by Ann E. Smith

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: November 15, 2010

My cats are twins, literally. Their striking resemblance never goes unnoticed, and after adopting them from the local Humane Society, it took weeks to be able to tell them apart. Their vet affectionately nicknamed them the “Doublemint twins.” Their actual names however are Abby Karenina and Bella Natasha. Fancy names for cats indeed but fitting, once you understand how that came to be.

Upon first seeing the cats, it was love at first sight. There were not two - but four - huge yellow eyes, surrounded by dark gray fur, peeking out at me from behind the bars of their cage. The helpful Humane Society staff member said that these two Russian Blue mixes had just been processed and put out into the cat room for adoption.

I had been looking for the right kitten for just over a week, and my heart was set on a gray female. Reason being: my parents have a gray cat named Bunny who we all adore beyond belief. I secretly wanted a clone of Bunny. Well, low and behold, here were two of them!

When first picking up one of these fluffy balls of gray from her cage, I immediately planted a kiss on her forehead. As I had not kissed any of the other kitties seen while searching for the right new family member, certainly this must be a sign. Within a short time, I made arrangements to adopt these two kittens and bring them home, it was clear they belonged with me.

Immediately after completing the paperwork with a dear friend at hand, we went to our favorite pub to have a celebratory drink and discuss names for the kittens. It was imperative as a new mom to finalize their names prior to picking them up after their required surgeries to be spayed. The Humane Society had named them Abby and Bella, and in no time at all, my friend and I decided these names were keepers. As my friend noted, both names had double consonant letters in the middle, just as the revered Bunny had. Another sign.

However, we did not stop at that. While the girls would have my surname, they needed middle names. Since they were Russian Blues and I was very into all-things-Russia at that time, including a momentous completion of "War and Peace," it took us only a few minutes to agree they should have Russian middle names.

After further brainstorming and pronouncing various combos, we had it: Abby Karenina and Bella Natasha. Somehow these names were just perfect for the cats.

While the naming of the kittens was great fun, the joy they have brought me in their first year at my home is indescribable. And, their names are just perfect for these feminine, regal and graceful gray creatures.

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