In non-food news, we added to our family. We adopted this red haired guy – Avon!
We weren’t looking to add another cat to our brood. However, fate had other plans.
My parents were out on a long drive in the country along a busy road when my mom thought she saw a little kitten out of the corner of her eye. They drove back and parked the car. As my dad walked toward the kitten, the little kitty ran away. My dad was afraid he wouldn’t be able to reach her.
As he was walking back towards the car he heard one little meow and then a second. He turned around and there were two little kittens instead of one – a pale taupe kitten and an orange one.
My dad noticed that there was a box a few feet away, where a person had apparently dumped the kittens without food, water, a sign, or anything. Next to a busy road and with the closest house at least a half a mile away, the cats surely wouldn’t have lasted long.
At that point the kittens appeared to be just a few weeks old. They were both starving. My parents brought them home. And the kittens ate and ate.
Separated from their mother too soon, they pawed at their food while they ate as if they were nursing. My parents watched over the kittens and nursed them back to health.
Throughout the time that my parents had them, I received regular updates and pictures of the kittens. Immediately David and I noticed how much the little redhead reminded us of our cat, Spike. He was talkative, liked to sleep in a Superman-style pose, and was often pushed around by his sister.
The sister got adopted, and then there was one. David and I were won over by that little kitten face and knew he needed to be a member of our home.
We named him Purr Avon (Avon for short) after the British sci-fi character from Blakes 7, Kerr Avon. The day before my birthday, my parents drove little Avon to his new home to live with us.
Avon is terrifically sweet. I have never met a kitten who loves licking your face and chin so much. He actually tries to hold your face with both paws, so that he can get a good grip while he grooms.
He is a purring machine, and as soon as you touch him, he’s purring with abandon. My laughing quotient for the day has at least tripled since his arrival.
He has that kitten-style awkwardness that keeps him from having any catlike grace for which felines are known. As a callback to his time in a box without food, he eats anything that he can find, and he eats until the bowl is empty.
In addition to licking, he also likes to bite a little on your fingers. I’m trying to break him of the habit, because while it doesn’t hurt in the slightest right now, I like having adult cats who never bite.
I’ve been looking up advice on the internet and trying different things. But if you have any tricks that worked for you, please share!
We’ve been slowly introducing him to our cats, Spike and Jezebel, who are admittedly much less excited about the new arrival than we are. Considering they’ve spent fourteen years as a household of two cats, I can understand their trepidation and territorial feelings.
Outside of an occasional lapse of pouncing, Avon is doing a pretty good job of being slow with them and heeding their hissing when the time comes.
To see more pictures of Avon (and Spike and Jezebel too, of course), check out my feed on Instagram, where I don’t fight my urges to post adorable kittens doing adorable kitten-type things.
Nancy Bonsall
What a sweet story congratulations on your new baby Very lucky kittens to have run into your parents xoxoxoxoxooxox
Cadry
Thank you! We feel very lucky to have him as part of our family! 🙂
acookinthemaking
I don’t know how I managed to miss this when you first posted it, but let me say a belated congratulations on your new arrival! He is absolutely beautiful!
Cadry
Thank you! He definitely brings a lot of joy and happiness to our lives!
Bobbie || the vegan crew
Congrats on the addition to your family! The adorableness is almost unbearable. I’m so glad your parents rescued the kitties and found them loving homes.
Cadry
Me too! I am so thankful that they were out driving that day, spotted the kittens, and were able to wrangle them into their car. It is a blessing for all of us!
Shell
Avon is so lucky to have joined your famliy and vice versa. I look forward to watching him grow up.
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! Me too!
Katrina Fleming
Oh my goodness. Kitten purrs. Nothing in the world like kitten purrs. (And their spunky little tails are to-die-for.) Enjoy your new little puddy!
Cadry
Thanks, Katrina! That won’t be a problem! 🙂
thepeacepatch
Your parents are superheroes and you are the luckiest girl on the planet…congrats on your squealingly sweet addition to the family! 😉
Cadry
Thank you! I feel very lucky indeed! 😀
Panda With Cookie
Avon! He looks like a little George, the cat we recently adopted.
