BLOGGERS + CATS...

How many cats do you know with a knitwear label named after them? This week marks our first Australian cats in the series: Primo and Ezra are the beloved cats of Elizabeth from the beautifully cultivated blog and label that bears the name Primoeza. I love this interview - their personalities really shine through, and I love that their arch nemesis is a cat called Geoff - I can just imagine him! Thank you so much Elizabeth!

The basics: What breed are they, how old, how did you come to live with them, why did you call them Primo and Ezra?

My partner and I had recently returned home from a trip to Italy when I saw a notice in a shop - a good home was needed for a red Burmese kitten because the owner didn't want him anymore. I rang the person up immediately and then ran all the way to their house! Naturally it was love at first sight. My partner and I hadn't really discussed getting a pet but I brought the kitten back with me and he made himself very at home by the time my partner came back from work.
We named the kitten Primo because when we were in Palermo, we met a man named Settimo. We were very amused by the seeming objectivity of his name, which means 'seventh' in Italian, so our first cat was named Primo in the same spirit. He's nine now.
A year later Ezra joined us because Primo was so lonely - we could hear him meowing in the intercom when we came home from work in the evening. Ezra is seven now and he's a smokey black Devon Rex, which is a curly coated breed known for their intelligence and cheekiness. I always liked the name, but much later we found out Ezra means 'helper' in Hebrew, which again is very fitting.

How would you describe their personalities? Are they friends?

Primo is very relaxed, a charming social butterfly who loves to be admired. He's very open minded and interested in the world at large. He's generous and a peacemaker. Ezra is an eccentric. He's a deep thinker, very strategic and focused on detail. He's sensitive, cautious and protective of the family. He has a very dry sense of humour.
In personality they are complete opposites but they are the best of friends. One thing that they do have in common is that they are both extremely clumsy. We try not to laugh openly at their mishaps because it upsets them.

What are their respective favourite foods?

Anything with meat or dairy. They love to eat. Primo will run to the fridge and peer in every time we open it. Ezra sits at the dining table while we eat and hopes he'll get a little treat, which inevitably he does.

Do Primo and Ezra have preferred lounging locations? Any signature poses?

They love to lounge on our neighbour's car, cardboard boxes, anything new and anything soft. Primo always uses Ezra as a pillow for his head.

What is a day in the lives of Primo and Ezra like?


Primo is an early riser. Ezra likes to sleep in. After breakfast they spend the day chasing butterflies, lying in the sun, teasing their arch nemesis Geoff, the cat next door. Primo makes sure he pays all the (human) neighbours a regular social visit.
When the weather is bad Primo gets extremely annoyed (evident from severe tail flicking) and they spend the day sleeping in front of the heater. After dinner, Primo goes to bed early and Ezra will stay up quite late watching TV or a film with us.

Do you have any amusing/weird/cute Primo/Ezra moments or stories you'd like to share?

There are way too many! Those two are constantly up to something and our friends say they are more like dogs than cats. I named my knitwear label after them because they are my favourite subject to talk about.
Ezra's biggest adventure however, was being taken to the emergency room after having eaten a whole lot of wool and cotton. He had to have a six hour operation. He doesn't eat those things anymore. And just the other day my neighbors told me that Primo has been chasing dogs down the street and jumping on them. He actually quite likes dogs, so I can only imagine he's doing it for a bit of fun. The poor dogs though! They have to walk down our street at their own peril because we have something akin to a cat mafia here.

Quickfire round:

Birds or mice?
Birds. I don't think they've ever seen a mouse.

Sunlight or radiator?
Sunlight during the day. Radiator at night

Tap or bowl?
Bowl.

Lap or laptop?
Lap. Laptop in times of desperation.

Snuggling or stretching?
Both

Cats or humans?
Humans. And each other.

{All photos © Primoeza 

And thanks to If Jane for nudging me in Primo and Ezra's direction}