the cats of AAM

by Alison Green on September 4, 2024

In last week’s speed round, a surprising number of questions requested updated info on the cats — in particular, an update to the personality profiles and photos from last year. So here we go.

Olive
11 years old, the grande dame of the house. She is very beautiful and requires that you treat her like a queen. She will hiss at you for absolutely nothing and then rub against your hand a few seconds later. She loves my husband and has an unexpected affection for Fig.


Eve
9 years old. May not be a cat; seems more like some strange little creature you might find in a forest or visiting from another planet. Very scampy, full of energy, lives life by rules no one but she understands. Has monkey-like climbing abilities, is a skilled parkour enthusiast, and likes to chase and be chased. Believes deeply that might makes right.


Sophie
6 years old. Very smart, loves affection, prefers to be cuddled up against someone at all times. Likes to stare way too intensely at people and animals she doesn’t know. Will politely tap you when your attention is required. Extremely chonky. Was a teenage mother to Wallace (before and after photos!) and kept the two of them alive on the streets until a kind person rescued them.


Wallace
6 years old. An affectionate goofball, but also a distinguished gentleman. Loves to fetch. The friendliest of the crew to human visitors, and functions as the welcome wagon for any new cats and helps them feel at ease. Extremely popular with all the other cats; would definitely be voted Homecoming King. Sophie nursed him until he was almost full-grown, a la Robin Arryn.


Laurie
Believed to be 6-ish. Shy with humans but loves other cats. However much love you’re picturing, it’s more. Took me months to gain his trust and whenever I thought I finally had, he would randomly act like he’d never seen me before. Now loves to flop over and kick with joy. Named after the neighbor boy from Little Women. Bonded to Wallace.


Stella
Believed to be 3-ish. A miracle cat who survived FIP (which until recently was always fatal). It left her with some permanent neurological damage so she’s a little stumbly but she does not seem to notice or care. Likes to cuddle with Laurie, but worships Wallace and lights up when she sees him. Spends significant time plotting how to get baths from them both. When excited, quacks like a duck.


Fig
Believed to be 2-ish. Hoots like an owl when she plays. Picture a tiny kitten crossed with a baby panda crossed with a newborn meerkat, then imagine the cutest moments you’ve ever seen from all cats you’ve ever known, and then also picture a marshmallow. Now you’re imagining Fig. Adorable, sweet, cuddly, mildly devious, ridiculous, elfin.

Griffin
Believed to be 2-ish. After being billed as a recluse, has decided he’s a lap cat and wants to curl up on me all the time. When he learned this about himself, he seemed conflicted: shocked that it was happening but simultaneously delighted. Has a very expressive face, and often one side of his upper lip turns up like Elvis. Bonded to Grendel (they rampage around the house together and go on adventures) but likes everyone, especially Wallace.


Grendel
Believed to be 2-ish. Due to respiratory damage, makes noises like a tiny monster but has learned to use them to communicate; uses them as a greeting and to say “I find this very interesting.” Wants to curl up with all other cats but realizes he might not be allowed, so gently sneaks up behind them and sleeps with his head or one paw on them. Is incredibly sweet, the opposite of his monstrous namesake. Bonded to Griffin but likes everyone, especially Stella.

All are rescues. Olive, Eve, Laurie, Stella, and Fig were foster fails. You probably need to rescue some cats yourself…

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  2. GhostGirl*

    I had no idea you had so many kitties. As an only child who grew up with 9 cat siblings at one point (my mom never met a cat she could resist) I love large herds! They are all beautiful and I loved your descriptions.

  3. Jackie Daytona, Regular Human Bartender*

    Sophie nursed him until he was almost full-grown, a la Robin Arryn.

    Dying! XD

  5. i like hound dogs*

    I LOVE THEM ALL!

    I fostered a kitten two years ago and I *still* think about him and wish I’d kept him.

    I also *fostered* a dog that ended up moving in for good.

    I am not good at fostering.

  6. English Rose*

    Oh oh oh, what a complete delight, thank you!! (I am not allowed kitties where I live just now, such a loss, I have to move.)

  7. online millenial*

    They all sound wonderful but I’m especially delighted to see another cat who loves to play fetch! I am playing fetch with one of my cats right now. She is *obsessed* with mousie fetch. It’s her favorite thing in the whole world and woe betide me if I do not throw mousie when she demands it.

    1. CommanderBanana*

      My mom’s cat loves to play kibble bowling, where you skip pieces of kibble at her and she catches and eats them.

      1. PhyllisB*

        This reminds me of a dog I used to have. I went out of town once and my dad kept him for me. He wouldn’t eat (missing me I guess.) Daddy bought all kinds of different food for him but didn’t matter. Finally he bought one (I’ve forgotten the name) that looks like squares of steak. It came in pouches and Daddy was pouring it into his dish when one missed the the bowl and skittered under the refrigerator. Dog perked up, bellied out on the floor, scooped it out with his paw, and ate it. Daddy threw another one under there, same thing. So every feeding time that’s how he fed him!! Told him (dog) not to expect that at my house.

    2. Kyrielle*

      My fetching cat fetches springs. She will bring one over and sing to you until you toss it. Eventually she’ll devolve to bringing it only halfway back to you and talking loudly and grumpily if you don’t go retrieve it to throw again.

    3. Ally McBeal*

      A former roommate of mine had/has a cat who would flop on top of his favorite wand toy and roll around until he was wearing it across his back, then drag it to whichever one of us was closer and demand to play. That was as close to fetch as we ever got and it was perfect.

    4. old curmudgeon*

      Way back in the mid 90s, we had a cat who would fetch, but ONLY for my mother and ONLY when she was flattened by chemo-crash. She’d lie on the sofa, and Boots would grab his fuzzy ball, gallop up to the couch, gently climb on top of her, and drop the fuzzy ball on her chest. Mom could just about muster up enough energy to lift one arm enough to toss the ball across the living room, whereupon Boots would launch himself across the room, scoop up the ball, gallop back to the couch, and repeat. They’d keep it up for hours – but he’d never fetch for anyone else in the family, nor would he fetch for Mom when she was feeling well enough to be up and about.

      I miss both of them.

    5. Her name was Lola*

      My elderly cat likes to fetch the little plastic loop you pull off creamer or a fancy gallon of milk now. But when she was younger, she played mouse fetch, bringing it back by the tail. Sometimes she would just carry it around by its tail. Imagine my surprise the day she dropped her “toy” and it ran across the room and eventually up into our piano, just like the movie Mousetrap. Took us almost an hour to catch that mouse.

    6. Anax*

      One of ours loves fetch too!

      He’s two now, and he’s slowed down since he was a kitten – I used to have to cut him off around 50-60 throws in a row, but he’s usually ready for a break around 30, now.

      For about an hour. Then he’s ready for more.

      He’s also of the opinion that the only correct place for fetch is the human bed – which does make SLEEP a little difficult, when a very cute cat is chirping insistently in your ear.

      A couple of the others will fetch occasionally, but I have never met a cat before who is THIS into fetch, my goodness.

      (We have six, and they are all the cutest and best of cats, of course.)

  8. 2024*

    What a wonderful clowder you have! But truly, we all know the internet is made for cats. AskAManager is on the internet. Therefore…..

  9. No Tribble At All*

    I had not known about Griffin or Grendel!! Thank you for the kitty cat cast list!!

    I’ve very amused how much all the other cats love Wallace. Some people (Cats?) have all the charisma.

  10. cat lover*

    how many litter boxes do you have for them? I have just two cats and i feel like based on the amount they poop and pee, cleaning that many boxes could be a full time job!

    3. Ask a Manager* Post author

      7. But 6 of those are double-sized, so I guess the equivalent of … 13?! Holy crap. (Big house, 3 floors, no kids so able to devote one room to just … litter boxes.)

      (JD Vance’s nightmare)

      1. Dobby is a free elf!*

        What kind of litter do you use in them? Inquiring minds need to know if there’s a better solution than mine, because we are struggling with smell. And a cat who won’t poop in them when they smell.

        2. Cristinutria*

          I have three cats and four litter boxes and I use pine pellets that you can buy at any feed or horse supply store. It smells wonderful and turns to sawdust when wet, so cleaning out is easy and lugging it to the trash weighs nearly nothing. A 40 lb bag lasts me months and only costs me $8.50. It’s much easier and cheaper and a more renewable than clay.

