January 30, 2026

The Other Side of the Cat Distribution System

Rachel of Rainylune on a tiny kitten who moved into her kitchen without “permission,” first-time cat chaos, and creative frogs.

The cat distribution system works in mysterious ways.

A few weeks ago, a tweet popped up on our feed: “a kitten showed up on my patio and demanded to be let inside?? apparently she’s been sitting there for 3 days while i was out of town??”

To anyone who’s ever lived with an animal, the story felt instantly familiar. Sometimes the cat distribution system doesn’t wait for you to get home. It just grants the cat permission to move in.

Lucky for us, we got to talk to Rachel, the artist behind Rainylune, mom to Maisy the dog, and now a first-time cat parent, about accidentally adopting a kitten, learning the difference between dogs and cats the hard way, and how creativity, chaos, and care tend to travel together.

A few weeks ago, a tiny kitten chose your kitchen and your life. How is she doing now, and how are you holding up as first-time cat parents?

She’s certainly living the good life now that she’s worked her way into being an indoor kitty! She’s learned to come running at the sound of a can opening, loves playing fetch with pom poms, and loves getting chin scritchies. We’re always questioning how she ever survived outdoors in the first place.

At first, my boyfriend said no to adopting her. We talked a lot during the first week and a half, and I definitely cried a lot over it since I had already gotten so attached. It was a really tough adjustment, especially since we already have a dog, Maisy.

Kitty behaved so cautiously around Maisy, but when Maisy wasn’t around, she was full of personality. We were constantly monitoring them. Maisy kept trying to play with Kitty “the dog way” and would get frustrated when Kitty wouldn’t play back. It was chaos, and I was struggling to get work done.

We actually found a family with a young daughter who wanted a cat. I told myself Kitty would be loved there. We scheduled a meeting… and they flaked.

Now it’s been nearly a month. Kitty has gotten more comfortable around Maisy, and my boyfriend has slowly come around to the idea that maybe it’s not so bad to add one more family member. Honestly, I think Kitty might be his favorite. He says, “I’m not a cat guy,” while constantly petting and playing with her. It’s very funny to watch.

” “I’m not a cat guy,” while constantly petting and playing with her. It’s very funny to watch.

When you shared the update about not being able to keep her off the kitchen counter, a lot of people related. What’s been the biggest “oh wow, this is cat ownership” moment so far?

I’ve been a dog owner all my life, so I’ve had to rethink a lot. With my dog, if I don’t want her to get something, I just put it up high. With Kitty, that does absolutely nothing.

There have been a lot of close calls with one of my favorite vases, and I had to move all my plants to the top of a bookshelf so she wouldn’t eat them. The downside is now I forget they exist, so they’re a bit droopy.

My boyfriend was very against letting Kitty on the counter, but after researching, I learned cats just want a perch nearby so they can be close to us. I set up a little patio table by the kitchen window for her, and now my boyfriend is trying to train her to sit and stay while we prepare her food. We’re adjusting bit by bit.

” With my dog, if I don’t want her to get something, I just put it up high. With Kitty, that does absolutely nothing.

You’re the artist behind Rainylune. How did you first start drawing frogs, and when did it turn into something bigger?

I started drawing frogs for a college project where I had to program a falling-objects game. I thought a frog catching raindrops would be cute, but my first attempt was so badly hilarious that it became an inside joke with my friends. I kept drawing him in more situations.

Later, wrist pain made it difficult for me to draw more complex things, so frogs became the perfect subject. Things really shifted when I launched a Kickstarter for my Son the Frog Ita Bag in 2020. Watching the numbers go up felt unreal. It didn’t truly sink in until 6,000 frog bags arrived at my doorstep and I had to pack and ship all of them myself.

Your art feels playful, cute, and a little chaotic. Where does that energy come from?

My personality shows up very clearly in my art. I’ve always been open about having ADHD, and while it causes challenges, it also fuels my creativity. My dad is incredibly creative too. Growing up, he was always making paper mache monsters or 3D-printing robots. I definitely inherited both the ADHD and creativity from him.

My process is chaotic. Ideas show up randomly, and I either have to drop everything to sketch them or jot them down in my notes app. I’m usually trying to catch up to my ideas rather than search for them.

Rainylune has grown into merch sold in big stores. What’s it been like growing while staying true to your style?

It’s been an adjustment. When I make merch for my own shop, I can be messy and chaotic. Big companies want everything extremely organized, so I’ve had to learn to clean up my files after the creative part is done.

My frogs are known for being “crime enthusiasts” and are often shown with knives, which has caused some pushback from executives. But some companies took a chance on me, and that chaotic energy has really resonated with customers.

What are you excited about next, for your art and for life with a very confident kitten?

I’ve been working on a large collection for Round1 arcade’s Redemption Rooms, which should be coming out this year. It’s a wide range of goodies, and I’m really excited to finally see it in the world.

As for Kitty, we still haven’t officially decided if we’re keeping her. But I did ask for a cat tree for my birthday, and my boyfriend helped pick it out. We’re also still choosing her name. So I’m very excited to see what the new year brings for both my business and our little family.

Sometimes you forget to tell the cat distribution system about your travel plans. This is what happens.

Our thanks to Rachel for sharing her story and welcoming us into a moment of real life pet chaos. You can find more of her work at Rainylune, and follow along on her socials as one very confident kitten continues to make herself at home.

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