Found cat/kittens update - ADOPTED!

Around 4pm on Friday April 4th, I told Karel that I wanted to spin my legs. Typically Friday’s are my swim-only days but it was warm and sunny outside and I was itching to be outside. I rarely ride my bike on a Friday afternoon but when I do an easy spin by myself, I typically ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. However, something was pulling me to ride up and over Paris Mountain so I told Karel I was going to ride my bike on our Paris Mountain loop. I left a little after 4pm and headed up the mountain.

After 1.6 miles, I was nearing the top of the 2-mile climb and I was looking forward to a fast descent to the other side of the mountain. As I was climbing, I was shocked to see a small cat and two kittens in a muddy ditch on the side of the mountain. The cats didn’t move when I stopped as they all seemed to be in shock by the situation.

I quickly called Karel and told him the situation. He was planning to go for a swim that evening but he stopped what he was doing at home and drove the car with a cat carrier and food and water. Of note, this is not the first time that I have found and rescued cats on the side of the road so Karel knows the drill.

I sat on the side of the road while I waited for Karel and told the cats that they would soon be safe. Around ten minutes later, Karel arrived with the carrier. Another older man stopped and offered help when Karel arrived.

We were worried about catching the momma and kittens but they were so tired and in shock that they didn’t move. It was very easy to scoop each of them up and put them in the carrier in the car.

It was nearing 5:30pm and our vet closed early on this day so we stopped by a vet in Traveler’s Rest to see if the momma cat had a chip. She was scanned and no chip registered. We noticed that the momma cat had an indentation around her neck which appeared to be from a tight collar or flea collar. At this point, we made the assumption that the momma cat and her two kittens were dumped on the side of Paris Mountain.

We made a stop at the store for kitten food and while Karel was in the store, the kittens started to nurse on momma. My heart hurt for what the kittens and momma had gone through but I assured them that they would be safe, loved and well-taken care of for the rest of their life. 

We took the cats back to our house and quickly cleaned out our upstairs workout room and turned it into the “cats room.” We didn’t let our cats interact with the new cats. Momma and kittens now had blankets, a scratch post, beds, toys, water, food and a litter box and a safe room. We gave them time to decompress (and eat). 

Over the next few days we had a good routine going with our 4 cats, Sunny and our three new fosters. The fosters ate three times a day. We played with them several times throughout the day. We tried to introduce them to different people so that they would become more social. Momma cat was an exceptional mom and taught them how to use the litter box and how to behave. They were pooping and peeing machines - all with healthy digestive systems and no worms. Momma cat was very accepting of pets and enjoyed the company whereas the kittens were a bit timid, but very playful. We would often hear the kittens playing while we were downstairs and it was amazing how two tiny kittens could make so much noise. 

A week later we had an appointment at the Humane Society to get the kittens and momma vaccinated. However, when we arrived, we were told that we couldn’t get them vaccinated because we didn’t have them for 10-days, which is the time that they would be ‘officially’ my cats. We were upset that we couldn’t get them vaccinated because we were eager to start the process of trying to get them homes. We did, however, get their ears cleaned as they were filled with ear mites. The kittens were approximately 8 weeks of age and 1.8-2 lbs. Momma was predicted to be between 10-12 months old (very young for a momma!) and 5 lbs. Otherwise, all three kitties were healthy. We were also told that the two kittens were girls - a family of strong, determined females who fought hard to live. Anytime the kittens were in the carrier with momma (to and from the Humane Society), they tried to nurse for comfort. Momma wasn’t letting them nurse back in their room at home. 

Knowing that we couldn’t keep these three adorable cats, we started the process of trying to find them homes. We posted on social media and passed the word around to friends. If needed, my next steps were to post on websites like Petfinder or Adoptapet. My hope was that I could find people that I knew well to adopt the cats (instead of strangers).

A friend reached out to me and mentioned that her husband owns a vet (Oasis Animal Hospital) and they offer kitten vaccinations and spay/neuter specials on Wednesdays. On April 23rd, we took in the kittens for their vaccinations and momma got spayed. They did a great job taking care of everyone.

