Mabel and Mikey. | Elizabeth Klaczynski
Pets: Mabel and Mikey
Nicknames: Maybe Baby and Little Mikey Boy
Type/breed/etc.: Cats
Owner: Elizabeth Klaczynski
Where and when did you get your pet? In true Church Hill fashion, both of my kitties are Richmond “Street Cat Specials.” Mabel arrived on my porch in a box in 2022. I had already had a cat, Mookie, who came from the alley behind my house. As a childless millennial, nothing gave me more joy than pushing Mookie around the neighborhood in a stroller. Someone noticed and left Mabel in a box with a very sad note saying they could no longer care for her and that they knew that I—the “Cat Stroller Lady”—could give her a good life.
Mikey showed up in the alley in September 2023 with a gnarly upper respiratory infection and a very gross-looking ear clip. I scooped him up, and the amazing people at Richmond Animal Care & Control patched him up. There was no way I couldn’t officially adopt him.
What's your pet's favorite thing to eat? We call Mabel “Mabel the Menace” whenever I am cooking. She wants to eat everything, and she wants to eat it now. Mikey is much more of a gentleman, although he gets that crazed look in his eyes when his Greenies come out.
What is your pet's favorite thing about living in the East End? Mabel and Mikey appreciate watching our neighborhood’s citizens—human, canine, feline, squirrel, and bird—from their window perches. We have such a wonderful community filled with so many kind, beautiful, and interesting creatures.
Got anything else Lookout readers should know about your pet? Mabel, Mikey, and their brother Mookie (The M&M&Ms) love Church Hill!
🐾 Previously: Batty J. Chiariello
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This has been East End Animal Friend, a new recurring feature spotlighting the many creature companions of Church Hill and its surrounds. Entries are lightly edited for length and clarity. Fill out this form to introduce your beloved animal(s) to the neighborhood in a future edition of The Lookout!
