The moment you shift slightly, the nosey cat who had been rummaging through your bag perks up. With a triumphant meow and a crinkly packet of treats in his jaws, he bounds off in a spray of sand, clearly off to brag to his colony mates about his loot. You can’t help but laugh.

Behind him, the other tom lingers.

He watches his companion go with a flick of his tail, then turns those big, tired eyes up to you. When you crouch down, he leans his weight into your hands, purrs errupting as he smooches up against you. More interested in attention than the water.

A flash of movement down the beach pulls your attention for a second, but when you glance back, the tom is already nestled halfway into the open carrier like it’s the first safe place he’s seen in a while.

Are you taking him home?

You follow a winding gravel path through a field of wildflowers, arriving at a cozy little cottage tucked beneath a sweeping willow tree. The petals of wisteria sway in the breeze overhead as you push open the garden gate.

The door opens before you can knock, revealing a warm-eyed woman with streaks of flour on her apron and a purring kitten draped around her shoulders like a scarf. The scent of baked bread and dried lavender lingers in the air.

“Ah, you’ve come at the perfect time,” she says, ushering you in with a smile. “We just had some new arrivals recently, and they’re already causing quite the stir.”

She pauses at a wide sun-drenched sitting room where a few kittens tumble across braided rugs and sunbeams. “There are a few young ladies I think you’ll like…”

1. A sleek Oriental Shorthair kitten is perched on the windowsill, silhouetted in the light like a piece of living art. She turns her long, graceful head toward you with intense, intelligent eyes.

2. A pair of Chartreux sisters are curled up together in a soft basket. One is drowsy and calm, the other already on her feet, wobbling over to greet you with a quiet chirp.

3. “Or perhaps,” the breeder offers, her tone softening, “you’d like to meet an older girl? There’s a sweet Balinese lady who’s recently retired from our program. She still has that gentle spark in her, just waiting for someone special.”

Who would you like to meet?

You reach down to gently untangle your shoelace from the floofy blur of energy, but before your hand even gets there, a soft shape glides in beside you.

She moves with an almost weightless grace, fur like fresh cream and eyes that stop you in your tracks, one a clear, vivid blue, the other a warm, molten gold.

The kitten blinks slowly up at you, then lifts one small paw to rest it delicately against your wrist. Her purr is faint but steady, like a heartbeat you hadn’t noticed until now.

The breeder smiles. “She won’t demand your attention, but she’ll always be there. Do you think… she might be the one for you?”

Would you like to adopt her or meet the others?

You arrive at a sleepy cottage and a woman rises from her spot on the porch. She brushes a few tufts of fur from her apron. “Well now,” she says with a chuckle, “we’ve got quite the characters growing up in the nursery this season. All different temperaments and coats! It's like watching a patchwork quilt come to life.”

She leads you down a hallway lined with framed photos of cats past and present, eventually stopping at a sunlit room filled with cushions, cat trees, and the sound of tiny paws scurrying about.

“Depending what sort of energy you’re after, I might suggest…”

1. A sleek little Bengal kitten, already scaling the cat tree like a wild explorer. “He’s full of beans, that one,” she says. “Loves climbing and isn’t shy about making friends.”

2. A Somali fluffball, batting lazily at a feather toy. “More thoughtful than his siblings,” she notes. “But get him going, and he’s got a playful streak a mile long.”

3. A pair of sleepy-eyed Tonkinese siblings curled together in a hammock. “Affectionate as anything,” she says fondly. “They are a little bit older but great companions, both are available.”

She smiles as a few kittens glance your way, eyes bright with curiosity.

Who would you like to meet first?