Thankfully, the word was passed around and I was able to find homes for all three of our kitties.

After three weeks of taking care of the two kittens and the momma, they went off to their forever homes. I cried as it was hard for me to say goodbye but I knew it was the right thing to do. And I am comforted by the fact that all of these kitties are getting spoiled by their new owners and will live a healthy and happy life without a worry in the world.

                                                                                -----------

Momma (who is now named Clementine or Clemmy) was adopted by my friend/athlete Ruthanne who recently said goodbye to her 18-year old cat. Clemmy loves watching the birds, playing with her fuzz ball and cuddling in the lap of her new mommy. 

Kitten 1 (who is now named Kismet) was adopted by Karen in Pennsylvania. 

A big thank you to my friend Allison who connected me with Karen (a friend of a friend) and drove Kitten 1 up to Pennsylvania to hand deliver to Karen. Karen said goodbye to her 18-year old cat a few months ago and has been actively looking for a boy kitten but fell in love with kitten 1. Kismet is now getting more rubs than she could ever imagine and loves playing with her toys. 

Kitten 2 (who is now named Tele) was adapted by Rachael, who lives outside of Greenville. Leslie (who runs the Greenville Splash) teaches Rachael’s son and Rachael grew up with cats and has been wanting a kitten over the past few years and now was the right time to bring one in. Tele is the queen of the house and loves exploring new places. She demands treats and gets lots of attention from her new furever family. 

Thank you to everyone who reached out and spread the word about momma and kittens. 

Please consider making a donation to a local animal rescue or shelter as it is “kitten season.” From March until October, shelters and rescues experience a significant increase in the number of kittens entering their care. And do your part by spaying and neutering your animals to help with the ever-increasing number of dogs and cats entering shelters. If you have a stray/feral/outdoor cat roaming around your property, consider a local TNR program.

The Story of Sunny

We said good bye to Campy on July 18th, 2025. A few weeks passed and our house felt quiet and empty. We cared for Campy for over 16 years and it felt so strange to go through our day without a dog. Before Campy passed away, we both felt that we would wait a while before adopting another dog but we really missed the routine and responsibility. I found myself scrolling through adoptable dogs on animal rescue websites and feeling like I could open my heart to another dog sooner than I though. I don't think I will never be able to love another dog like I loved Campy, but my broken heart was able to feel some love.

I searched on many different rescue websites, primarily on the east coast and at rescues where the dogs were at risk for euthanasia. Animals in Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama account for more than half of all shelter animals killed in the country.


Over several days, I filled out over a dozen applications for rescue dogs. I found that the adoption process for most of them was slow and extremely detailed. 

On August 22nd, I came across a dog named "Hubert" from Animal Care and Control. He was being fostered by a girl named Meghan in Charlotte, North Carolina. I reached out to her via email and shared my story and our recent loss. I asked a few questions about Hubert to make sure he would be a good fit for us. I was delighted when she responded back rather quickly with additional information about Hubert. She answered all of my questions and appreciated that I wanted to make sure he was a good fit for us. It was important to us to find a small dog (less than 20 lbs) that would enjoy our active lifestyle and travel. We were looking for a young dog over the age of one and a dog that gets along with cats. Hubert seemed like the perfect fit. I'll be honest - at first I found myself primary searching for chihuahuas and any dog that resembled Campy but I knew that was because I missed Campy. There was something about Hubert that reminded us of Campy but he was also very different. We fell in love with Hubert's ears and his innocent eyes.

A few days later we had a facetime chat with Meghan, virtually met Hubert and discussed the opportunity for us to meet Hubert through a program that Animal Care and Control offers called a 'Staycation.' We mentioned to Meghan that we would be traveling to Italy the following week and we didn't want to adopt a dog before we left. Because Meghan wasn't allowed to put Hubert on hold until we came back from Italy, Meghan came up with the idea that we could take in Hubert for a few days as part of their Staycation program. If we decided it wasn't the right fit, he would return to Meghan. If we wanted to move forward with the adoption, she said she would petsit for us (at her house) while we were away for 10 days.

