some videos of Faith and the other kittens from when they were little! (fall, 2012)

Below is a very cute video of Faith from fall, 2012

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Here is a clip of all the kittens playing.

And another...

Ask and it shall be given you.

Ask and it shall be given you.  Matthew 7:7

Katherine desperately wanted a kitten. She begged, she pleaded, she prayed.  And God gave.

A notice turned up in the church bulletin about two weeks into her campaign:  "free kittens."  In the face of such a message, we had to check it out.

I started on the internet.  You see we rescued a dog from our school bus stop about 4 years ago and we had no idea how he would react to a cat.  He came with the name Hunter.  He is a medium sized dog in a large body (That's a nice way to say he's fat).  He chases squirrels and bunnies in our yard.  He violently barks at his mortal enemy -- the postman.  Perhaps he would try to eat a kitten.

The internet taught us the proper way to figure out if dogs can tolerate cats.  Introduce them while the dog is on a leash and watch for signs that the dog is overly interested.  Watch out for the dog lunging at the cat or being aggressive.  If the dog seems nonplused, that is a good sign.

We didn't want to get the kids' hopes up so Jane brought the kittens to our house during the day.  The dogs were leashed.  S'more was released from her cage.  She confidently strode up to the dog.  Hunter, the chaser of squirrels and bunnies, the defender of the house against such horrible people as UPS, pizza delivery and postal workers, tucked his tail between his legs and hid behind us.

We had found a kitten.  Katherine's prayers were answered.

Baby Pictures S'more and Houdini

Baby Pictures - Loki and Two Face

Here are some pictures of Two Face and Loki (The Kitten Formerly Know As Runt) when they first came to the Hampsons from the Haley's farm. They went from being farm cats to suburban cats. I'm sure if someone could have asked them, the kittens would have rather stayed with their mother and in the rarified air of the Haley's Coracle retreat home and farm. They look a little dazed at it all, don't they? We are so glad we got to keep them for awhile and so glad that each one of them has a loving home! We look forward to seeing your pictures of your special cat!

S'more's Story

My Story


I was born in early July of 2012, on Bill and Tara Haley’s farm in the rolling hills of western Virginia.

My brothers and sisters and I lived outside, with our mother carrying us from one sheltered spot to another in that special way that mothers have of not hurting when they pick their kittens up by the back of the neck using their teeth. Some of our mother's favorite resting places for us were in the barn under an old chest of drawers, and in the depths of a huge juniper bush on the side of the house.

The Haleys’ four children played with us a lot and we played with each other a lot as we opened our eyes and learned to walk and explore the big beautiful world around us. Mostly though, we loved to snuggle with each other and with our mom.

When we were about 6 weeks old, we went to live with the Hampsons in Herndon, except for one of my gray brothers, who stayed with the Haleys. We also had my big sister Faith along with us. What a change! First of all we went to the vet for the first time. We got poked and looked at, but the good news for me was, no shots. The bad news? We all had fleas! This news led to weeks of flea baths, until we were old enough to take flea medicine orally.  I was glad when all that was finally over and the fleas were gone for good!

We became indoor kittens. This involved learning to use a litter box (easy), and being held a LOT by the Hampson kids, Clara (11) Raleigh (13) and Truman (14). Clara’s friends came over a lot and would wrap us up like babies and just carry us around! It was great, and I think that’s why I’ve come to love being around people so much. It was also really comforting to have our big sister Faith with us. She would let us cuddle and suckle on her belly fur when we were homesick for our mom, which became less and less often as time went on.

When we first came to the Hampsons we stayed in a basement room so that we could get used to the way the house smelled and sounded, and so the dogs who lived there could get used to how we smelled and sounded. This gradual introduction to each other was a very good idea, as all of the cats and dogs got along pretty well. (Except when we cats would try to play with the dog’s tail - he didn’t like that too much.)

So I’ve grown and learned how to live with a family, and I’ve waited, and now I am so excited to become a  Stevens family cat!

I am told I am a very smart cat, and very affectionate and well-mannered. I promise to love and snuggle with you and be the best friend I can be. I only ask that you take good care of me, keep my litter box clean and my water bowl filled, give me a place to be away from the dogs when I need it, and pet me a lot! I know you will!

Lots of love and purrs,
S'more