Thanks for reading about where I started!

Purrs,

Kirby

Hi y'all - I'm Kirby the Kitten. I have decided to tell my story about being born under a porch in Appalachia to a really wild feral mama. I was afraid of everything - scary noises, creepy crawly things all over me, biting me. I don't want this to happen to any other kitten or mamacat if I can help it. I hope you can help me and other kittens like me.

This is a photo of me underneath the porch with my mama and siblings. We were scared, cold, and hungry until my human mama rescued us. She fed us healthy food, but we got parasites anyway. When my human mama bathed us, the water turned pink from the bloody flea bites. She held us close so we wouldn't become feral like our mama: born and raised in the wild and fearful of humans.

Our human mama took us to the vet. I didn't like that and my real mama would not go. After our check-up we would become adoptable. Not. All the animal shelters were full, and no one would take us. My human mama kept us. Kept us safe.

You can help my fellow feral cats (and dogs, too) by purchasing my Kirby Cards- featuring my hilarious adventures across Appalachia like I'm cliff hanging, mountain climbing and navigating rapids. Every greeting card helps support animal rescue partners across the region that give kittens like me a second chance. Click on Appalachian Adventures to see my cards. © 2026 Blue Ridge Books LLC. All rights reserved.

Then one night Murphy died. My human mama found him cold and buried him in the woods. Clancy disappeared. I think a coyote got him. Then my papa got killed by a car on Highway 107. Only me and my mama were left.

Mama was getting fat. she was lumbering up the hill to get fed. Pretty soon I had a whole new batch of siblings. They were born in a log.

The shelters could not take my sisters either. My poor mama! Winter was coming and we would either freeze or starve to death. We did nothing to deserve this. But guess what! My human mama took us with her! All five of us! But not every kitty is so lucky.

Me and my mama hiding underneath the porch

My mama keeping us safe

Family portrait. Happy.

My Story