On August 24th (Saturday) we met Hubert in Greer, SC. A friend of Meghans was traveling to our area from Charlotte and said she could transport Hubert to meet us. We instantly fell in love with Hubert. He was sweet, energetic and happy. Karel's mom was with us and we loved how well he acted around her. As soon as we returned home, we stopped by my mom's house and she quickly said "he's going to be a good boy." Despite his background of being abandoned, he was comfortable around people.

First time meeting Sunny

Falling in love with Sunny

Driving Sunny to reunite with Meghan after we officially adopted him.

Sunny gets one last visit with Meghan before he comes to his forever home with us.

Introducing Sunny to his big fenced yard.

Taking into account the 3-3-3 rule of adopting a rescue, we knew the first few days would be a bit overwhelming for Hubert. He was in a new house, he was surrounded by five cats, he was sleeping in a new house, meeting new people, going for car rides and going for walks. Although we probably did too much with him when during his staycation, we quickly realized that we needed him in our life.

On Monday August 26th we told Meghan that we would like to make it official and adopt Hubert.
Hubert's adoption fee was $103, which included his neuter. We asked the foster coordinator if we could get him neutered in Greenville (instead of Charlotte) and she said that was fine. Even though it was more expensive at our local vet, we didn't want to bring on any added stress to Hubert.

It was hard to drop off Hubert with Meghan on the day before we left for Italy but he was excited to see her familiar face. We missed him a lot during our trip but we knew that when we returned from Karel's extreme triathlon in Italy, we would officially welcome Hubert to our family on September 12th.

I couldn't wait to pick up Hubert on September 12th. Meghan met me at the Gaffney outlets. I was so excited when I saw Hubert and I was happy that he remembered me. The outlets hold a special place in my heart for it is the same location where we used to meet our friend Christy when she would watch Campy while we traveled. It's ~50 minutes from where we live and ~50 minutes from Charlotte.

We liked the name Hubert but we felt he needed a name that meant something to us. After brainstorming for several days, we came up with the name Sunny. Our life has been dark without Campy and Sunny was giving us the sunshine that we needed to feel happy again.

Sunny’s (formerly Hubert) Journey at CMACC

Sunny is said to be ~1.5 years old and sometime in July, he ended up at a high kill shelter in North Carolina due to being abandoned in an apartment with his brother Benz. Apparently, the owners of Sunny and Benz were the ones who called the shelter to report that someone had abandoned their dogs - and this wasn’t the first time the police dealt with these people calling in (their) abandoned animals. We don't know how long they were left in the apartment but it was a few days. Benz had a severe broken leg that was never cared for, and he wore it down to the bone walking on it. Benz eventually got the leg amputated and recovered like a rock star and was adopted soon after by a great family.

Sunny was at the shelter for less than a week when he was picked up by Meghan. When she first met him, he came out to the lobby wiggling and giving kisses.

Once he got into foster, he hid in his crate a lot because that was his safe space. He loved affection so he soon learned to trust Meghan and that it was okay to come on the couch with her.

He also quickly learned her cat doesn’t appreciate dogs invading his space. Meghan shared the story of the first time Sunny got swatted at by her cat, and ran into his crate and wouldn’t open his eyes. She had to pick him up and tell him to open his eyes, that it’s okay. He was wagging his little tail but was too scared to open his eyes. We had the same thing happen at our house with Mia. We seriously thought he damaged his eye, only to learn that he was just scared to open his eyes and was being extra dramatic. That hasn't stopped him from playing with our cats - especially Asher (our tuxedo).

Sunny had a few different temp foster stays with some of the other fosters in the group while Meghan was out of town for a few weekends. He enjoyed playing around with the dogs and he looked so proud that he was invited into their club. Meghan thinks those dogs helped him gain some confidence and come out of his shell.

Sunny slowly started showing more and more of his personality over several weeks. Eventually he no longer retreated to his crate and just wanted to be by his person all the time.

Meghan said that Sunny was a special foster – he was always smiling and wiggling and such a happy little guy to just be around you. She is sad to think what his first year of life was probably like, but she's happy that he got out of that situation at a young age.

