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Sultan the cat kneads his Shiba Inu brother
Cairo the Shiba Inu had a simple way of telling Eric he was bored. He stood up and pawed at him, and before long he was complaining out loud. more
Eric was busy with work most of the time. As he puts it, the complaining meant "Hello, you haven't pet me in like 30 minutes. I need attention now." So Eric started thinking about getting Cairo a friend, and he brought home a British Shorthair cat named Sultan.
He split the apartment in half so each of them had a space of his own, though they could still see and smell each other. Sultan started exploring and playing with his toys right away. Cairo was curious but confused, and for a while he just looked at the cat, as if making up his mind about him.
Both of them kept their guard up, and Eric knew not to rush it. By the end of the first week they were still a little iffy about each other, but they both wanted his attention. So he sat on the floor and petted Cairo with one hand and Sultan with the other. In time, the two started falling asleep near each other.
SaveThose naps seemed to lower their defenses. Cairo began gently poking Sultan with his nose and giving him little kisses, and that was when Eric knew it was all going to work out.
Around the third week, Eric saw them play for the first time. Sultan suddenly stood up and started swatting at Cairo's face, and Cairo played right back.
SaveA few days later they were having full-on sparring sessions, and from then on they were best friends. Even their wrestling is careful. Cairo takes Sultan's whole leg in his mouth without biting down, and Sultan taps back with his claws tucked in.
Five months in, they keep finding new ways to play and show their love for each other. Sometimes they just lie flat on their backs side by side, paws in the air.
SaveThen there are the back rubs. Sultan kneads Cairo's back as if he's giving him a massage, and Cairo lets him.
SaveCairo is not a cuddler, but he has started sharing his bed with Sultan. "I don't think Cairo would let anyone else get away with this," Eric says. The dog who once pawed at Eric for attention has grown into a loving older brother.









