We added to our family...but the story isn't what you think

We're returning from a hiatus that was forced upon us by bad internet and even worse life obstacles. Now, we're playing catchup, and we'll be starting with a big announcement that we thought we would be making weeks ago.

The initial plan was to release a subscribers-only newsletter called "Adding to our family," which would tell the brief story of how we unsuspectingly found ourselves thrust into the complexities of the Cat Distribution System, thinking we had everything under control, not knowing what actually lay ahead. Then we were going to invite our subscribers to join us for a livestream where we introduce the newest members of our family. During this time, we'd release some cat-related blog posts, which outlined the challenges of gearing up for a life of travel with brand new pets. After all, this was new territory for us, and far different from preparing for travel with pets we'd already had for years.

But, considering we got our cats on July 12 and were supposed to introduce them live on August 15, and so much has happened since then, we've decided to consolidate their story and share more of it here. However, we are still planning on holding a subscribers-only livestream to introduce the kitties, so if you're not signed up for the blog yet, plug your email in below to get notifications of our new posts and livestreams.

You've probably heard of the Cat Distribution System, the notion that cats choose their humans through diligence and relentless persistence. After losing Lily this past December, we had no plans to adopt another cat anytime soon, at least not until we finished our cabin build in NH. Introducing a new pet to a small space while fully mobile seemed really complicated. Plus we had to think about Tanner, who is 13 years old and set in his ways. We did, however, set off on our travels this year with a pact: If the Cat Distribution System delivered a cat to us, we'd take it. We were envisioning a more Dodo-style story, like "Couple on a hike hears meowing in the woods and is followed back to their car." Or like what happened to our friends and fellow nomads Jessica and David, who met a stray cat that wouldn't take no for an answer.

Nothing like that happened. Our foray into the Cat Distribution System was a little more digital than that. We suppose it all began back in December, when the YouTube algorithm picked up on Nicole's interest in live web cameras and her grief of losing her cat. Up popped Friends of Felines Rescue Center, with their 24/7 livestream of their free-roaming cats in two rooms of the shelter. The stream became a source of healing, but we watched the "collective cat," meaning that our hearts weren't ready to pick out individuals, especially not individuals that we could envision adopting. Instead, we got our little dose of feline cuteness and continued on our journey as a family of 3 for the first time in over a decade.

Then in the spring, we were out west and planning our return to New England. We needed to get repairs at the ATC manufacturer in Indiana, which made the decision for us that we would be taking a northern interstate to get home. Friends of Felines is located in Ohio, about 45 minutes from the Turnpike and close to the eastern Indiana border. By this point, we had been watching the stream fairly regularly and had even donated to them. We thought it would be fun to buy some supplies for them and pay a visit as we passed through the area.

You might think you know where this story is going. We went to "visit" and ended up adopting. Well, the story is a bit more complicated than that. June rolled around, and we were sitting in our Airbnb in Utah during our second axle appointment of the year. One night, Nicole was watching the livestream, when she noticed the most adorable cat exercising on a wheel. Suddenly, the stream wasn't about the "collective cat." Specific cats started tugging at our heartstrings. Further research told us that this cat had a brother who was also still at the shelter. We started watching him, too. After many serious discussions, we realized that our visit to the shelter might be a little more targeted than we initially thought.

But how would we do this? We had already determined that the timing was not right to get a new cat. We'd need to introduce them to the travel life, which not every cat is cut out for. Even assuming they adjusted well, we'd soon be transitioning out and building our cabin, which could give them some situational whiplash. This would be complicated with just one cat, let alone two! But we couldn't deny that our hearts were finally opening to the prospect of bringing a new kitty into our lives. Even Tanner seemed to miss the companionship, and the right cat might actually be good for him. We couldn't get ahead of ourselves because a lot still needed to happen before potentially inviting a new kitty or two into our lives. The shelter might not even want to adopt out to nomads! We decided to fill out an application, and if we were accepted, we'd take it as a sign that we were doing the right thing. Meanwhile, we kept watching our prospective kitties on the livestream, falling more in love each day.

You might think you know where this story is going. Our application gets accepted, we blitz east to go get our kitties, and we all live happily ever after.

You know us better than that. When do things ever go smoothly and undramatically? But yes, our application did get accepted. The legacy of Lily is strong, and it turns out that doubling a chronically ill kitty's lifespan and loving her through bleeding, incontinence, and tens of thousands of dollars of vet visits eliminates any hesitation about an alternative lifestyle. We kept in touch with the owner and made plans to visit the shelter when we arrived to Ohio.

