When Grace Redmon and her father first came across Athena the cat, she was the resident feline at a house two doors over.
Athena was known for venturing outside to explore, often stopping by Redmon’s father’s backyard to enjoy bird-watching and neighborly affection.
“Athena was incredibly friendly. My dad would feed and pet her, so she made it a point to be there, especially when he got home from work,” Redmon explained. “She’d be waiting right at his door.”
However, around ten months ago, Athena’s life took a turn. Her family adopted two dogs who didn’t get along with her, leading to Athena being pushed out of her home.
Heartbroken, she started to sleep under Redmon’s father’s porch, where he suspected she might be expecting kittens.
“It was hard to tell, though, since she was so skinny,” Redmon noted.
One morning, he heard soft meows beneath the porch. Even though Athena had cleverly hidden her kittens, Redmon’s father couldn’t locate them.
Weeks passed until one day, stepping into his yard, he was greeted by Athena and her three little kittens taking a stroll. He quickly captured the moment in a photo, which he sent to his daughter.
A fervent animal lover, Grace offered to help bring them indoors.
Initially hesitant due to his two older cats, Redmon’s father was eventually persuaded by Grace. With her home already full, she knew they had to care for the feline family.
On a particularly hot and humid day, Grace captured the kittens, who voiced their objection loudly. Athena, however, happily followed them inside, demonstrating her friendly nature.
Despite her ordeal, Athena settled seamlessly into the new environment as if she belonged there.
Grace coordinated with a rescue organization to have Athena and her kittens – whom she named Zeus, Artemis, and Apollo – spayed or neutered and vaccinated.
They initially stayed in her father’s spacious basement, gradually being introduced to the resident senior cats. It wasn’t long before her father’s initial reservation turned into affection for the new furry additions.
Redmon, unable to adopt more cats herself, encouraged her father to keep them all, ultimately convincing him they had found their rightful home.
Although he initially considered adopting out some of the kittens, with a gentle nudge from Grace, he eventually embraced all four.
Six months later, the little cat family is thriving in their new home, integrating seamlessly with the senior cats, who have taken to the kittens as their own.
Athena, who never lost her affectionate demeanor, now splits her time between bird-watching and following Redmon’s father around the house, occasionally dozing on his lap.
As Redmon puts it, “Athena is now a happy and healthy sweetheart – her friendliness remains unchanged.”
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