“Simba – CatsHope™ Ambassador Mascot”
Simba, one of the fourteen official CatsHope™ Ambassador Mascots.
Photographs © CatsHope™
Simba: When The Ground Shifted Page 1
Before the Ground Shifted
My name is Simba.
I was born into a family of five kittens.
Our mother was Tami. Beside me were my brother Rockie, my little sister Cougar, and my two older sisters, Tigger and Kopi.
I was born at CatsHope™.
I did not know there was another world beyond the one I opened my eyes to. To me, home was simply where Mother was.
It was the gentle voices that greeted us every morning. The familiar scent of home. The sound of food being prepared. The older cats who wandered past us. The warm places where we curled up together. The routines that never seemed to change.
As kittens, we never questioned tomorrow. Every day seemed certain. Every day began with Mother. Every day ended with family.
As I grew older, I discovered there were many older cats living with us. Each had their own favourite places to sleep, their own personalities, and their own little habits. Some were playful. Some preferred peace and quiet. Some liked to watch everything from a distance.
I spent a great deal of time watching them. Kittens learn by watching. I watched where they slept. I watched who they greeted.I watched how they behaved.
Slowly, without anyone teaching me, I began to understand the rhythm of our home. There was one thing every cat seemed to know. Whenever something important happened, they all looked in the same direction. Food arrived because of one familiar person.
When someone became ill, she was the one who carried them away and brought them safely home again. When new cats arrived, they came because she had brought them. When strangers visited, even they seemed to wait for her before doing anything. The older cats trusted her completely.
So did Mother.
I did not understand the human world. I did not know why everyone looked to her. I only knew that they did. As a kitten, I simply accepted that this was the way our family worked.
Everything felt safe. Everything felt permanent. I thought it would always be that way. I had no idea that one day…
the ground beneath my paws would shift.
“Tamara’s Brood”
Tami with Tigger, Kopi, Simba, Rockie and Cougar shortly after they were born.
Photographs © CatsHope™
“Simba Today, 2026”
Simba, one of the fourteen official CatsHope™ Ambassador Mascots.
Photographs © CatsHope™
Where Did My Sisters Go?
One day, we all went on a journey together. Mother was with us. Tigger, Cougar, Rockie and I travelled in our carriers to visit a lady. She spent a long time playing with Tigger and Cougar. We watched quietly, not knowing why she was paying so much attention to my two sisters.
After a while, she picked Tigger. When it was time to leave, Tigger tried to climb back into our carrier. She wanted to come home with us. We reached towards her through the carrier door. We tried to pull her back inside. But the door closed, and we went home. Tigger stayed behind.
I kept looking for her when we returned. I thought she would come running out from one of her favourite hiding places. She never did. Our family felt different without her.
A few weeks later, a visitor came to see us. His name was Nim.
He had already chosen Kopi after seeing her photograph and had been waiting patiently until she was old enough to leave Mother. He came with his brother to bring her home. They were so happy to see Kopi. They picked her up gently and cuddled her while talking to her in soft voices. This time, Kopi left with them. We watched as she disappeared through the door.
Mother, Rockie, Cougar and I remained at home together. I did not know where my sisters had gone. I only knew that our family of five kittens had become three.