The cats were very sweet and cute...but they 100% did not choose us. Funny thing about the internet is that we already knew and loved them, but of course they had no idea who we were, and they showed no interest in getting to know us. We tried coaxing them with scratchies, pets, and toys, but eventually we needed to face the fact that the cats we thought were for us, simply weren't. If we were going to introduce cats to the new stressors of a home plus the added stressors of a home-on-wheels, they needed to at least be bonded with us. We want them to be able to trust us so that we can train them.

We left the shelter disheartened, but all we needed was a regroup. During the visit, some of the cats did show an affinity towards us, but we didn't give them much attention because we were hyperfocused on the brother and sister. We took a couple of days to "review the footage" (aka watch the livestream back and see who was trying to connect with us) and let all the emotions simmer. Then we returned to the shelter with a shortlist of new kitties.

This second visit told us everything we needed to know. Of four cats on our shortlist, one bonded with us during the first visit but was fickle on the second. One was super sweet and loved Anthony, but her temperament didn't seem compatible with the nomadic life. That left the remaining two, ironically another brother and sister. The sister was the first cat to greet Nicole when we walked into the main room, and her bond never ceased. The brother immediately demonstrated the perfect blend of intelligence and affection - a very good set of traits for an adventure cat. We left the second visit with eyes only on these cats, and as Nicole said on the way back to the campground, "It just feels right."

You might think you know where this story is going. We go back to the shelter, adopt the kitties, and live happily ever after.

Well, it turns out to be a little more complicated than that. Even though the bond with these cats was strong, they had a "no dogs" flag on their adoption file. The shelter owner assured us that we weren't to worry because our dog is old and mellow and doesn't have the "dog" energy that these cats don't like. However, then the Assistant Director said something in passing that put us on alert even more: Before the shelter, they lived in a trailer. These cats were surrendered by a family that lived in a small space, and in that small space was a lot of energy. Multiple dogs, kids, and adults. We were reeling. Was there a scenario where their past trailer life would work in our favor, or would all the stress come flooding back to them? They had only been at the shelter for a few months, so their past would still be fresh in their minds. We knew we could give them a much calmer environment inside the trailer, but RV life comes with sights, sounds, and smells that we can't control.

We went back to our theory, that if the cats are bonded to us, they will trust us. If we show them love and security, maybe everything will work out. We still wanted to be cautious, and so instead of adopting them outright, we arranged to foster them and stay in Ohio for a little while to see if they adjusted alright before traveling with them. RV life might bring up complications, but the flexibility allowed us to be nearby when we needed to be.

We still needed to get our trailer repairs before picking the cats up, but we made a third and final visit, which we called a "bonding visit." Despite the cats being siblings, they were actually placed in separate rooms at the shelter because the brother was overwhelmed by all of the cats in the main room. Since the back room has no webcam, they kept the sister out front so that she'd make appearances in the spotlight. We used this visit to reunite them and test out the vibes of all four of us together.

This was the aspect that drew in a lot of attention, first from the shelter staff and then later the public. Two sibling cats that immediately bonded with us both, in separate rooms, not knowing that the other sibling was also bonding with us. It was all true. So often a cat will bond with one human more than the other (like the other cat on our shortlist who was cool with Nicole but thought Anthony was human catnip). These cats expressed no favoritism. Their love was also unwavering. During our second and third visits, as soon as they heard our voices, they waited by doors and windows to greet us. The sister, who is often shy with strangers, acted as though she had known us her whole life. We all had high hopes that this was a recipe for success.

We made a little compilation of videos we took during our second and third visits to the shelter. We watched it back several times during our time away getting repairs, and it was clear that the Cat Distribution System worked its magic in a mysterious way. We joked that Spirit Lily somehow got word to them that they needed to choose us.

Here is our foster-doption playback on the shelter's livestream:

You might think you know where this story is going. We picked them up, brought them back to the RV, and everything was purrfect.

Well...you're right. Turns out we didn't need to worry about the dog or the trailer, because these kitties knew they were home immediately. We tried to introduce them to Tanner gradually by keeping him separated by a gate, but within 45 minutes the gate was down, and it hasn't been put up since. The kitties were very happy to be back together, snuggling and grooming each other right away.

We stayed in Ohio for a little over a week before officially adopting them and setting off on our eastward trek back to New England. This was only part 1 of their transition, after which came the time to show them that their home...yeah, it moves.

We are looking forward to introducing Macaroni and Pickles (now named Mac and Piccolo) on our Meet the Cats livestream! As soon as we settle on a date, we will send out an announcement. This livestream is only open to subscribers, so if you're not signed up for the blog yet, here's the link.