Barbara and the Ellises: Furry Friends Fur-Ever

“Before having our three children, my husband and I shared our home with four cats,” Kari says. “Over the years, we've sadly lost each one, with our last kitty, Bear, passing away in March.

“Although we first met Barbara and her brothers at their foster home, we were already smitten! Her foster mom had written a wonderful bio, highlighting her affectionate nature, playful spirit and love of food. She had also posted adorable photos of Barbara and her brothers on Instagram. One particularly memorable photo of a post-bath Barbara, humorously captioned ‘Barbara is a hot mess,’ had our family laughing and imagining her living here. 

“From the moment she arrived, she seamlessly became part of our family. She has been a source of immense joy, laughter and love for us, helping us heal from the loss of our beloved Bear with her charming antics, playful behavior and endless snuggles.

“Barbara has a toy basket overflowing with toys. She likes playing with all of them, either alone or with one of us. Her favorite toy is a pink fish that’s nearly falling apart due to her constant ‘attentiveness’ and we often find her carrying it through the house. 

“She absolutely adores being petted and cuddled. She not only enjoys being carried, she’s fond of being ‘flown’ around upside down like an airplane! She eagerly flops at your feet for pets the moment she sees you, and at night, she moves from room to room for cuddles, then gently nudges you to lift the blanket on the bed so that she can snuggle up to you as closely and cozily as possible.

“Barbara has several endearing habits. From the start, she established a delightful morning routine. As soon as my husband's alarm goes off, she springs into action, follows him to the closet, the bathroom and downstairs for breakfast. Once he leaves, she returns to bed, waiting for the rest of us to get up and then faithfully trails us from room to room. After the kids head off to school and I sit down at my desk to work, she either snoozes contentedly beside me in her bed or tries to curl up on my lap or across my keyboard.

“At night, Barbara typically moves from room to room, checks in on everyone, and eventually ends up snuggling with one of us. She often sprawls across our necks, nestling as close to our faces as possible, or tucks herself softly into one of our arms.”

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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.