I stay in touch with Meghan and send her videos and pictures via text on a weekly basis. I love showing how far he has come and how much we are enjoying his company.

Knowing Sunny's story helped us better understand his personality.

Although Sunny was sweet to us, after a few days of adopting Sunny, we noticed he had more anxious behaviors. He wouldn't eat his food but instead he would hide it. After he played, he would come inside and act hysterical - wound up with energy. At random times he would excessively dig into blankets or the couch/bed. He would walk outside with his face near the ground and would obsessively eat sticks. One of the biggest concerns was seeing how reactive he was in the prescence of other dogs. He couldn't even look at a dog up the street without barking hysterically. He was extremely barky (we couldn't get him to stop), he didn’t know how to act around strangers, he would nip when he got excited and after a long walk outside, he was wound up with energy.

Although Campy had similar issues, Campy was only 10 lbs and it was easy for me to scoop him up and remove him from any situation. Although Sunny is not a big dog, he is 16 lbs which makes it difficult to quickly pick him up.

We knew Sunny was a very happy and smart dog but we felt he had a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about life due to his past. And with five cats in our house, his barks and wild energy made our house feel divided and stressful.

We never had experience with obedience training as Campy was our first and only dog. We knew we needed to help Sunny feel more confident and comfortable. I did some research and realized that much of Sunny's behaviors were due to anxiety and the need for more mental stimulation. After researching several different behavior training schools, we selected @dogtrainingeliteupstatesc because of their reviews and testimonials.

We enrolled Sunny in the gold elite package. It was a pricey investment but we knew we needed to do something to help Sunny so that he could enjoy our active lifestyle with us. The package consisted of two home visits, 5 days of group training in the facility (M-F, 9am-4pm) and six months of free group classes. This package also included an e-collar (not a shock collar) which is how the trainers work with the dogs.

We were skeptical about the training (and the collar) as we have no prior experience in dog training and we asked a lot of questions about the collar to make sure it was safe.

After the first in-home visit (~90 minutes) with trainer Casey, Sunny was a changed dog. We couldn’t believe how quickly he learned “come” and “off.” Sunny thrived at school and responded so well to his 3-4 different trainers, Each day he learned a new skill like place, down, heel and sit. After each day of class, before we picked up Sunny, we watched a tutorial video of how to give commands and watched videos of Sunny in action. And although we don't mind some barking, Sunny can control his barking.

On the way to school.

Since the training, we don't say "no", raise our voice or use the collar for punishment. We don't have to use treats for rewarding good behavior. Everything Sunny learned has been through positive reinforcement. The collar is simply a mode of communication. Sunny still deals with some anxiety being alone but the training helps wear out his mind before we leave.

Sunny feels secure in his collar and he loves working on his new skills. He loves to learn and loves to please. 

Whereas before we were extra careful where we walked Sunny, we can now let Sunny off leash and he has more opportunities (and freedom) in life thanks to his training (and collar). He gets excited to put on his collar and work on his skills and we love taking him new places. The training also helps him use his mind which helps him relax.

After just five days of his school, we saw his confidence improve, he’s no longer anxious, the cats are calm around him, we can peacefully coexist around other dogs (and he loves to play with dogs!) and he has so much more freedom in life. Whereas before we couldn't take him places because of his barking and anxiety, we can now take him anywhere and he is a joy to be around. He is still a happy and fun dog with his unique personality and traits but he feels comfort knowing that we are helping him safely navigate this new world. We are so happy that Sunny has so many more opportunities in life thanks to his good behaviors and listening skills - all thanks to Dog Training Elite.

Enjoying downtown Greenville with Sunny

Sunny loves the fireplace. 

Off the leash at Furman

Sunny and Ella

Off the leash in Traveler's Rest

Sunny and Sylvi 

Sunny and Asher

We recently did a DNA test on Sunny (via the Wisdom panel) and the results showed that Sunny is....

Thank you for reading Sunny's story. I hope his story inspires you to rescue/adopt or to support animal rescues and shelters.

Off the leash skill work in Traveler's Rest

Waiting for the OK to eat dinner

Sunny loves the sun!

