Celebrating 15 Years with Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss at Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles
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.
We guesstimated Zoey’s due date as the second week of February so when I was awoken to a loud meowing at about 4:30 in the morning of February 12th, I took it in cautious stride. Zoey is always an extremely loud and vocal cat at any given moment she is not otherwise sleeping or napping, so I didn’t know if she was “just talking” or if something else was going on. She stopped her yowling, so I just assumed it was her being her usual vocal self, but when she came in an hour later her meow was much more insistent, and it was directed at me. She wanted me to get up and I could sense she needed me for something.
It was pitch dark. I reached for my robe I had waiting at the foot of the bed, “just in case,” and groped my way to the living room to see what was up. Zoey jumped up on the couch, so I sat down with her, which is what it seemed she wanted me to want me to do. I decided to lay down and she cradled into my belly while I held her close to me and petted her. She was purring like crazy and was very happy to have me with her.
I then felt her little body contort a bit, but she was still purring, and she did not move or meow in any sort of pain or trauma. It was still dark, and I was not quite aware of what was going on. I then heard a very faint, odd noise, which I did not quite recognize. I was not sure what was happening, but my instinct told me she just had a kitten on top of me!
I panicked and screamed for Dan. Because it was dark, I did not know where the kitten was or whether it was healthy or not, and I was worried it might fall on the floor. Not to mention, what if I had to aspirate? I screamed again for Dan until he finally came into the living room (we slept with a fan on, so he did not hear me right away). He turned the light on, and sure enough, she had given birth to a kitten on me! I had him get her birthing box and we very carefully moved the kitten and Zoey to the box and then brought them both into the bedroom closest, the place we had set up for her birthing, waiting for probably (and hopefully) more kittens.
Probably ended up being four kittens in total: Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss. We kept Mia, Peanut, and Rolz, and Zeuss went on to live with a family friend in Boston. Life quite frankly was never the same the day after they were born. Our house has been filled with all the love, joy, antics, and companionship that are part of living with cats. Except for Zeuss (who is exceedingly loved and spoiled) the kittens have been blessed to live their whole lives with their mama Zoey who still takes care of them to this day, as well as their beloved papa Zee who they were with until he passed on March 18, 2022.
Zoey, a couple of days after giving birth to her four precious kittens.
They’ve slowed down (slightly) but still have the same level of joy for snacks, eating, getting groomed, playing, and best of all, snuggling on the couch at night with Dan and me. I’ll admit, they can still be a handful, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Happy birthday, babies. We love you so much and wish for many more years together! Thanks for stopping by, everyone, and enjoy some photos of the gang to follow.
2011 – Mama Zoey with Mia, Peanut, and Rolz.
Mia, Peanut, and Rolz with their Papa, Zee, in 2013.
2010 – three little troublemakers!
Peanut, Mia, and Rolz – three spotted peas in a pod from 2012.
2010 – Mom, Dad, and the Kids.
2011 – Mom, Dad, and the Kids.
2012 – back when Jazz was still with us, as well as mom, dad, and the kids.
A full house back in 2014. Jazmine, Kizmet, Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, and Rolz.
Mia in recent days.
Peanut in recent days.
Rolz in recent days.
If you enjoy the Zee/Zoey gang and want to know how it all began, please consider reading the Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary. It’s filled with hundreds of full-color photos and charming illustrations, as well as an inspirational story of the feline-human bond and the feline-feline bond. You can find it here on Amazon. Or, if you would prefer an autographed copy, complete with a custom bookmark and a gift presentation sleeve as shown in the photo below, please contact me directly at info@zeezoey.com for details.
The book that will forever immortalize the Zee/Zoey family. The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary.
Happy Birthday to Mia, Peanut, Rolz and Zeuss! What an honour for Zoey to decide she wanted to have her kittens on you.
Thank you Memories of Eric and Flynn. It truly was an honor and something I will never forget.
