On March 2, two stray cat moms gave birth to a total of 10 kittens. It's not entirely certain if these two are siblings or cousins, but one thing is sure, they are best buddies! The ginger tabby Eiswein and the black Nebbiolo were both named for wines and spent their early days at a foster home. Nebbiolo was the smaller and less coordinated of the pair, but he has always been the leader of expeditions. They have a passion for "mountain climbing," which can involve scaling just about anything — a person, a sofa, cat tree or dog. If a halt is called for, a cuddle will cool their fervor to reach the top.

"Nebbi has a whole world of his own, filled with dogs' tails to be tamed, toilet paper rolls to be killed and shredded, paper bags to be explored," explains their former foster mother. "Eis is always on the lookout for a big cat to snuggle up with or a dog to lick and, as a pair, they are very evenly matched. Nebbi is bigger in spirit and wins battles because he thinks he can. Eis does everything for the fun."

It should be noted that the two are what is known as "shoulder cats" and expect to be thus transported around the house. And, of course they sleep with their humans at night.

If you are interested in adopting Eiswein and/or Nebbiolo, email ARK at [email protected] or call 050-1557-2763 Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more info. Tokyo ARK is an NPO founded by Briton Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are requested to undergo a screening process. Web: www.arkbark.net