We love Sunny's spots. He has very little hair on his belly. Suprisingly he doesn't shed. 

The story of Mia

 

For several months this past winter, we noticed a furry cat (without a full tail) running around our neighborhood and hiding. The cat would often come into our backyard, slowly approach our screen porch (where our 4 cats like to hang out) and then run away. If I tried to get close to the cat, it would jump over our fence and would not let us near it. In March, more of the neighbors were asking about the cat, asking if the cat belonged to anyone in the neighborhood. The cat didn't look malnourished so we figured it had a home. I was very invested in this cat as I had seen it for several months. Karel didn't want me to get attached to it (or feed it) as our senior cat Madison has a heart issue and we don't want her to get stressed. 

Karel was in Europe for 2 weeks in early April and we were a few days away from Karel's mom returning home to Czech after spending almost 3 months with us. On April 4th, as I was walking Campy in the evening, I noticed the cat was eating a cracker in someone's front yard. Then on the 5th, the cat was across the street looking for food in a grill in a neighbors driveway. The way it was scavenging for food made me think that it didn't have a home. I would often see it hiding under cars. Anytime I would try to go near it, it would run away. I was able to get close one evening but the cat got scared and ran into the drain. As I was looking at the cat in the drain, the person at the house asked if this was my cat and I said no. He said the cat is very scared. 

I walked back home and got some cat food and walked back up to the drain. I sat on the ground and left the food for the cat and it jumped out the drain, at a few pieces and then jumped back into the drain. I could tell it was really hungry. I left a pile of food for the cat by the drain, hoping that it would trust me. 

The next day in the evening, I walked outside and yelled "kitty kitty" and to my surprise the cat ran to me. It remembered me! It had been hiding under cars throughout the neighborhood so it must have learned where I lived. The cat meowed as it came to me and I could tell it was really hungry. Even though it looked well fed, it was very skinny - all the fur was making it look plump. 

I brought out some wet cat food on a paper plate and the cat ate it up. I brought out a water bowl and some more dry food. The cat was very sweet and not overly scared like it was the past few days when I tried to get close to it. It even let me pick it up. 

Once I knew I had it's trust and it knew where I lived, I hoped that it would return the next evening. When I walked outside with Campy the next morning, the cat ran to me. It wasn't afraid of Campy. I was so happy to see "kitty." I gave it more food. In the evening, it came back and I made it bed inside a big storage container but it didn't want to sleep there. 

The next day I decided to make some flyers to see if I could find the owner of the cat. I printed out several flyers and hung them around our neighborhood and the surrounding street signs outside of our neighborhood. 

On the morning of the 7th I was hoping to see the kitty but it was not there. I was so worried. I had gotten attached to it and now it wasn't coming to me. During my morning run I couldn't stop thinking about it. After my run, I walked into our backyard and over our wooden fence into the forest and I yelled "kitty kitty." After a few minutes, I heard meowing. There was the kitty in the woods. It even pooped in front of me and covered it. At this point, I had enough with it being outside and I needed to bring it inside. 

I managed to get myself over our fence and grab the cat. It was ok with me holding it but when I got closer to the front door, it got very scared and tried to escape from my arms. I ran inside and brought the cat upstairs to our spare bedroom and the cat was so afraid. It didn't know what to do so it ran and hide. I brought in a litter box and some food and water and then shut the door. I didn't want our other cats to get stressed. 

While all of this was going on, I was less than an hour away from taking Karel's mom to Charlotte (2 hour drive each way) for her return flight to Czech. During this time, I was worried about what to say to Karel as I knew Karel wouldn't be excited that I rescued another cat. 

Thankfully, our friend and athlete Ruthanne came over to check on the kitty and it was very affectionate and playful while she was there. 

When I returned home from my 5+ hour trip, I was nervous to see the kitty - I wasn't sure if it was going to be stressed. After spending some time with Campy and our 4 other cats, I spent some time in the room with the kitty and I could tell that it was so happy. It could finally relax and get some sleep. I could feel the love and affection that it was giving me as a way of thanking me for bringing it inside.

