stained,” like Mac’s silly spotted nose. He is tall, limber, cuddly and gregarious — and a little jealous. Both are smart, enabling them to work together to open cupboards and get into lots of trouble. Although they will turn 8 this spring, they still play, racing up and down the stairs of their townhouse and wrestling. Fortunately, they also still love each other and snuggle. Vila is the ground athlete, excelling at crumpled paper soccer and hockey with unpopped popcorn kernels. Mac is a graceful aerial athlete, catching and destroying wand toy lures with alarming hunting prowess.
They love visitors, but are strictly indoor cats, for the sake of their health and that of neighborhood fauna. They were neutered as young as possible, to ensure they wouldn’t contribute to pet overpopulation in Serbia or here in the U.S. They are very happy to be part of the greater Arlington family!
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 of eight 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.