Happy Tails: Rogue & Scarlet (Panizza)

From Parasites to Paradise: Rogue & Scarlet’s Happy Tail

By the Panizza Family

When tiny kittens Rogue and Scarlet were found under a shed and brought to the Little Elm Animal Shelter, they were dirty, sick, and loaded with parasites. When asked to foster them until they were healthy and ready for adoption, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. But from the second those girls stepped out of the carrier, they acted like they already owned the place. (Never mind that we already had three cats and zero interest in adding more!)

The next few weeks were a blur of medication, deep sanitizing, and endless litter box scooping. Meanwhile, our one-year-old orange boy Buddy (also a “foster-fail”) became obsessed with them. While the girls were in quarantine, Buddy set up camp outside their door, regularly dropping toys at the threshold for his new friends. Every time the door cracked open, Rogue would dart out straight to him.

Once cleared by the vet, the kittens got supervised run of the house, and Buddy officially appointed himself kitten-sitter-in-charge. He kept a watchful eye on the girls, intercepting them whenever they wandered too far and showing them all his favorite toys and bird-watching spots.

When the day finally came for their spay surgery, I dutifully returned them to the shelter so they could begin their adoption journey. And yes, I cried all the way home. Less than an hour later, my husband came home from work, took one look around, and insisted I go right back to bring them home for good.

We had worried adding two kittens would stress our older cats, but it actually brought total harmony to the house. Buddy finally has energetic playmates to burn off his orange-cat energy, allowing our two senior kitties, Ellie and PK, to nap in peace. (Plus, everyone is thrilled about the extra meal times that come with kittens!)

Today, Rogue has turned into a cuddler who sleeps right beside me and insists on playing fetch, repeatedly dropping her favorite ball directly on your hand until you throw it. Scarlet is our silly, floofy girl with big opinions about everything, which she shares freely in her squeaky little voice.

We may not have set out to adopt two more, but our family simply wouldn’t be complete without them.