I finally told Karel (via text) and we video chatted later that evening. He was worried about Madison but he also said that he thought it was very beautiful and sweet (he has a soft spot for cats in his heart). Karel didn't feel that we should keep the cat (we already have 4) and that we would need to find it a home. I was falling in love with this cat so I knew it would be really hard for me to give it away. 

A week later, I took it to our local vet and got some good/bad news. The cat is an American Bobtail (thus the short tail), it was a girl, it had a chip and an owner. Although I was incredibly sad about the situation, I was also happy that I could return this cat to the owner if it had been missing it. The vet tech called the owner that was attached to the number from the chip and no one answered. The person had their number marked as private so I was not able to call the number directly (only the vet). The vet left a message with my number, letting the person know that I had the cat. The cat's name was "sweetie pie" and it was chipped in 2022 - so the cat was at least 2 years old.

The next few days were a little stressful as I was wondering if I would get a call from the original owner. I also had flyers all throughout our area and was waiting for a call. Days went by and then a week or two. Karel returned home from his trip and he instantly fell in love with this cat. After almost three weeks, we named her Mia. 

Although Mia was enjoying her room, we knew the hard part was about to come. We needed to see if she could get along with our established pack. Although we wanted to keep Mia, we didn't know if our crew would accept her. Plus, with Campy being old, blind and deaf, we didn't want any tension in the house with the new cat and Campy (as he can't defend himself). I never gave up on Mia. I was confident that with some work, she could stay with us.

The next week was rough. It was a very slow processes of exchanging smells behind closed doors, introducing the cats slowly with treats and then gradual introductions with our pack of four. It's been very easy to bring in our latest cats (Asher, Sylvi and Ella) as they were all very young. But to bring in Mia - who is 2-3 years old and very confident was a lot of work. We had our doubts and there were some rough days with some of our cats showing their dominance (especially Ella and Asher) but overtime - with a lot of patience - we were able to feel comfortable with Mia in the house around our crew. It took a good month before everyone started to become more tolerable of one another and a good two months before we felt like our crew was accepting of Mia. Oddly enough, Madison (our senior with the heart issue who we thought would be most stressed) hasn't shown any interest in Mia. She doesn't seem bothered by her and Mia hasn't bothered her. It took a while for Mia to break some of her bad habits that she learned outside but she has become the sweetest, most playful and talkative cat. Mia is a good listener and she knows Campy is off limits. Asher did not like Mia when she came but now they play together. Ella is still sassy around Mia as Ella think she is the princess of the house but overall, it's all working out. 

We couldn't imagine life without Mia and we are so happy that we gave her a chance. Mia quickly made herself at home. We love our rescue animals because of the unconditional love that they show us. Mia is so much fun and she shows us every day that she is loving her new life with us. She loves watching birds and squirrels in the patio, talking to us, playing with toys on the stairs, sleeping by the front window and laying out the couch with us. She loves to be kissed and held. 

We love our furry family of six. 
Madison (16-17 years old), Ella (5), Sylvi (4), Asher (3) and Mia (3) and of course, Campy (17 years and 3 months) 

If you'd like to read the stories about our other rescues....

Campy
Madison
Ella 
Sylvi 
Asher
And a tribute to Smudla and Felix.

The newest addition: Meet Asher

 

On the morning of August 12th, 2021, I found myself with a ton of anxiety. Campy was scheduled for his teeth cleaning, which meant he would be anesthetized. As a 14-year old senior dog, we weighed all the pros and cons and decided this was the best option for Campy as it may also be the last time we could safely put him under. I was so nervous and could hardly sleep the night prior. 

Around 7:15am, Campy and I left the house to drive ten minutes down the road to our vet (Poinsett Animal Hospital). After turning on to Poinsett Hwy and approaching the main campus to Furman, I noticed a small black ball of fur on the shoulder of the road near the median. I didn't think too much of it as my mind was so worried about Campy and it looked to be too small to be an animal. 

After dropping Campy off, I had almost forgotten about the black ball of fur until I saw it again on the other side of the road (in the same place) as I was driving home. As I approached the light to make a left turn on to Roe Ford, something in my gut told me to go check it out. When the light showed a green arrow, I made a quick u-turn and drove in the left lane (closest to the median) until I got close to the black ball of fur. 

