What would you do if you discovered a bunch of cats on your new property? Most people would just call animal control and have them all removed, but that wasn’t the course of action for one compassionate couple in this heartwarming story.
Emily Bott shared a remarkable tale that enriched her life in unexpected ways. When she and her partner went to check out their new house’s property, they noticed a few cats, but they had no idea of what was about to happen.
The couple thought that those were just neighborhood cats wandering around. However, the truth was discovered only after they moved in. Emily said:
“When we moved to our new place, we discovered that there were actually 16 cats here.”
Without hesitation, the couple started putting some food out for them, and the cats would just start running out of the woods and bushes to enjoy the meal.
They had no idea where these kitties came from, but then Emily realized something. She said:
“I would suspect that they pretty much just stayed in the barn or the shed. It’s a very old barn, so wind and snow can get in there still.”
Although the couple had never owned cats before, they were touched by the feline visitors and felt compelled to help them.
With winter approaching, they wanted to provide a warm and safe shelter for these cats. This was challenging because not all the cats were friendly; some were extremely feral.
However, giving up wasn’t an option for this kind-hearted couple. Therefore, they decided to transform their old breezway into a cozy space for cats to come inside during the wintertime.
Luckily, all the cats were food motivated, so the couple just had to start feeding them in the breezway, in order to get them inside.
However, they didn’t want them to feel trapped, so they installed a cat door for cats to come and go whenever they wanted.
Considering that the couple never had a cat before, they put so much effort into ensuring that all the cats are healthy and safe. So, Emily started making appointments to have the cats checked and spayed/neutered.
But, they didn’t stop there. Emily’s husband built the cats their own house which has all kinds of cat beds, toys, and towers. However, they also plan to build them a special room in their own house. Emily said:
“Every cat, I would say, was different in terms of how they progressed in terms of socialness. Some cats took a few years and some cats still aren’t super friendly, but I’ve gotten to the point where I can put flea and tick treatment on all of them.”
The couple embraced their role as cat parents with dedication, and as a result, the cats rarely leave their property. Emily said:
“Most mornings I wake up and a handful of them are already waiting for me outside the door. If they know I’m outside or hear me talking, they will appear and come hang out.”
Both Emily and her husband have wholeheartedly embraced the responsibility of caring for these kitties and ensuring they remain on the farm. Emily admitted that she never expected to become a cat person but has been pleasantly surprised. She said:
“I never thought I would be a cat person. Going from never owning a cat to taking care of not only so many cats, but they were outdoor cats and most of them were feral. It was like going from zero to a hundred in terms of cat ownership right at the start. But, it’s been a lot of joy that they’ve brought to our lives. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!”
Cat parenting is a great responsibility, but this couple as first-time cat owners of not one but 16 cats handled it better than anyone!
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