Happy 17th birthday to Peanut, Rolz, and Mia.

Our little babies, Peanut, Rolz, and Mia, are seventeen years old today! I truly can’t wrap my head around it. They have been a part of my life nearly 24/7, especially as I’ve been working remotely for the past several years, and I am so grateful for the time I’ve spent with them. It’s a bittersweet moment. This is the first birthday they are celebrating without either of their parents – Zee and Zoey – and the emptiness without them is still present every day.

Zee and Zoey were such a significant part of Peanut, Rolz, and Mia’s lives. They adored their parents, and there was barely a time when one, two, three, or all of them were not together as a family. I decided that, for their birthday, it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and share some pictures from when they were all in the same photo. Bear in mind that the earlier ones were primarily from before the days of the quick, easy digital technology we’ve all grown used to on our iPhones and cameras. Before the days when I (or Dan) would take dozens of images of a shot in quest of that “perfect one,” just because I knew I could use it later down the road for blogging, or because I enjoyed capturing a moment to share on social media, or just because it touched my heart and I wanted a photo.

Some of the images are from when Mr. Jazz and Harley were still with us, and later ones from when Kizmet and Jazmine joined the household. Sadly, even though our latest rescue, Shadow, was with us when both Zee and Zoey were alive, he was never in a photo that included the whole gang, so I shared one that included Zoey but not Zee, since he had already passed away.

Some of the photos are blurry, the lighting is awful, they have headlight eyes, one or two cats aren’t looking at the camera, or some other inadvertent nonsense cats do to ruin a shot. But that’s how it is. They’re real, and they show love. I hope you enjoy them – they serve as a reminder to take as many pictures as you can! You will want these memories to look back on, one day. And, as always, a Happy Birthday to Zeuss Catt, the fourth Zee and Zoey kitten who has lived with a dear family friend in Boston since his adoption in 2009.

2009 – My office companions. Peanut, Rolz, Zee, Mia, and Zoey.

2009 – Untangling Christmas lights. Zoey, Peanut, Mia, Rolz, Mr. Jazz, Harley, and Zee.

2010 – Our custom-created cat condo. Rolz, Mia, Peanut, Zee, and Zoey.

2010 – Waiting for dinner. Mia, Peanut, Rolz, Zee, and Zoey

2011 – Family birdwatching. Peanut, Zoey, Mia, Rolz, and Zee.

2012 – Another cat condo. Mia, Peanut, Zee, Mr. Jazz, Rolz, and Zoey.

2014 – Hanging out on “Big Red.” Zee, Rolz, Zoey, Mia, and Peanut.

2014 – A new toy and catnip. Jazmine, Zee, Kizmet, Zoey, Rolz, Peanut, and Mia.

2014 – Waiting for dinner, Part 2. Kizmet, Peanut, Jazmine, Zee, Zoey, Rolz, and Mia.

2015 – A forever-favorite moment. Jazmine, Rolz, Peanut, Zee, me, Zoey, Kizmet, and Mia.

2018 – “Big Red” updated. Zoey, Mia, Peanut, Jazmine, Kizmet, Rolz, and Zee.

2024 – Dinnertime. Shadow, Rolz, Peanut, Zoey, Mia, and Jazmine.

11/5/25 – Rolz, Peanut, and Mia share what will be some final precious moments with Mama Zoey before she passed a couple of weeks later.

Since Zoey gave birth to her four kittens on February 12, 2009 (apart from Zeuss, who went on to his forever home with a family friend in Boston), they have been bonded to her like glue. There is rarely a time she is not surrounded by one, two, or all of them.

Zoey, a few days after giving birth to her kittens on 2/12/09.

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Happy 15th birthday to Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss!

It’s the “kittens” 15th birthday! That’s a biggie! I’m happy and excited for them, but it’s also a bittersweet happiness, as this darn clock of life keeps moving ahead, seemingly at a quicker pace the older I get. I want it to slow down so I can spend more time with them, not less! Fifteen years ago, but it almost seems like yesterday… I will never forget the day they were born. Before that, Dan and I were on pins and needles, waiting for their birth. We could hardly wait to “meet” our newest feline house members and we doted (some might say, obsessively so) on Mama Zoey day and night in anticipation of their arrival. Read more

As my fingers type the words, Happy 11th Birthday to Peanut, Rolz, and Mia, my fingers have a sense of deja vu. The graphic I created for the occasion – didn’t I just do this a couple of months ago with the number 10? I honestly don’t know where time is going, or why it has to go by so quickly. I want time to stand still so I can enjoy my precious kittens who are no longer kittens so that a year passing doesn’t seem like mere days.

So much love and so many good memories. Happy birthday 11th birthday my sweet kitties and here’s wishing for many, many more. Happy birthday also to your brother Zeuss Catt, living a loving life with his family in Boston.

Happy 10th Birthday to my precious feline companions, Mia, Peanut, and Rolz!

No, no, no!!! How can it be that 10 years have gone by? Zoey’s sweet little kittens, four of them born on February 12, 2009, are now TEN YEARS OLD!! My goodness, such a blessing and privilege to witness every moment – from their birth (two of them were born on my lap!), to seeing their eyes open for the first time as they took in the amazing world around them (albeit a tiny box in a closet at the moment) and all the other sacred firsts. Their first wobbly steps. Their first taste of cat food. Their first playtime interactions. Their first exploration outside of the closet. Their first hisses and so many more cherished milestone moments. Read more