          2. Sorrischian*

            My cat can’t stand the pellets, but I use corn/wheat based clumping litter and wow does it stink a lot less than clay litter!

            The clumps aren’t as solid, so you have to be a little more careful when scooping, but it’s a lot lighter and, as C says below, much more sustainable.

      2. some days you're the bug some days you're the windshield*

        Thank you so much for answering this! After spending several minutes trying to figure out which one is the cutest (impossible) my mind instantly went to “surely they have a vast array of litter boxes or those robot poop scooper ones?” Always ahead of things with giving your readers the answers they need!

        Also, does Grendel have kitty asthma? I only recently discovered other species can have it and feel a wee bit of solidarity with your weird noise making tuxedo pal.

        1. Ask a Manager* Post author

          We got a Litter Robot earlier this year and were so excited that maybe it would revolutionize litter management, but no one except Sophie and Wallace would use it. (Our plan had been to buy more if they used it and get rid of all the normal litter boxes, but we ended up just returning it.) They did really like watching it cycle though.

          1. Cats_for_All!*

            I hired a pet communicator to try to get stubborn senior cats to use the Litter Robot and it helped with one but not the other. When the next cat in the family came along, though, she took to it right away. Through my evangelizing, I convinced my brother and sister-in-law to get one and one of their cats tries to ride the rotating globe like a kitty cowboy. I am sorry the Litter Robot didn’t work out for your crowd – when cats deign to use them, they are great!

        2. Ask a Manager* Post author

          I don’t think it’s asthma. What we were told is that they think he had multiple untreated upper respiratory infections before coming to us and that it’s scar tissue. I don’t know if they really know that for sure though. His noises are adorable (I was a little worried we would have a constant background soundtrack of Snuffling Cat but he uses them judiciously and in funny ways).

          2. foofoo*

            I too have a kitty that had major untreated URIs when in the shelter (to the point that she wound up with a ruptured eye that had to be removed, so she’s now a one-blue-eyed chaos goblin). She definitely breathes a bit louder/heavier than her sister because of the infections! She also is prone to a goobery nose.

          3. Jill Swinburne*

            My cat got cat flu aged about 10 and he does this too. It’s like a ‘sneeerk’ sort of sound. He’s now 14 and otherwise healthy, but the vet said that can happen.

      5. RedinSC*

        I have a “The time is MEOW” on the front t-shirt, and on the back is, “I’m childless and I vote”

        So, there you go, JD. Many women with cats vote! Be afraid!

      6. Anax*

        I’m jealous! We have six cats and five litterboxes – there’s just not a great place to put more, but if we aren’t 100% on top of the cleaning, they’ll start protest-peeing elsewhere.

      7. A perfectly normal-size space bird*

        In our last house, we were blessed with a strange spare storage room that became the litter box room. It was so glorious to have an entire room dedicated to the litter boxes. We used five under-bed storage boxes as litter boxes which worked wonders. Now we’re in a smaller house and I really miss having a dedicated cat poop room.

    4. Random Bystander*

      I have 5 and I will just say that getting the first Litter Robot was life-changing (in a good way). I have another auto cleaning litterbox that I bought since then (easier to disassemble for cleaning, harder for changing the bags) and just have one “traditional” box.

  11. Falling Diphthong*

    The Spanish Inquisition used to do parkour like Eve, before amassing the weight of 10,000 suns.

    Destructobot is lame like Stella (probably hit by a car as a kitten) but has never taken a bath on purpose, and will deny everything about the time I found her sopping wet at the end of a trail of puddles.

    In praise of adopting from foster rescues: Destructobot immediately bonded with my son, and we asked the foster host if she could recommend a good companion for her. You would never have guessed The Spanish Inquisition’s personality from her terrified shelter persona. (The first time the fosterer let her out into the main part of the house she immediately vanished. Turned out to be inside the grand piano.)

    1. some days you're the bug some days you're the windshield*

      THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!!! I am deceased. And also wish you could share pic just so I could tell folks I’ve seen The Spanish Inquisition.

          1. coachfitz13*

            “…our four chief weapons are fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and a fanatical devotion to the Pope.”

            Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

            1. Lenora Rose*

              “…our four chief weapons are fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and a fanatical devotion to the Pope. And Parkour.”

      1. Caz*

        I imagine it’s a case of “we’ve checked everywhere and now we’re just opening everything that has hinges”.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Correct :)

      The last two additions (Griffin and Grendel) were straight adoptions. Our rescue group was having trouble placing them because they were so shy, and our kitty Hank had died recently, so here they are. Not shy anymore.

      1. TrixieJeep*

        Yeah, they get over that quick when they have all the love, food, companionship and safety all cats need. My little Jeep-Jeep was ridiculously shy when she came home from the shelter. Of course, she now rules the roost – all cats and humans must bow down in her presence!

      2. Not So Evil HR Lady*

        I love this so much! I’m not allowed to have pets where I live so I have to live vicariously through pet owners. Keep the photos coming!

        I believe you mentioned at one point you were fostering teenagers-are you still doing that? If so, do they/did they get along with all the kitties?

        1. Ask a Manager* Post author

          We paused fostering when my mom got sick two years ago so I would be more available, but now my husband has developed a chronic illness that’s aggravated by stress so I don’t think we can go back to it (fostering kids is … not unstressful). I’m thinking about becoming a CASA to stay involved though (court appointed special advocate for kids in foster care).

          But when we had teenagers here, the cats were a huge hit. Our longest-term teenager was great with them and already a huge cat lover before coming to us so was thrilled to discover how many there were. She won over even our shy cats who normally don’t bond with anyone but us (even Eve).

          I think I have shared this here before — a post about foster kids and animals that really reflects what we saw too:
          https://lafosterblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/quick-aside-about-animals.html

          1. RC*

            I am a CASA! It can definitely be difficult but no regrets. I hope it matters.

            With my last kid we went to the local cat adoption cafe not-infrequently :)

            1. RC*

              (I mean, obviously not to ladysplain CASAing to you, I’m sure you know loads since you actually fostered… but it is something that I can do that hopefully matters, without needing partner buy-in or a large house. Also, lots of these kids definitely need/want advice on finding healthy and productive job situations!)

          3. CowWhisperer*

            I think you’d be an excellent CASA. It’s a hard job – but you bring a lot of skills to the job!

        1. Cj*

          I was devastated when I heard that Hank had passed on, because we had a cat that looked exactly like him, right down to the spot under his chin.

          Our cat, Flower (named for the skunk in Bambi) died in early 2020, and every time I saw Alison post a picture of Hank it both thrilled and devastated me at the same time.

  13. Liz the Snackbrarian*

    I love them all. My two feline monsters have come to a begrudging truce and just barely accept the other cat’s existence. It’s only been nine years. I would love to have more if they weren’t such little divas.

    1. Not That Kind of Doctor*

      I hear you. The oldest of my current bunch is a female who got to be queen of the house for about 2 years. A coworker alerted me to a very small male kitten in need of a foster, which sounded like the best chance for compatibility. The day after I picked him up, the Cat Distribution System deposited what has proven to be a very territorial adult male. The boys get along with the occasional scuffle and no affection whatsoever. The original female despises them both. I think just the younger male would’ve worked out, but she is demonstrative with her hatred and the older male doesn’t tolerate being hissed at, so the erstwhile queen has self-exiled to my bedroom/home office.

    2. Margaret Cavendish*

      Same. We went to the shelter to get *just* the black one, and the nice shelter lady said we should get the white one as well, because they’re best friends.

      Reader, they are not. They don’t fight (much), but it’s a rare day when we see them even sleeping on the same piece of furniture. I think they would both prefer to be singletons, but they’re stuck with each other now!

      1. Grumpy Elder Millennial*

        Oh noes!
        My two who were besties as kittens in their foster still love each other a lot, so I lucked out.

  14. DataGirl*

    The city I live in limits households to 3 pets total, which is probably for the best or I’d bring home all the bebe’s.

    1. Geek5508*

      We have two house cats, 6 or 7 cats we feed from our porch , plus two terriers. Feeding time is quite a production !

