ASPCA Happy Tails: Pretty as a Picture

Stephanie Heaney of Manhattan met the mysterious black kitty formerly known as Oscar during her first visit to the ASPCA Adoption Center. “I met Oscar in the first habitat I entered,” she explains. “He was lying around, looking cute and watching us as we met the other cats in the room.”

The cat’s calm, confident demeanor spoke volumes—Oscar knew he was the one, and just sat back graciously until his future pet parent realized the same. It didn’t take long, and on October 6, Stephanie officially adopted the two-year-old feline and welcomed him into her home.

The proud new pet parent renamed her fur kid Dorian after the titular character of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, because, she says, “He's beautiful and everyone loves him—even when he is a little nuisance, he still gets what he wants.”  

Like his hedonistic namesake, Dorian loves to play and is exceptionally gifted at finding cozy places to rest his furry head. “He plays and runs around freely,” says Stephanie, “and sleeps curled up against my legs at night.”

He also has what some might say is an unusually strong penchant for ping pong balls. Says Stephanie: “He can entertain himself with the ball for hours. He also burrows his head under your hands—no matter where they are—if he wants you to play or pet him.”

“He is the sweetest and most loving cat,” Stephanie muses. “He definitely makes everyone in my home happy and has a personality that makes us laugh every day.”

She adds: “We love having a cuddly cat around—he is truly our baby!”