Izzy and Zoë are bonded sister half-British Shorthairs who’ve become rising stars on the Instagram scene. Zoë’s eye-catching heart-shaped marking on her chest might be the first thing to grab your attention, but there’s more going on with these two ladies. Let’s investigate.

Two for the price of one

“I really like British Shorthairs, and my boyfriend is in love with tuxedo cats, so when we saw these tuxedo half-British Shorthairs it felt like it was meant to be,” says Joanne, their owner, about the day her family came across Izzy and Zoë.

Originally, they settled on scooping up just Izzy — but then they fell for her “sweet sister.” As Joanne recalls, “I noticed Zoë’s heart-marking right away and fell in love on the spot. I was the only one who saw it at the time.”

(Don’t worry, we’ll talk about Zoë’s heart-shaped patch in more detail a little later.)

With Izzy and Zoë being the only tuxedos in their litter, they formed an inseparable bond.

“This is still the best impulsive decision we ever made,” asserts Joanne of the choice to take the two kittens home.

What’s Izzy like?

When it comes to Izzy’s personality, Joanne describes her as “extremely cuddly and adventurous.” She’s proved to be a pro at waking up her humans every morning for cuddles, although she also retains a tough streak.

“Izzy isn’t afraid of anything and, when playing, she likes to jump really high to catch things,” says Joanne.

How about Zoë?

Izzy’s sister is said to be “very curious, playful and mischievous — but also more cautious. She is always looking around at everything like a nutty professor. She is shy toward new people or surroundings, but she does warm up to new things eventually.”

Joanne adds that Zoë is “very affectionate” toward the humans in her life, although she approaches snuggle time in a less direct fashion than Izzy.

“She will usually not lay down on your lap but right next to you with her paws on your arm,” explains Joanne. “That just melts my heart.”

Bonded for life

As mentioned earlier, Izzy and Zoë have proved to be an inseparable duo. Joanne says, “They do everything together: sleep, play, wash, eat, cuddle, you name it.

“They use the same litter box, often at the same time. They often run around the house like a black and white whirlwind, but also sleep in each other’s paws and wash each other from top to bottom.”

Describing their play session dynamics, Joanne adds, “I’d say Izzy is the dominant one because she’s fearless, but when playing together Zoë always seems to win because Izzy is too sweet and Zoë plays a bit dirty.”

Becoming “The Fluff”

Zoë’s alias is The Fluff, a moniker she picked up after she appeared to be a short-haired kitty but turned “fluffier and fluffier as she grew up.” Let the record show that she officially became The Fluff at six months old.

On a day-to-day basis, being The Fluff is a grand responsibility. It involves “looking about three times bigger than she actually is, with a particularly fluffy face and tail.”

Naturally, The Fluff is mandated to produce “enormous amounts of hair to cover all clothes and furniture” — a task that she is well prepared for as she sheds black as well as white fluff, thereby enabling her to leave her mark on light as well as dark surfaces. Quite the multitasker. (Multifluffer?)

Heart power

As you can see from the Instagram pictures of Zoë, she has a natural heart-shaped marking on her little chest.

“People usually melt when they see it, and many react in disbelief,” says Joanne. “Some people have joked about when the ink is going to fade, but it’s all real. On Instagram, many people tag their loved ones in photos where her heart is very visible.”

Fluffy clouds

Zoë might steal the spotlight with her heart motif, but what if Izzy could hook herself up to a feline version of Photoshop and design her own distinctive fur marking?

“I think she would choose a cloud marking,” speculates Joanne, “because she is so fuzzy and cuddly. It would be a symmetrical cloud-marking, so it doesn’t mess up her perfect symmetry.”

Check out more of Izzy and Zoë’s adventures on their Instagram account.