In the spring of 2017, something unexpected tumbled out of a hay bale at Kentucky’s Jeptha Creed Distillery — four tiny orange kittens.
The team had been laying out straw on the property when the newborns suddenly spilled out from one of the bales.
“As we were spreading straw and picking up hay bales, they just came tumbling out,” said Autumn Nethery, co-owner and VP of operations at the distillery.
They searched the area for the kittens’ mother, but she was nowhere to be found. The tiny siblings were clearly starving, likely orphaned for some time, and in desperate need of help.
“They were so small and fragile — they definitely wouldn’t have made it much longer on their own,” Nethery said.
The staff, already toying with the idea of adopting a cat for the distillery, decided to adopt all four instead. They named the kittens after grains used in their spirits: Malt, Wheat, Barley, and Rye.
Bottle-feeding the kittens became a team effort. “They had barely opened their eyes,” Nethery recalled. “Everyone took turns feeding them.”
Now, eight years later, the sisters have grown into confident, well-loved fixtures of the distillery.
They spend their days lounging in their catio, soaking up sun, and mingling with guests. “They love attention,” Nethery said. “When tours come through, they perk up and show off a bit — they know how to work a crowd.”
But they don’t just entertain visitors. By night, these copper-coated cats are the property’s unofficial security team, helping keep critters away from the grounds.
“Love seeing a female-run business,” a commenter on Jeptha Creed’s TikTok wrote. “They definitely earn their keep,” Nethery laughed.
What makes their story even more extraordinary? All four cats are orange females — a genetic rarity, since only about 1 in 5 orange cats are female.
“They’re unique in every way,” Nethery said. “It feels like they were meant to be here.”
Today, Malt, Wheat, Barley, and Rye have become beloved mascots of Jeptha Creed. Whether snoozing in the sun or patrolling the property, they bring warmth, charm, and a little extra magic to everything they do.
To keep up with the distillery’s fabulous feline foursome, check out Jeptha Creed on TikTok and Instagram.
