As You Wish — Princess Buttercup

About two and a half months ago, I rescued another at-risk kitten. We named her Princess Buttercup.

At the time, I already had another singleton kitten, Peanut, who desperately needed a playmate. I had hoped that once quarantine was over, the two of them would become fast friends. Unfortunately, they weren’t the right match.

Peanut is your typical high-energy ginger boy—always ready to chase and wrestle. Buttercup, on the other hand, came to us with mysterious injuries and was hesitant to interact with anyone except people.

From the very first moment, it was clear that she had been loved by humans at some point. She leaned into my hands, pressing her head against me. She rolled onto her back and accepted a belly rub from a complete stranger in a strange place.

Watching her reaction to Peanut, I couldn’t help but wonder if some of her injuries had been caused by another animal.

At the shelter, her left eye was completely shut and covered in infection. As soon as I could, I took her to the vet. There, we discovered more scars, a puncture wound, and patches of hair loss across her body. She tested negative for common skin diseases, and the truth is—we may never know what happened to her.

A few days later, I took her to an eye specialist to see if anything could be done to prevent further damage. The good news was that she wasn’t in pain. The difficult news was that the damage to her cornea and pupil was irreversible. There was nothing we could do to correct it. Her vision on the left side is limited, but with time and a bit of guidance, she will adapt and live a full, normal life.

As some of you know, I wanted to keep my last foster, Billy Bob. But I had also made a promise: the next cat we adopt would be for GB (Ginger Bread), not for me.

In a perfect world, this new addition would be a good match for GB—and ideally, would also become my husband’s cat. GB is my heart cat, and I want my husband to experience that same kind of bond. It would be even more special if our heart cats could bond with each other.

I wasn’t in a hurry. I believed the right cat would come when the time was right. I didn’t know it would happen so soon after Billy Bob was adopted.

I still remember the first day we brought Buttercup home. After getting everything set up for her quarantine space, we were washing our hands when my husband looked at me and said,
“I don’t know, babe. I don’t know about her.”

I knew exactly what he meant.
He meant letting her go one day.

Since Peanut and Buttercup couldn’t interact freely, GB became the “buddy” for each of them separately. Peanut brought out GB’s playful side—the two ginger boys chased, wrestled, and even cuddled. With Buttercup, GB was different. He seemed to understand that she needed time and space, and he kept a respectful distance.

It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful integrations I’ve ever been part of—two introverted cats slowly becoming friends. Being a functional introvert myself, I can completely relate.

GB amazed me. He showed two different sides of himself, depending on who he was with.

Eventually, Buttercup began to warm up to him. Soon, they were chasing each other and gently pouncing. That was one of the moments when I felt something shift.

Is she the one for him?

By then, my husband was already smitten—but that wasn’t unusual. He had fallen for kittens before, just as I have. He wanted to keep Peaches and Shrimp, too, but in the end, he knew they belonged with their adoptive families—and he was right. They are both living their best lives.

We had many conversations about Buttercup. Bringing another animal into our family means more responsibility—financially, emotionally, and in terms of time. I also want to make sure I can give each of them the attention they deserve. Would four be too many for our lifestyle? Traveling would certainly become more complicated.

I told my husband that Buttercup was special—but ultimately, the decision would come down to how GB felt.

You might ask, what about what Buttercup wants?

Every kitten we foster ends up loving GB. He becomes their first “papa.” But they also go on to find their own families and adjust beautifully to their forever homes. Buttercup was no different—she adored GB. He gave her comfort and a sense of safety.

There were many kittens we wanted to keep, but if we keep all of them, we wouldn’t be able to continue fostering.

So when we consider keeping one, we really have to be sure.

The most important questions are:
Will this kitten be a great friend for GB? And how will she fit into our family?

And beyond that:
Could this kitten one day become a good “nanny” to future fosters?

Because of Buttercup’s reserved personality, we weren’t sure at first.

But when she met Charlie and Chaplin—our new foster kittens—I was overjoyed. She was gentle, intuitive, and patient with them.

Buttercup also loves being outside in the backyard. Twice a day, I let all the B’s out—BB, Phoebe, GB… and BC. Buttercup follows GB, and sometimes he pounces out of a bush to surprise her. Then they chase each other across the grass.

And every time, I find myself smiling.

What more could I ask for?
What am I waiting for?

On a side note, Peanut was adopted by a family who had recently adopted another kitten, Peaches, from me. Mom flew in from another state—twice—to adopt two ginger babies, and now they are best buddies. Even though I originally rescued Buttercup for Peanut, fate had other plans.

I named Buttercup so she would go with Peanut—Peanut Butter. But it turns out, Bread goes just as perfectly with Butter.

So today, we officially welcome Princess Buttercup to our family.

With Bread and Butter…
let’s make a toast. 🧡