If you're a fan of cute cat videos, chances are you've seen at least one, if not several, clips by the furry animal collective known as SweetFurr!
The SweeFurr family consists of two dogs, Sweetie and FurFur, and five cats: Cooper, Marie, Pancake, Mochi, and Choco Ball. I'm a huge fan of these exotic kitties, and recently contacted their owner, who was nice enough to take the time to answer some of my questions. We discussed everything from tips on getting good pet pictures, to exclusive news about a possible addition to their cuddly clan!
Read on for more!
Where did the name SweetFurr come from?
SweetFurr originated from the names of the first 2 members of our furbaby family, Sweetie (Shiffon) and FurFur (Shi Tzu), whom are the inspiration for our blog.
Sweetie and FurFur are friends forever!
Your family currently consists of two dogs and five cats. Does everyone get along?
They get along very well. During the first few days a new furbaby is introduced to the family, there would be some hissing between the felines, and Sweetie would be even more excited than usual while FurFur is typically nonchalant. After this icebreaker period, the felines start welcoming the newbie with tongue baths and playful chases, whereas the canines engage in their own separate activities for the most part because they enjoy different games and toys.
Your family currently consists of two dogs and five cats. Does everyone get along?
They get along very well. During the first few days a new furbaby is introduced to the family, there would be some hissing between the felines, and Sweetie would be even more excited than usual while FurFur is typically nonchalant. After this icebreaker period, the felines start welcoming the newbie with tongue baths and playful chases, whereas the canines engage in their own separate activities for the most part because they enjoy different games and toys.
Pancake, Cooper, and Mochi chowing down on homemade honeydew popsicles.
You have two Persians (Cooper and Mochi), two Exotic Shorthairs (Pancake and Choco Ball), and one Himalayan cat (Marie). What is it that attracted you to these particular breeds?
We were enchanted by the adorable, cartoon-like face of Persian kitties. Likewise, Exotic Shorthairs and Himalayans have similar features to Persians, and they also fall under the umbrella of the Persian breed as per the Cat Fanciers’ Association.
Cooper is a watermelon addict!
What inspired you to start posting videos of your pets on YouTube? What was the first video you posted?
One of our dear friends was a loving owner of many cats before, but unfortunately, she later developed an allergy to cats. We started posting our pet videos because we wanted to share our pets with her. Our first YouTube video was very simple, and featured our female Himalayan kitty, Marie, climbing down a scratch post.
Cooper being fed with chopsticks is the most watched SweetFurr video ever!
To date, your videos have had hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube (Chopsticks Feeding Kitty is currently #1 with almost 1 million views). Were you surprised by the popularity and all of the attention they've received in the media? Do the kitties know they're famous?
We were surprised and ecstatic that our furbabies are able to enchant the hearts of others as well. We would like to think that our kitties have no inkling of their popularity. However, the many instances in which they act like royalty sometimes make us believe otherwise. Perhaps, it could just be the regal nature of felines.
Do you have a personal favorite SweetFurr video?
We have many favorite videos, two of which include “Persian kitten overcomes fear of height for food” and “Mischievous Kitten Mochi”. In the former, Cooper’s high-pitched, cartoon-like meows sound really cute and unique. In the latter, Mochi displays her playful character, which never fails to turn a frown upside down. She still loves to randomly pounce others on a daily basis.
Your kitties seem very calm and well-behaved. Do you spend a lot of time training them?
We try to spend 5-10 minutes training our pets daily, usually within half an hour of their evening mealtime. We find that this is one of the times when they are most interested, focused and motivated to learn.
We try to spend 5-10 minutes training our pets daily, usually within half an hour of their evening mealtime. We find that this is one of the times when they are most interested, focused and motivated to learn.
Can you offer any tips for our readers on getting good pet pictures?
With regards to getting good pet pictures and videos, we always try to have a camera nearby to capture any adorably interesting moments that we witness. Moreover, we use objects like a dangling toy or a bell to attract our pets’ full attention, so that they will curiously gaze in the camera’s direction with beautiful, wide-open eyes.
The newest member of the SweetFurr family is a kitten named Choco Ball, born this past July. Are there any plans to add to the family anytime soon?
Yes, we will be welcoming another male kitten to our family within the next couple months. You may even see kittens from Mochi and Choco Ball by the end of this year or early next year. So please continue to visit us for more information.
The newest member of the SweetFurr family is a kitten named Choco Ball, born this past July. Are there any plans to add to the family anytime soon?
Yes, we will be welcoming another male kitten to our family within the next couple months. You may even see kittens from Mochi and Choco Ball by the end of this year or early next year. So please continue to visit us for more information.
Choco Ball is a speed demon on her kitty tree!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! They were also nice enough to dedicate the following picture to me, called "Cooper Loves Catsparella"!
(Click image to enlarge)
Oh wow what a collection of great videos! Love little Choco Ball too and his kitty tree is fantastic! Heading over to SweetFur...
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteThank You very much for so great post!
I liked their blog!
This interview was SUPERB and you snagged a GREAT ONE!!!
ReplyDeleteEveryone loves Sweet Furr and it was sooo great to learn about the family that owns them.
They are the most precious cats ever!
xoxo
Oh my GOSH, Mom is dying with desire now. What GORGEOUS furries! Sam's in love, I'm in love, and Mom's already fainted.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
Wow great videos and photos! I never saw a cat eat watermelon. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSuper interview!
ReplyDeleteAdorable! I am the owner of 3 Persians, Donny, Rudy and Phoebe. However I had a fourth, Marie, Donny's sister a litter later. She was the white Marie from the Aristocats, really. Unfortunately, she was born in 1999, and died in 2006. We found out 3 months before she died, she had PKD. I have to advocate for these beautiful Persians. They are genetically prone to PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease). In 1999, there was no genetic test for this. Now there is. After Marie died I had my other 3 kitties DNA tested for PKD, as it can occur in 50% of offspring of an affected parent.I sweated the results. My 3 are all related. They tested negative, I am happy to say, but my message to anyone wanting one of these stunning and playful cats (I adore them so much)please be informed and insure that your Mare and Sire have been proven to be DNA neg for PKD. All it takes is a $40 mouth swab.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/
We need to irradicate this from the Persian Breed and it can be done with careful breeding lines! My poor Marie didn't deserve her fate!
@Marcia I'm sorry to hear about Marie :( Thank you so much for sharing all that with us!
ReplyDelete@Catsparella As huge fans of your blog, we wanted to thank you for the opportunity to interview with you! Your unique blog entries are always a joy to read.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to everyone else for your kind words. :D