Carson and Tessa and the Hills : Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail

“While we’ve had many beloved indoor cats, we’ve also fed numerous backyard and neighborhood cats,” Tracy says. “When we can, we trap them and either take them to where they can be adopted or they return to be neighborhood cats once more.

“In 2023, despite some household renovations, our hearts told us it was time to find a fourth cat who needed a home. Three-year-old Murphy needed a playmate (senior cats George and Dave seldom played chase or wrestled any more). We looked at several cats, but none of them ‘clicked’ as being ‘our’ cat until we saw Moses on Furry Friends’ adoption page, and went to meet him.

“He was very friendly and seemed at ease in the shelter environment with all of the other cats. We brought him home that afternoon and within three hours, he had settled comfortably into our clowder. By the next morning, all four kitties were bird watching together by the back door. Since he didn’t respond to Moses, and his demeanor reminded us of Mr. Carson from ‘Downton Abbey,’ a calm, dignified gentleman in an elegant tuxedo, he became Carson.

“Happily at home here, he’s everything we had hoped for: a loving companion to us and the other cats and a frisky playmate for Murphy. He has a goofy side to his personality, which is even funnier because he’s usually so dignified. And he literally wears his heart on his chest: a heart-shaped patch of fur that only shows when he stretches out on his back. He loves toys and romping around the house. He cocks his head to the side when something interests him, and can sit up if he spots a spider on the ceiling!

“Enter Tessa, who was originally part of the backyard cats we had been feeding during the winter of 2024. On Fathers’ Day, much to our surprise, she brought her kittens (we hadn’t known she was pregnant) over to eat. We subsequently arranged to to trap Tessa and the kittens, and although the kittens were adopted, the vet who spayed Tessa said she wasn’t friendly enough to be adopted, tipped her ear and returned her to live as an outdoor cat. We set out to befriend her, intending to take her to Furry Friends for adoption when she was ready.  

“By August, she was becoming a friendly, purry girl! And as summer turned to fall and the weather grew colder, we knew it was time to get her on the Furry Friends’ waiting list. While we waited for a space to open up at the shelter, she started trying to slip inside whenever we returned from feeding and visiting with her. She even came round to the front of the house and looked in the windows at our four boys. Although we looked forward to finding her a new home, she had clearly chosen ours!

“Finally, on the day we were scheduled to take her to the shelter, we brought her indoors and put her into the ‘introduction pen’ in the living room. After a short period of interested excitement, all five cats calmed down and began relaxing in each other’s company. We thought of canceling our appointment and keeping her after all, but reminded ourselves: ‘No five cats, and no more females,’ took her to the shelter and said a tearful goodbye.

“Tessa left a void in our lives, and we missed her terribly. After a week, we couldn’t stand it anymore, and asked if we could adopt her: as an indoor cat. She was delighted to come home, where she wanted to be, and settled in immediately! As much as she loves and snuggles with us, she loves her four brothers even more. She plops herself down to snuggle with them, and she romps and plays with the younger boys every day. Sadly, we lost George a few months later, but Tessa’s funny, loving presence helped all of us to cope with his passing. She is a bundle of joy in tortoiseshell fur, and she LOVES living the life of a pampered house cat!

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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.