Cat with a big heart becomes Instagram star

Most cats are adorable and many photographs of felines cause a sensationon social networks like Instagram. But this small kitten called Zoë is conquering the internet thanks to a big black heart she carries right on her chest. Zoë and her sister Izzy have their own Instagram account, where they’ve gathered more than 82,000 followers. At first, Zoë received most of the likes for her adorable mark. But recently, both sisters have become equally popular.

Q&A:Joanne Smienk,Owner of Zoë and Izzy

How did you meet Zoë?

I met Zoë when I went to adopt her sister, Izzy. We originally wanted to adopt only one kitten and we had chosen Izzy. However, when we came to pick her up, we also saw Zoë and couldn’t help but fall in love with her too. They were the only tuxedo kittens in their litter and they were clearly very bonded. We couldn’t bear to separate them and went home with both.

When did you discover her mark on chest?

Zoë’s chest wasn’t in any of the photos provided by her previous owner, so the first time I saw the heart-marking was when my boyfriend and I came to see and eventually pick up her littermate Izzy. I noticed Zoë’s heart-patch right away, but when I said this out loud I seemed to be the only one who saw it. She was very tiny and moving all the time. It wasn’t until we had taken her home and I took some pictures of her to send to my friends and family, that the heart became apparent to others too. I also didn’t know it was this perfect, until I had taken her home and she finally sat still for a second.

When did you come up with idea to photograph Zoë and Izzy?

Izzy and Zoë probably don’t even know they have photo shoots. They don’t pose for me (in true cat-like fashion) and for the great majority of the pictures on my account I just wait until they do something cute somewhere, and then quickly take the shot. Most of the time I have seconds, minutes at best, to take a photo.

What about their Instagram popularity?

When I first started my Instagram account, I could never have imagined how well it would do. I’m still flabbergasted by it every day. It’s not why I started the account, but I am obviously very grateful for their popularity. It is very nice to have your work appreciated in that way.

– Daniel Casillas