Meet the Cats

Corkie

The OG. Cork (aka Corkopotamus) is 15 — a gentle tiger who squawk-meows, sounds the alarm on bath day, and has always been the biggest people-lover in the house. His corkscrew tail? Broken before he came to us. He's down from 16 lbs to 9 lbs now with cancer and heart issues, but you'd never know he's hurting. If someone is upset, he's already on your lap.

Dez

DeziBoo is a 13-year-old gray-and-white tuxedo diva who tolerates zero four-legged beings — only people. She was once on a Missouri lottery scratcher ticket. Her fur is chinchilla-soft but sheds into your eyeballs. She'll sit beside you (maybe on part of your leg), but do NOT expect cuddles. She will let you know when she's displeased. DIVA.

Jinx

Sir Jinx, Mr. Fancy Pants — 8-year-old mostly-Maine-Coon shadow ninja. The only cat known to hop backwards when startled. Massive gentle giant with claws he's never once used on us. Absolutely loses all dignity for the laser pointer. Loves peanut butter. Skittish goofball by day, sneaky canoodler by night.

Oreo

6-year-old cow cat and certified chaos agent. Oreo and Jinx came as a package deal — brothers from another mother. Extremely vocal, terrified of ceiling fans, ate tinfoil once, and will climb you like a tree if he wants attention. Cannot see an open box without getting in it. Became mama cat to two younger kittens. Would genuinely benefit from kitty Xanax.

Mona

The head kitty. The Boss of all outdoors. Mona was the farm queen long before we moved here — no one really knows how old she is. One of the rare female gingers, she's a tiny dark orange ball of "I'm the Boss." We've seen her lay the law down to transplanted feral tomcats twice her size. She greets you when you arrive, accepts a pet, but don't even think about picking her up. She hangs out on the rocker bench watching us through the kitchen window — and has zero problem walking straight into the house like it's hers.

Swiss

Beautiful bold Swiss! He looks and acts the most like his auntie Mango (RIP). Skittish and lighter in color, he is almost solid orange. He's a sweetie — I just want to grab him and smooch that little face. But I kinda like my face, soooo...

Colby

Colby is our wanderer. He'll go on walk-about for a while and show back up skinny, wounded, and hungry. He always leaves an "offering" — usually a mouse with a few missing parts. He's been caught by coyotes at least once and often shows up limping or bleeding. He'll eat and heal, then he's off again! He's a talker too — you always know when he's back.

Monty

Monty is the most like daddy (Sully the Bully) — always the one with the scratched face (Mona's still the boss!). He also talks a lot, usually when he thinks it should be dinner time. He's a chonk. I don't know that he's ever missed a meal. If you get him on a good day, he'll let you lightly touch him while he eats. Monty is going nowhere — he knows where his next meal is coming from!

Jack

Is he a he or a she? That was the bet — until we were able to trap HER and have her spayed (I won!). Jack is a super fluffy, long-haired angel. Anytime you look outside you'll find her sitting on the rail, blowing in the wind. She's pretty skittish but has worked out an agreement with Mr. B that she allows a pet while he feeds her. ONLY MR. B. She also likes to leave offerings and hangs out in the sun with mama all day.

Rue

Tortie. ALLLLL TORTIE. Rue was the last of Mona's kittens — we first spotted her roaming near the grain trucks at only 3-4 weeks old, and Mona wanted nothing to do with her. We brought her in and named her Rueben, a spicy little cajun rue — all claws and teeth from the start. About two months in, she had her first seizure. The vet thinks she may have fallen from the barn loft as a newborn. After a year of horrible seizures, her meds are finally right. She'll be on Phenobarbital for life, which has made her a hefty little butterball with huge green eyes and nightmare-inducing claws. She plays with Oreo and Willow, but NO ONE touches her woobie. And if anyone is mean to Willow, she will silently stalk them for hours.

Mongo

What can you say about an orange cat? He's big and goofy and a huge snuggle bug — if anyone is getting attention, here he comes. The only male in a litter of six, his sisters baby him and anytime is nap time. You can do just about anything to him without waking him up. He is WillowBean's bestie and loves feather toys most of all. For a big boy, he can really launch himself to get that toy. Super chill. Zero cares in the world.

Blue

Sweet baby Blue. Blueberry. Blueper. She was the one whose little sad tortie face just melted your heart — and the one I was most worried about when we found them in the barn. She's a sneaky troublemaker and when things go crash, she's probably close by. Her favorite game is weaving in between your feet. Blue trills constantly, so you always know where she is. She likes to open cabinets — not to take anything, just so you know she can. She casually leans against the wall while she watches you. And she watches you EVERYWHERE.

