Lisa
Adoption Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
When Kim G. of Brooklyn, New York, lost her beloved cat Waldo, she thought her heart would never heal. As luck would have it, a neighborhood adoption event sponsored by the Empty Cages Collective (ECC), a local rescue group, introduced her to the furry love who would mend grief’s many wounds.
When my cat Waldo died of FIP in April 2010, I knew that I could never replace him. But I needed another cat to fill the void he left behind for me and my other cat Claire. Around the time of Waldo’s passing, I saw a flyer for an adoption event on our street. The flyer featured a cat named Basketball who was described as “the perfect house cat without a house.” She seemed like she’d be a perfect fit for us. Later that week, when I inquired about adopting her, I was told another family had put in an application for her, and the application was approved.
I later adopted another cat named Jake. On the day Jake was set to arrive home, I received an email from ECC that said the people who were supposed to adopt Basketball never returned their calls. Was I still interested? I declined thinking that we could never fit a third cat in our little apartment.
Days and weeks went by, and I could not stop thinking about Basketball. About three months later in July 2010, ECC had another event on my street, and I asked my fiancé if we could go. She ended up not being at the event, but we were invited back to the group’s shelter to see her. When we opened her cage, she started purring and let me hug her. I knew she was the cat that could fill the hole in my heart left by Waldo, so we adopted her.
Today Basketball (now Lisa) is the perfect cat. She is my furry shadow. She sleeps next to me at night. When I wake up in the morning, she follows me to the shower. If I ever need a hug, she’s right next to me and ready to snuggle. Waldo’s death was a sad tragedy. I try to be positive about it because even though it was sad for me, it was a blessing for Jake and Lisa whose lives he saved.