Much to our surprise, Spot adapted extremely well to traveling life. But when she passed away a year-and-a-half later, we pinky swore that we would not get another cat until we stopped our full-time travels. There have been many times over the years that we have had to remind each other of our promise. The words—litter box—were usually enough to snap us back to our senses.
But…
When The Universe Has Other Plans
A couple of weeks ago while on my daily neighborhood walk, I heard a high-pitched cry. For a moment, I thought it might be one of the foxes that I often encounter. And then I saw it…a small ball of fur tearing out of the woods at high speed, heading directly for me.
It was so little. And so desperate. There were no houses anywhere nearby, but plenty of foxes, coyotes, eagles, owls, bears, and wandering dogs. I knew that little kitty didn’t stand a chance.
So it came home with me. We fed it, gave it a bath, and it made itself comfortable and irresistible.
Making herself at home
She already has Eric trained
This Is Magnolia
My friend Diana asked if the kitty was a boy or girl. I told her I was sure it was a girl because it had such a pretty face. “You’re looking at the wrong end,” she told me. Nonetheless, we named her Magnolia. And when we took her to the vet, we were assured that she is indeed a girl, and just shy of four months.
We tried to find out if she belonged to anyone, but she was either abandoned or a stray. We’re glad she found us and decided to make us her family.
Magnolia loves her cat cave and catnip stuffed squirrel
She is affectionate, adorable, and hilarious. She entertains us for hours diving in and out of her cave, tossing her squirrel up into the air and snagging it with a paw, and racing through the house at lightning speed. She’s just what we need right now.
Here to stay
P.S. We are still planning to travel when the time is right, all three of us.
Haha! looking forward to your three-some adventures :)
She is adorbs! Love the cat cave!
Thanks, Karen. She loves her cat cave and is so hilarious playing in it!
Haha is right, Terri! There are definitely adventures ahead!
Oh what a sweetheart! I so miss having a cat. We traveled with 2 and then 1. My Jeremy was 18 when he left us. I want another one but those 2 words, litter box, have been the glitch. I didn’t mind it, always had cats. But Mo is a no go. She decided I needed a little dog instead. I was not happy. But I went to the shelter anyway. You have met the rest of the story. I love Mattie, but I miss my kitty life a lot. Some compromises are harder than others. Especially when I am the one compromising.
Sue, I remember you telling us about Jeremy and what a special cat he was. Mattie is definitely a special little dog, so cute and so much personality! Maybe one of these days Mattie will get a pet kitty, lol! And I understand exactly what you mean about some compromises being harder than others. :-)
She is beautiful! I found our Tigger in a tire at our shop at Cantrell-Buckley Park while I was a Park Ranger there. He was a great cat who acted more like a dog and just so handsome. He would go on walks with us everyday in the park after we closed the gates. He’d get around the lower deck by the playground and lay out in the road before us just waiting for Morey to pick him up, always too exhausted to go on. He’d make us laugh. I am so Thankful we have Ruger now who keeps us sane and makes us laugh during these crazy times. Enjoy Magnolia, hugs to the three of you.
Aww, thanks, Brenda! That is such a sweet story about Tigger. I’m hoping Magnolia will be one of those cats that acts like a dog and will enjoy going on walks with us. Hugs to you guys and Ruger!
How adorable! What a beautiful story. I too was ‘chosen’ by my cat, Miss Kitty 4 years ago. I am so happy for you. The photo of your husband with Magnolia sleeping on his lap is just as adorable as can be. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to the photos of your trips together.
Christine Duval
Tucson, AZ
Christine, I love that you were chosen by Miss Kitty. It’s hard to say ‘no’ when we’re clearly chosen! Magnolia figured out right away that Eric is a good napping partner. :-)
That is a sweet face and a nice addition.
Thanks, Deb. We’re happy to have her as part of our family.
I 💜 her, and we’re still mad you waited until we were gone to find her. Time to get your Florida IDs! 😉
Nice! It’s just what’s needed these days. We talk about a pet once in a while and then remind ourselves that there is lengthy overseas travel in our near future…. All our best to you and Magnolia!
R & K, if we had overseas travel planned, we would probably have resisted Magnolia. Although it would have been mighty difficult! Can’t wait to hear about your travel plans!
I wish Magnolia had shown up just a few days earlier, Joodie! Then she could have met our extended family. :-)
She’s beautiful. Car rides starting right now (and maybe a leash) hopefully, will acclimatize her to life on the road. Can’t wait to meet her. Of course, I realize she may not be a kitten when we finally do. We can all dream of the “Time Beyond the Pandemic” as a positive place with lots of happy pets.
Sheila, her leash and harness just arrived and aren’t too popular yet. She runs around the house backwards trying to get out of the harness, lol. We only leave her in it 15 minutes at a time and are hoping she’ll adjust. Ah yes, the “Time Beyond the Pandemic” sounds wonderful, including seeing you guys!!
