December 9, 2025

Orzo, Ziti, and the First Grade Fan Club

A conversation with Madison, the teacher whose cats, Orzo and Ziti, became remote pets for an entire first grade class.

The first time we came across Madison’s videos, her students were gathered around a classroom screen, watching two cats, Orzo and Ziti, crunch politely through their dinner like it was the most important event of the school day. And in a way, it was. In a world of marble run STEM toys and sticker reward charts, Madison had introduced a new kind of class incentive: pressing a button on a remote feeder to send kibble to the teacher’s cats at home.

It started with one shy student who needed cheering up. Madison happened to be checking her home cameras, and let the little girl press “feed.” The next week, the whole class voted for more “cat cameos.” So two shelter cats with pasta names had a first grade fanbase, and the classroom had a tiny ritual that made everyone feel a little more connected.

In this interview, Madison talks about adopting the boys after a loss, handling online criticism from strangers who don’t know the full picture, and the simple joy of letting a room full of first graders watch your cats eat dinner.

Adopting Orzo and Ziti

I adopted Orzo and Ziti from a local shelter in July of 2023. My husband and I’s first cat together, Arche, had passed away from cancer in February of that year. I wasn’t sure I was ready to have another pet, but my husband encouraged me to go look at the shelter over the summer before school started, so I could have plenty of time to spend with our new addition.

When I got to the shelter, I told the volunteer helping me that I would love to look at a bonded pair if they had any (our first cat was very clingy and would get lonely during the day, so we were hoping to get two this time). This sweet old lady actually shooed away another couple that was looking at their only bonded pair and telling them, “This lady wants two cats - no one ever asks us for two cats!” She told me they were about a year old and had been surrendered earlier in the summer. I knew right away I wanted to bring them home.

My husband and I wanted food themed names, and we wanted them to be cohesive. We also thought they should be short, only one or two syllables, to make it easier for the cats to learn. As pasta lovers, we landed on Orzo and Ziti, loving that both names were 2 syllables and had a z in them. Both cats are extremely food motivated (we have to keep all food behind closed doors or in locked containers), so I would say they do live up to their names.

How the cat cameo started it all

I have a lot of anxiety around the cats, so I am frequently checking in on them when I am at school via home security cameras and their camera feeder. I had a shy and sensitive little girl in one of my classes. One day, she was feeling sad and came to sit with me as I was checking in on the cats, so I offered to let her press the “feed” button and watch the kitties eat. It cheered her up quickly, and I realized that the whole class could enjoy something like that. The next time my class earned a reward, I added it to our list of options, and they voted to feed the cats.

What the students saw and loved

The first time that we did this was so fun - the students were giggling, oohing, and making observations about the cats. They thought it was so cute to hear them crunching on their kibble, and the cats actually switched bowls about halfway through their meal, which got a laugh out of the class. I frequently talk about and share pictures of the cats, so students felt very proud of themselves being able to tell which cat was which when we watched them together.

Two cats, two personalities

They are truly the sweetest boys. They love each other so much - I find them snuggled up together at least once a day. When they aren’t napping or grooming each other, they chase each other around the house and play. They are very affectionate and clingy with me, too - it’s very uncommon for them to not sit in the same room as me.

That TikTok took off because honestly, being a sphynx parent is such a unique experience. The skincare routines, the snuggly personalities, the constant heat-seeking. People love it, and I love seeing how many people relate, laugh, and feel seen by it. It's not only sphynx parents, but all animal parents. Over time, it became more than just a cute page.

Ziti demands attention, climbing on laps and knocking phones out of hands. Orzo is a bit more subtle, but he will sit right next to me and let me know he’s there. If I pick him up and put him on my lap, he snuggles under a blanket with me and makes biscuits. They are both pretty vocal and very food motivated. They have very big and loving personalities.

Building trust in the classroom

Since I began teaching, I have always prided myself on the environment I create. That’s a positive piece of feedback that I hear often from my team at school and from parents of students. That all comes from the trust and mutual respect that I encourage with students, and one way I do that is by sharing parts of myself and things that I love! Because I talk about the cats so much (and have pictures of them in the classroom, and use them as examples in stories and math problems, etc.), the students feel really connected when we feed them together as a class. It opens the door for them to share about their pets (or dream pets!) with me, which I love!

Balancing teaching and pet care

I teach 1st grade, which is so fun and rewarding. I think it’s really hard for a lot of teachers to have a good work-life balance, because it feels like there’s always more to do. I don’t even have human children, and I struggle with it!

One way that I find balance is by leaving “on time” every day. On time for me means leaving by 5:00pm (about an hour and a half after contract time), and I am held to that because Orzo takes medication with his dinner every day, and the timing needs to be consistent. You would be surprised at how many teachers stay 2, 3, or 4 hours after the day ends, multiple times a week. The job is important, but it’s important for teachers to prioritize their own well-being and give themselves time to do other things.

” I love sharing the kitties online because they deserve so much love - more than I can give them on my own! Posting videos with them on social media has actually given me the opportunity to provide them with so many more treats, towers, and toys than I could’ve without a social media platform.

What people don’t see online

I would like people to know that I take really good care of my cats. That might sound silly, but posting about pets online opens the door to a lot of criticism from strangers about how you do anything and everything. People will leave negative comments about what the cats look like, what they eat, and how we play together without knowing about us personally. I take this hard sometimes, especially because Orzo has a heart condition that changes a lot of how I care for the cats. He was diagnosed in September with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy and was given a prognosis of about 6 months left to live. He had to be hospitalized and has had many specialist visits since then to make sure the rest of his life is as comfortable as possible. That also means he has a lot of new restrictions - he isn’t supposed to do much running or jumping, he is at increased risk of major bleeding from small injuries, he must take 4 different daily medications, and any new stressors could literally kill him. So his life might look different from some other cats, and I wish people knew that I am using expert advice from veterinarians to give both of my cats the best lives possible.

What Orzo and Ziti would tell the students

I think they would tell the kids, “Be really good and earn us some extra snacks!!” Orzo and Ziti’s main priority is food, all the time.

If you're a new cat parent

I love having two cats - if you can adopt two cats, do it! It makes such a difference for them to always have a playmate and cuddle buddy, even when I have to be at work.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to be prepared for the cost of cats. Veterinary care can get expensive, especially when illness or injury pops up. We got pet insurance for both Orzo and Ziti when we adopted them, and it has been so worth it. We have been billed over $10,000 since Orzo’s diagnosis in September and have only had to pay a very small fraction of the cost. That also means that we have been comfortable getting him the best care possible - not debating the costs of diagnostics, medications, or hospitalization. I would tell anyone with pets that unless they have a savings account for each pet with $10k+, they should invest in pet insurance. The peace of mind knowing that we can do what’s best for our cats, regardless of cost, is priceless.

Other than that, providing meaningful play and enrichment is so important to keep cats happy, healthy, and out of trouble. The cats and I test out a lot of enriching toys and treat puzzles on our TikTok, so we have lots of specific recommendations there, too!

Thank you Madison for sharing her story with us. You can follow Orzo and Ziti on TikTok.

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