After rescuing our little feral guy (Deuteronomy? Still working on names!) and adopting Jamie/Bartholomew last month, it quickly became obvious that we were probably headed toward a three-kitten household.
Two cats can work beautifully, but there is something about a trio that often rounds out the dynamic. So we started keeping an eye on the pet adoption sites for another kitten around their age. And because we have always wanted one, we especially watched for orange kittens.
How We Found Her
That is how we ended up finding Dunkin and his Donut Litter sisters at Susie Q’s Rescue in Madison.
We reached out about them about a month ago, but the rescue was overwhelmed with other issues and could not get back to us right away – which is completely understandable! In the meantime, the litter came down with giardia and had to be pulled from adoption for a medical hold while they were treated.
By the time the rescue was able to circle back to us this week, Dunkin and his other orange sister, Jelly, had already been adopted. But Munchkin was still available, and by her description, she seemed like the perfect fit for our little family!
So we made the 2.5 hour drive down to Madison, picked up our new little orange girl, grabbed Portillo’s on the way, and turned right back around to rush home and prepare for the giant blizzard rolling in.
Completely normal Wisconsin behavior.
Female orange cats are pretty rare
Most orange cats are male. The orange color gene is carried on the X chromosome, so males only need one copy to be orange, while females need two. That means female orange cats are much less common than males. Estimates vary a bit, but only about 20% of orange cats are female.
So yes, Munchkin is a sweet little statistical oddball, which honestly feels very on brand for this house.
Settling In
Munchkin started out exactly how you would expect from a confident kitten. She turned into liquid and slipped through the baby gate separating her from the boys’ area. She explored. She supervised. She tried to make friends immediately.
She is very social and clearly thinks everyone should be ready to love her on sight. Jamie’s response has mostly been polite indifference so far. Ron, our formerly feral boy, started off with a few warning hisses when she got too close to sniff him, but he has already settled down into mostly watching her instead.
That alone feels like a pretty big win.
After all the excitement of the trip home and her first evening here, she had a bit of a reset the next morning and tucked herself under furniture for a while. But once she came back out, she went straight back to wanting cuddles and attention.
So far she seems affectionate, curious, bold, and very determined to be included in whatever is happening.
Why We Wanted a Third
After bringing in Ron and then Jamie, we really felt like the group wanted one more cat to round things out. Jamie is friendly and confident. Ron has been using him as his guide to what is safe around humans. Adding a third kitten close in age felt like the right next step for the long-term dynamic, especially if she turned out to be social and playful.
So far, that seems to be exactly who Munchkin is.
Our New Little Orange Girl
It is still early, and everyone is obviously still figuring each other out. But the overall vibe is promising. Munchkin is settling in, the boys are staying calm, and the house somehow already feels like she was meant to be here.
We will keep sharing updates as the trio sorts itself out, but for now we are just very happy that this tiny orange girl finally made it home.
