Tami did not arrive as a kitten, nor as a young cat still finding her way. She came already formed — her body fully developed, her structure settled into itself.

She arrived on 14 December 2020, estimated to be around three to four years old, with the thickened, grounded build of an American Shorthair type.

At first, she was one of the cats being cared for outside the main colony, living on the margins between survival and support. She had been seen before — a cat who lived around people, but not within their care.

Then one day, she appeared again. This time, she was heavily pregnant.

Left to her own choices, she would likely have given birth in a drain — as many do when there is nowhere else. But this time, she was brought in.

Tami became the fourth long-term stayer among the Cats Hope™ community since June 2017. Three days later — on 17 December 2020 — her babies arrived.