Today is a day of celebration in our household. It’s National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day! Our boys are all rescues, so I love having a day to celebrate that and share the story of our boys with you.
When Monty and I had been married for two weeks, we decided that we needed a cat or a kitten. So we went to our local animal shelter. A few families were there, all crowded around two kittens. I saw those kittens and thought they were adorable. But I was also sure that neither of them was meant to be ours. Monty and I turned to leave but stopped when I heard a faint meow from the cage in the far corner. I went to look and saw a skinny little orange kitten. He reached out his paws to me, and I took him out of his cage. He climbed up my sundress onto my shoulder, then buried his little face in my hair. I looked at Monty. He looked at me. And just like that—Ricky was ours. Ricky entertained us endlessly, was my shadow during the day when Monty was at work, and my constant companion and comfort when the nights were the darkest and the days were the longest. We were blessed to have him for almost eighteen years. When he died, one wintry afternoon, our hearts were broken. Our house seemed preternaturally silent, and I felt unmoored without my Ricky.
Two weeks after Ricky died, I turned to Monty and said, “Do you think we should get another one?” He immediately knew what I was talking about and said he thought we should. I knew we could never replace Ricky, but he had taught us so much about the power of a pet’s love—both Monty and I wanted that back in our lives. I called the nearest shelter, but they told me they had no cats or kittens. So I asked our vet, who put us in touch with a lady who had a litter of barn kittens that she was hoping to give away. We drove out to her farm, and she invited us in to see the kittens. She handed us an orange one that she thought would be a good match for us. But just as had happened with Ricky, I knew he wasn’t meant to be ours. And then I saw another kitten hiding under a table—a tiny gray tabby who looked terrified. Our eyes met, and I pointed him out to Monty. Monty picked him up, and he dug his claws into Monty’s shoulder and refused to move. In that moment, he became our Mackin.
Three months later, I was looking at the website for the nearest shelter. They had videos of several kittens. I had my eye on a calico one. I showed the video of her to Monty. Two days later, on Valentine’s Day, Monty surprised me by going to the shelter. I didn’t know he was there until he sent me some videos he’d taken of the calico kitten and a few others. The last video he sent me was of a scrawny, sickly-looking orange and white kitten. I took one look at him and knew. Two hours later, Monty walked in with a cat carrier. I opened it, and the kitten bolted straight into my arms. It was love at first sight—my Seamus.
And then there were three. In the summer of that year, Monty and I went to an animal shelter “just to look”—at least, that’s what we told ourselves. We played with some cats and kittens, but I didn’t feel that shock of recognition I’d come to believe in after meeting Ricky, Mackin, and Seamus. So Monty and I turned to leave. And then I saw him—a five-month-old kitten who was a peculiar shade of tan and had unusual markings on his coat that looked almost like crop circles. When we asked to hold him, the lady at the shelter snatched him out of his cage and roughly dangled him by the scruff of his neck in front of us. He cried out, and his eyes seemed to be pleading with us to rescue him. So we did. And Carrick joined our family.
I thank God countless times a day for our boys. I have no doubt that He led us to each one—our rescues that turned out to be our rescuers. They bring joy into our home. They are our companions in sorrow and laughter. They are the reason I get up every day and the reason I go to bed with a smile on my face. And we wouldn’t have any of them if we hadn’t gone to animal shelters. We wouldn’t even have Mackin—he’s not from a shelter, but we wouldn’t have been open to adopting him if not for our love for Ricky, our first shelter pet.
There are so many animals languishing in shelters. So many who desperately need homes. If you have love to give and a place in your heart and home, I believe there’s no better place to go than to an animal shelter. If you go with an open mind, you’ll leave with full arms and an even fuller heart. Giving and receiving love from an animal that would have either died or spent life in a cage is the most rewarding thing Monty and I have ever done. Every time I look into Seamus’s eyes or scoop Carrick up into my arms or see Mackin practically glued to Monty, I’m reminded that we are a family chosen and brought together by God. And I am so grateful.
Click on above photo to view slide show.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”James 1:17a
Share this Post
Comments 11
A thoughtful, heartwarming blog, Sparrow. All of the pets in my life, adopted. Starting with Skipper, a Beagle Mix in 1955. Next, in the lineup, Schultz, a wonderful German Shepherd, who enjoyed “eating up”, old furniture in the basement. A great watchdog/baby protector for Melanie our daughter, when “Mel”, was in infant watching me, cut the lawn, Schultz was “seated in the front yard”, keeping eye contact on “Mel”, and anyone walking on our block. A “footnote”, on Schultz, when we moved from “The Big Apple”,,to Houston, Schultz was in the cargo hatch, of that Big Continental airline jet. He adapted to the heat in Texas, and was a wonderful dog for many years. Next, Bridget, our “blonde”:Cocker Spaniel, Debbie’s sidekick. Along the way, our kids, Alyssa and Chris adopted a few Cats, who we welcomed in to our home. Mickey, my Beautiful Black Lab, Rufus Chris’s dog, and Bruno our Heinz 57, were in our home, for many years. After they all went to “Rainbow Bridge “, our Final pet, I think, Bradley The Cat we adopted in summer of 2019. Bradley has adapted well. There you have it, 60 plus years of adopted/shelter pets. We have, and continue to love them all. Obviously, loved this blog, as in all you write, Sparrow. Keep on blogging Sparrow. Love ya to the moon and back.❤️TexGen
What a happy treat this blog is today. Our pets are truly one of God’s sweetest gifts to us! You capture the personalities of each kitty so well in your pictures. I love that video. Thanks for the smiles today.
Thank you, Mom! You’ve always told me about James 1:17 when it comes to our pets. I’m so grateful that we always had animals in our home when we were growing up. What a gift that was. Thank you. ❤
How beautifully said❣️ You are a niece after my own heart❣️ Heidi and I love our pet babies like you and Monty❣️ We cherish everyday we still have them♥️❣️God bless you and Monty🙏🏻 I love you both dearly♥️❣️❣️❣️
Aunt Joyce–it’s so lovely to hear from you! I think I get my love for animals from Grandpa–he was always rescuing dogs and cats. It sounds like you and Heidi are the same way. Love to you from Monty and me. ❤
So sweet!!! Love you!
Thank you! Love you, too. ❤
Beautiful stories 😻 such a sweet kitty family you are!
Thank you! ❤
True, true, true, fur babies give our hearts so much happiness!! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful story about unconditional love and how important four legged family members are!!! I know from the bottom of my heart that my life would not be the same without my fur babies. I love my children with all my heart but they wouldn’t understand the many times I have cried in the company of our furry Galindo family members and their beautiful eyes telling me, “ it’s okay to cry, Estela.” I thank God every waking moment for giving me a heart that adores animals, without them my life would be incomplete. INFINITE BLESSINGS!!🙏🏼❤️🐾🐾🐈
Estela–you said that so beautifully! I, too, have cried into my boys’ fur and gotten that same message. No one understands quite like animals do. Infinite blessings back to you along with hugs and love from the boys and me. ❤