Perfect! What a lucky Magnolia to see the world with you two❣️
oh Laurel, She looks just like a little Jake who was 4 months when I got him. Maybe he’s back exploring the female side of things. Anyway Magnolia is lucky to have you and vice versa.
Ann, I thought of you and Jake when Magnolia came into our lives! You know how much I loved visiting with sweet Jake. Maybe it’s time for another kitty to adopt you?
Thank you, Leah. We’re starting her off with exploring the world as viewed from the screened porch. She’s pretty excited watching the lizards and birds and squirrels!
I love her! She has such a sweet face, how could you not keep her? And I love her pink piggy pads! We’d love to have a kitty, but not in Bijou. It will have to wait. :( So happy for you guys and Magnolia!
Thanks, Linda. Pink piggy pads, lol! Until you have the space for a furry companion, I’m sure you and Steven will get your kitty time by continuing to care for the strays you find along the way. :-)
Oh I love her! She is beautiful and I love that you named her Magnolia in honor of Magnolia bluff. I’m so glad she found you. I love the picture of magnolia and Eric! She will bring lots of joy!
Aww, Barb, I’m glad you noticed her name! Of course you’re right, we named her in honor of Magnolia Bluff. She is bringing us lots of laughter and joy. I can’t wait for you and Jim to meet her.
What a cutie and how sweet. When our dog passed we made the same promise. Although if a puppy followed me home, I’m not sure I could resist. Congratulations on your new addition!
Thank you, Ingrid. Magnolia made herself very irresistible! As you know, all promises go out the window when a furry companion decides to adopt you.
Congratulations – She’s perfect for you! I so miss our kittys. We acquired one of our most favorite cats in much the same way. We found him hanging from our kitchen window screen, peering in at us and hollering…..Our rule with stray animals was to always let them be for at least a day or so in case they were “traveling”, so we turned off the kitchen lights and moved to the den for the evening. He appeared at the window there in the same position, continuing to speak loudly – “let me in you fools!” Off to bed we went, trying to ignore him. The next morning he came yawning and stretching out of the barn and ran to Dave, once again yelling. That was it, he was ours and we named him “Percy” (for his persistence) He lived with us for over12 years Your heart expands.
Our son and dil have a little boy that looks much like Magnolia. I get texts with photos of him regularly and they never fail to make me laugh!
That is a great story, Sue! Percy is a perfect name for that persistent kitty. I love that he had twelve years with you. I knew without any doubt that if I hadn’t brought Magnolia home that she would have been eaten by one of the many wild critters that frequent the woods here. She saw me coming and I was her ticket to safety, lol! We’re so glad we have her.
She’s adorable and I love her name. Here’s to future travels!!
Thanks, Les! Magnolia is a cutie and I think she’ll be a good traveler. Fingers crossed.
My nephew has what was a stray cat. Sherlock was found by a neighbor as a kitten … had his tail apparently chopped off when he hid in the engine compartment of a car. The neighbor had too many cats of her own and asked my nephew if he wanted company (he was still a bachelor then). And thus he became a member of our family.
Sherlock is one of those opinionated cats who makes it clear that he owns “his humans” not the other way around. But that doesn’t
stop us from loving him … and his antics.
Erin, you know exactly what I mean by an ‘opinionated’ cat. Our kitty Spot was very independent and definitely owned us. Of course, we still loved her and enjoyed her company, but it was always on her terms! It sounds like Sherlock is a very lucky guy and found a great home.
First of all–your friend is hilarious. “Wrong end”–heh. Second: congratulations! When you are chosen, there’s nothing more to be said. You were clearly meant to be Magnolia’s family, and I look forward to meeting her.
Gretchen, I laugh every time I think of Diana telling me I was looking at the wrong end! I’m glad you caught that. :-) I think you’re right that we were chosen to be Magnolia’s family. I can’t wait for you to meet her, either on Lopez or here!
Congratulations on your new family member. How exciting !
Love.light.peace
❣
Thank you for your good wishes, Kathryn. We’re having fun with her, and I’m still trying to capture good photos of her. She’s fast! Unless she’s sleeping, haha.
Oh my …Magnolia. How perfect. I love stories with such happy and sweet endings. Thanks for letting us know how she wound her way right into your heart and home. CindyP
Oh, thank you, Cindy! We need stories with happy endings right now, don’t we? Magnolia is bringing so much joy to us. It’s wonderful to have a new family member after all of the loss we’ve experienced this year.
Nice. Cat cave! Joy to your world – bravo!
Your post made me so happy! We travelled in our trailer with our good ol’ boy “Woody” for two seasons until he was 19. It was amazing how well he adapted to living in the trailer. I still miss him–litter box and all. We have made the same pinky promise and I’m secretly waiting until we can break that promise and are adopted again.