      2. Not the class clown*

        I don’t live in a city with that, but I just tried looking it up since I was curious too. Apparently many large cities in the US have a 3-dog limit. I had no idea! I didn’t see anything about total pets though, just dogs.

  16. Sloanicota*

    I love to foster kitties – litters of babies with their mothers are the absolute easiest, all you really need is a private room and the mom takes care of everything. I do not find it hard to avoid foster failing so don’t let *ahem* SOME people’s struggles convince you that you couldn’t do it! If you go in open to keeping an animal, you very likely will, but if you go in determined to find them good homes and send them off, it’s a different attitude from the outset. If you have ever babysat a child and not ended up deciding to keep that child yourself at the end, you can foster cats!

    1. ferrina*

      I’ve only fostered a couple times, and I also was okay with letting go. For me, the joy was in helping the cat find the right home- I loved providing the adoption agency with pictures and little write-ups of the cats personalities. Watching a human’s face light up when they find their perfect pet is amazing.

      1. Sloanicota*

        I’m willing to concede some people may have a better personality for it than others, but on the whole I hate to hear people say “oh, I could never foster because I’d end up with hundreds of cats” – knowing how shelters desperately need fosters for vulnerable populations (like newborns)! Most people can probably learn to view it like babysitting not like adopting. And personally, I find taking on a whole litter makes it more obvious from the outset that you’re going to have to find homes for them, since you can’t keep all six and the mom. However, I’m sure there are truly people who would keep all seven :D There’s always donating or volunteering in other ways! The need is so great.

    2. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

      Same! Last time we counted, my husband and I have fostered at least 59 cats/kittens! We’ve only had one foster fail, and that was the only time we ever fostered a single kitten (he was brought to the shelter by himself at age 2-3 weeks). I just got too attached. But with multiple kittens, it’s too hard for me or my husband to pick a favorite (much less a favorite we agree on), and since we already had 3 cats (now 4), there was no way we could keep an entire litter. So no more single kitten fostering for us.

      I do think he was meant to be though, because this June at 4 1/2 months, he developed FIP, which we are currently in our final week of treatment for (treatment recently became legal for vets to prescribe in the US!) and he’s become our vet’s test case/first experience treating FIP (we’re still paying for meds/bloodwork, but they’re waiving all our exam fees/everything in-house, so to speak). So the next time they encounter a kitty with FIP, they won’t have to send them to the internet or an hour and a half away to the nearest veterinary teaching hospital. So far treatment has been going well, and we’re very hopeful for a good outcome. Our foster fail is helping other kitties in an entirely unexpected way!

      Also, the main thing I’ve found that helps me not get overly attached to fosters is that I volunteer weekly at my local shelter, and so I actually have been fortunate enough to see several of my fosters get adopted! The way our shelter does things, you foster until the kittens are big enough to be fixed, then we hand them back to the shelter for that, and they hold them there for adoption or send them to our local cat cafe for adoption. Even if you foster fail, you gotta take them back to the shelter to get fixed, and knowing that also makes it easier to hand them back instead of keeping them.

      So if you’re at all unsure about fostering, check several rescues/local shelters and see what their process is. It’s much harder to give them up if you’re the one wholly responsible for rehoming them, but a lot easier if you are only keeping them for a short amount of time.

      1. Ask a Manager* Post author

        Yay for more beating of FIP!

        So, technically the meds aren’t FDA-approved in the U.S. right now, but the FDA is not enforcing a compounding loophole, which is allowing pharmacies to compound the meds, which vets can then prescribe. (There is a question about whether Gilead, the pharmaceutical company that owns the patent, will eventually start enforcing it and put all of this into jeopardy, but so far they haven’t.) At FIP Warriors we’re seeing a lot of vets under-dosing the meds because they’ve only had access to them since June and none of them learned how to cure FIP in vet school since this is so new. Yours sound awesome and are probably not doing that! But if your vets are interested (or anyone else’s vet, for that matter), FIP Warriors has a private vets-only group they can join for ongoing education with other vets about the treatment:
        https://www.facebook.com/groups/572767364988893

        1. Loredena*

          Oh! My niece has a very sick kitten who the vet has struggled to diagnose. I think a med for FIP is what they are trialing now I’ll tell her about FIP Warriors

        2. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

          I will tell her about that group! She’s been consulting with some vets in the UK who have been treating FIP over there, and we’re keeping tabs on Bat!’s weight and increasing dosage as appropriate. She did also mention FIP Warriors to us when she first saw him and sent us to the teaching veterinary hospital. At least he’s got wet FIP, and it’s not been as complicated as it might have been if it were neuro or ocular.

          And we also have the support of our local shelter; they had a kitten with ocular FIP about a year ago that they successfully treated on their own, and have offered us any help if we need it. FIP is terrifying, but we have been very fortunate in the timing of our cat’s getting it (diagnosed June 16th) and in all the help we’ve gotten treating him.

          (And thanks again for you and all the help you’re doing with FIP Warriors! You are literal lifesavers!)

        3. Mango Freak*

          This is great to hear. We lost our wonderful orange boy, a tough rescue gentleman named Hudson, to (probable) FIP two years ago. It was so sudden and awful and it seemed there was nothing we could do. I’m really really happy that this is starting to change.

  17. Sorrischian*

    Awwww kitties!

    Grendel looks uncannily like my dearly departed cat, down to the milk mustache, enormous white eyebrow whiskers, and white toes. He’s a little too old for me to claim he’s a reincarnation, but it makes me happy to see that face still out in the world.

  18. Sociology Rocks!*

    Can we get video of the various funky noises the kitties make? I’m so curious what a cat quacking is like! And hooting, and whatever noise the adorable Grendel makes!

  19. Throwaway Account*

    My grandma had 15 cats for most of her life. When we moved in with her, she had over 20, and the cats had to move into their own garden home my dad built for them (he was allergic to them!). He told people he was a lucky man bc his wife let him have a “cat house” in their yard (hints at NSFW content!).

    Grandma fed them in the morning and the cats took a stroll with her down to the pond/lake at the bottom of the garden. Most of them took a swim while she wadded! Then they went off for the day (knowing what I know now, that would not be allowed, but 50 years ago, it’s what ppl did). At dusk, the cats came home for dinner and got tucked in for the night. Many times they brought home more cats! The new cat would get fed, hang around till it domesticated itself, we would take it to the vet for shots and spay/neuter, and it joined the crew!

    Grandma was amazing!

  20. Greengirl*

    I would love a follow-up to these someday about how you manage having 9 cats. Like do you have epic cat shelves and walkways? How do you introduce a new cat to the group? Do you have cat toy recommendations?

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      The biggest thing is that when we bring in someone new, literally the only factor we screen on is “do they like other cats? not just tolerate, but actively like?” That has worked out very well.

    2. Ask a Manager* Post author

      We do have a lot of cat trees. We’d have more if my husband had his way but I’ve put a ban on additional ones. It’s important to me that the house looks like it still belongs to humans. (I suspect he would prefer the opposite.)

      1. Littorally*

        Once the cats outnumber the humans by at least two, you’ve lost. It’s their house now; you’re just staff.

        1. Cat Woman*

          You hit that nail right on the head…my husband and I are currently outnumbered 3 to 1, and we seem to be here just for our food-providing and housekeeping services. Wouldn’t change a thing!!!

          1. Cat Woman*

            Our clowder includes: Ellery James, Audrey Jean, Harriet Jones, Clyde Jackson, Chester Jareth…and PK (pronounced Peek, since he was the cat formerly known as Porch Kitty until he finally decided that coming inside looked pretty cushy)

      2. Sloanicota*

        “LOOKS like” is about right :D Those cats definitely think it’s their house that you just live in (in order to clean up after them and serve the food in a timely manner).

    3. RC*

      Re: cat toy recommendations: I think wands are often fairly consistently popular, but that one is SO MUCH up to the individual cat. Sure, that twist tie is probably the best toy ever. Sure, that wine cork is the best toy ever and you will chew it to pieces. Sure, fly around with that dryer sheet. (And sometimes, maybe, play with actual deliberately manufactured toys too…)

  21. Ghostlight*

    This is officially the best and most important AAM post of all time!

    (My only kitty would not do well with siblings but it’s still a dream that I will one day make come true!)

  22. Joielle*

    Love this! We have four cats but if left to my own devices, I would definitely have nine. My husband is a party pooper, lol!

