My parents got us a pet cat when this happened in our house. No mice will literally ever come in again - and it’ll be a good starter pet for your toddler!!!
Jul 1, 2024
Related Recs
My husband and I had been talking about adopting a cat this January for a several months now. We both love animals and have been the designated pet sitters for many of our friends over the years. After getting married, we decided it’s finally time to bring one into our lives. I work at a vineyard with one black and white barn cat, one big orange guy who spends most of his time sleeping in the tasting room, and the most recent addition: two new barn kittens.
In the summer months, they did a good job of staying out of the way and not bothering customers. Once the cold hit, they ventured inside more and more and soon got hooked on the constant attention and snuggles. This was great for me as when I was working I could take a minute to play with them or give them head scratches and they delighted many customers, children especially.
We had our holiday party at the vineyard and I brought my husband. It was a running joke that I was trying to adopt the kittens and everyone he spoke to said something along the lines of “they’re incredible and would be very happy to live with you.” My coworkers were so emphatic, he jokingly wondered if the entire party was set up just to convince him that we should adopt the kittens. As we were leaving, we saw two little faces peeking into the french doors. Stepping out into the incredibly cold and windy night, both kittens meowed and sidled up to us for some cuddling, beelining straight for my husband.
They are the most well socialized, friendly little tabbies I’ve ever met. They’re great with children, dogs, horses, other cats, basically just very confident in themselves and the world. Their friendliness was their fatal flaw: eagerly jumping into strollers, people’s pickup beds, and catering company semi-trucks. The final straw was their constant crashing of wedding photos (can’t imagine who would hate that, but some people just hate cats, even kittens).
After a couple months of struggling to keep them out of the tasting room, the owner decided it was just too much of a liability to have such friendly girls running around and demanding attention from customers.
Days before Christmas, I got a text from their owner, the barn manager. She said that her and the owner of the vineyard (who is actually her mother-in-law) would be rehoming the kittens by the end of the week. She had someone interested in keeping them as barn cats, but seeing how much they wanted to be inside and have human attention, she preferred the idea of them being house pets.
That night, I sat down with my husband and had a serious discussion of “wait, are we really doing this?” and he felt this was a sign that it was finally the time we pull the trigger. Next, I went to see my 101 year old grandfather to get his blessing as we’re currently living in his house. He was hesitant at first, warning me that kittens are “a ton of work” but agreed that if we’re up for the challenge, he’d welcome his two new fuzzy tenants. I went straight to the store to buy all the supplies to welcome the girls into their new home.
The next day, I went to work with a cat carrier and a bag of treats. A soft, wet snow began falling across the mountains as they napped in a leather armchair by the window. They went into the carrier with an almost comical ease and didn’t make a single sound during the 40 minute drive. Once they got home, they explored the whole house side-by-side before curling up together for a much-deserved uninterrupted nap. The pure joy on my husband’s face when he got home that night will stick with me forever.
The next day, I took them over to meet my grandpa and parents. My grandpa laughed when they emerged from the carrier saying “oh! those are cats, not kittens!” He was definitely picturing us bottle-feeding month old kittens every 2 hours, not these 7 month olds who really just needed extra playtime, food, and sleep. Seeing him giggle as he played with them made me beam. We sent photos to the nurse who comes to help him a couple times a week and she said “this is so good for him, keep bringing them around.”
It’s been just over a month since we welcomed Coco and Uma into our lives and we could not be happier. We’ve had a few bad moments in our personal lives (car issues, trauma resurfacing, etc.) and they have come straight to us to purr on our chests and melt the sadness and anxiety away. They get me out of bed early in the morning to give them breakfast and have “baby time” (each of them in turn get carried around like a baby and shown every nook and cranny in the house). We’ve had hours of playing and laughing at their antics and incredible feats of athleticism.
Earlier this week, my grandpa had to be admitted to the hospital for a dire gallbladder infection. He was dealing with hospital-induced delirium and was generally very confused about where he was and what was going on. When I saw him, he perked up immediately and said “how are the cats?” and we laughed at photos of them sleeping together in the most ridiculous positions.
Thank you, Coco and Uma, for bringing so much light into my life and the lives of my loved ones. Looking forward to many years of cuddles, antics, play, and baby time together. 💕
Jan 28, 2025
I have been selected by the cat distribution system twice! I found one in 2020 and the other in 2021, they were both kittens I found on the side of the road (Peanut and Spooky) one incredibly malnourished and the other fat (she had worms🤦🏻♀️)
One thing I’ve found when caring for kittens at a young age is they need help going potty! Their moms would typically be grooming them and helping the potty process, but if the mom isn’t around a warm compress can be used, wiping the area in a downward motion will help stimulate them to go potty.
Keep their faces clean, especially when you’re using formula still, it sticks and hardens quick! Potty training is so much easier the earlier you start, hold the kitten and gently move them backwards in the litter, you can even put the 💩 they may leave elsewhere to help them associate the box with potty time. NEVER encourage them to think hands are “toys“ best to introduce them to wands, crinkle toys, fake mice, etc. All kittens are different when it comes to affection and when they want attention, best you can do is take note of what your cat likes and dislikes as it grows and respect boundaries.
Jan 21, 2025
🐈
She may catch n kill Ur roaches and she will probably catch n release Ur mice
Aug 3, 2024
Top Recs from @chlonline
🌙
Shoot! Sorry I missed your call, I’m in moon mode.
Apr 20, 2024
❤️
These are my favorite food (only slight hyperbole).
I recommend, in no order:
-Kettle brand
-Kettle brand air fried
-7/11
-Lay's Kettle Cooked
These chips are so strong that they will burn your tongue. They are chemical perfection that make the systems in my body dance. They are so rock and roll. No matter what size the bag, I will probably finish the bag.
I always eat the folded ones first, and then move to the unfolded ones.
Jan 31, 2024
🏡
If you’re within an hour walk from home, you should just walk home.
I understand taking public transit or an Uber there to be on time, but you’re not rushing to get home. Thus, walk.
Feb 5, 2024