Sallie

Little Miss Independent. Sal is a calico with little white feet who's usually by herself — unless you grab her blankie. She's the short-hair twin to outdoor furball Auntie Jack, and you can often find them on either side of the deck door watching each other. Sallie really comes alive at night — right after you go to sleep. She's a high flyer when the feathers come out and has been seen parkour-ing off the couch and windows. She is the enforcer and will gladly intervene in any sibling disputes.

Dottie

Angel face, always looks a little concerned. Dottie has the biggest personality of all the kitties — smallest in size but she sure holds her own. She and her sisters love to cuddle in a big pile of kitty. She will respond if you talk to her. Looks so innocent but will steal any pen, cap, or lipstick you leave laying around. Got so bad we had to buy her a supply of chapstick to "steal". She has a small light dot on her head — hence the name.

Sunny

The Fireball. The most vocal of the triplets. She has one ear that's yellow. The Instigator Extraordinaire — growls at Sallie Mae all day. The ankle biter: if you don't stop to acknowledge her, she lets you know. If you turn around too fast, she's the one you'll trip over. Very lovable though — first one in your lap.

Trixie

Trix loves routine. She expects everything done the same way at the same time and will follow you through your chores. The undisputed Queen of Farts. BAD. Handle with care. She's a love bug who wants to be in your lap. Naughty girl — she will wait until the floors are freshly mopped, then lay down next to her bowl and play with it until it spills, then eat off the floor.

Willow

She's my baby! It all started with a birthday lunch at Cooper's Hawk — it's all fun and games until someone finds a kitten in a baking hot parking lot. This tiny TINY little kitten ran across the lot, under a Jeep, and straight up into the wheel well. No homes nearby. I thought she died in my car on the way home — so little, easily 100 degrees, and she wasn't even panting anymore. Got her home, right to the sink for a cooling bath where we thought she died again. Finally got her to take KMR from a syringe. Concordia Veterinary Clinic is AMAZING. It took weeks to get the parasites under control before she could meet her new kitty family. Mongo claimed her as his bestie almost immediately. She's long and tall now, loves to play, chases anything that rolls, and thinks she should be fed every 2 hours. My miracle birthday girl.

White Leg Tabby

One of a whole feral colony we were asked to take in after they were found living under a deck. White Leg Tabby and the rest of the crew were rescued together and are still settling into the safety of the barn. They're understandably wary of people right now — we mostly catch glimpses of them on the trail cams as they explore their new home. No forced cuddles here; we're letting them come around on their own time, and we can't wait to get to know their personalities as they feel safer with us.

Two Face Brown Tortie

Another member of the rescued deck colony, this striking tortie has two-toned coloring split right down her little face. Still wary and settling into life in the barn, she keeps her distance for now and mostly shows up on the trail cams at night. No rush here — we're letting her come around in her own time as she learns the barn is safe and the food keeps coming.

Orange Beast

Big, bold, and orange all over — Orange Beast is another member of the rescued deck colony, still finding his feet in the safety of the barn. He's wary of people right now, so we mostly spot him on the trail cams at night. No rush and no forced cuddles — we're letting him settle in on his own time as he learns this is home for good.

Orange Nose Tiger

A striking tabby with a warm orange-tinted nose, Orange Nose Tiger is the newest member of the rescued deck colony to arrive in the safety of the barn. Still wary and settling in, this one keeps a watchful eye and mostly shows up on the trail cams for now. No rush — we're letting them come around in their own time as they learn the barn is home for good.

Masked Tortie Mama

With her dark masked face and mottled tortoiseshell coat, Masked Tortie Mama is another member of the rescued deck colony now settling into the safety of the barn. She's understandably cautious after everything her colony has been through, so for now we mostly see her on the trail cams. No rush and no forced cuddles — we're letting her come around in her own time as she learns the barn is home for good.

Little Tortie

The smallest of the rescued deck colony, Little Tortie is a tiny tortoiseshell with big watchful eyes. She's still getting used to the safety of the barn after everything her colony has been through, so for now we mostly catch glimpses of her on the trail cams. No rush and no forced cuddles — we're letting her come around in her own time as she learns this is home for good.

Car Crash Harry

Meet the newest indoor baby — Car Crash Harry! Our nephew was in an accident and found this tiny 2.6 lb dude all alone on the side of the highway. He's now safely part of the indoor colony while he grows and gets his vaccines, and WillowBean can hardly wait for him to be cleared for contact so the real snuggling can begin.