That was a summer day and I was wandering around the countryside when I heard those tiny little meows coming from a bush. At first, I thought, “Nah, that can’t be what I’m hearing,” but the closer I got, the louder it got. I peeked around, and there they were: three scruffy little kittens holed up in the bush. They looked like a mess, and, honestly, they smelled pretty bad too.

They were huddled so tight in there I never would’ve seen them if they hadn’t been meowing their heads off. There were three of them: two black-and-white ones and a pure white one. I just stood there for a bit, trying to figure out what to do. For one thing, it was summer, and that bush was swarming with mosquitoes. And on top of that, these little guys were trying their hardest to act tough: hissing and puffing up like they were gonna take me down. It was kind of funny but also sad because, really, they were just scared out of their minds.

There was no sign of their mom, and they looked so weak and droopy: like they hadn’t eaten in days. After going back and forth with myself, I decided I couldn’t just leave them there. So I ran home to grab a bag, but by the time I came back, the white one was gone. I felt a bit down but figured I’d do what I could for the other two.

When I got them home, I set them up in a shoebox. I really wanted to pet them, but I didn’t make it, because they were still totally freaked out. Every time I came near they were hissing and puffing up like I was some kind of monster. I didn’t have any cat food on hand, so I whipped up some scrambled eggs. Let me tell you, they were starving. The second I put the eggs down, they sniffed at them, realized it was food, and dove right in. That’s when I noticed, they didn’t even have teeth yet!

Over the next few days, I fed them eggs, water, and a little milk until the cat food I ordered showed up. I also got them a cozy pet house and some flea medicine because, wow, they were crawling with fleas, and their skin was in bad shape.

Little by little, they started warming up to me. They stopped acting like I was out to get them and even let me pet them without freaking out. I treated their fleas and skin issues, and soon enough, they were looking so much better. They were tiny at first, but they grew fast, eating well and getting stronger every day. Once they were healthy, they started showing their true colors. During the day, they’d nap under the plants in my yard, staying out of the summer sun. But in the evenings? They’d go nuts, running around the yard and playing like crazy.

The two of them are pretty different in terms of personality. One’s a little bigger and stronger, while the other one’s smaller and more timid. Sometimes the big one would push the little guy around, but it wasn’t too bad, just typical sibling stuff. Most of the time, they were super close, eating, sleeping, and frolicking together like best friends.

At first, they were really protective of their food, growling and guarding it like they thought it’d run out. But I worked on it with them, and after a while, they figured out they didn’t have to worry anymore. Once they relaxed, they became the sweetest little cuddly furballs.

It’s crazy to think how far they’ve come. From those scrappy, scared kittens in the bush to happy, healthy little buddies running around my yard. They’ve brought so much joy to my life, and I’m so glad I decided to bring them home.