The kitten was curled in a ball by the yellow line. 

I pulled over to the side of the road and put on my flashers. Since I was somewhat blocking traffic, I quickly got out of the car and approached the ball of fur. Before I even had a moment to see what it was, I scooped it up and immediately felt it moving in my hands. 

It was a kitten!

The kitten started crying and I told it everything would be ok. Once I got back into my car, another girl stopped as she must have also saw it on the side of the road. She checked to see if there were any other kittens (or a mom cat) and sadly, this kitten was all alone. 

I called Karel on my way home and told him the situation. I held the kitten close to my chest to keep it warm and kept telling it that everything was ok and that it was safe. The kitten kept crying during our quick ride home. 

When I pulled up in our driveway, Karel came out and he couldn't believe how tiny the kitten was in my hands. Our neighbor was outside and she came over (she used to be a vet tech) to help us out. I called the vet and asked if it was possible to bring in a kitten that I just found when it was time to pick up Campy. They said absolutely. I felt like this kitten was the perfect distraction for me as Campy got his teeth cleaned. Thankfully all went well and Campy did great during his procedure. 

During the checkup, the kitten got a clean bill of health. His eyes were still developing so he couldn't see that well and his ears were still folded. Little did we know all that we needed to do to take care of this little guy. 

We needed to bottle feed him formula in a bottle every few hours for the next two weeks and also simulate this genital region so he would pee and poop. Thankfully we didn't have any trips planned for the next few weeks so we were able to give this kitten the attention he needed. 

While we didn't plan on getting another kitten, we fell in love with him immediately. Although Madison and Ella were not very happy with this new kitten in the house, they both quickly welcomed him into our furry family. 

Surprisingly, this kitten had no health issues and really took to the bottle. It took some time for him to learn how to use the right muscles to poop but Sylvi, being such a great big bro, taught him how to use the liter box and was the first one to show him love. 

We named this kitten Asher which in Hebrew means happy and blessed. 

Asher was no more than two weeks old when he came into our life. It was incredible to see him grow, develop and learn over the first few weeks with us. He had the most beautiful blue eyes. He has been a lot of fun and he loves Ella and Sylvi. They both take such good care of him and they all love to play (and snuggle) together. He recently got neutered and he is such a fun, wild, playful and happy kitten. 

He loves to play and he has the most adorable squeak that he makes when he gets excited. He recently learned how to jump on to tables and counters, how to drink from the faucet (Madison taught him this) and he loves kneading and sleeping in Campy's bed. Campy isn't comfortable with any of the cats (except Ella) so anytime Sylvi comes close to Campy, Campy gets up and walks away. Maybe one day Asher will win over Campy's heart. Asher does not like wet food (only dry food) and loves to talk to us in his own sweet language of crying and squeaking. 

We are so lucky that all of our cats get along and that we have the means (and help) to take care of our furry family of five. 

The story of Sylvi

 

It was Friday morning, September 18th, 2020. With my swimsuit on under my clothes at home, it was nearing 7:30 and I was ready for our morning swim. But Karel suggested that we run instead of swimming. Since we had a 2.4 mile open water swim event the next day, I welcomed this change in our normal routine. 

I changed into my run gear and did a mobility routine before heading outside. Karel left around 30 minutes before I did so I had no idea what route he was planning to run (although we both had a similar interval workout). 

Without a clear idea of which route I would run, I started running on one of my go-to run routes before heading on to the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Typically I stay on the road (for the terrain changes) but for some reason, my legs took my on the Swamp Rabbit Trail towards Traveler's Rest. I hardly ever run that way but something told me to go in that direction. 

As I started my main set of intervals, I noticed in the distance that a few people were looking into the bushes on the right of the trail (near the main road). As I got closer, I saw a small white-ish kitten in the bushes. I stopped briefly but didn't want to scare it so I kept on running. For the next few minutes, I couldn't stop thinking about this kitten. 

The pile of bushes/limbs where the kitten was hiding. 

