Hi! My name is Mari. I am originally from a small town in a small country called The Netherlands. Now, I am living in a bigger citty in a bigger country called Bulgaria.
I have two cats that - whether they want it or not - are now on an adventure with me as of 2023 after both of my parents passed away in rapid succession and I lost my childhood home.
Tommy
Tommy had been with us since 2012. One day, he ran into our house as a 3-month-old kitten and fell asleep on a mattress. Later, we discovered he actually belonged to our neighbor AND he was up for adoption, so we took him in.
Tommy is currently 12 years old (turning 13 this year, 2025) and loves getting pet! He is mostly a very calm cat, but he has his moments in the day where he will stick around me to get some petting. I try to pet him as much as I can, of course.
In terms of traveling, Tommy is... a disaster. He panics when I carry him around in the pet carrier - to such an extent I did consider rehoming him instead of bringing him along on our adventure. On the bright side, once traveling is done, he easily settles in and becomes comfortable where we are. We traveled from The Netherlands to Romania by airplane, from Romania to Bulgaria by taxi, and within Bulgaria by foot (that didn't help - I thought he was car sick, but that wasn't it -_-) to our current apartment.
Now, a year later, Tommy is completely comfortable. ^_^
Ricky
Ricky, my little princess, joined us in 2020. My mom desperately wanted a kitten to "lighten the mood" and help relieve her of the stress that it caused her to take care of my dad - her husband - after he became entirely disabled after a second stroke. She saw a little boy up for adoption and went to pick him up! Only the boy turned out to be a girl. So that's why her name is "Ricky".
Ricky is turning 4 years old this year. She is a very sweet girl, but also quite a hand full. I think she really misses the backyard we used to have. I mean, so does Tommy, but Ricky seems far more "bored" since moving. I'm trying my best to accommodate her, don't you worry about that. I give her LOADS of attention. I bought her two scratch posts, an automatic laser toy, springs, a tunnel, two window seats, cat treat dispensers, cat grass, an automatic rolling ball, an automatic string toy, manual string toys, a manual laser, a scratch mat, and I made her a ball pit. On top of that, she wakes me up at night. Every night. Every 2-3 hours.
I think moving certainly had an effect on her, and I feel so sad for her so I try my best to make her feel better. It's been a rough time, but I believe we'll get there. She does seem comfortable most of the time, and she loves lying in her window seat in the sun every morning.
Watch My Cats On YouTube!I post updates on my life with Tommy and Ricky regularly on YouTube! The channel is called Backyard Cats, as they originally had a nice backyard to relax and play in. Unfortunately for now, they are living in an apartment with no direct outdoor access other than through a screened window. I have every intention to change this in the future, but not everything life is in my control.
They're not really pets, as they don't live with me, but there are many street cats in my area that I help take care of. Mostly, this involves feeding, but I've also sprung into action for a cat with a broken paw and I've donated some outdoor shelters for the street cats in my city.
I would love to help more and provide a better solution to the situation with street cats in my city. I am hopeful that my online endeavors will allow me to generate even a modest income so that I could make more funds available for helping street cats.
If you would like to help, please consider signing up for an account on my blog. I ask only very little information and you'll be able to collect StarKittens - adoptables - using PawCoins that you can earn simply by visiting my website or leaving comments! Any activity at all will greatly help me. Thank you so much!
These are photos taken of street cats in my city. Keep in mind that not all of them have made it this far... But I am also doing this in the memory of those who lost their lives.