  23. Legally Brunette*

    I love this more than Update Season and Mortification Week (yes, I have cats, why do you ask?)!

    My senior girl – 18 this year! – is a complete recluse, mostly because of my Laurie-doppleganger, who takes perverse pleasure in ruling the dog, children, and adults, despite being terrified by his own shadow. His name is Teddy, and he’s my Velcro cat. IYKYK.

  26. CommanderBanana*

    I love them all, I would gently kiss every single noggin, no notes, 110000/10 for all 9 cats, they are delightful.

  28. RMNPgirl*

    I fostered some kittens 18 months ago and kind of wish I’d kept two of them. I keep thinking of them and hoping they ended up in great homes.
    I did adopt a cat about a month after fostering those kittens, she needed a home with no other animals or kids which I fit the bill for! She’s affectionate but not cuddly and I’m still hoping that will change someday. We just moved across the country so she’s still adjusting to a new home but she did way better on the move than I thought she would. Basically on day 2 of the 3 day drive she decided she was not happy about the car and the best way to display this was the seethe quietly, so that worked out!

    1. Paint N Drip*

      Our latest cat adoptee took over 14 months to go from ‘I have a favorite person to be held by and otherwise will begrudgingly accept attention’ to a general snuggle bear with humans, cats, dogs, stuffed toys, and blankets. He recently met my parents and requested to be held by my dad, then kissed his mustache lol. I hope you’ll get the cuddles you’re looking for!

  29. Our Business Is Rejoicing*

    As someone who lives with three rescues (including a tripod kitty) plus a foster fail, I am thrilled to see your clowder, and wish that we could take more–but right now, Zoya, our calico Agent of Chaos, and Furiosa, the tripod, are mortal enemies and we wouldn’t want to introduce more stress into the house. So I’ll just enjoy yours.

    Husband is a Cat Guy, too.

  30. Prefer pets*

    This makes me so happy! My personal high was 11 cats & 2 big dogs (80lbs & 130lbs). There is nothing as emotionally soothing as sitting on a comfy chair during a blizzard or thunderstorm while surrounded by content, purring cats & snoring dogs.

    People are shocked when they find out how many animals I have… but I have a big house & acreage and don’t have or want kids so everyone is well cared for & bring me joy. Sunday is brushing & nail trim day and every critter gets both. The hardest part is them all trying to shove in to get their share

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Exactly. Big house and no kids here too, so it’s easy to care for everyone. People think 9 cats sounds like a lot (and I mean, obviously it is) but it’s still less work and expense than one human child is! (We fostered humans for a while, and there is no comparison in work or chaos…)

      The only thing I worry about is when they are all getting old at once and may have competing medical needs (not in terms of expense, but if they end up needing separate food types, etc.).

      2. Anax*

        The competing medical needs are absolutely tricky – that’s why we’ve stuck to six. Four around 10-12, and the babies are 2 now – so hopefully even though they’re all fixed, we’ll see behaviors passed between ‘generations’.

        We’ve got one with food allergies, one with IBS, two who need to lose weight, two who need to GAIN weight. Exactly one cat with no dietary needs right now, gosh sake.

        You might have this already, but a baby scale has been a lifesaver for us; we weigh ours about every 2-4 weeks, and it’s really helped catch medical concerns early. Change blindness makes it so hard to realize when a cat’s dropping weight, until it’s really quite dramatic.

        (Nugget lost about two pounds in a couple of months, when he first developed food allergies, and it was pretty terrifying – definitely a formative cat-herding experience.)

  31. Rara Avis*

    My two are not exactly foster fails, but the kid and I started volunteering at the cat shelter to get our kitty fix … and somehow we now have two cats we didn’t have when we started.

    Leo(nardo de Vinci) lived rough for two years and wasn’t fixed until that point, so he has a lot of male cat energy. Will pee in a litter box but won’t poop, so we find deposits in the bathtub. Which at least is the most cleanable part of the house. Has an intense stare. Will steal tuna from the fork on its way to my kid’s mouth. Has finally learned to cuddle but has a two-minute limit. His favorite person is my kid and he sleeps under their desk.

    We adopted Artie (Artemisia Gentilleschi) because she was Leo’s mini-me. She is now almost as big as him. Adores him and shows it by jumping on him at regular intervals. Then he wrestles her until she cries in submission; they separate only to repeat two minutes later. Will play with anything except cat toys — favorites include ponytail holders stolen from dressers and random beads that haunt the corners of our house. Hates being held, but will come rub my legs, bite my hand, and allow pets while we’re at the table. I’m the only family member who gets this privilege, so I guess I’m her favorite.

    (Before these two characters, we had the sweetest orange boy ever, who lived nearly 20 years and tolerated all kind of indignities from my kid when they were small. He was the decoy cat.)

    1. Pixel*

      The late Hurricane Iniki, the original Striped Cat of Chaos, would only play with string if it was someone else’s string. Somewhere there is a photo of her with yarn draped all over her, and she completely did not care, because that was meant for her to play with. But…shoelaces? The ties on hoodies? The embroidery floss I was doing cross-stitch with? Sewing thread during the process of sewing? Knitting yarn, while I was knitting? The yarn I was spinning? THOSE were clearly toys meant for the cat.

      The experience of spinning on a spinning wheel while the cat tries to eat the yarn that is produced literally as it is forming in your hands is a bizarre one. ;-)

  33. A Teacher*

    I LOVE this! My pack is 6 dogs and 3 cats. I run a dog rescue too so dog fosters. My cats are the best and my long haired tuxedo even knows how to say “mom” and will yell at me when she wants something (or nothing). My black cat has FIV and is the absolute most affectionate and my littlest guy is super sweet and the bestie of all the dogs in the house.

  35. Slinky*

    Definitely made my day! If it isn’t too much work for you, could I suggest an updated “pets taking over home offices” post? I love those, too!

  37. Jam on Toast*

    Allis Chalmers and Boots send greetings to your entire fabulous feline gang! They both want to know if you’ve ever considered asking a Ask a Cat Manager feature to the blog to address common feline management issues?

    “My human employees refuse to feed me when I cry piteously at 3am. How would you recommend I reinforce the expectation that unlimited feedings on demand are an integral task for everyone on the feline support team? They keep deflecting and complaining about needing to sleep and wanting me to stay at a healthy weight. What goals should I include if I have to put them on a HIP (Human Improvement Plan)?”

  38. History Nerd*

    I have two rescues of my own! One is the dumbest cat I’ve ever known (which is saying a lot) and would hiss at whoever approached him for months but is actually the first to greet visitors or curl up with you while you sleep. The other is a big, smart guy who is learning tricks and loves to sit on the couch with us (mainly my partner) but disappears the minute anyone comes over because we haven’t been able to convince him yet that he’s staying with us forever.

    Thanks for sharing and for adopting!

  39. hypoglycemic rage*

    I actually have a question about fostering cats…. I live in Chicago (northside) and I live with my plant friends in a small studio (but I am allowed pets and several people in my building have dogs). I am hesitant because I don’t drive, and while I have a brother in another area of the city and family in the suburbs, should anything happen I wouldn’t be able to get them to a vet in an emergency. I don’t live within walking distance of a vet’s office.

    Now, the experience I’ve had with pets, this is a rare occurrence (I’ve actually never needed a furry friend to go to an emergency vet’s office), but it’s something I am worried about. Is this a Real Worry?

    (Also if anyone has any recommendations for foster places to look at, let me know. I am hoping to use fostering as a way of testing the waters of pet care, since the pet experience I have, has been with other people around in the house.)

      1. Ally McBeal*

        Agree, although I might specifically state “hey there’s a cat in this carrier” in case the driver is allergic. I have a friend who had to rush her kitty into the emergency vet after a bizarre accident (a toilet exploded and her poor boy was nicked by the shrapnel) and she just hopped in a cab.

        1. hypoglycemic rage*

          good to know!! I would say something before I started, I just didn’t know if cabs could be used for pet transport.

          1. Ally McBeal*

            In NYC, at least, the willingness of cab drivers to transport a pet usually depends on the pet’s ability to be contained. A leashed golden retriever might be a no (because of shedding and drooling and general rambunctiousness) but a small animal of any kind – chihuahua, kitty, gerbil – that stays in its carrier for the whole trip should be fine.

