When I moved into my new home, I turned the third bedroom into a foster room and contacted my friends at the shelter to see who needed a place to stay. They sent me home with a pregnant mama, who gave birth about a month later to four healthy, beautiful kittens. Though my family has fostered many animals over the years, something about Sassy and her kittens captured all of our hearts. My brother ended up adopting two of her kittens, the tuxedo twins Tommy and Izzi, and my parents adopted the other two, Charlie and Matilda. Of course, I kept mama. Sassy has welcomed many animals of all kinds into our home since her arrival, gently taking care of each one so they feel safe and loved in a new space. She does live up to her name sometimes, though — if a dog is too loud, a cat gets disrespectful, or you come between her and her food, she pulls out the sass!

Namesake: Sally Fields’s character in Homeward Bound.

Best friend: Anyone she can mother.

Favorite thing: A warm lap!

Best quirk: She’ll come from anywhere in the house if she hears a video of kittens meowing!

While I was taking Sassy’s kittens back to the Humane Society for a checkup before adoption, I learned about Ramin, who was “celebrating” his one-year anniversary at the humane society after being born into their care and spending much of his kittenhood quarantined for ringworm. Knowing that I was going to be keeping Sassy and thinking she might like a buddy who wasn’t a grumpy old lady named Kira, I decided to bring him home. Ramin quickly became the heart of the house, bringing comfort to every resident.

Namesake: Ramin Karimloo, theater actor best known for his role as the Phantom in the Phantom of the Opera.

Best friend: The love of his life, Rosie.

Favorite thing: Living up to his roots and using his voice (his mother was a Siamese!).

Cutest quirk: If Rosie is sitting on a hard surface, he brings a blanket or something soft for her to sit on. This has included toilet paper!

While finally filling out the paperwork to adopt Sassy following the adoption of her kittens and subsequent spay, the staff at the Humane Society informed me that Ramin’s biological brother had been returned by his adopter. Of course, leaving him there just wouldn’t do! I brought him home that day and the brothers were reunited. As you can see, they’ve been joined at the hip ever since.

Namesake: Daniel Finn, co-creator of my favorite musical, The Clockmaker’s Daughter.

Best friend: Besides Ramin (of course), Marty! He also helped both Ellie and Maggie come out of their shells.

Favorite thing: Being extremely affectionate.

Cutest quirk: He sits like Smaug the dragon.

Rosie came to us when I received a call about a cat with a broken leg who needed immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, the break was so severe that her back left leg needed to be amputated. Thankfully, she was able to recover under the watchful eye of a mama cat and two boys who loved her instantly. Ramin in particular was never far from her side, and to this day the two of them are inseparable. Rosie also quickly took to our resident rabbit when she arrived; my guess is it’s because they both hop the same way!

Namesake: Rosie Cotton from the Lord of the Rings.

Best friend: The love of her life, Ramin.

Favorite thing: Finding trash to sit on. If there’s a piece of junk mail or a pile of recycling waiting to be taken out, she’ll find it!

Cutest quirk: She loves watching nature documentaries and crocodiles are her favorite!

While I was visiting the Humane Society for Sassy and her kittens’ checkups, I noticed a very sweet cat quarantined while recovering from eye surgery. I admit I didn’t think any more about him until I had my friend and current director of the shelter over at my house to pick up a spare dog bed. She mentioned that they had a cat recently returned for the fourth time who needed a home. At first I declined, insisting that I had a full house already. As I thought about it, though, I realized that I had the room and the resources to take him in. When I went to pick him up, I realized who he was and knew right then I’d made the right choice. Toby fit in immediately and thrived with the stimulation and comfort of multiple cats. He’s just about the sweetest cat in the house!

Namesake: Toby, Sarah’s baby brother from the 1986 movie Labyrinth.

Best friends: Ramin & Finn.

Favorite thing: Stretching his arms toward you to be picked up at every available moment.

Cutest quirk: When he’s nervous about going to the vet, he makes a clown horn noise.

Sam and his sister Ellie are Rosie’s biological siblings. In December of 2021 I learned that their owner had passed away, and with no family in the area, they had been left alone in his home for close to a week. We quickly went to his home, unsure of how many cats he currently had as he was a kindhearted gentleman and cared for many. After searching his home, we found two left and identified them as Rosie’s littermates. Both were pretty traumatized after their experience and it took months for them to even be comfortable enough to leave one room. Today, Sam is confident, gentle, and runs the whole house!

Namesake: Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings, though he also answers to Samsonite because he’s built like a suitcase.

Best friend: He has a love/hate relationship with Toby because they’re essentially the same cat — they share the same assertiveness paired with sweetness!

Favorite thing: Being my dedicated office buddy during teletherapy sessions.

Cutest quirk: After months of learning to accept physical touch, he now has a very specific morning greeting routine complete with kisses and headbutts that he makes sure you follow!