Cadry
George sounds very handsome! 🙂 Congrats on the recent adoption!!
glutenfreehappytummy
oh my gosh avon is the cutest!!
Cadry
Thanks! Yes, we’re all pretty in love with him here!
Vegyogini
Oh, goodness, I love kittens…especially tabbies! Avon is precious.
Cadry
Thank you! 😀
Maryann D.
So happy your wonderful parents saved the kittens. You have a beautiful kitty, enjoy!
Cadry
Thank you! I am definitely enjoying him! 😀
Amanda
What a great story! Avon is the cutest and the whole holding your face to give you kisses is adorable. I’m so glad your parents stopped to take those two in.
Cadry
Thanks, Amanda! I’ve never met a cat who is so eager to show his outpouring of affection quite like that. It’s pretty adorable.
Pamm Mosey
Who could do such a thing? But lucky puss to land in your home. Orange cats are the best – I’ve had a few, but none right now. Careful in a home with multiple cats, Avon will try and hog all of the food because he was starving. DON’T LET HIM GET TOO FAT!!!!!!!
Cadry
I have such a soft spot for orange cats too. Avon definitely has an appetite and is always way more interested in what Spike and Jezebel are eating, rather than what is already in front of him. Luckily, he’s burning every calorie that he’s taking in at this point, but that is something to be cognizant of in the long-term. Thanks, Pamm!
Caeli @ Little Vegan Bear
I LOVE HIM!
Cadry
😀
Richa
oh gosh. so cute! and such a sweet story. thank god these kitties got found and one found a way into your home 🙂
i don’t know about cats. but the ouch/ow yell worked for our pom and he was already an adult and not trained about these things at all.
Cadry
Thanks for the advice, Richa! I’m glad to know that method worked with your adult pom. That gives me hope for little Avon! 🙂
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Oh my. Cuteness overload. So great that you were able to rescue them!
Cadry
Thanks, Liz! There’s definitely a lot of awwwwww-ing going on around here these days!
Abby
1) Good lord, people can suck. Can you even imagine doing something like that? Ugh.
2) Thank goodness not all people suck and that your parents were there when they were, and that so many other people care and do the right thing.
3) OH MY GOD THE PICTURES!!! Way too cute, and a great birthday gift for both you and Avon. Congrats on the fun new addition!
Cadry
1. It is absolutely incomprehensible. I can’t imagine for a millisecond doing that.
2. My parents are helpers, that’s for sure. It’s one of the things I admire most about them.
3. Thank you! We are really loving his energy and zest for life. It’s so fun seeing things through his excited eyes.
Cheerfully Vegan
What a precious little baby!! Glad you shared him with us. I hope he finds his way into more pictures on your blog, not just instagram. 🙂
Cadry
I think I can manage that! 😀
Carla
So cute! My cat is also a people groomer, and I’ve had no luck breaking the nibbling. It’s not biting, it’s thorough cleaning around the nails… She does it more when I’ve been away, so I take it as a sign of love. If she does it too hard I jerk my hand away and say ow loudly, and she seems to be getting the point.
Cadry
That’s too bad that you haven’t had any luck breaking your kitty of the habit. I think you’re right that it’s thorough cleaning, or in Avon’s case it could be a byproduct of teething. The advice I’ve read online said something similar to what you’re doing. It said to howl like a pained cat when bitten and to leave the cat right away. How old is your cat, Carla, and how long have you been trying to break the habit?
Carla
She’s three, and I haven’t broken her. She only does it when she’s obviously being affectionate, so I just let it go, and yelp every now and then we she gets a little too vigorous.
Caitlin
well didn’t this post just tug at my heart strings. i knew about avon from your insta, but his story is just so heart warming and your parents are such amazing people. i’m so happy they found avon and his sister and did not face the demise the previous owners left them for.. ugh, people are such assholes. i’m so glad this story has SUCH a happy ending 😉
Cadry
I’m so relieved that my parents were in the right place at the right time to find Avon and his sister. When they were driving, they had my brother’s dog with them. So it was quite the car ride home with 2 kittens and 1 curious dog! It’s very disheartening and sad to think that someone could just abandon two helpless kittens like that. At the very least, you’d think they could have taken them to a shelter where they would have had a chance. Luckily, fate intervened and the kitties are both safe.