    2. Sarah in Boston*

      Uber Pet would be an option. I do have a car and the closest emergency vet is 25 minutes away. I’m not sure I’d get there much faster than you would with Uber Pet.

      1. hypoglycemic rage*

        I’ve heard of Uber Pet but have never used it. I assume those drivers wouldn’t have an issue, thanks for the reminder it exists!

    3. ferrina*

      I didn’t find it to be an issue, but you also need to make sure you are fostering a cat that is unlikely to have medical needs. The adoption agency will know who the special needs kitties are, and a good adoption agency will pair you with a foster that matches what you can offer.

      You can also ask about the time commitment of fostering. I did one short-term foster that was a little over a month long when the shelter was getting a shipment of animals from a town where a natural disaster had occurred and their shelter was damaged. Other times, they may want you to hold onto the foster for several months until it is adopted.

      A good foster coordinator will walk you through everything. People willing to foster are often in high demand, so if you aren’t comfortable with a particular foster coordinator, there will be other shelters that will be interested in you.

      1. hypoglycemic rage*

        those poor babies! I’m glad you were able to help them out.

        these are all good things to consider, especially as I am looking for an agency/coordinator to work with. :)

    4. tabloidtained*

      I’ve fostered for 10+ years. I’d say that you should be prepared to take trips to the vet. If you’re fostering kittens, things can go south quickly, so you want to be able to transport them to a vet if necessary (I just made a trip yesterday with a kitten who has developed a bad URI). If you’re fostering adult cats, you’ll often be fostering cats who are sick or on the wait list for a procedure they need before adoption, and they may also need to go back and forth. But when I started out, I did it all via bus and Uber, so it’s possible even without a car!

      An additional thing to consider is that, where I foster, we’re required to bring fosters in to the shelter’s vet–we can’t take them to any other vet, because it wouldn’t be covered. So even if you had a vet nearby, it might not have helped.

      1. hypoglycemic rage*

        thank you for the response! if I do end up fostering at some point, I want to be the best foster parent I can be. those kitties (adult cats are also kitties) deserve nothing less. :’)

        ooo, that’s good to know, that I might have to use the foster’s vet. I might not have this aspect to worry about after all.

      2. Ask a Manager* Post author

        One thing to add: A lot of rescues are so desperate for foster homes that they might agree to someone else handling vet transport, if it allowed you to provide a home. You could definitely ask if they would want a foster home that couldn’t do transport.

        1. hypoglycemic rage*

          oh awesome!! this is great to know and consider, thank you so much, alison! your post (this one and the last one) has inspired me. :’)

          1. Red Sky*

            Definitely ask, I’m no longer able to foster (due to taking in current murdercat) but still volunteer with my local rescue by providing cat transportation for things like vet appts, moving cats/kittens to a new facility or home, and even to the municipal airport for transport to other states.

          2. Not Australian*

            Just hopping on to wish you luck: we’ve had cats all our lives and can’t imagine existing without at least one. Our theory is ‘if a cat needs us, it will find us’, and that’s generally been the case over the years. We’ve only once had to go to a shelter when we had a vacancy, and even then they referred us to a family who were looking to place kittens that they didn’t have space for in the shelter! Thirteen years later, that kitten is now our most senior cat…

    5. Brookfield*

      Fellow Chicagoan here! We’re bringing home a lovely 14-year-old gent from the Tree House Humane Society this very afternoon… he’ll be our third kitty from this wonderful place, and they’re always looking for fosters. Drop into the cat cafe and check ’em out!

  40. Anne Boleyn's Necklace*

    This update has made me incredibly happy! Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous kittehs with us :)

  41. Myrin*

    I’ve always wondered – are you or is your husband the driving force behind acquiring new kitties or do you both have an equal desire for cats? And has it always been that way?

    (Also – and I hope this is okay to say in a comment on such a nice post – my beloved cat died completely unexpectedly a month ago, shortly before we would’ve had her for four years, and I’ve been having a bit of a hard time with cat pictures or videos (not just of her, but any cats). But I’m unexpectedly smiling and cooing at some of what you’ve written here (okay, I’m also crying right now thinking of my beautiful girl but that doesn’t negate the rest!) so I really want to thank you for sharing such a lovely post with us.)

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      It’s definitely my husband. I had two when we met (Sam and Lucy, both now gone) and when we fostered Olive I was adamant that we couldn’t keep her because I thought three cats was too many. He has been successfully expanding the group against my better judgment ever since. (Although obviously in this regard, he has turned out to have the superior judgment.) He would adopt more if I’d agree, which I Will Not.

      I’m sorry about your cat! It’s the worst thing.

      1. Myrin*

        Really! I had no idea, I thought you had gotten “The OG Three” together and were both the same regarding cat acquiry. How interesting! (Also, I have a very soft spot for Sam even though I obviously only knew him from pictures and stories, but he has always reminded me of my first cat; he looked similar too.)

        And thank you.

      2. ThursdaysGeek*

        It’s the worst thing, but it’s preceded by such love and purrs that I find it worth it. Usually I have a younger cat to cry into, but right now I only have my one old lady, 19 year old Kiger, and it will be hard when she goes. She sleeps in my face and arms at night. Our circumstances don’t allow another cat right now.

        I’ve thought I’d like to foster a pregnant cat and then maybe keep a couple of kittens. I can’t imagine 9 cats, but I wouldn’t want 0 for very long either.

      3. Margaret Cavendish*

        Yes! I was just thinking about this, because I’m sure I remember you saying “three is too many” at one point. I’m glad I was right about the memory, and glad you were wrong about the limit!

    2. ferrina*

      I’m so sorry about your cat! I empathize on the grieving- it’s so hard, and it takes time to heal. I still tear up a little from time to time thinking of cats I’ve had that passed. Sending love your way!

  42. Irish Teacher.*

    I’m trying to decide which I like best. I think it’s Stella, though Olive is a beauty and Grendel is adorable too. And Sophie… Oh, this is hard.

    1. Mrs. Pommeroy*

      That’s the good thing: you don’t have to decide! You can simply love each and every one of them!

    1. Graciepoo*

      Me too, I physically couldn’t handle being in a house with even one cat, but I still loved this post :-)

      1. Ask a Manager* Post author

        Not trying to jeopardize your breathing or anything, but we have bought air filters for every floor and my husband’s brother, who’s highly allergic, has been fine over here since we added them. (That said, his wife, who is even more allergic, is not.) (I think that is also why it doesn’t smell like cat, something I confirm periodically with visitors since I know I could be nose-blind to it. But people claim to be surprised that it doesn’t.)

        1. Cat-chooo!*

          I had a couple of the most virulently allergenic kittens my sensitive visitors had ever experienced and I learned to swear by Allerpet-C shampoo, but it wouldn’t do for 9 cats. With 2, we used to soak them down and dry them, wipe the furniture, then spray a 50% solution into the air and onto carpets and surfaces to capture airborne dander before vacuuming. Allergic friends and relatives could then handle several hours instead of less than 20 minutes in our home.

          1. Cat-chooo!*

            I should also say I learned about the Allerpet-C from someone who was extremely allergic and was able to own a couple of cats by treating them regularly. (1-2x weekly?)

          2. Reading Rainbow*

            Allerpet is top tier stuff. I also got my cats on the Purina LiveClear food that’s supposed to reduce allergen production and it WORKS. My allergist says he recommends it to everyone.

    2. FricketyFrack*

      My mom and I are both allergic, too, so I live vicariously through other people. I will absolutely suffer to pet anyone else’s cats at any time, though. I love them. I would like about 50 hours of videos of all of Alison’s cats now.

  47. Mia*

    Thank you for sharing them!! I lost my beloved calico at the end of July. I went to see another cat a few weeks later and realized I wasn’t ready; it’s not that I wanted a cat to pet, it’s that I wanted MY cat to pet. It’s not fair to put that on a cat. I know I will get one eventually, I’m just not there yet. Calicos are the absolute best – please give the Queen a hug and kiss from me, if she’ll allow it.

    2. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

      It is so hard to lose your best friend like that. It took me two years before we got another cat after my Veronica. It’s how I got into fostering, actually–I wanted to do something to help cats, but I knew I wasn’t ready to adopt one from the shelter.

