Ada Henderson-Lehto, 12, talks about her best friends Zyrdra, an 11-year-old gray cat and Midnight, a 12-year-old black cat.
Henderson-Lehto really wanted a cat — but her and her mother, Katie Lehto were convinced she was allergic. They fell in love with Midnight, a stray black cat that showed up one day, but were nervous to keep him due to Henderson-Lehto’s allergies.
They did some digging online and found Zyrdra, a Russian blue cat that is hypoallergenic. Before they brought home Zyrdra, the two noticed she wasn’t reacting and realized that she likely outgrew an allergy she had previously. Then allergy-free, Henderson-Lehto and her mother decided to keep both cats.
Best Friends is a weekly feature designed to highlight a local resident and his or her pets. To suggest someone for the series, contact Marissa Weiher, photographer, at photo@themonroetimes.com.
Describe Zyrdra and Midnight’s personalities.
Zyrdra is really scared of people. She doesn’t like to come out of her little shell. She hides when people come over. She’s kind of a diva. She does what she wants. If you pet her in the wrong place, she’ll just leave.
Midnight is the total opposite. He’s kind of like a dog. He’ll jump on your lap. He’s very fat. We found out the other day he figured out how to steal food from the automatic feeder. He’s a beast. He really likes people.
What do you like to do together?
Midnight likes to play with the laser pen. Zyrdra doesn’t like doing anything. She just looks at you. If you try to do anything, she just leaves. Midnight likes to find random small objects and kick them around sometimes in the middle of the night.
What has it been like having Zyrdra and Midnight in your life?
It’s been very great. When I come home from school, Midnight always comes and says hi. Zyrdra always comes to tuck me in at night and will lay with me for a little bit and leave. Then she scavenges around my room throughout the night.
