Our Story

Many of you come to our page from videos of Archie and Bean. Miss Bean was a foster cat that came to me on September 11th, 2020. Her eyes were swollen and crusted causing her significant pain and discomfort. She underwent bilateral enucleation on October 28th and has been the happiest, most grateful girl since. She has stolen the hearts of millions across the world with her sweet voice and adorable meows. Miss Bean is where it all started.

Archie was the second blind cat that came to me through foster care. His story is much more complicated than Miss Bean’s. Not only did Archie suffer from the same eye disorder that Miss Bean did, but he also had a severe case of ringworm. He was being taken care of by another foster, Valorie, an amazing woman and integral part of Archie’s story. His battle with ringworm was long and he was not able to be transferred to my care in preparation for his surgery until he was totally cleared.

This took months of isolation, which had a tremendous toll on a cat that already suffered from the inability to see. He lived in a small bathroom for most of his time and unfortunately was unable to interact with other cats. By the time he came to me on November 21st of 2021, I didn’t recognize him as any cat I had ever cared for. He needed me more than I ever imaged.

At that point in my life, my small home was pretty overwhelmed with animals. I had rescued Little when I was in college, my significant other at the time had Cooper. Adopted a 125 pound German Shepard along with Miss Bean shortly after her surgery. Ducky was sticking around from a previous litter after being returned by the family who adopted him. It was an overwhelming space for a cat who was previously in isolation for most of his life.

I worked during the COVID pandemic waves and eventually took a break from nursing around the time Archie came into my care. We had the opportunity to spend every moment together and face all of his challenges as a team. The bond we share is one of the most authentic you’ll see on the internet.

A lot of people ask me, what happened to Miss Bean? In 2022, shortly after adopting Archie, I separated with my boyfriend of nearly 10 years. There were several things taken into consideration when we had to decide who would go with who. He lived on a property with a large yard, across the street from his mom who took care of the him during our long work hours. I was moving back to the city, and Rambo having to stay there was without question. It was what was best for him.

Rambo was Miss Bean’s first friend. He used to groom her eyes prior to her surgery and she would sleep rolled in a tiny kitten ball at night. He has always intervened when Ducky tries to sneak attack and he genuinely does not let any of the other cats mess with her. Even sometimes interrupting simple play due to his anxiety over her needing help.

Besides Rambo, when Miss Bean was adopted and started to really settle in outside of her foster room, she became bonded with my exes cat Cooper. It was certain that Cooper would stay behind, so although the choice was among the most difficult I’ve ever had to make in my life, the right choice was clear. Miss Bean had to stay there if I was going to do what was best for her.

All in all, I miss her every day. My followers comments on her videos bring me back to those sweet meows and nine out of ten times, it brings a tear to my eye. I am lucky enough to have gone through such a mature breakup that I am allowed to come and go as I please to see them. He has always kept me updated on their health and wellbeing, sends photos and videos, and has never tried to make me feel like less of their mom.

Archie actually benefited immensely from our separation. What I perceived as a cat who could not find his way was actually a shy boy in an overwhelmed space that he had trouble making his own. Archie learned the layout of our next home, along with two sets of stairs in only three days. He amazes me more and more every second we spend together.

Little also was always meant to be an only cat. I did not know that when Cooper came into the mix, but she has always been annoyed by anyone but humans. Their time together has strengthened their bond, and I think the choices we made ended up being the best for all involved.

For now it is Archie, Little, and myself. My goal one day is to be able to stay at home with the cats full time, with social media and merchandise hopefully making that possible. While I love being a nurse, I cannot deny that the most happiness I get from life is the time I spend with my animals and caring for cats in need. When I have a bigger space, I fully plan to go back to fostering with a focus on blind and disabled animals. I plan to continue educating people on how wonderful and deserving of life animals with disability are. Thank you for being here and helping me share our journey.

NAWS Humane Society in Mokena, IL has made both Miss Bean and Archie’s story possible. Support your local humane societies!