      Internet hugs and solidarity, from one cat person to another.

      1. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

        I support this. Just think, an annual Ask a Manager calendar, with each month featuring one of her cats! It would be so cool!

  49. House On The Rock*

    Thank you so much for sharing all your beautiful babies along with such wonderful descriptions of their personalities and relationships! One of our kitties feels like a kindred to your Olive. She’s a high strung super model who is deeply needy but also hisses randomly when you do something she (inexplicably) finds offensive.

  50. Single Cat Lady*

    Love this and the description! I have a 9-year-old rescue kitty who is definitely the King of the castle. He likes pets, and likes me, but is sometimes shy with other humans. I think he might really want a kitty buddy — he gets along with my parents’ dog — but am SO NERVOUS about bringing another cat into the house. Any tips or advice on how to do this, or how to even know if it is a good idea? I don’t want my little buddy to think he is being replaced, but I think he might have fun bossing around a kitten.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      You could foster and see if they get along! Just don’t judge on the first week, since it takes a while for them to get comfortable with each other. And ask the rescue specifically for a cat who they know has lived with and actively likes other cats; that makes a huge difference.

    2. ferrina*

      The adoption agency can definitely help you find the right cat. It’s important to match their personalities- if your cat is energetic, find a cat that has similar energy. If your cat is the King, find one that is respectful to other cats. Kittens can be less threatening, but they also have higher energy (not always the best match for a senior cat, particularly one with arthritis. Learned by experience)

      When you introduce them, research and use best practices. Separate them to start so they each have their own space. Let them smell something that the other cat has laid on first. Once that goes okay, then let them see each other (clear baby gate is great for this). Finally, short supervised introductions.
      Of course, sometimes the cats have other plans. I had one cat that decided he was ready to join the household almost immediately, and the Reigning Queen of the house quickly accepted his service to her (he was a really respectful cat and was immediately part of her retinue).

  51. Dust Bunny*

    I have two–I think they might be the rough equivalents of Olive and Eve. The older one routinely chooses violence but also follows us everywhere and demands that I watch TV for an hour every night so she can sleep on/near me. The younger one ignores humans except at every specific times, such as at bedtime, mid-afternoon on weekends, and very early in the morning when I’m trying not to be late for work, when she becomes the most adorable thing that ever lived and will absorb hours of tummy rubs (it’s a miracle I get to work at all, really).

    The older one counts as at least two cats personality-wise so right now I’m limiting myself to two, but I’ve found, cleaned up, and rehomed three others. I don’t even officially foster cats.

    1. Dust Bunny*

      One of my siblings just lost a cat to kidney disease. He was the nicest cat. I am so upset and irrationally angry that he didn’t get more time.

    2. Sociology Rocks!*

      Our family cat, Sergio, who sadly moved states away with my parents, will actively meow and harass you once it hits around 8 or 9pm, because it’s family tv time and he wants to get all cuddly on the couch with his people. Once, while watching a Netflix documentary about cats, he was actively watching it with us to the point of walking up to the tv to investigate!

    3. Sociology rocks*

      My family has a cat who will *not shut up* if it’s after 8pm and the humans haven’t settled in the bonus room for tv and cuddle time

    3. Random Bystander*

      Yes!

      I have five living cats (indoors) that could participate (plus pictures of my three deceased kitties).

      My grand lady is 12 years old, the last of the four intentional adoptions (I adopted two sets of two); then I have a tortie who self-rescued herself who is now 9yo; the boys who are foster-fails when I started my TNR project with the outdoor cats (they were then 6mo kittens, now a little over 4yo boys); then there’s the little girl that I rescued from another abandoned female after my darling Circe (one of those intentional four adoptees) passed away at the age of 15.5. The little girl was really sick (took three months to get her past her upper respiratory infection and she was horrifically flea infested). Now she’s such a pampered little princess cat.

  53. LadyAmalthea*

    I would want to foster, but my poor Emi already puts up with 2 very enthusiastic, cat obsessed toddlers, so another cat would be too much.

    1. tabloidtained*

      In case it’s helpful, my fosters rarely meet my resident cats. I only introduce kittens for socialization purposes, but even that might not be necessary. They often need to be quarantined for at least 2 weeks anyway.

      1. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

        Yep, this. It’s usually much better/easier to keep them separated. You don’t always know what the fosters are bringing in (fun fact, ringworm can take 2 weeks to show up! And it’s SUPER contagious! Ask me how I know) and kittens need to be at least a few weeks old before they are around other cats so they can build their immunity.

        1. RC*

          And FELV can incubate for like 60 or 90 days I think, right? FIV is slightly less worrisome/transmissible, but also has a long incubation time.

          My first 3 cats *all* came in with worms, but fortunately we’ve avoided anything worse than that

  55. El Camino*

    Ahh this may be my favorite AAM post ever <3 What a crew!

    Our 6-year old boi likes to be an only cat-child but man my heart definitely has room for more. I'd like to think if the Cat Distribution System sends us another, he'd adapt lol.

  56. Juicebox Hero*

    In early January 2020 I had to have my fuzzy orange basketball of a cat put down :( Being quite lonely and sad without feline company, I decided to get a pair of siblings and contacted a local rescue towards the end of January.

    The nice lady sent me pictures of two pairs, “Feisty” and “Whiny” (brother and sister) and “Chonky” and “Slinky”. I was also invited to the pet shop where the rescue cats went to shop for new human servants.

    Of course, I was required to hold them and get acquainted. Chonky was an ingratiating goof with giant paws who tried to crawl into my tiny purse. Slinky was a little more reserved, but had a saturnine charm and the silkiest coat I’d ever felt. Feisty didn’t want to be held – she wanted to hop down and explore, and I have a big old house full of nooks and crannies to make trouble in. Whiny cuddled up in my arms and said I’d do.

    Then I had to make a decision, made all the more agonizing by Chonky meowing at me and trying to reach me with his giant paws from inside his cage. But I went home with Feisty and Whiny.

    Shortly, the nice rescue lady called me to find out how Feisty and Whiny were doing – they had taken over the house 3 microseconds after I opened the carrier, as is proper. She then asked if I could possibly take the other two, because they were crying for me, and looking for me, and being really pathetic, and they’d give me a break on the adoption fee…

    Who doesn’t love a bargain?

    The very next day Chonky and Slinky came to stay.

    Then a month later the world closed down so I was very glad I’d become a crazy cat lady when I did. The quarantine would have been just dismal without my goofy fur tornado.

      1. RC*

        Since I’ve found you don’t choose cats as much as the cats choose you… did the cats know about the impending pandemia?? Smart little dudes! :)

      2. Juicebox Hero*

        Apparently, Chonky and Slinky had been up for adoption for quite a while, so Chonky decided that they weren’t sticking around that pet shop a day longer. It helped that I have SUCKER printed in cat language on my forehead :D

    2. Damn it, Hardison!*

      Oh, that’s so sweet! You were chosen! I adopted my two just as the pandemic shut down everything in my area. They became best friends on the drive home, and agreed on which person belonged to each of them. They needed about 20 minutes to get settled in my house, and it was like they had always been there. The shut down meant we got a lot of quality time with them, and they got very spoiled.

    4. Ally McBeal*

      Pre- and during the first six months of the pandemic, I lived in a tiny apartment that didn’t allow pets. I was losing my mind for a variety of reasons and had already planned to move cross-country in 2020, so I expedited my move and adopted a cat a couple weeks later (her gotcha day is coming up in two weeks). I don’t think I could’ve lasted the full year+ until vaccines were available without her. It’s unbelievable how much of a difference pets make to mental health.

  57. Damn it, Hardison!*

    I love Griffin’s little snarl! My calico has one as well, and, frankly, the cranky sounds to go with it. She is actually a very aggressively affectionate cat but she sounds like she hates everything and everyone. Especially if she is not fed at the precise moment she wants food. I know what a hangry cat sounds like. She is her mommy’s cat for sure.

  62. Spicy Tuna*

    I have three cats and two fosters right now. Your situation is my #lifegoal

    Side note, I also volunteer at a shelter, and we have a tuxedo named…. WALLACE!! He loves other cats but is completely hostile to humans. We would ordinarily have TNVR’d him but there were complicated reasons why would couldn’t, so he has a permanent home at our shelter. He usually nests with a buddy on the top level of a perch and stays out of everyone’s way.

