Sixteen years ago Katy was a very young mommy. This is Katy now, approaching 17. We don't know her exact age.
Bill and I met her in April of 1994 via HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team). We were looking for two kittens at that time. We were led to Quantico, VA where the most wonderful and generous couple shared their home with lots of dogs, cats and bunnies. All fosters, waiting for their forever home.
We were taken down to the basement of the home where there were cages and cages of kitties and bunnies. It was too much to take in. I instantly fell in love with a 2-4 week old long haired kitten that turned out to be my Sam. At first we didn't notice Katy in a cage below Sam, his mom and sisters but there she was.
At that time she had 3 or 4 kittens. They were about 6 weeks old. We were told that one or two didn't make it. Clara, the woman that took care of all of the animals told us how wonderful Katy was and eventually Bill picked her up and held her in his arms.
It was love at first sight for both of them. Katy let out the biggest purr and meow. Boy did she hook us. We went home and told each other that if she called us that week she would be ours. Well we could not get her out of our head because she was already in our hearts!
It was decided that Katy and Sam (at that time Samantha) were to be ours as soon as Katy weaned her kittens and Sam was weaned from his beautiful mother, Ashley.
We visited every weekend, making the trip down I-95. When we arrived the second week for our visit we discovered that Katy had a couple of more kittens!
Katy's kittens were much larger (see photo above and on the right) than the new arrivals. Evidently these were orphaned and Katy took them right in and made them hers. The following week we arrived for our visit and again another very tiny kitten was in with Katy. She never turned anyone away. Each week the same thing....yet another baby in with the ultimate little and young mother, Katy.
Finally the time arrived for Sammy and Katy to come home with us. The photo above is at the rescue and was their very first face to face meeting.
The photo above are Katy's kittens that she gave birth to. They were now ready to find their forever home.
Katy loved being a mother at the time, but when she came home with us she was pretty much done with that, but in her essence and deep in our soul she is the ultimate mother.
We are blessed to share our home with her as she is aging gracefully. Life is good.
Happy Mother's Day Katy and all the other animal mommies out there. I celebrate you and the miracle of mother nature.
