No matter what life holds, life with pets makes it so much better! For example, Joseph Kibler and his wife, Carey Cox, share life with their big, blended, happy family: three cats and one dog. Both creative actors and writers have disabilities, sometimes taking turns in a wheelchair and walking with a cane. And whenever sibling kitties Toulouse and Harpo see Joseph using it, they make him feel like the “ultimate chosen one!”
“I love my snuggly little fam ❤,” shared Carey Cox.
When Kibler and Cox married, he brought the “west coast crew,” Yoda, an adorable chihuahua pug, and Molly, a beautiful calico cat. Meanwhile, Cox brought the “east coast graybies” Toulouse and Harpo, a brother and sister from the same litter. Curiously, all the pets are 14 years old and are rarely in one place at once.
“All four babies in one place!” Kibler shared.
Toulouse and Harpo Love Being with Dad in the Wheelchair
Toulouse, pronounced “two-loose,” is a gorgeous fluffy cat and often attached to Joseph at the hip. He adores riding on his Dad’s lap when he’s in his wheelchair. Named after the French disabled artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Toulouse has gotten more grey and white highlights through his chocolatey fur as he’s aged.
“Tuesday’s are for Toulouse.”
Whenever Dad is using the wheelchair, Toulouse is like a magnet. If the kitty hears the wheelchair sounds, he comes running and jumps into Kibler’s lap.
There’s nothing like being chosen by a cat. But it does make it a hard choice to move out of the wheelchair and disturb the perfectly content kitties!
“I win life,” he wrote.
‘The Chosen One’ Whenever He Uses the Wheelchair
Joseph sometimes feels like “the ultimate chosen one” when both kitties crowd onto his lap to snuggle.
“I’m the chosen one. It doesn’t get better than that, does it?”
Not to be left out, Toulouse’s sister Harpo is “just a ball of love.”
Sharing Life with Pets, Disability, and HIV
Joseph Kibler is the subject of the 2013 documentary Walk On, which explores his life being born with HIV and cerebral palsy. He was always outspoken, but then his wife, Carey Cox, also an actor who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, encouraged him to share videos on TikTok as she enjoyed.
“I thought, if I do TikTok, I’m just going to start with pets, videos of my cats and my dog. I started sharing disability stories about representation, and then I shared about having HIV almost immediately,” Kibler said in an interview.
Together, their stories enlighten people about life with disabilities and HIV. And each day is infinitely brighter thanks to being surrounded by adoring furbabies.
“You’re never alone when you have a cat. 😂 🐱” Kibler said.
And Mom knows the true meaning of life is sharing loving moments with the family.
“The meaning of life is right in this photo ❤️,” shared Carey.
As a general recipe for living life to the fullest, Joseph recommends petting a cat as soon as possible.
“Pet a cat reminder.”
And let’s not forget petting a dog too! Here’s the couple’s incredibly cute dog, Yoda.
“When someone calls you beautiful. ❤️”
Purrsonal Cat Escorts Live in the Building
In the New York building where the couple lives, two resident cats volunteer as escorts. Whenever people exit the elevator, George (orange) always insists on escorting them down the hall to the laundry or gym area. Everyone in the building loves the kitties and they are well-cared for. As Joseph and Carey come out in the wheelchair, the kitties make sure they get to their destinations safely and even escort them back later!
“They are boyfriend and girlfriend. I’m not sure if either of them will ever pop the question, but they love each other very much; they protect us tenants from all sorts of creepy crawlies.”