Ellie is a gentle girl who took even longer than her brother to gain confidence, but now that she has, she’s unstoppable! She runs around the house flopping on her back with her belly in the air and loves catching toys and (loudly) announcing her success.

Namesake: Elanor from The Lord of the Rings.

Best friend: While Ellie enjoys being around the others, she generally keeps to herself. That said, it was love at first sight for Finn, and she’s warmed up quite a bit to him — to the point that he’s the only one she’ll groom!

Favorite thing: Being told she’s pretty. She understands every word and will roll around the floor in joy as soon as she hears you say it!

Cutest quirk: She’s a big girl and loves her food. You can find her after every meal licking up the dregs from everyone’s bowls.

Marty originally came to my parents when my mom was contacted about a stray cat who needed a home. Though Marty couldn’t have been a sweeter cat and was a loving addition to their home, he struggled with anxiety and inappropriately urinated despite months of working with vets to figure out if it was behavioral, a physical issue, or a combination. As my home is set up to care for animals with a variety of needs, he ended up moving in with me while we continued to figure out the issue. We finally landed on the right combination of medications, and while every so often his anxiety gets the better of him, most days he’s the life of the house, getting into as much food-based mischief as he can.

Namesake: Marty McFly from Back to the Future

Best friend: Molly. He’s the only cat she purposefully cuddles up with!

Favorite thing: A successful attempt to steal food (he’s kept that stray cat mentality and excels at it).

Best quirk: He’s slightly doped up at all times due to his medications, so he’s just a big, heavy, chirpy, cuddly teddy bear 24/7.

A few days after Thanksgiving, I pulled up to my house to find my my next door neighbor petting a cat she had found wandering around outside. We have a few indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood, so I didn’t think too much of it and went inside after spending a little time with her. Over the next hour, this cat sat directly in front of my door and meowed insistently, despite my next door neighbor offering food by her door and my dogs barking incessantly at the sound of her meow. Eventually I pulled her inside, thinking she might be an inside cat who had escaped and she had a family who was desperately looking for her. Though I reported her to animal control, posted on social media, and put up signs, no one claimed her. Our best bet is that she was dumped, possibly because of her habit of inappropriate urination (as it turns out, she just pees standing up so a high-sided litter box fixed that!). After making it so clear that she wanted to live in this house, who were we to deny her?

Namesake: Marguerite Sears, another animal lover who often took in animals of all sorts.

Best friend: She and Finn hit it off from the beginning — perhaps because they look so much like one another!

Favorite thing: Observing the chaos from the safety of her favorite dining room chair.

Cutest quirk: She likes to grab anyone who passes by to make sure they say hi!

The night I had to say goodbye to my little brown tabby, Kira, another little brown tabby showed up on my doorbell camera. He was an obviously feral tomcat but proceeded to show up almost every night. Ten months later, I managed to trap him in the hope of Trap-Neuter-Returning him before a tropical storm hit us. I kept him in my office to heal as the tropical storm passed, and he took up residence in a desk drawer with an open back. Though his feral background made him absolutely terrified of humans, my security camera caught him rolling around and thoroughly enjoying the indoor life away from the perils of the storm. I knew then that he had the potential to be an indoor kitty who was safe from outdoor hazards. It took almost a month of gently familiarizing him with human voices and touch, but he eventually couldn't help himself and now can't stop headbutting and purring! Though he is still getting used to other humans, he's been a loving office buddy and a kind new friend to the other kitties. Junah is a wonderful example of how love and patience can truly pay off!

Namesake: Rannulph Junuh from The Legend of Bagger Vance (spelling changed slightly).

Best friend: Ramin!

Favorite thing: The space that has been affectionally named the "Junah Drawer." He likes to retreat to a soft blanket in there when the world gets a little overwhelming, but is quick to scurry out at the possibility of some cuddles!

Best quirk: Dramatic biscuit-making while marching around the room.

Imagine my surprise when I went to check the trap thinking I'd caught a tabby tomcat only to find a tiny pregnant calico! Emily had excellent timing and managed to get trapped just before the tropical storm hit. Unfortunately we quickly discovered she was infected with ringworm, which despite its name is not a worm but a highly contagious and persistent fungus. Poor Emily was quarantined in a walk-in closet for six long weeks to protect the rest of the crew, patiently enduring daily medication and minimal contact -- not an easy task for a kitty who wants to be held at all times! Her patience paid off and she now spends her days with Maggie and her nights snuggled up with me.

Namesake: Emily Gilmore, another spunky lady.

Best friend: Maggie!

Favorite thing: Being safely nestled in someone's arms.

Best quirk: Those great big eyes that make her look like a very expressive cartoon. You never have to wonder what she's thinking!

