Look at Them Now
Last July, I posted about finding three abandoned kittens down the road from our mailbox in the woods of Middle Tennessee. These kittens are now roughly 7 months old, and I wanted to give you all an update on how they are doing.
First of all, I have bad news. One of the kittens, pictured below, has since passed away.
The folks who adopted him told me that he somehow got out of the house and was hit by a car. The impact was sudden, and he died immediately. He was the largest of the three and was just as hungry for food and life as his brothers. I am sad and disappointed that he is no longer with us, but at least he enjoyed some time with folks who loved him and gave him a home. I fondly remember him while he was in my care.
May he rest in peace and love.
The other two kittens, pictured below, are still very much alive thankfully and full of boundless energy.
The orange and white one on the right has been named Ted (aka Biscuits), and he lives in the home of my dearest, bestest friend and her family in Lebanon, TN. He was named after the titular, universally beloved character of the show Ted Lasso, in case you were wondering. He was flea-ridden, malnourished, and all kinds of traumatized when I found him. Ted was the smallest of the three and the least aggressive of the bunch—content to let the other two devour food while he stepped aside. (I had to give him his own plate away from his brothers.)
Well, have a look at him now . . .
Can you believe that is the same cat? He is so gorgeous! If I was a single kitty on the prowl, I would purrr all over that!
He is in a loving forever home. They have had him treated for worms. He has gotten all his shots, and he was just recently neutered. He shares the home with three other cats, and so far, all has been calm and relatively quiet.
Seriously though, what a pretty kitty he has become!
So now, the other one has blossomed in his own way, too. I named him Chopin (aka Gravy, aka Fluffer) and adopted him for myself. Here he was the day after I found him:
He was every bit as bedraggled, scrawny, and flea-ridden as his brothers.
It is amazing what a few months of good nutrition and lots of love can do. Here he is now:
I thought he was going to be a black cat, but no, the universe decided that I needed a super-soft and fluffy chocolate brown kitty. He is so adorable even my young nieces squeal in delight when they see him. Sigh.
Chopin is scheduled to be neutered in 3 weeks, and I am purchasing a special kind of collar that will make him more visible in the dark. (He basically disappears in low light.) He is a fast and furious ball of energy with a monstrous appetite. I suspect that he will be even bigger by the time he turns a full year old.
We have connected the two brothers twice for playdates so far, and there will be more to come. Here is a photo from their last meetup:
I wish that everyone could have the chance to adopt and care for an animal at least once in life. They add sweetness and vitality to a home in ways that humans cannot—circulating their own energy and magic throughout a house as they bound about.
I am so happy that I went back out to the road that hot summer night last July and scooped up these precious babies.
My life has been richer knowing that they are safe and loved.
PS: As I announced last week, my new song Vampire will be released next Friday on all streaming platforms. You can pre-save the track on Spotify here:
This past week, a dear friend of mine invited me out to dinner to see a show at a Nashville restaurant named Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse. We went to see a talented pianist and singer named Darryl Van Leer perform with his band. It was fun being in the audience for once while someone else played keys. He did a whole slew of covers and had on some snazzy jackets. He put on a fun show! (The restaurant itself was quite a spectacle. They spared no expense in the decor, and I was impressed.) Needless to say, it is always inspiring to see a fellow pianist doing what he loves.
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