Laloofah
Congratulations! To Avon, not to you, because Avon is the one who just won the lottery! 🙂 I’m really happy for you! I don’t know the sci-fi show Blakes 7, but your play on the character’s name is so clever!
I have fallen far behind but it sounds like Spike is his old self again, for which I’m very happy! That was such an awful ordeal for you all (and I WILL reply to your email, it’s just been a ridiculous summer and I have sucked utterly at being able to keep up with everyone and everything!)
Have a wonderful time with Avon, I’m sure he and Jezebel and Spike will all be one happy herd in no time!
Laloofah
Oh, and it goes without saying that the heartless wretch who dumped Avon and his sister did an absolutely horrible thing for which there is NO EXCUSE! Your parents, in contrast, totally rock! Clearly, compassion is in your DNA!
Cadry
Aren’t you sweet? David and I feel pretty lucky to have Avon in our lives. Every morning he tears around the house with such joy. And Avon has a lot of energy then too! 😉
I wasn’t familiar with Blakes 7 either until I met David. It is one of his all-time favorite shows. We watched the entire series together last summer. It is definitely a product of its time and budget as far as effects go, but the characters, acting, and stories are all really fun and engaging.
Thank you for asking about Spike. He’s doing much, much better than he was when the whole trial began in April. However, I can’t say that he’s his old self again in personality or disposition. There are so many of his lovely habits that are still MIA. I hope with time that he’ll continue to heal, but it was hard to have someone change so completely overnight. It was a very long spring, that’s for sure!
Anonymous
OMG…..so cute!! Love cats that groom you!! So sad that there are cruel people out there, but glad your parents rescued the 2 kittens….& they both found loving homes. May Avon continue to up your laughing quotient!
Cadry
The grooming is very sweet. He’s very enthusiastic about it. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words!
marieroxannehd
I absolutely LOVE orange cats! I have had a white cat and a grey one, the only orange one we had we had to give it up because it sprayed and wasn’t fixed.
Becky
SO CUTE!!! I’m glad that the transition is going smoothly! A friend once brought kittens over to visit, and our cats did not take it well. Lots of hissing and spitting.
Cadry
Jezebel is definitely more unhappy about it than Spike. Spike has been wary, but also concerned and interested. We’re keeping them separated and slowly integrating them, and so far we’re still not leaving them all alone together. We were hoping Jezebel’s maternal instinct might kick in around a tiny kitten, but instead her cat instinct kicked in. 😉
Becky
They’ll sort it out, I’m sure. We adopted Agnes 6 hours after adopting Molly, and they still had to divide up their territory. It took them a few months, but now they are best friends!
Cadry
That’s good to hear, Becky! I hope with time they’ll all accept each other.
Kristy
Welcome, Avon! He is so adorable and I love that he grabs your face while he licks you. What a sweetie! I’m so happy that he’s bringing more joy and laughter to your home. 🙂
Cadry
Thanks, Kristy! This is the first time I’ve ever had a kitten. David had already adopted Spike and Jezebel and they were three years old when we got together. It’s fun to experience all of the energy and enthusiasm of a little kitten.
Thekitchwitch
Oh, such a sweet kitty boy! I am so glad you opened your hearts and home to him. How awful were those people to just dump those kittens like that? Makes my blood boil. Glad this one had a happy ending!
Cadry
It is absolutely mystifying to me how a person can just abandon helpless kittens like that. In the middle of summer and with no food, water, or shelter, the poor kitties could have been doomed. I can’t imagine how someone does such a thing.
Jojo
Eeeeeek! Kitten! This post is hella adorable, I love that your parents nursed the kitties back to health and that you found room in your life for Avon.
Cadry
Thanks, Jojo! I’m so glad that my mom spotted those kittens when she did. For such a little guy, Avon has brought a lot of joy into our lives!