Meet Our Feline Friends Mooshi & Pixel

To coincide with this week’s themed issue on self-care, we asked our production designer, Ava Talehakimi, to tell us about her feline friends Mooshi and Pixel, as love from pets can be a primary way to keep it together during these locked-down times. She’s known Pixel (right) for about four years — “his green eyes are his most striking feature, and he looks dashing in red” — while Mooshi came around just before quarantine. “Mooshi has a clipped ear from his street-cat days and a raccoon-looking tail,” said Talehakimi, who also attributes his “intense muscle definition” to those stray days.

What are their hobbies?  Mooshi’s favorite activities are eating, staring out the window for hours on end, and rubbing his face in catnip, in that order. Pixel enjoys jumping on shoulders and riding humans around the house, chewing on plants he’s not supposed to chew on, and harassing his brother as he peacefully gazes out the window.

How have they made your life a little sweeter recently?  It’s lovely to share a space with them all day, especially since I’ve been working from home and they function as my fuzzy coworkers. I like to periodically give them a squeeze whenever I need to step away from my computer, or I sing them little songs. Just engaging with them feels like little acts of self-care. They make these weird times feel a lot more okay, and I’m so grateful for them.