Heaven Hill’s Whiskey Kittens Need Your Help!
You’ve heard of our Rickhouse Pig, well now, we have Rickhouse Whiskey Kittens! The week of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Partner Development Manager Jean Michalak saw a light gray cat dodging traffic between the Bardstown, KY Bottling Plant parking lot and Rickhouse Y. Jean was soon concerned for the cat’s safety and wanted to see how she could help. Upon further investigation, she soon realized the cat was caring for a litter of five kittens under the deck where guests enter Rickhouse Y on the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience (HHBE)’s Bottled-in-Bond Tour and Tasting.
Jean stepped up to the plate, provided water and waited for the cautious cats to come out. After winning them over, she took them to a safe location and worked with local Bardstown Veterinarian, Dr. Alex Shelley, at Bourbon City Animal Hospital to get all six of them appropriate veterinarian care.
Fun Whiskey Kitten Facts:
- The mama cat has since been named “Ricky,” short for rickhouse.
- Her five kittens were endearingly named after the five Shapira brothers who founded Heaven Hill in 1935: Ed, David, Gary, George and Mose.
- Most of the cats, including the mother, have polydactylism, which means they have extra toes! In some cultures, it is believed that cats with polydactylism are good luck.
Customer Success Manager (and animal-lover) Dabney Clore adopted Gary on her birthday earlier this month. Friends from “Mr. Tubbs,” a local account in Bardstown, KY, adopted Mose. Now, the rest of these kittens and Jean need your help! Contribute to Jean’s fundraiser to assist with cost of care and/or help her find these adorable Heaven Hill “Whiskey Kittens” a forever home!
