Pet Sounds #85: Nuzzle’s Bassist Loves to Snuggle With His Cats, Stormy and Butter
Los Angeles post-hardcore Nuzzle belong to a very exclusive and special contingent of bands that only made one proper album but left an indelible footprint nonetheless. The band’s releases are limited; three of the four are a live recording, a collection of non-album tracks and a split single. But the fourth, Nuzzle’s first and only proper full-length, was so impactful that it warranted a 30th anniversary edition reissue late last year. The new version of Follow, for Now features a remixed sound that makes even more clear why the band made its mark despite its short lifespan.
Much to our delight, Nuzzle’s bassist – Simon Fabela – expressed interest in participating in The Bad Penny‘s ongoing Pet Sounds series. A cat lover through and through, take a gander at smile-inducing pics of his cats, Butter and Stormy, as well as some commentary Fabela provided in the form of answers to questions we sent him.
How did Stormy and Butter enter your life? Did you save Stormy and Butter or did Stormy and Butter save you?
My wife and I have had cats in our lives as far back as I can remember, and when the two cats we’d had for about 15 years moved on to the next realm (RIP Hotsauce and Robot), she rescued Stormy and Butter from a local shelter and saved their lives.
Did it take a while for Stormy and Butter to learn to get along? How do Stormy and Butter complement each other?
Initially, they seemed to get along great. Maybe they just tolerated each other. Butter was/is very anxious and skittish, and would hide under our bed the majority of the time – but would come out and be very sweet when she felt like it or when it was time to eat.
Stormy is a very social and chatty cat. They complement each other in a very yin and yang sort of way. Both were inside cats for quite a while, but then Stormy couldn’t resist the urge to explore outside and quickly became an inside/outside cat, while Butter stayed in her cave under the bed.
Eventually, I think Butter couldn’t resist her curiosity and escaped outside. We couldn’t find her for weeks! One day we heard her distinctive short, calling meow, and there she was wanting food. We fed her and she did her loving flops at our feet, wanting to be pet. But then she bolted over the fence to our neighbors’ yard (it’s like a junkyard, with lots of overgrown plants and abandoned stuff). It was then we realized that she had been living in our neighbors’ unkempt backyard that entire time!
Now, Stormy doesn’t appreciate Butter and chases her off whenever she sees her, like she’s an unwelcome stranger. Butter still comes around each night around dinner time, and we feed her and pet her until she decides it’s time to go. Then she bolts back over the fence.
What do you love most about each of them?
We’ve come to think that Butter must have some trauma issues. She has trouble being around people for too long. But she’s so loving and sweet when she wants to be, or when she’s hungry. We love her unabashed sweetness when she is willing to share.
Stormy is a chatty, bossy cat, and we love her being part of our daily lives and routines. She loves to cuddle up in the evenings when we are relaxing watching a movie or whatever.
Is one cat more dominant than the other?
Stormy is definitely the boss around here.
What amusing ways do Stormy and Butter interact?
They don’t really interact much anymore, unfortunately. Unless Stormy is chasing Butter back over the fence.
What’s the funniest anecdote you can recall involving either or both cats?
Once, after picking up Butter from a visit to the vet, my wife bought some dinner on the way home, and Butter went berserk from the smell of the tacos in the car. She began clawing, biting and ripping apart the cardboard carrier handle hole to get at the delicious scents! She had almost ripped a complete hole to fit through by the time they got home – but luckily did not. We did share some bites of tacos with her, though.
Which cat does more damage to your home?
Since Stormy is the only inside cat now, she we would be the winner here, with some of our couch corners being her clawing posts … even though we have actual clawing posts next to the couch.
What advice would you give someone who is considering getting a pet?
I have enjoyed having pets in my life ever since I was a child. They make wonderful companions. If you feel you are wanting a pet in your life, consider saving an animal from a local shelter [like The Humane Society -ed].
Check out Nuzzle on Bandcamp and their label page for much more info on the band and its releases.
Gorge yourself on more editions of Pet Sounds on its hub page.
If you enjoyed Nuzzle’s installment, don’t miss the editions featuring their Solid Brass Records label mates NORMANS, Saetia and Products Band.
The Bad Penny (beta) 
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