That Time I Bought a Cat (And Then Purchased Another)

In this week’s episode, I’m reading my latest Stable Roots essay — a piece about cats, yes, but also about grief, land, financial contraction, hospice care, and the quiet investments that hold us steady when everything else feels uncertain.

The year I bought two Siberian cats was the same year my father entered hospice, we lost the farm we had stewarded for two decades, and Christopher and I signed for a historic property that would become Lavender Hill.

I had never purchased a cat before. The decision felt indulgent at the time. It turns out it was something else entirely.

This episode explores:

- Why the Hermitage Museum has cats guarding its galleries

- The difference between rescue and presence

- What it means to be responsible for everyone else

And why sometimes the smallest purchases anchor us through the largest transitions

If you are building something that depends on you — land, family, business, community — this week's essay may resonate with you.

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