Newsletter – July 10, 2026
I was walking down the street for my morning walk and there’s Tabitha sitting in the road in front of our neighbor’s house.
That’s an odd thing to do, I thought. Tabby, the street smart cat who avoids all human contact, who skulks under shrubs, and vanishes into the ravine on a moment’s notice. What’s she doing in the street?
I coaxed her back to the house and she followed along the edge of the house under the bushes, no surprise there, and settled on to the front porch to eat the cat food I had out.
Soon after she left, I met her in the street again where she sat and meowed. She’s not a very vocal cat so I was completely baffled by her behavior.
When Debbie came back from the gym, Tabby turned in the street and stood in the way of the Highlander, still meowing at me.
What’s the fuss Tabitha? What’s up with you?
Debbie rolled down her window, saying, “It’s like she wants you to follow her.”
So I did, and she led me up the neighbor’s driveway. (I’m currently watching over their house while they’re away, so no worries about trespassing.)
She led me down the side yard and stopped at the porch step where two kittens emerged from the hastas and settled in to nurse.
I sent pictures to Debbie exclaiming TWO KITTENS!
Finally, weeks after first seeing Rocket’s six kittens, Tabitha was showing us two more! (Rocket was also part of a two-cat litter.)
I got a few pictures of them nursing and her cleaning them before I continued my morning walk.
On the trail I met a friend who wanted to see the photos and I immediately showed her this photo of Tabitha lying on the step nursing her two kittens:
“Three,” my friend corrected me. “I see two tabbies and one black cat.”
I had to count ears and tails before I believed her. Where had the third one come from? It’s like she appeared by magic!
Go back and look at the picture of Tabitha cleaning her kittens, then look at the back edge of the step.
I’ll wait.
Did you see that little eye peeking out of the corner by the plants? Kitten number three.
Both mama cats have been coming by for food recently but we haven’t seen the kittens for days. We trust they’re well, but if were going to catch them, they have to come visit again.
That’s a story for another day.
TTFN
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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles
Eric Margerum 