04/07/2026
One of my personal cats, Boma, passed away very suddenly on the morning of April 3rd.
Some might be wondering why I would mention that here, but to me it’s simple: Boma was the third ever cat I rescued. I met him when I was 18 and brought him home when I was 19. Back then, I figured me rescuing cats would just mean accumulating them until I ran out of room. I dreamed of one day being able to foster for someone else’s rescue but never dreamed I’d be able to do any of what I’ve done myself. At the age of 18 I watched Boma, an incredibly outgoing and snuggly kitten, be tossed outside with no consideration for what was best for him. Seeing that as well as Boma’s perseverance was a key piece of me realizing what I was destined to spend my life doing: rescuing cats in need.
Boma’s start to life was rough; he was born to a feral colony in Garrett County, MD where shooting feral cats is legal if they’re on your property. He was taken in by a rescue, raised at a vet’s office, and then someone decided his new lease on life should be as a barn cat. He was terrified, then fearless, and that lack of understanding of what dangers existed as a barn cat around 50+ horses got him stepped on several times and upset many horse people claiming he was a hazard. No one cared that he walked around the barn crying or started hiding in the lofts or hay barns more and more. All they cared about was him being underfoot when he’d come to people for reassurance.
I brought him home way back then after the barn manager not only left him locked outside on many 20° nights, but also went days without feeding him. That inconsistent access to food led to lifelong food insecurity that made him the worst beggar but, even still, he never once got upset with another cat over food. Ever.
Fast forward to 2026 and Boma was one of many of my own cats who helped some of my older intakes like Casper, Bagheera, Pixie, Pua, Daphne, Sevika, and Fig learn to trust other cats (Casper didn’t need help with that part!) and live inside. He met many kittens and never batted an eye and also welcomed my first ever Florida rescue, Ahsoka, with open arms when I brought her home only 6 weeks after moving down here in October of 2021.
My rescue was named after BB, the orange cat featured in some of the oldest photos in this post. He and Boma were best friends; 2 halves of a whole. BB passed in September of 2022 and, while Boma was close with my senior boy Loki and long-term foster Bagheera, I always felt like he was forever looking for his brother. Now I can only hope they are finally reunited for some much needed snuggles and playtime. I know they’ve got a lot of catching up to do. 🐈⬛🪽🐈
