Location: Palmyra, NJ, USA

Iago and her redheaded sister Ginny were found as strays when they were 2-3 weeks old. They wandered into someone’s yard looking for a meal and were brought to the Animal Care and Control Team in Philadelphia, where our lives collided. I was looking to open my home to a litter of kittens, and arrived at the shelter half an hour before they were scheduled to be euthanized. They were unimpressive at first – both kittens were less than five ounces and blind with hunger.

Iago got her name from the uptight bird in the cartoon Aladdin, because those first few days all she was interested in was eating, and she clawed, wriggled, and cried perpetually to feast on her formula. That was six weeks ago, and she has developed into the sweetest, calmest kitten I could ask for. She loves to follow me from room to room and only cries now to be held (and sometimes for chicken treats – her favorite!).

She truly has a triumphant story – we expected the worst in those dark early days, but they have both proven to be fighters. We fall in love with her more every day and can’t wait to see how she develops!