    One day, out of nowhere, he launched himself at me from his perch across the room and swatted at my face. I nearly lost my eye! The free roaming room was spattered with my blood, the shelter manager nearly had a heart attack. Now we have warning signs NOT to approach him!

  63. Paint N Drip*

    Sophie has SUCH a sweet little baby face!! Our smallest kitty has that look to her face as well (and she also became a round cat lol), and she also had her litter quite young – I think it is THE CUTEST cat form to exist <3

  66. IHaveKittens*

    I also did not realize that you had so many kitties! What a lovely group. Please give treats and pets all around from my babies: Sasha, Sammy, Lizzie, and Willow.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      None are fosters anymore, they are all permanent members of the family. BUT if you are interested in adopting a cat/cats, I would happily connect you with good rescues in your area. (I’m doing a ton of volunteering for FIP Warriors now — thanks to Stella — and they have connections with rescues all over the country.) (Although it is not exactly hard to find cats in need of homes so you probably don’t need my help.) (But it’s here if you want it!)

      2. Not So Evil HR Lady*

        Hi Alison, are you able to help me with this? I am looking into getting a medical exemption from my provider so I can adopt a cat or small dog as an ESA (only way to get around my condo association’s no-pet rule and there are other residents here with small pets for PTSD, anxiety, etc.), and I want a rescue or shelter only. I live in Roseville, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis/St Paul, AKA the Twin Cities).

        Any guidance is appreciated!!!

  68. wendelenn*

    Adorable!

    For anyone who loves cats, I highly recommend the comic strip Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn. What if your cats were reporting the news in your house that was important to them? The vacuum is attacking! The Woman brought home a different kind of kibble! What’s this new creature called a Baby? This strip is available on GoComics and is by turns hilarious, touching and always endearing.

  69. PropJoe*

    I can’t tell from the pictures. Is either Stella or Fig a Turkish Van cat by chance?

    I ask because one of our cats is a Turkish Van. Mostly white fur but orange tail & several orange spots on his head, neck, and legs. He’s not just the noisiest cat I’ve ever owned, he’s noisier than every other cat I’ve owned combined. He has neither stealth nor chill, and wears his feelings on his sleeves.

    I love him to death.

    My favorite thing he does is when I walk in the front door at the end of the day, I hear a loud thud (him jumping down from wherever he was napping) followed by a continuous meow as he sprints to me then stands on his hind legs and asks for all the pets & scratches I can give. Naturally, I’m happy to oblige him.

    If I’m having a rough day, boom instant mood lift when I walk in the door.

  70. Cece*

    This just made my day – as a cat lover who is married to a man who is so allergic to cats he shouldn’t look at pictures of them.

  71. Myrin*

    It’s so fascinating how young!Sophie basically looks like a completely different cat from adult!Sophie.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      She went from very petite to Extreme Chonk.

      But she was barely out of kittenhood herself in that first photo. She’s only about 6-7 months older than Wallace.

  72. Rage*

    Darling kitties. I miss having a cat. Unfortunately, my last rescue dog, Thiago, is definitely cat-UN-safe; however, I do not regret adopting him at all. Once he and Clifford (the Big Red Dog) are over the Bridge, I think I will get a Maine Coon.

  73. TheBunny*

    I love all of them.

    I’m at my upper limit of cats (2 in an apartment) but am also pretty seriously looking for another as both cats are boys.

  74. Ellen Ripley*

    Do you have any resources for people who want to get into fostering cats but don’t have any experience? We have owned several cats.

    Curious about what makes a good foster parent, what expectations there are, how we should prepare our home, etc.

    Also did you usually foster adults or moms+kittens?

    1. Respectfully, Pumat Sol*

      It is really easy to get started! Do a search for “animal rescue near me” and look for ones that say they are foster-based or use fosters. Some city/county shelters even use fosters for animals that aren’t doing well. I help to run a foster-based rescue in my community, specifically for our cat team.

      There’s usually an application process – answering questions about your home, animals in it, the people, your space. You may have to submit photos of your space, or allow someone from the organization over for a home visit. There may or may not be an interview step as well as an onboarding “Welcome to fostering” step explaining policies and procedures.

      As for preparing your home, typically organizations like to see a space where you can quarantine your fosters away from other animals if you have them. A bedroom, bathroom or office are great for this. A lot of rescues will supply you with everything you need – food, litter, litter boxes, toys, etc.

      Expectations will vary from org to org. Mine wants you to be reasonably responsive, able to transport the cats to and from vet appointments (or flag that you will need transport help) and availability for adoption appointments/meet and greets. We want you to clearly communicate about any developing or ongoing medical issues (are they sneezing, diarrhea, etc).

      Most organizations will be flexible about what placements you get based on your skill, interest and what works best for your home. I have fosters that only do adults, fosters that only do moms with kittens, some that only do kittens no moms.

  76. Respectfully, Pumat Sol*

    I LOVE this. I help run a foster-based rescue and it just warms my soul to see people with a following talk about the joys and benefits of fostering. It’s hard work and SO rewarding.

    I’m the person that places cats with fosters for my organization and getting to work with the fosters is one of the best parts of what I do.

  77. anywhere but here*

    I got 6 cats down, thought I’d met all of them, and was surprised to see 3 more!

    What darlings

  79. Anonosaurus*

    I couldn’t love this more! unfortunately my kitty has to be an only cat. that’s the only thing standing in the way of me emulating your magnificence

  80. Emperor Kuzco*

    can you please do this once a year so I can read your lovely descriptions and fall in love with the cats all over again?

    Also, Wallace seems like a celebrity on the level of Tom Hanks.

  81. can't resist kitties*

    Thank you for sharing the details and photos of these wonderful cats. We had to let our kitty go last year and are starting to think about our next cat (or cats…good for them to have friends). Reading about all their lovely and silly ways reminds me of how much I miss cat antics and purrs and how it will be good to have that back our home.

  83. Doctor is Out*

    Thank you for this update! Bless everyone who fosters and rescues. Past mom of lots of fosters and rescues here.

  84. Amelia*

    My cat just beat FIP! She walks a little wonky, sometimes a very heavy paw step, sometimes very light on her paws.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Congratulations! Good job, Amelia’s kitty! Did she have neuro? Did you treat through FIP Warriors? (I spend hours a week working with Warriors now and love it so much.)

    2. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

      That’s awesome! My cat Bat! (yes, the exclamation point is part of his name) is on his last week of treatment, then we’ll still have the observation time to go before we can say he’s beat it. He has wet FIP, and so far has responded really well. But I know how scary this is, and I’m so, so happy to hear about every cat that beats FIP. It’s a terrifying diagnosis. So glad your cat beat it!

      We didn’t use FIP Warriors for our treatment connection (fortunately my vet connected us to a veterinary teaching hospital 1 1/2 hours away, and now our cat is her test case/first experience actually treating FIP now that the meds can be legally prescribed, so our cat is helping expand FIP treatment to our area), but I did join out of solidarity.

  85. Exhausted Trope*

    Tearing up over your description of this lovely assemblage! My heart, what adorableness! ❤️

    1. Maleficent*

      They’re all so beautiful! I love cats, but unfortunately I’m allergic to them. But apparently the cat distribution system wanted to gift me something anyway, so back in July it gifted me with a tiny (1 pound!) chihuahua puppy. Had it taped up in a box and everything. Now that my other two terrier mixes have finally realized that the new tiny thing is friend, not food, all three spend their days playing bitey face, exploring the back yard, or napping as close to me as possible.

  89. Amber Rose*

    I’d love to rescue some cats, but my sole rescue is fiercely possessive and jealous of anything I pay attention to. Also his vet bills alone are hard to fund. Dumpster kitties end up with some issues. :/

  90. Lucien Nova, Disappointing Australian*

    You probably need to rescue some cats yourself…

    I do. I really do. I just have one right now (Mira the velcro Siamese, currently curled up like a little bun in my lap and putting my foot asleep…she’s lucky I adore her…) and I desperately want at least one more. I just cannot seem to find anyone legitimately rehoming their cat or looking for a foster, and our local shelter is…well, with the number of times they have given us fatally ill animals and lied straight to our faces about them being healthy, we just Don’t.

