Cats, Roses...and Books!: Rescuing A #Kitty, Zoie Joy a year later

June 19 is my parents' anniversary. A year ago today, we found Zoie Joy in a dwarf redbud bush in our back yard, dehydrated, hungry, lost and needing a home. She was a pound and a half. Now she weighs ten pounds! That day and since, I felt my parents gave me this wonderful gift. She's a sweetie and every day tells us in some way that she appreciates being in our home and being loved.

Her friendship process with our other two twelve year old cats, Ebbie and London, has been a gradual one. London has changed from a grumpy older cat to a buddy of Zoie's who is now more active and more sociable. Ebbie, who was struggling with arthritis in her back and a very still and inactive life, is more alert, more active and seems much happier, even though Zoie pesters her and she likes to escape her little sister now and then. All are thriving and now have their regular routines, patterns, and habits. I named Zoie after a character in one of my books who ran away to find her bliss. We added "Joy" as a middle name because that's what she's brought us from the first day we found her. Each day I'm grateful we found this little bundle in our back yard.

Here are some photos from the past year that show how much she's grown!