Kasha was adopted by Anne Clear and her daughter Naomi from Lyuba's cat shelter in Moscow in the winter of 2006 (see first photo). And look at her now - in 2009 - all grown up and pretty as a button!

Here's a letter from Anne from January 2007: "Please find attached at very long last a photo of our darling white kitty, Kasha. As you know,we adopted her last winter from Liuba. We called her Kasha because she likes to sit in a big bowl that we have at our house. She is very affectionate and friendly but also very undemanding and independent. Thank you so much for helping us with this "adoption". I really admire all the work you do with animals."

And another letter from Naomi from October 2009: "We came across Kasha in early 2006 when we visited Lyuba's shelter for animals at her home in Moscow. Our white feline was among at least 26 other cats, found acting reserved and calm. She was very small but already a fair few months old. We looked at her and thought she was lovely, so we adopted her and she became another 4-legged addition to our family. It took some time before she warmed to us in that freezing winter, but eventually she accepted that perhaps life with all of us wasn’t so bad! She enjoyed wandering out into the snow, only to be lost amongst all the white surroundings. She always knew where she lived however, and would climb back up to our balcony pawing at the window to let her into the warmth. The summers were spent chasing various rodents and birds outside, and mingling with the other cats of the neighborhood, though her character is quite close-minded when it comes to others of her kind. Nevertheless, she grew to accept all the attention given to her cute self, and she now often sleeps right next to our feet where she seemingly feels very comfortable. It is a big change from the once shy and distant cat that was unsure how to act in such an environment; after all she was a stray once upon a time. She is healthy, happy, and very active in her new home in Brussels, Belgium. Her character is still distinguishable amongst the other cats of the neighborhood and she has made quite a name for herself. We are indeed very glad to have her as a member of our home! We hope only that people everywhere think about adopting an animal whenever possible, one that will surely bring smiles and laughter to any home, as Kasha has done for us."

Kasha as a little kitten at Luyba's cat shelter in 2006.