Congratulations. Magnolia is a jewel. She definitely knew what she was doing when she followed you home Laurel.
Thank you, Nancy. I love that you traveled with Woody in his old age! It seems when cats are older that they’re often easier to travel with. We’re hoping that since Magnolia has a gentle, easy going nature that she won’t be hanging from the ceiling when we start traveling, lol. I hope you guys get adopted again soon. :-)
Isn’t that cat cave hilarious, Nancy? Magnolia knew immediately that it was HERS. She loves playing hide-and-seek in it. :-))
Mike’s kindle has the same magic sleep option
Hahaha, yeah! Eric’s Kindle definitely has the magic sleep option. He reads about 5 minutes and he’s asleep. Kitty is happy about that.
This is pretty much my favorite story of the year. You saved her and maybe she saved you a bit, too. She’s snuggly, affectionate, and entertaining. The trifecta for pets! I can’t wait to see you all hit the road together. Magnolia’s going mobile!! Give her some sctritches from the Greenes!!
Aww thanks, Laura! Magnolia says thanks for her scritches…she’s purring right now. I love that sound—it immediately makes me feel peaceful. She has added so much to our lives already. She’s such a mellow little kitty (except when she gets crazy eyes and starts going bonkers) that we think she’s going to be a fine traveler. How does Thor feel about kitties?
Oh I love love love little Magnolia! And I LOVE your story. It made me smile on a day that has been sad. (We had to have our very old, very big and very beautiful Horse Chestnut tree taken down today and it’s kind of devastating). I am so happy this little kitty adopted you!!! Adorable! Magnolia looks a little like our own Kitty Qbert. Thanks for sharing this joyful event and putting a smile on my face. Big hugs to you!
Janet, I’m so glad we (courtesy of Magnolia) could bring you some happiness on a sad day. Losing a big beautiful tree is so hard—especially one that has been with you for a long time. I hope Kitty Qbert is comforting you. Big hugs to you, too, my friend.
Lucky Maggie! She knew just where to come. Tiger kitties are the best. We were always dog people but were adopted by a very clever tiger who weasled her way in among two beagles and eventually became the boss. We called her “what’s your name? – Puddentaine” or Puddy for short and there has NEVER EVER been another cat like her. She hiked with us, never had a litter box, always went to the door and went outside. She was PERFECT! She lived to a ripe old age. It was our animals that kept us from full timing sooner. But then we didn’t only have a cat. We had 2 dogs, 2 burros, 2 horses and a hen house full of chickens to we planned while they got older and hit the road when the last one died. She is and will bring you great joy. Congrats to you all!!
How fun that you had so many critters, Sherry. I’ve always thought I would love to have a burro! But not while we’re in traveling mode, haha. I love that you had a tiger kitty, too. Your Puddy sounds like an amazing cat—I hope Magnolia will learn to hike with us!
We think Magnolia is lovely, and also coming into your lives fortuitously when you most need the grounding that comes from loving a pet. Maybe she is the tipping point to help you see that this is a place you belong (at least part of the year)? :-)
A Raven, A Chickadee & A Cat? . . . . Who knew? :)
Hahaha!!! That is perfect! Hope you two are doing well.
Shannon, Magnolia’s timing is pretty perfect, isn’t it? Just now when we’re in the throes of deciding what to do, and here this little ball of fur comes barreling out of the woods. She weighs just enough to tip the scales in this direction. Along with having you guys here, of course. :-)
AWWWWWW…what a cutie, I love that she adopted you and stole your hearts!
Thanks, Lisa. You know how much I’ve always enjoyed seeing your photos of your beautiful and adventurous Rosie. You inspired me to get a harness and leash for Magnolia (which she currently is freaked out by, but I have hope).
Little Magnolia – found on the Forgotten Coast. Perfect!
Suzanne, that’s so sweet…found on the Forgotten Coast! Magnolia is forgotten no longer. :-)
Magnolia is a beauty! We have also decided not to have pets at this stage of our lives. I probably would get a cat in a hot second if my husband weren’t around, but I’m – at least at this point :) – choosing him. I loved how she came to you for help and you embraced her.
Janis, go for a walk and have a kitty “follow” you home and see if your husband can resist! Hehe. Magnolia really and truly did follow me home, and that’s probably the only way we would have gotten a pet at this time in our lives. But then I started thinking…hmmm…if she lives 20 years like our last cat did, it’s a good thing we got her now!