After Chili passed, Buns was very sad to have lost her critter room buddy. Though I tried to make sure her favorite cats visited her (Ramin and Rosie) as much as possible, it still wasn't the same. I mentioned this while out to lunch with a dear friend of mine, who noted the fact that they had an FIV+ clinic kitty at work for whom they had been trying to find a home for about a year. Muffin and Buns seemed like a match made in baking heaven, and our suspicions proved correct when they fell in love immediately upon meeting. Buns starting binkying again and even jumped into my lap in gratitude -- not something this independent lady has ever done! Muffin headbutts Buns whenever he passes by her.

Namesake: He came with his name, so I'm not sure of the origin. It certainly fits him -- he's as sweet as could be!

Best friend: Buns!

Favorite thing: Sitting on your lap on the rocking chair and watching the birds.

Best quirk: He has particularly protruding fangs so you get very gently toothed when he headbutts you.

Molly is my heart dog. I met this little ball of wrinkles completely out of the blue and I proceeded to shape my life around her. Cuddly, caring, and too smart for her own good, she’s both the very best and very worst dog in the world. I wouldn’t trade these years with her for anything.

Namesake: Molly Weasley and the Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Best friend: Lizzy!

Favorite thing: Getting her way. She is a beagle, after all.

Best quirk: She has the back of every animal who needs her. When she first met my parents’ tripod cat, Molly brought her all her toys because she could tell something was wrong. She stuck by Lizzy’s side while she was recovering from her HW+ treatment, and Marty is the only cat she allows to sleep on top of her because she can tell he needs her.

Lizzy has the distinction of being the only resident who I specifically went to a shelter to adopt. I was starting a new job and would be away from home more than I ever had been while Molly was growing up, so I knew she’d need a buddy. I went to the shelter and Lizzy was standing there, politely wagging. She met Molly and they bonded instantly. They look out for one another and make each other brave. Though Lizzy is the gentlest (and dare I say dumbest) dog in the world, the guard dog in her has come out a few times when the need has arisen so I always feel so safe with her by my side!

Namesake: Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice and Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist.

Best friend: Molly and my brother, who is her absolute favorite person.

Favorite thing: Walks and being within eyesight of me at all times. She’s a Velcro dog!

Best quirk: She chases a ball by flailing her front arms around instead of trying to catch it with her teeth.

A couple years ago, a few days after Easter, my brother called me about an abandoned baby bunny he’d rescued after 45 minutes of trying to grab her from under cars in the Target parking lot. Frightened, skinny, and with singed fur most likely from hot exhaust pipes, we quickly set her up in what had been the foster room for Sassy and her kittens. She swiftly became the queen of what is now known as the critter room, sharing the space with all different species of small animals as well as older cats who wanted a quiet, sunny place to sleep.

Namesake: Technically her name is officially Daisy after my favorite flower, but her nickname of Buns stuck!

Best friend: Muffin

Favorite thing: Messing up the blankets and toys immediately after I clean them are surefire ways to bring about happy flops and binkies!

Best quirk: She is VERY particular about her space. She has the run of the critter room (and the rest of the house if she wants it) and likes to arrange all her things in very specific ways. She’s been known to toss her toys directly at a hairball to alert me to its presence so I can clean it up immediately.

After Eddie passed, Brenda was heartbroken so I brought Billy home to hopefully be a comfort to her. While they got along well, no one could be a replacement for her beloved Eddie. One day while getting supplies at a pet supply store, I saw this lone zebra finch sitting on the very bottom of the cage. I learned that her fellow finches had been purchased a while ago, and to top it off, this one had escaped and was flying around the store for days before they were finally able to capture her. This broke my heart, and I actually ended up turning right around after I left the store to go pick her up. Beatrix happily joined the critter room, and when Brenda eventually passed from old age, Billy and Beatrix were the pair they were always meant to be.

Namesake: Billy Joel and Beatrix Potter.

Best friend: Each other!

Favorite thing: Billy loves building nests for Beatrix, and Beatrix loves sitting on her soft fabric perch and chirping to him.

Best quirk: Zebra finches sound a bit like squeaky toys, and though that may sound annoying, their happy chirps and Billy’s song provide a delightful soundtrack to the house!

When Steve the ball python passed after a long battle, I was pretty heartbroken. It wasn’t too long after, however, that I learned about a corn snake who needed a new home. Thankfully I already had all the equipment ready from caring for Steve, so Howie was able to come home immediately. Having him here has been a special experience following months of nursing a dying snake, as Howie has always been strong, healthy, and expressive. I was even able to confirm he was male after a DNA test on his shed, which was fun to discover!

Namesake: Howard from the 2007 film Death at a Funeral.

Best friend: As a general rule snakes should be housed separately, so he’s his own best friend! I might count but I’m pretty sure he only likes me because I bring him food.

Favorite thing: Hanging out on my bookshelf and cuddling up with the plushies while I clean his tank.

Best quirk: He’s very inquisitive and loves sitting on his rock (or himself) and people/animal watching.