Awww Deb ~ congratulations to you and to Dan … and of course to your beautiful family of much loved kitties, now celebrating 15 years of life and love together with one another and with you! Loved how you chronicled their story with words and photos, so very special. Gentle purrs for Papa Zee … and a faraway Happy Birthday to brother Zeuss. Hugs of happiness to all. (love from Ann and June)
Thank you for your thoughtful and sweet comment, Zoolatry.
Happy birthday, precious babies! ❤ ? ?
Thank you, Brooke!
Happy Birthday to the “kittens!”
Thank you, Island Cats!
happee 15th two ewe all and just think…next yeer
ewe can take driverz ED! ?
hope yur dayz total lee awesum, and make sure two
call de pizza pie plaze and hav em dee liver 15 piez!
happeez and healtheez all yeer long ‼️???
Driverz ED!! Now that’s something to look forward to!!
Awww, Happiest Birthday sweet ones!!!
Thank you, Brian’s Home!
Happy Big FIFTEENTH PURRthday to Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss, and may they enjoy in safety, good health, comfort, joy, and Love, along with their entire FURMILIES in both locations! My Elvis is 16 and a friend responded when I told her he will always be my kitten, that he’s a permakitten 😉
Sweet! I love the permakitten moniker!
Happy Happy Birthday to your “kittens”, what absolute beauties they are! We have kept an entire litter of feral-born Kittens we also still call, The Kittens. In our case feral mom, now spayed, declined all invitations to come inside, so we now keep her fed and sheltered outside. Plans are to include them in a future book, as your “kittens” are.
How wonderful, Leah! I’m sure the book will be quite lovely.
♪♫Happy Birthday to you,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday to you,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday Dear Kittens,♪♫
♪♫Happy Birthday to you.♪♫
Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week. ♥
Thank you so much for the Happy BD song, Sandee!
Happy 15th Annie-versary Miss Deb an Zee an Zoey!an all THE ‘angelss’ there two.
Awww…thanks so much, BellaDharma an BellaSita Mum.
Happy Purrthday to all of you !
Thank you, Mary!
That is amazing that they have even lived that long much less stayed together. My Chris will be fifteen in May. He is the oldest cat I ever had.
We are very blessed to have them, Charles. Happy early BD to Chris.
Happy 15th Birthday to you cuties!
Thank you, Ellen!
Happy Birthday. Congratulations on being able to spend your lives with your kitty mom and dad. We wish you many more happy years together. ???XOCK, angels Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta & Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer, Kizmet, Audrey & Raleigh
Thank you, Kitties Blue!
Happy 15th Birthday to all on your Crystal Cat-iversary! I am saving this beautiful post for Benjamin to peruse during the February school vacation visit. He will adore your delightful kittens to cats photos and enlightening commentary. This may also be a reminder of a book that I purchased for him a little over 5 years ago. It is one that you, too, may own : “Walter Chandoha. Cats. Photographs 1942-2018.” by Susan Michals. Walter Chandoha (1920-2019) was an extremely talented photographer as well as an author : “Of all domestic animals the cat is most expressive. His face is capable of showing a wide range of expressions. His tail is a mirror of his mind. His gracefulness is surpassed only by his agility. And, along with all these, he has a sense of humor.” Thank-YOU for sharing!
Thank you, Ellen. Your comments are always so thoughtful and enlightening. I do not have Chandoha’s book, but I am familar with his incredible feline photographs. He does, indeed, capture a myriad of expressions.
Amazing that it has been 15 years. Happy birthday, sweet Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss! XO
Thank you, meowmeowmans!
Happy Belated Birthday to your beautiful family Mia, Peanut, Rolz, and Zeuss! It’s like what I do with texts sometimes, I mean to text back and don’t find the text till the next time I go to text again. So here I am with your post page open since you posted and I’m just now seeing that I didn’t finish commenting! I think it was the shock that it’s been FIFTEEN years since they were born! We love them and your blog now as much as then. I remember the story about their birth from reading your book as well. Here’s to a long long life ahead of them as well. Cheers! Brenda, Tommy & Teaghan
Wow, What an amazing ‘furmily’! Happy Bwelated Birthday to Mia, Peanut and Rolz!!
And may you enjoy many more such days!!