A celebrity friendship that’s not to be frowned upon
Two faces are becoming a familiar sight at the most scenic spots around the South Island.
Famous feline Romeo and his smiley samoyed canine best friend, Casper, have attracted global attention for their modelling and adventuring around Otago and Canterbury.
Their owners, 29-year-old photographer Rinsa Li and Wei Cheng Phee, are amazed at how close their dog and cat have become.
‘‘We noticed they had quite a unique relationship. I noticed Romeo would walk to Casper and Casper would lick Romeo’s face,’’ says Phee.
Li says the pair were hesitant at first but are now inseparable. Their friendship has flourished thanks to preparation from the owners, who introduced their scents to each other before they met and slowly encouraged them to become closer.
‘‘It started out at a distance but now they basically can’t be apart from each other. Even before Romeo came home, we would go to Timaru and swap Casper’s and Romeo’s blankets around, so they get a familiarity of smell from both of them.’’
Romeo, the flat faced cat, now looks to Casper as a big brother, Phee says.
They go on adventures together around the South Island, and Li’s photography has created online buzz around the two. They have been invited to appear on the Today show and stories about the pets have featured on sites such as the Daily Mail and Dodo.
If Romeo is too sleepy to walk, he likes to travel in a special backpack – but hates being left at home.
They do most of their adventuring during the winter, as it gets too warm in summer. They have visited Wanaka and Queenstown, and hit the slopes. Neither mind the snow, Phee says. ‘‘They love it, Romeo loves being outdoors and we have a little backpack for him.’’