As most of you know, I have five cats and two dogs. Of course, it wasn’t always this way. It all started with Mia, and then Beau came into my life.
Beau was adopted from a local adoption event at PetSmart. With no prior background information, he was quite the handful and had a lot to learn. It was clear he had suffered abuse...his ear even showed signs of being bitten off by a human. After a lot of work (and plenty of headaches), he slowly came out of his shell and showed us just how great of a dog he could be.
From the fall of 2020 until June of 2022, it was just Mia and Beau. That summer, I found Bella on the side of the road. She was skinny but so sweet. About a week later, I noticed she was gaining weight quickly. Despite being underweight, she gave birth to three healthy kittens.
First came Midnight, an all-black kitten. Four hours later, with a vet guiding me over the phone, Tank made his dramatic entrance. Tank got his name because he had clearly been stealing most of the nutrients. He was so big he got stuck on the way out and nearly didn’t make it. While I was focused on helping Tank, another kitten quietly arrived: Hupie, the smallest of the litter. As they grew, it was clear each had their own amazing personality.
Bella and Midnight eventually went to their forever home, while Hupie and Tank stayed with me. Originally, Hupie was supposed to go to my brother, but after a year and a half he still wasn’t settled enough to take him. I didn’t want to separate the brothers, and studies show it can cause emotional harm to pets, just like people. So, Hupie stayed with us.
In June 2023, we got a call from my boyfriend’s mom. Her dog had gotten into a fight with another dog and was at risk of being put down. Within 48 hours, my boyfriend drove 600 miles to Nebraska, picked him up, got him checked at the vet, and drove the 600 miles back to Minnesota. Introducing him to our household was tricky, since we already had a reactive dog and three cats, but after hours of research and a slow introduction process, we successfully integrated him with almost no issues.
Then, in October, someone I knew reached out about a puppy who would be shot if she wasn’t picked up within 24 hours. We loaded up, drove over an hour, and picked her up. Her name was Vivian, but we renamed her Minnie. She had been malnourished, fed mostly cat food, but she was the sweetest little soul. Since she was still a young puppy, finding her a forever home was easy, and within a week she was placed with a loving family.
Just 11 days later, we ended up with Ghost, who we renamed Draco. My brother still wanted a kitten after Hupie stayed with me, so I caught Draco, a semi-feral farm kitten, and started to socialize him. To my surprise, he immediately used the litter box, ate plenty, and wanted to meet the other cats. After a couple of months, my brother was finally able to take him home, and now Draco is fluffy, huge, and living his best life.
At this point, it was Beau, Will, Mia, Tank, and Hupie. A lot, I know.
But in February 2024, I trapped the next member of our family: Tom. He had been abandoned on the property years before and only appeared occasionally. My dad was ready to shoot him for peeing in the shed, but I couldn’t let that happen. I set up cameras, food, water, and a warm bed to gain his trust. Eventually, I trapped him and brought him inside, though getting him from trap to kennel was… an adventure. One feral cat vs. one small girl in a room? Let’s just say it wasn’t easy, but somehow it worked out with only minor injuries to me.
Tom was almost completely feral...no petting, no cuddles. I started with a back scratcher through the bars of his cage, determined to give him a chance no one else would. Over time, I noticed him meowing to Mia through the bars. Fun fact: true ferals usually don’t meow, it’s a domesticated behavior. That gave me hope. After months of patience, a few bites, vet trips, and rehabilitation, Tom was finally ready to be part of the family.
Then came Kovu. On my way to work one April evening, I spotted a large dog crate by the garbage and picked it up, figuring it could be useful. Later that night, I noticed something brown dart across the road. Curious, I pulled over and found a scruffy, emaciated cat in the woods. When I called out, he meowed back. I could see he was struggling his hips, ribs, and shoulders jutted out, his fur was matted, his teeth were broken, and his body was covered in cuts. He refused to let anyone touch his hips. He desperately needed help. Remembering the crate, I scooped him up and placed him inside.
We asked around, scanned for a chip, but found no owner. He had been neutered, so he once had a home, but no one knew how long he’d been on his own. After extensive vet care and months of recovery, Kovu is finally becoming the happy, healthy house cat he deserves to be.
Just when things were settling, Mia got sick. She was diagnosed with liver and kidney failure and passed away within three days. I was heartbroken. About a month later, I found Rainy. She was never meant to replace Mia, no one could. Mia was a once-in-a-lifetime cat. But Rainy brought her own personality and spark. Found in the street during a thunderstorm, she earned her name, Rainy Day. Raised among four boy cats, she doesn’t let anyone push her around, not even the dogs. She’s spunky, brave, and helped heal my broken heart, even though I still think of Mia every single day.
So yes, my home is chaotic. It’s messy 90% of the time. But it’s also full of love, laughter, and never a dull moment. I wouldn’t trade my crazy little family for anything, and I hope to help as many animals as I can in the future.
