Donate
Family flowers

Family flowers

violetJust when you thought girl groups had gone the way of Crystal Pepsi and cassingles, I have good news.

The best sistafriends since the Spice Girls have arrived.

Gerber
Gerber

Like that other pop quintet, these girls traveled over land and sea other land to get to Tabby’s Place. This supergroup didn’t need no stinkin’ Simon Cowell, however: it’s homegrown, organic Georgia family music. Gerber grew her bandmates in her own womb, and now they’re making music across three suites at Tabby’s Place.

I know this will come as a great and terrifying shock, but sometimes I can be as daft as a brush. So when I first learned that a new family of cats from Georgia involved a mom and four daughters, I assumed kitten-daughters. These, however, are no bebes. Gerber’s girls would be shopping for her birthday card in the “To Mom From Daughter” section of Hallmark – you know, the ones  that say, Always my Mom, now my Friend, and Mom, I know I chewed your tail when I was a kid, but I’m so glad we’re friends now that we’re both spayed. (Hallmark really has a card for every occasion nowadays.)

The first Gerber baby, Daisy
The first Gerber baby, Daisy

Mama G is a mature three years old, and her flowery family – Pansy, Petunia, Daisy and Violet – has been with her for 2+ years now. Semi-miraculously, the family was kept together from the time of their rescue in Georgia, so we know with certainty that they’re kin and that they’ve been together forever.

So as not to unduly spice up their lives, we started the sisters’ Quarantine period in pairs. Since they’d spent all their Southern days together, surely they’d take comfort in one another’s presence, yes? No. Apparently the band was having creative differences, because these girls were more than ready to embark on solo careers. If we hadn’t separated Daisy and Violet, in particular, there would have been scattered petals everywhere.

Violet
Violet

And so, post-quarantine, the Flower Girls span the sanctuary. Mama Gerber can finally enjoy her empty nest in Suite B, where she’s primarily concerned with singing her song for humans. The divas Violet and Daisy are part of the wild, woolly world of Suite C, where they compete with our resident Aretha, Virginia; the gaga lady that is Hootz; soulful Sluggo; and a host of other large, loud entities. (And rest assured that they compete quite competently. Violet, the largest and, arguably, loveliest of the sisters, has a voice like a bell and a GIVE ME GIVE ME GIVE ME I WANT I WANT I NEED I NEED attitude that is pretty dang effective.)

Pansy
Pansy

Over in Suite A, Pansy is doing her darndest to cleanse the suite of its reputation for being the Cave of Shyness. She’s got her work cut out with her as long as she has neighbors like Dobro and Mae Belle, but she’s making quite a statement with her rubby-rubby-rubby ways and insta-euphoria when petted. Petite Petunia is a bit more circumspect, darting up for attention, then withering in terror when it’s actually offered.

If the rest of the girls are any indication, though, Petunia’s about to bloom big-time.

They love us, they love us not. No, actually they just love us. And we are helplessly carried away by the Flower Girls.

Special thanks to splendorous volunteer Jessica for the photos of Violet and Daisy. You are a wonder!

4 thoughts on “Family flowers

  1. They look sooo beautiful… You got a picture of Pansy-AMAZING! She has come so far with your TLC. I miss my foster girls..I did not name them in case anyone is wondering (cringing)!

Leave a Reply