Why I took in two stray cats

in #animals7 years ago (edited)

I am an animal lover, who has always had a soft spot for cats. Iv'e always felt a connection to all animals, especially cats. Growing up, my family always had a dog and a cat, and from a very early age I knew the value in connecting with animals. I moved out of my folks house and bought my own at the age of 25 (I know, I know) and was living alone. My job was taking me away from home for weeks to months at a time. Pets were out of the question. Fast forward a little more than a decade after buying my house, I moved my girlfriend in, and finally found some cats to call my own.

20151222_124451[1].jpgMeet "Vincent" on the left, and "Mr Snuggles" on the right.

So, here is the story of how we met. It was late spring of 2015 and I was out on my front porch smoking a cigarette. Looking across the street I noticed a couple of kittens sniffing around and such. They were exploring the neighborhood with a curiosity only matched by the likes of Shackleton or Columbus. I made some clicking sounds with my mouth and immediately got their attention. The next thing you know, they came cautiously across the street to investigate me and the sounds I was making. Then came all the rubbing up against me and purring. It was love at first sight!

20160223_140642[1].jpgThey love to cuddle!

As time went on, they began to come and visit me quite regularly, as the weather was getting warmer and I was spending more time outdoors. It got to the point that whenever I came home from work, they would be waiting for me on my front porch. Thinking to myself they must have been someone's cats, I began canvassing the neighborhood to see if I could find who they belonged to. After doing some digging around, I come to find out that one of my neighbors had abandoned these cats because they weren't fixed yet, and were spraying in her house... Really? You cant spend a couple of hundred dollars at the vet?

20150816_135804[1].jpgFur Pillows.

It was right then and there, that I decided they would be moving in with me for the time being. I would constantly check the community mailboxes for missing cat posters taped to the side, which is normal where I live when a pet goes missing. About a month went by with no missing cat posters, I knew the cats were going to be staying for good. They did spray a few times in my house (just cats being cats), so I took them to the vet to have them fixed, micro chipped, vaccinated, the whole works.

20151210_191926[1].jpg Not impressed right now.

It's now two and a half years later, and we couldn't be happier. I know the neighbors who abandoned these cats, see them sitting in my window from time to time. They have never asked for them back, and to be frank, I would never give them back.

20160307_232158[1].jpgThey also like to hold hands!

The moral of the story here is, don't buy pets if you aren't prepared to look after them, including visits to the vet. Better yet, don't buy animals from a store when there are so many sitting at overflowing shelters. You will feel so much better knowing you gave an animal another lease on life.

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If only more people felt as you do. We would have less of a problem at the shelters. You are an amazing person to take those beautiful cats in. They are gorgeous. What an inspiring tale. Hope your family stays happy and well.

Thanks for the compliment! How could I say no to these guys!

Impossible! They are so sweet. I think our animals complete us. At times they give us much more then we give them.

Great message! I completely agree about adopting. There are so many wonderful animals out there who deserve loving homes. I'm so happy you found Vincent and Mr. Snuggles (super cute names by the way). Happy Caturday!

Happy caturday to you too! As much as these little guys piss me off by waking me up at all hours, I still love them to pieces.

HaHa! I know the feeling. Wally wakes me up for food all the time but hes so cute I can't stay mad.