Interview: Ari and Simba
Pets, they’re your best friend and confidant. Big or small, fluffy or a bit scruffy, it doesn’t matter, we love them all. They’re there for you unconditionally and the feeling is mutual. Our interview series celebrates this special bond between animals and hoomans. Let the awws begin.
Hooman: Jason, I’m a product manager based in Taipei who has been lucky enough to own five pets throughout the years.
Cats: Ari (10 years old) and Simba (2 years old)
Home: Taipei, Taiwan
While living in Boston, I wanted to adopt a pet and ended up checking out the pet shelter for a cat. I originally wanted to adopt the cat next to Ari (American Shorthair), but she was already adopted. As I walked past Ari he reached his paws out to me and the rest was history. Ari’s name at the shelter was Lil’ Man. When I brought him home with my friends, we called out different names to see which one he would respond to. Thinking about Ari Gold from Entourage, I called out the name Ari and he walked over, solidifying his name.
As for Simba (Maine Coon), I’ve always wanted to own a Savannah or Maine Coon so I looked out for a reputable breeder in Taipei and found one. I don’t usually buy but it’s a dream come true for me to own a Maine Coon. He’s orange and Lion King is my favourite Disney movie, so it was the easiest name decision of my life.
Ari and Simba spend most of their day sleeping or looking out windows, they love to play fighting with each other over sleeping spots and hanging out on their cat tree. They’re usually tired around 9pm-12am so they would sleep on our bed while my other half and I would chill there. If I’m around the house and on my computer, both would usually be within vision around me.
Personality wise, they’re different. Ari is a 24-hour purring machine, he’s an incredibly chill cat that loves a clean litter box and sunshine. He never uses his claws on humans and loves to sleep on my lap while I game. Ari loves to annoy me while I’m on the computer. My friends that play video games with me are used to hearing me yelling about Ari trying to sit on my keyboard or blocking my screens during critical moments of gaming.
Simba is that idiot little brother that looks dorky and learns all his bad habits from Ari. He’s easily scared, loves water and talks to you whenever you come back home. He’s scared of car rides and loves to bully Ari. Simba has to be around people if they’re around, so he’ll tagalong with you as you go from room to room.
There was a period where Simba and Ari wouldn’t eat from our feeder machine, I was getting worried about them even though they were using the litter box regularly and thought my machines broke. About a week after trying my hardest to figure everything out, I found Simba and Ari trying to jump into a box, only to find that they’ve found the box of cat food bags and bit through it, feeding on it all week.
My pets have given me something to look forward to when I’m returning home from work. They’re there for me when I’m happy or sad and it’s therapeutic having them next to me during rough moments. I love everything about my pets, good or bad. It’s what makes them so special!
To find out more about cat adoption in Taiwan, click here, here, here, and here.