Once upon a time, a kitten named Tess lived in a barn just like this one with her mama and four siblings. She was a barn cat.

She wasn’t the cutest kitten in the litter and when the owners put a few kittens in a box to show the couple who was coming by to adopt, they left Tess out.

The couple came into the barn and coo’d at the balls of fur in the box but they weren’t sure which of them to take home.

Just then, Tess ran out from the shadows and over the man’s feet. He bent down and scooped her up. “This one,” he said, beaming.

And that is how our Tess came to live with us, 20 years ago.

She’s been gone five years but we still miss her every single day. RIP dear one. ❤️

And as you can see, she adapted outside the barn very well! ❤️