This is Charlie II. He's a descendant of Charlie I, a very special cat, if not THE most special cat I've ever had. Charlie I was born in 2020, and I raised him all throughout the spring and summer of that year. He was such a kind, sweet, and good natured kitty. He was by far the most innocent cat I've ever had, he never went after wildlife, other cats, or even bugs for that matter. He was always such a loving animal. He endured a horrific upper respiratory infection in the fall of that year, one that I helped him battle. During that time, the odds seemed very much stacked against him. The vet told me he was going to die and that I should just have him put down. He had blood coming out of his nose, he could barely eat, and had breathing issues. But I refused to give up and so did he. He ended up pulling through it by November of that year. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to catch a break for too long, as he ended up getting attacked by a raccoon and suffered bites on his legs, one of which was abscessed at the time. I managed to heal the injury and before I knew it, he was getting better and better. However, in September he got a bad infection which I did everything I could to heal, but he ended up passing away by November. I was distraught. I have never cried so much in my life.
In the summer of 2022, his mom had another litter of kittens, and one of them ended up looking, acting, and sounding exactly like Charlie I. I was shocked and more so each and every day has he got bigger and mirrored Charlie more and more as time went on. I started photographing him as soon as he was big enough to venture out into the woods under my supervision. I got this photo of him in June, and it's one of my absolute favorite photos of him that I've taken. Having him in my life honestly brought me some much needed closure. The way he looks, the way he acts, and the noises he makes directly mimic the way Charlie I was. It's uncanny beyond belief, and it makes me feel like Charlie has truly come back to me, somehow.
