“I grew up with cats my entire life,” says Malena. “When we lost our Colbie, my partner Stuart and I were both so devastated that it took us three years before we agreed to give our hearts to another kitty. I started looking, found Furry Friends, and, ultimately, our new babies who were originally named Goldie and Clover.

“I’ve always had cats in my life,” explains Tasha.

“I came to Furry Friends to meet two sisters, but after meeting every cat-friendly cat and being unable to choose, these two brothers, Lincoln and Cookie (originally Loki) were suggested to me. I’ve never had boy cats and was a bit reluctant, but I trusted the people who knew the kitties. They were very shy and would probably do well in my quiet house.

“We already had a 13-year old-female kitty when we adopted Bayley,” Shelley says. “Although her original name was Quinn, she was born on St. Patrick’s Day 2024 and we thought Bayley was more fitting.

“When I lost my 21-year-old angel, it took six months to feel ready to fill that void,” says Anne. “I saw Maggie’s photo (previously Hanna) and noticed that she had been available for adoption for a few months. I also thought that she needed me.

“She was very shy, but gradually, day by day, she’d let me get a little closer, and I found that she couldn’t resist a good stroke or a chin scratch. At the same time, I thought that she would benefit from having another cat in the house and I couldn’t stop thinking about her brother (previously Haiku) who was also available. Although they weren’t a bonded pair at the time, I believe they are now as ‘wherever goes one, so goes the other.’

Originally called Elsa and Dexter, these bonded siblings’ names were changed to Lana and Rey by first-time cat parents of two Manuel and Jassmine.

“They were so sweet and so cute that we couldn’t resist them,” Manuel says. “Their adjustment, though, to our home was gradual. Their favorite spot was under our bed. However, we would hear them exploring at night getting more comfortable! Lana and Rey have been the addition to complete our little family.

“After unexpectedly losing our senior kitty last year, my husband Kevin and I were left heart-broken and with a sad emptiness in our home,” explains Jennifer. “We didn’t want to rush into adopting a new kitty, but we also missed having one as part of our family. We have always had a cat – we prefer adopting those who like being only children though. Then we spoil them!

“It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since we adopted Herman,” exclaims Flor. “My husband Andrii and I both grew up with family cats, but Herman is our first cat together as a family.

“When we started our search to adopt a kitten, our goal was to expand our small Seattle family and find a kitten whose personality would mesh well with our 14-year-old Chihuahua, Lady. However, the process proved more challenging than we anticipated, with long adoption wait times, waitlists and the high energy of most kittens.

Rachel has loved many cats in her life, and right now she and her husband have three, including their most recent addition.

“Called Lovebug when we brought him home, we renamed him Popo, which has since morphed, as pet names do. We now call him Po,” Rachel says. “We chose him because of his giant fluffy butt. This three-pound ball of floof with the monster feet became our 14-pound ‘force of chaos and love’ within the year!

“Originally named Cannon when we adopted him,” says Alex, “we changed it to Maui. We wanted to keep his name in the beach theme, and we had just gotten back from our second trip to Maui, a place we really love, filled with so many happy memories.