I turned around at the next intersection (the light by the post office in TR) and told myself that if the people were gone, I would try to get the kitten. For some reason, I felt in my heart that I really needed this kitten. I had mentioned to Karel several times that we should consider getting Ella a playmate (since Madison is 12 years old than Ella). I guess putting that thought into the universe brought me to this kitten. 

Another family was there trying to get the kitten but after no luck, they walked away. By the time I returned to the spot, there was no one around. I had never caught a kitten in a pile of bushes and limbs before so I wasn't sure what to do. All I knew was that I didn't want to scare it and have it run towards the road. 

After nearly 20-minutes of sitting quietly, listening to the kitten cry and trying to get the kitten to earn my trust, I had no luck catching it. I figured I needed some help so I called Karel. 

The phone rang a few times and as soon as Karel picked up - before I said a word - he said "did you get the kitten???"

Apparently, he ran the exact same route as me and saw the kitten a good 20-minutes before me. He was actually getting ready to head back out on the trail on his bike to see if he could catch the kitten with some food. I told Karel to drive to the nearest parking lot and to come find me. I told him that we are bringing this kitten home and not leaving until we catch him. 

Almost 10 minutes later (and nearly 30 minutes sitting with this kitten), Karel arrived with a paper plate and wet food. Karel sat the food down and the kitten immediately went toward the plate. Karel tried to grab it but missed. We both thought that would be our last chance to get the kitten. But the kitten was starving and couldn't resist the food. Karel kept his hand close to the plate and with one more attempt, he grabbed the kitten and was able to pick it up. However, the kitten was so scared that it bit Karel and stuck all his nails into his skin. Karel said it felt like his nails hit his bones. But Karel wasn't going to let go. Before we left, we made sure there were no other kittens or a momma cat around. 

I took off my run top and wrapped up the kitten in Karel's arms and we walked as fast as we could back to the car. We then drove home and safely put the kitten in our master bath. 

The kitten was so scared and it quickly climbed up the back of my dresser and into my clothes. Seeing how frail and boney he was, we knew he needed more food. We gave him more food in one of my drawers (where he was hiding) and he ate it so quickly...and then fell asleep. 

He looked to be only a few months old but very malnourished and scraped up from being in the bushes. We turned our master bath into a "kitten" room and kept the kitten there for a few days until we could make a vet appointment. We were a bit nervous to introduce this kitten to Madison (our oldest cat) but we were even more nervous about Ella and whether or not she would accept this new kitten. 

When Sylvi first met Ella. 

After a few days, this kitten finally had a name (and a gender). His name is Sylvi. 

Sylvilagus aquaticus is another name for The Swamp Rabbit (which is where we found him - on the Swamp Rabbit Trail). We call him Sylvi (which is short for Sylvester). 

After Sylvi got the OK from the vet that he was in good health and received his first set of vaccines, it was time for Ella and Sylvi to meet. It was an instant connection and they have been best buds every since. We love Sylvi's left arm - we call it his tattoo sleeve. 

Sylvi is the sweetest, most loving cat. He has the most expressive eyes. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body and he has never hit, hissed or bitten us (well except for Karel when he caught Sylvi). Sylvi has so much love to give but he is extremely timid and scared of strangers. He is always on alert and his ears are either up or down when he is scared. He likes to be up high on the cat post or on the top of the stairs (or staircase) or he likes to be under the bed or under a blanket. He loves to play with his toys (and strings) and he is perfectly happy playing with himself. We still remember when he was in the master bath and we would be going to sleep listening to him play with his toys all by himself. He loves to knead on us (and on soft blankets) and he does the cutest thing with his head where he will rub it on my leg as he curls into a ball. Ella loves snuggling and playing with Sylvi - they are the best of friends. His only downside is that he is obsessed with food. He is constantly hungry and treats every meal like it's his last meal. He has so much love to give and he is very special to us. 

It was the perfect series of events that brought us to Sylvi and we are forever grateful that he came into our lives. We love him so much and we thought our furry family was complete.......until I found Asher a year later. 

Here are a few of the many pics that I have of our sweet Sylvi.