The origin story
Early June, 2004, four tiny cat heads bounce along sticking out of a suitcase carried through Baltimore’s Patterson Park. A mama cat, and her three baby kittens scramble to see where they are, and where they are going. Passing the tennis courts at the outer edge, and heading farther into the park, a loud voice shouts “hey buddy, what are you doing with the cats?” Shouting the command is a Vin Diesel looking, and persona’d man getting ready to play tennis.
A trembling voice with the suitcase responds, “I was going to leave them in the park.”
To which the hero responds, “No you’re not, give them to me.”
Our hero loads the entire family into his vehicle, and drives them to a veterinarian hospital where he has a standing agreement, and running tab for his frequent rescues. The family is cleaned up, checked up, and boarded while networks are emailed, and word spreads of three new baby kitties, and one mama cat up for forever homes.
A couple days later, a young man comes to visit. The entire family is gathered together, and brought into a small visiting room to meet him. The young man sits on the floor with his back against the wall, and the family is carried in together in a large carrier, sat on the floor a few feet away, and the carrier door opened. Mama, and two of the kittens are initially cautious, and hide in the back of their carrier, but not the gray one. The gray kitten ventures out into the room, and walks right up to the young man, and says, “hey, I want to be your friend!” Pure, friendly curiosity emanates from the little gray kitten, barely 8 weeks old. With more certainty than ever, the young man decides, “definitely this one.” And about a minute later he reasons the gray one’s especially shy calico sister will make a good balance of personality in pursuit of “two cats are easier than one.” Within another few days someone else forever homes the last two of the suitcase four.