Yes, you two are doomed – doomed! – as now a tiny ball of cute fur controls your lives (and Eric’s lap)! But Magnolia is an absolute heart-melter. We lost our long-serving (16 years) kitty at the start of the pandemic. Yesterday we finally went to the county animal shelter and found another little ball of fuzz to rule our lives. At the moment “Sofie” is hiding under the sofa as she adapts to her new setting and formulates plans for total control of her human minions. Pictures may be posted if or when she comes into the open. :)
Haha!! You’re right, Bruce, we are definitely doomed! Magnolia has gained control over us simply by being cute and cuddly and funny. We are now her slaves. I’m so sorry that you lost your buddy of 16 years at the beginning of the pandemic. But how wonderful that you’ve just now brought another little ball of fur into your lives. I love your description of Sofie plotting her takeover. Please do post photos of her!
Laurel,
This post warms my heart. She’s adorable! I am a guy unafraid to admit that I’m a cat lover. My big, fat, orange and white Wilbur lived with us for 17 years and followed me around like a lovesick puppy. He came to us when he was about two as a mangy, scrawny, mess. After a $400 vet bill, he used all six toes on both paws to rid our newly-built home of mice to pay us back. He died about three years ago and we have not replaced him. We’ll follow Magnolia’s journey as a substitute and hope we get to meet her some day. Have a fun weekend. Joe
Joe, I’m glad to hear you’re a cat lover, too. Eric introduced me to the joys of sharing life with a cat. Spot was part of his dowry, haha! Your Wilbur sounds like a delightful character. I’m sorry he’s no longer with you, but I trust when the time is right you’ll find another kitty to share life with. You will definitely get to meet Magnolia!
Well clearly “we all” think she’s perfect in every way! I agree with Sherry that Magnolia is one lucky kitty to have found you and Eric to be her family. She is quite precious :-)))
Aww, thanks, Jodee! We think Magnolia is pretty purr-fect. She’s a sweet girl and we feel lucky she decided to make us her family.
Magnolia is so adorable!! Of course you had to bring her home. She just knew she picked the right mother to cry out for as you passed by. She found her forever home. Hope to meet her one day.
Pam, I know you love kitties, and you most definitely will be meeting Miss Magnolia! It does seem like it was meant to be that she came tearing out of the woods at exactly the moment I walked by. She’s the perfect little kitty for us. :-)
I needed a happy story! Thank you. Have fun with your new kitten
Susie, I’m trying to immerse myself in happiness these days. :-) Magnolia has been an unexpected joy.
Oh, what a little sweetie! Kittens are such great amusement. So glad she found the right person to follow home.
Leash training can turn out to be good or bad. When we had Elvis and Sophie in our motorhome, Sophie wanted to go out constantly once she got used to the harness and leash. Elvis had no interest in going out until one of us took Sophie out. So in the end we wished we hadn’t done the leash training, although we felt bad for them living in such a small space and thought it would be a good thing. Live and learn!
There is the cutest and sweetest 7 month old kitten at the rescue right now. We are doing our best to resist but I know one day we won’t be able to. We would still like to do some traveling (sans RV) and it will be so much easier without having to make arrangements for a cat. Someday we’ll have another, no doubt.
If you aren’t familiar with the adventures of Nala the cat, check this out, especially the Youtube videos. https://www.1bike1world.com/
Enjoy your new roommate!
Uh oh. Now you have me rethinking leash training! Since Magnolia is going to be an indoor cat we don’t want to let her outdoors unless she’s leashed. It’s not a problem now, but I’m assuming it will be when we’re traveling. Our previous kitty Spot was elderly and we could run faster than she could, so it wasn’t an issue, LOL.
Sigh. I know we have complicated our lives by adopting Magnolia, but we just couldn’t resist her charms. Thanks for the link to the heart warming video, Gayle! :-)
Congratulations… Magnolia is going to keep you laughing and nothing is better that COL (Cat on Lap). She is adorable, so glad she followed you home.
Haha! I didn’t know the term COL, but it’s a highlight of having Magnolia around! We’re very happy she followed me home, Brenda. Hope you guys are doing well!
Congrats guys! She looks like a real sweetheart! You are all very lucky!!
David
Aww, thank you, David. I’m glad to hear from you. We’re still grateful to you for all of your kitty care when we were in Ashland. Hugs from all three of us!
Yeahhhhhh! What a cutie and obviously meant to be. May you have many travels and beautiful adventures together.
Nina
Thanks, Nina! We’re enjoying life with Magnolia and looking forward to many years of adventures together. :-)
Cats are the best!
Time for you to get another kitty, Henry! :-)
She is the southern girl that stole your heart! You have the softest heart. I think you just need another creature to warm you and be affectionate other than Eric :)
Im can’t wait to know where your route will be this year. Have you gotten your shots yet?
Oh, MonaLiza, you are so right! We are so attached to this kitty, and she’s so attached to us. We are trying to figure out our plans, and will probably start our travels with trips close to here so that we can get used to traveling again. We still don’t have our vaccines. :-(( We have to wait until we can prove Florida residency. It’s an ordeal.