Our beloved cats play an important role at Talking Water! They keep down our pest population which in turn reduces our risks of snakes.

A few important things to know about our cats:

• They are adored and have plenty of food (including daily wet food), water, treats, and toys. They stay indoors/outdoors at our office.
• They receive regular vet care, including vaccines, flea & tick prevention, and spay/neuter.
• Each cat on the property was found abandoned, surrendered, or taken in as feral.
• We raise our cats to know people are safe, so they are exceptionally friendly. It’s not unusual for them to walk alongside our guests on the hiking trails!
• Our cats should not go in guest cabins. If a cat is invited into a cabin, it becomes difficult to teach them not to enter again and it is not fair to our other guests. We will charge an additional cleaning fee to any guest who brings our cats into their cabin.
• The cats walking around the property are not available for adoption and should keep their tracking collars on. If we are fostering any young kittens open for adoption, they will not be walking around.
• Our cats mean a lot to us and we love that our guests love them! But they are our family – please do not take them with you!

You’re welcome to say hello when you see them around – they’ll gladly accept a little affection! Thank you for helping us keep our cats safe and keep cats outdoors so our cabins can be comfortable for everyone.

Ouissa came to us needing shelter with 5 less-than-two-weeks-old kittens in March 2026. She is a doll! She is a wonderful mama, so patient and attentive. She loves scratches and cuddles and we are so excited to bring her on board at Talking Water! She was likely born around Spring 2025.

Ouissa will not be an active mouser on the property until her babies are fully weaned and she is spayed in May 2026. We named her after Shirley McLaine’s fantastic Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias 🙂