    I really must look into some rescues, I know there were a few here but I don’t know whether they still operate.

  91. Caz*

    I would love to adopt another kitty, but Prince loves being an only child too much (and does not like other cats enough) to persuade me it would go well.

  92. Academic glass half full*

    Thanks for the cat update. I would like to offer my services as a house sitter if there is ever the need but saddly I would die because I have a severe allergy to cats. I live vicariously through your posts.

  93. Tree*

    My favourite AAM post ever!

    “After being billed as a recluse, has decided he’s a lap cat and wants to curl up on me all the time. When he learned this about himself, he seemed conflicted: shocked that it was happening but simultaneously delighted.”

    My Arya is like this. She’ll get up on my lap, making sure that she’s touching the chair with at least one paw, and whip her tail angrily while begging for pets. She’s the best little doofus in the world.

  94. Delta Delta*

    I love it! More cats!

    I also live with an Olive Cat. She’s a bit of a thing, but aren’t they all!

  96. the cat's pajamas*

    Yaaaayyy, thank you for the update!!!
    It would be awesome to add this link to the weekend posts for reference, like how you post the rules link every week.

  100. Marymoocow*

    “kept the two of them alive on the streets until a kind person rescued them” made me cry. I’m so happy they have a home now.

  101. getaway_grrrl*

    Oh my goodness. I have a Laurie! His name is Blackberry, and the I adopted him from my stepsister because two of her other cats were beating him up and he wouldn’t come out of her laundry room. He was nicknamed The Imaginary Cat because no one other than her saw him. For the first six weeks after I adopted him, I only saw him on my security cameras at night. And then one night, he cycled through my room, under my bed and then on top, three times. Bolted the first two, and then finally let me pet him the third.

    I am now his emotional support person (he will lean against me with all of his body weight), but he seems to forget that he knows me sometimes. And he will bolt for the basement the minute someone knocks on the door. He also meows like crazy when I’m on Teams meetings or Facetime. He has a security blanket that he drags around the house at the same time. He’s so funny and endearing.

  104. Oscar the Grouchy Nurse*

    By the way, THIS was the most important update we ever needed! Your cats sound adorable! How do they all bond with each other when they’re not from the same litter? My rescues have pretty much been loners, but tolerate each other to some extent (and my tolerate, I mean swipe at each others’ heads and bicker over which cat food dish is who’s.)

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      We have deliberately screened for cats who were already known to like other cats (figuring that would be fairer to the cats who were already here). Our bar has been really high on that — I’ve always made a point of ensuring that they’re not just known to share space without conflict, but also to actively like other cats. It has worked out really well; they all like having friends to play with, chase, groom, cuddle with, etc. But it’s only worked out that way because we made such a point of having that be our screening mechanism.

      (Olive and Eve are the exceptions to this; we got them before we implemented that rule. And no surprise, they always take longer to adjust to new additions than the others do, although they do eventually adjust.)

    2. Cats Ate My Croissant*

      Tbh being from the same litter doesn’t guarantee anything. I have mum & 2 offspring and the friendliest they get is “I will eat next to you while pretending you don’t exist, because it’s tuna” and the occasional game of slappy-paws round a door.

  106. Morning Reader*

    Thanks, Alison! They are all so beautiful. My senior boy looks very much like your Sophie. He is also a chonk. My little girl is a gorgeous calico like your Olive, but she’s a shy little thing so far. I expect she’ll be queen of the house some day. Her brother is a classic grey tabby, with an extra floofy tail and extra digits in front. I’m surprised none of your others is a tabby like that, without the extra white markings. Are any of yours polydactyl too?

  108. ragazza*

    So cute! I’ve been fostering since my beloved cat died last year and it’s fun to sample the different cats. Wish I could have lots but I would probably die (even with spending thousands on allergy treatments over the years).

  109. JustMe*

    I adore cats, but allergies prevent me from housing any of my own.
    These pictures and their stories are a delight!

  114. AnonPi*

    I’m jealous of all the cat people with multiple cats that seem to get on ok. I’m an accidental owner of 3 cats, and have yet to put any two together after a few years so it’s rather stressful. My first Pippin came in during a snow storm, and since he didn’t have a chip the shelter was going to turn back loose (he was already fixed) in 20 degree weather. I couldn’t in good conscious do that so took him in. Several months later two more strays started showing up, attracted by Pip’s catio. Fluffy was the next I took in and kept, because they were going to TNR even though he was sick. I ended up taking him to a vet who thinks he has a virus (forget the name) but it’s a long term thing, and he said he shouldn’t be an outdoor/feral cat because he could have flare ups requiring meds. The other one Oscar is still a semi feral that comes in most nights to stay in the kitchen and adjacent catio – something we started last winter to get him out of the weather.

    Fluffy and Pip absolutely do not get along, they’ll try to get at each other through the gates. I feel bad that neither is truly happy with the living situation, but try to remind myself it’s this or outdoors fending for theirselves. Poor Oscar I think wants to be friends with the others, and they tolerate him more than each other, but we’re still not to the point of being in the same room together. So it’s a constant musical chairs act of sharing spaces while keeping everyone separated.

  116. ElliottRook*

    We have four cats and I am jealous that you have room for nine cats. Though I do not envy the litterbox situation that that must require. XD

    Funnily enough I am seeing this while on my first-ever work trip!! Right now I am missing my wife and my youngest cat. She sent me video of him meowing for his daily hug but refusing to let her give it to him, and I am very excited to get home for hug duty tomorrow.

  118. Cats Ate My Croissant*

    All three of my current brood are foster fails. I got a little tabby mum plus four newborn fluffbeans one bonfire night. Settled them into the spare room and cautiously reached out my hand for mum to sniff. She promptly rolled over, nestled her head into my palm, and stole my heart. I got to see the babies’ eyes open, watch first steps, hear first purrs. Two of them were rehomed to an old colleague but mum Peggy and the other two, Phil (the main croissant thief) and Tishbo (real name Natasha) have been with me almost 9 years now. All 4 babies grew to be absolutely enormous and extravagantly fluffy. I’d love to foster again but I’ve got a small house in suburbia and it’s not really practical. Plus Peggy has enough attitude for 8 cats.

  119. STLBlues*

    The love you have for these kittens just leaps off the page. I’m happy for you – but I’m happier for them to have found such lovely lives.

    I have loved my two rescues (one now 16.5, one passed last year) with all my heart since adopting them at 1 year old. No time with them is enough, but I hope from their point of view they’ve lived a charmed life from year 1 to the last day. Nothing but love and comfort and treats, buddies!

  121. IHavetheBestJobEver!*

    Any chance you might please consider making this an annual event? They are marvelous and your descriptions of them sublime! Our GG is a rescue and my two adored ones before her were also, although as the saying goes, they rescued me.❤️

  122. Bill and Heather's Excellent Adventure*

    Beautiful, stunning, divine, etc. etc.

    I think Olive is my favourite.

  125. Managercanuck*

    KITTIES!!!

    How do you set up your feeding stations?

    We only have two and the microchip activated stations were a life saver for us.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      We free feed dry food and do wet food twice a day. For the wet food, we bought two of these boot trays and put their dishes on there to keep them off the floor because they make a mess.

      I would love to do the microchip feeders but too many of them would rebel if we tried to put collars on them (they’ve always been indoors so have never needed collars).

  129. greytladyOH*

    I love your cats and I’m not really a cat person. I’m deathly allergic and my five retired racing greyhounds are not “cat-friendly”. But I fell in love reading your descriptions and I wish you all a long and loving life together!

  130. Nina A*

    What awesome cats. We lost our last one last year, but are waiting since we’re selling this house, unless the right one pops up. Sympathies to everyone who’s lost one recently- it’s so hard.

  132. Annalisa*

    “Picture a tiny kitten crossed with a baby panda crossed with a newborn meerkat, then imagine the cutest moments you’ve ever seen from all cats you’ve ever known, and then also picture a marshmallow. Now you’re imagining Fig.”

    I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks every Friday morning post from now on should start with a picture/video of a cat, especially Fig. How are we supposed to really imagine Fig-level of adorablness if we can’t see it!

  133. Professional Cat Lady*

    What a great bunch!

    I definitely already rescue plenty – that’s my actual job: running a foster program for my local shelter, and 80% of what I do is kittens!

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