Click here to visit Joseph and Mary’s eight cats. Meow..........
MOLLY
Molly is now ten years old and still looks somewhat like a kitten. She is as feisty as ever. Many kitties slowdown as they get older but not our little Molly. I have seen many Calicos but I have never seen one that looks like her. She was special enough to have inspired a book series, and she is even more special today. She is our STAR!
BTW…… just like in the book, our nephew Gabe found her under a tree in the pouring rain one Halloween night. He picked her up and brought her to “The Home” to Mother Mary.
SALLY ANN
Our Little Sals. I was signing books at a Walden’s in Oklahoma City and the Second Chance Animal Shelter from Norman, Oklahoma, had brought some animals over for possible adoption. Many Molly Book signings were worked out in such a way as to give people a chance to adopt. Well, they had brought this little tiger kitten, and I just fell in love with her. She sat on my shoulder throughout the event and, needless to say, there was a ride on the Oaks’ bus to Tennessee in her immediate future!
Funny thing, at first I thought she was a boy and named her Boomer Sooner. Well, she turned out to be a Sally Ann, as Mother Mary eventually named her. She has become a very special part of our lives.
She is different. A little quirky. Sometimes it seems that she possesses an old soul. She is loving and sweet and beautiful — and I have never been sorry that I brought her home from Oklahoma.
TED
Theodore Eugene Bear. Ted E Bear. The Raptor. The Gray Area. What a cat. Big and strong and into absolutely everything. Maybe he’ll slow down in a few years but that is doubtful. Although he sometimes drives us all a bit nuts, we must admit he is the life of the party.
He was born at a neighbor’s place way out in the country, near our farm. His mother just kept having kittens. We would drive by and “OH NO” another litter on the porch! We would gather them all up and find homes for them. (We eventually picked up their two female kitties and had them spayed.)
We took that last litter home and raised them ourselves. We found homes for four of them and just sort of kept Ted. He was so cute. He looked like a little bear cub. I actually e-mailed Mary a picture of him with the caption, “CAN I STAY?”
Well……he stayed, and we love him dearly. (If he would just slow down a little…… RIGHT!)
BAYBE’
Her name started out to be Baby. Somewhere along the line she turned into a French Cajun kitten named Bay-BE’. Kind of like those woman talk in the Ya Ya Sisterhood.Last fall a neighbor brought her by “The Home.” She had found the little kitten shivering in our drainpipe. Well, we took her in and tried to find her a home. Many nice people volunteered to take her, and we were all set. Then we found out that she had a medical problem, which was at first diagnosed as a severe heart problem that could end her life. Well, we certainly couldn’t give away a sick kitten so we kept her. It turns out that she has a small hole in the ventricular wall of her heart, which can be dealt with. Although her heart sounds like a small machine shop, she seems as healthy as can be.
She is growing every day and she is just beautiful. We love her dearly. Our little Baybe’ has become just that. Our Little Baby. I think “The God of All Creatures” meant for her to stay right here in “The Home.”
Besides, she gives Ted a hard time and that is fun to watch!
BLACKIE:
Much like our dear Bud, Blackie just showed up one day. Like Callie Callie and LT we have no idea where he came from but he has become a good friend. he DOES live outside. He sleeps most nights in the garage on top of our Pick Up Truck which has now become known as Blackie's truck. He also helps Mary with the gardening.
LT, aka The Little Tyke. Now this one is some kin d of tough little cat. he has actually been around for years. NOBODY has ever been able to touch him. Not even Mother Mary. Always a joy to watch. I always feel so sorry for him because he seems so alone. When we don't see him for a few days we always worry that something may have happened to him and then all of a sudden here he comes looking for his food the Mary puts out for him twice daily. I could write a series of books about LT! he IS a character!!
Or as we call her. Callie Callie. Her favorite band is Duran Duran and whenever she goes to Vegas she stays at…… you guessed it, Circus Circus! 
The Old Pumpkin Kitty. The wise old Punk! The Big Orange. The wonderful orange tabby cat who was Molly’s trusted and wise friend in The Molly Book Series. I made him a Sage!
Many years ago there was just Pumpkin and Yuri. Yuri was a Russian Blue. Sleek, handsome and the color of blue steel. He was also stricken with kidney disease, and the vet gave him a short time to live. Under the care and love of Mother Mary he hung on for seven whole years!
“Omaha was one handsome cat.” That was how he was described in The Molly Books and it has always been true. He was the cutest kitten we had ever seen. 
Early this past year we lost or Bubba. He had developed a heart problem which the Vet's said was congenital but his real problems started after a vicious attack by a neighborhood terrier. Another example of how tough life can be for an outdoor kittie. We miss the BUD MAN!!!!!!!!
Beautiful cat portraits above by Ellen Schumm. Check her site at