​(Scroll down for video) Who among us hasn't added Cat House on the Kings--California's largest cage-free cat sanctuary, set on 2,000 sprawling acres--to their "must see someday" bucket list?  Cat House does important work in a beautiful setting--and how much more can a cat lover ask for in terms of an ideal vacation destination?  Purrsonally, we know that we love supporting a good cause!

Recently, the already pampered kittens of Cat House were given an extra-special treat--a colorful ball pit all their own to play with to their heart's content. 

Fortunately, someone was there with a camera to capture the fun as it unfolded--although we tend to agree with the videographer, who notes, "I would've thought the kittens would go crazy for this ball pit!" ;)

Still, time spent with kittens is NEVER wasted!  We hope you'll enjoy this one as much as we did.

Share this story with your furiends!

(Scroll down for video) The Homer's Heroes at The Feline Network of The Central Coast, in San Luis Obispo, California, are in the business of saving lives--one rescue at a time!  They offer spay and neuter services, cat adoption and support for adopters--and, of course, they have a thriving kitten-rescue practice!  Just take a look at some of the lucky kittens who've gotten a second chance in life, thanks to the Feline Network.

Polly--the "bottle baby" kitten featured in the video below--got a bit of a rough start in life.  Her mama died when Polly was only a few days old, and consequently Polly had no loving mother to provide her with milk.  But never fear!  Volunteers and rescuers with The Feline Network were on the scene to make sure Polly got all the love and nourishment she needs--and the resulting video (and Polly's ear-wiggling ecstasy when she finally gets the milk she craves)--are WAY too adorable (not to mention heartwarming!) for words!  Check it out! 

Long live the rescuers who keep bringing us happily-ever-after stories like this one to warm the hearts of cat lovers everywhere!

​Share this story with your furiends! ​

 (Scroll down for video) When Chris Poole, of Cole and Marmalade fame, arrived with his two sisters at a Northern Illinois home that had been recently abandoned, they were shocked to find, among the 40+ cats who were left behind to fend for themselves, a tiny kitten--only a few weeks old--who was in pitifully bad shape.  She was malnourished, covered in fleas, and had a bite wound on her neck.  Once loaded into a carrier with her litter-mates, she passed out and couldn't be revived for hours.  The doctor who treated the kittens advised Chris and his sisters that the kindest thing to do for the kitten would be to euthanize her.

But Chris wouldn't give up that easily!  After a bath to get rid of the fleas and some food, the kitten seemed to rally.  Antibiotics to treat the wound on her neck also brought the poor kitten some relief.  Within only a couple of days, she started to rebound. 

​Chris eventually found an experienced kitten foster mom--also a professional vet tech--to take the kitten in and give her the TLC she needed to continue to heal and grow.  The kitten was named Princess, and her continued recover seemed like a miracle.

Today, Princess is a healthy and happy full-grown cat, living a life of love and ease in her forever home!  Check out the full story below--and make sure you have your tissues handy! 

Princess's Cinderella story just goes to show that miracles are everywhere--when there are Homer's Heroes around to make them happen!

Share this ins-​purr​-ational story with your furiends! 

​​(Scroll down for video)​  Oil spills can wreak a terrible devastation not only on economies, but on the environment and any hapless critters that happen to be in the oil spill's path.  That's exactly what happened in 2015, when an oil pipeline explosion in Nefteyugansk, Russia nearly claimed the lives of two tiny kittens who found themselves trapped in the oil and were unable to pull themselves. out.

Fortunately for the kittens, local resident Anatoly Tuptey heard their cries for help.  Without thinking of his own safety, he plunged into the slick to come to the aid of the wee ones who wouldn't have been able to keep their heads above the oil for much longer.   "My soul could not stand the cries, I went to see," Tuptey told the Siberian Times. The kittens were clinging to a board in a flooded house. "One was up to its neck in the oil," Tuptey said.

Wrapping them in his t-shirt and trying to dry them off a bit, he took them to his home where he cleaned them up, fed them, and introduced them to his dog.

Today, the kittens are safe and living in loving forever homes.  Still, it's easy to imagine how their close call could have ended up going another way.  "I can't imagine how anyone could leave pets behind in empty, flooded homes," Tuptey notes.

The full video of this amazing rescue is below--and if you're looking for a story with all the feels, it's definitely worth checking out! 

A beautiful rescue story for the ages!

Share this story with your furiends! 

(Scroll down for video) The non-profit Cheetah Experience in Bloemfontein, South Africa is committed to protecting Africa's endangered big cats--including cheetahs, leopards, lions, African wild cats, tigers, and more.  Beyond protection from poachers, Cheetah Experience has also initiated protective breeding programs aimed at bringing the numbers of these majestic, endangered big cats up and ultimately releasing them into protected habitats that will allow them to live, love, and hunt as they were always meant to without having to fear human hunters or environmental encroachment.

Gemini is a little black leopard who was born at Cheetah Experience in 2016.  Gemini didn't get the best start in life when her mother rejected her as a cub.  Fortunately for Gemini, Cheetah Experience staff and volunteers were there to take over her care and help this black beauty live up to the full potential of her feisty personality.  As the Cheetah Experience website notes, "Although she is well known to be a bit crazy at times, when Gemini chooses to show you her softer side she sure knows how to win your heart."

That crazy and loving side of Gemini's personality is more than apparent in the video below!  We don't know about you, but seeing the obvious love and understanding between this human and the black leopard whose life she saved makes us feel warm and fuzzy all the way down to the tips of our toes.  Check it out below! 

​Now that's what love looks like!