We were determined to take a break this winter, for the first time in over 7 years. We dreamed of not having to do vet runs every week or having to beg for donations for awhile, but when a call came in to help a feral kitten who was rescued trying to warm himself inside a truck engine, one look at his face and we knew we just couldn't say no.

©2018 Robin AF Olson. The engine where Pistachio was found.

His name is Pistachio. He was feral, filthy and had a HUGE belly that told us he probably had lots of parasites inside him. We got to work right away, de-worming him, then giving bath after bath as he purged the parasites and began to smell more like a kitten and less like a diesel engine.

©2018 Robin AF Olson. On intake day and one week later, Pistachio begins to blossom.

What we didn't know is this feral kitten loved to be brushed. He loved to be held after only a day or two of being afraid. In all the years and over 500 foster kittens, this guy socialized very fast. And as the grime washed away and he began to gain some measure of health and vitality, we were completely captivated by how adorable he was.

©2018 Robin AF Olson. We're pretty sure 'stache is the cutest kitten on the internet!

Pistachio has been with us for just two weeks. He needed to see the vet 5 times to make sure he was recovering from the ill effects of parasites. There are two more siblings on the property where Pistachio was found. We're going to try to trap them (again) in a few days. In the meantime, we need to have funds available to provide for Pistachio's continued care, and have some set aside for his family once we trap them (Mom, too).

You can help by Making a Gift Here for as little as $1. to whatever amount you wish.. You can purchase a gift for Pistachio from our Amazon.com Wishlist or visit our Target Gift Registry, too. Everything helps make it possible for us to save more lives and celebrate the journey of these little lives to wellness and one day, to finding their forever home.

It's been a whirlwind since the #SweetSuperheroes arrived nearly a week ago and we can barely keep up.

TV Anchor/Reporter Heidi Voight, a die-hard cat lover, came to our main foster home to visit the kittens and to share their story with the world. One of our kittens caught her eye; a brown tabby, the tiniest of his group. She asked if her viewers could name him and how could we say no?

Little Maximus, too tired for his big photo shoot.

Since that moment, Heidi has been running a campaign on Facebook to choose a Sweet Superhero name for him. The results are in and the choice was MAXIMUS (though we admit we loved Captain Cannoli or Captain Ameowica!).

Lt Licoric and sister, the Caped Coconut are ready to be adopted! Details will be on our Adopt Page soon!

Heidi and the crew at NBC have been terrific. They're going to keep their viewers updated on how Maximus is doing until his arrival at #ClearTheShelters on August 19 from 10-5pm. We'll be at Hoffman Auto Group's Watertown BMW (YES!!! WE LOVE Bimmers) with Max and crew so we hope you'll stop by.

WonderWaffle (left) with sleepy Maximus (back) and Captain Cookie (right).

At Clear the Shelters, or any time, we welcome donations of high protein, no grain canned food or freeze-dried raw food (for a list, see our Amazon Wishlist). We are also in dire need of funds to help provide much-needed care for these adorable kittens. If you can't visit the kittens, please consider a donation towards their care. You can donate HERE AND your donation is Tax-deductible. We're a non-profit 501c3.

Watch our BIG moment!