4:20
The new house came with sixteen feral cats
When Emily moved into her new home, the yard was already taken. Sixteen feral cats lived out there, and she wasn't sure they would want her around. more
She was the newcomer, so she put in the time. At first the cats didn't want people getting too close, but Emily came out to her driveway again and again. Little by little they began to trust her. Before long she could say "Hi, Dusty!" to one of them, and some even sat in her lap.
The cats already had a spot of their own. The home's former owner used to feed them in an old shed in the backyard. It wasn't the best setup. The shed got cold in winter, and it didn't even have doors.
Moving them into the house was out, too. These were feral cats who wanted to roam, and there were 16 of them. So Emily had an idea. She would turn the old shed into a dream house for the cats, and she and her family went shopping while the cats waited to see what they would bring back.
After a lot of work, the shed was done. It has cozy blankets and cat trees, plus a bed and a bowl just for them. The cats are still free to roam outside, but whenever they want to come in, the place is theirs.
SaveSixteen cats make quite a crowd. They come in orange, white, gray and tabby, with several fluffy orange cats among them, and plenty of them like to lounge together on the pavement outside.
The biggest change is in the cats themselves. These 16 were once afraid of people. Now, whenever Emily steps outside, they come running up to greet her. When she bought the house, she had no idea what she was getting into.
