Resident of the Week: Chester

Every week, when you make an egg purchase from us through Kitsap Fresh, we introduce to you one of the animals that calls Happy Grounds home. By purchasing from us, you’re not just supporting a small local farm, you’re also helping care for the rescue animals who live here. These spotlights are a way for us to say thank you, and to let you meet the beloved residents you’re helping support!

This feature was included in the egg cartons that went out to customers on 6/18:

Resident of the Week: Chester

Happy Grounds is a family farm and animal sanctuary located in the Keyport area of Poulsbo. Each week, we love sharing the stories of our animal residents and today we’d like you to meet Chester, our 7-year-old domestic medium-hair tabby cat.

Chester has been with us the longest of all our rescues. His story begins long before he officially joined our family, when our daughter Addison was just three years old. She had a very specific vision: we were going to adopt an orange cat with a fluffy tail, and his name would be Chester. At the time, we had never even owned a cat, but Addison never let go of the idea.

Fast forward two years – we were living in Norfolk, Virginia when we heard a heartbreaking story: Two trash bags filled with young cats had been discovered along a highway. A good Samaritan rescued them and brought them to a local animal shelter, which began reaching out to nearby communities in hopes of finding homes for as many as possible.

We decided to visit the shelter – and there he was. An orange cat, about 6 months old with a fluffy tail. Addison picked him up, looked into his eyes, and said, “This is Chester!” And the rest, as they say, is history. Chester is a sweet and gentle soul, though it’s taken him time to learn to trust. Sudden movements still make him skittish, and heavy footsteps might earn you a few gentle swats. But call his name from across the house, and he’ll come running. He loves lounging by open windows in the summer, feeling the breeze on his fur, and listening to the world outside.

If you’re thinking about bringing a cat into your family, we always encourage adopting from your local rescue or shelter! Chester is living proof that with love and patience, even animals who’ve experienced hardship can become the most loving companions.