In the fall of 1998, our family bought an old farm house on 5 acres "out in the country". It was in terrible shape, to say the least, and we spent many days and nights redoing the everything, including the foundation, and adding a large addition. During the time that the house was unoccupied before we bought it, a neighbor had been feeding the outside cats of the former occupant, as well as many feral cats, in a shed nearby. One day, while taking a break from working, we decided to do a bit of exploring on the property and came upon a large, dark calico cat. We talked to her and were surprised when we heard a loud, rumbling purr coming out of her throat. (For me personally, it was the first time I had ever heard a cat purr!). I quickly ran to get her some food, which she accepted gladly, purring louder then ever! We approached her to pet her as she ate, finding that she was quite happy to make friends with us. Apparently she was one of the tame outdoor cats of the elderly lady who formerly lived in the house. I was so excited to find this kitty - she was the first cat I had ever been able to "experience", and I fell in love with her, and cats in general, right then and there! We continued to feed and pet her whenever we were at the house, so she stayed through all the construction and officially became "ours" when we moved in. I picked one of my favorite names for her - Katie.
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