10 years ago we moved to a property with 4 1/2 acres and several outbuildings. We decided it was time to add cats back into our lives so we adopted barn cats.

When you feed cats outside you can end up with more cats. One of the strays who wandered in was a large orange and white “feral” male. Eventually he warmed up to us and I named him Orange Kitty. He made friends with a long-haired, senior tortie, Isabella, who was part of our barn crew. They became a great couple and I would find them snuggled up together in the barn. A little over a year ago we lost Isabella. She was, after all, almost 17 years old. We had also lost our only other barn kitty a few months earlier, so now Orange Kitty was all alone and feeling it. I felt so bad for him. When freezing weather was past, I knew I would adopt more cats from the barn cat program. When the time came and I checked the adoption page, I saw a short-haired tortie named Samantha Billingsly (which I shortened to Samantha) who I knew had to come home with me and meet Orange Kitty. I adopted her along with a couple other barn cats. Orange Kitty got to meet everyone through their crates for a couple weeks until it was time to release them. As time passed and they all got to know each other, I began to find Orange Kitty and Samantha snuggled up together in one of the small dog coops they have for shelter in the barn. Every time I see them snuggled together my heart leaps. There could not have been a better outcome. Orange Kitty has a girlfriend again!