“We have always had cats in our lives,” Danira says. “We were fortunate enough to meet Natsu, then called Maurice, at his foster home, and we chose him because of his cute furry face, ears and whiskers. 

“Before having our three children, my husband and I shared our home with four cats,” Kari says. “Over the years, we've sadly lost each one, with our last kitty, Bear, passing away in March.

“While Karen and I have always had cats and dogs in our lives, no cat made as a dramatic an entrance as Chardonnay (formerly Corrine),” says Jim. “I met her at the shelter where I was doing repairs in the Blue room. Small and affectionate, she chose me as her ‘plaything’ and climbed all over me, purring and rubbing up against me as if we were best friends! And I was especially struck by her enthusiasm and sweetness.

“Being cat people, we have always had cats in the past,” Michael says.

“We adopted Harley at a Furry Friends adoption event held at PetSmart. Why? Because of the way that she came out from the back of the ‘pack’ to greet me.

“We have adopted several cats in the past, most of them from Furry Friends,” says Tina.

“Since we wanted a kitten to play with Azula, our 16-month-old cat, we attended a Furry Friends adoption event at PetSmart. There we met Mango. He had such beautiful coloring, and when he snuggled right into my neck as soon as I picked him up, I knew he was the one. His foster mom told me that he was part of a bonded pair, but we were very reluctant to adopt two cats. We then looked at another cat, a female, but she was reticent and didn’t want to be held. Finally, after much debate, we decided to adopt both Mango and his brother Papaya.

Furry Friends has a number of cats, either elderly or ailing and unlikely to be adopted, who are placed in permanent, loving foster homes. Occasionally, “angel” adopters appear who open their hearts and homes to them and give them their best fur-ever lives. One such adopter is Judy Yablonski.

“I have always adopted older cats because they deserve to have a loving home at the end of their lives,” Judy says. “My last cat, Esso, was 12 when I adopted him, and he passed at 15.

“While I’ve had many cats in the past, my husband and I recently lost our elderly black cat, leaving us with two," Amy says.

“I met Bug, then called Cody, while helping his foster mom take care of some other kitties. He greeted me with the biggest orange eyes, then practically crawled in my shirt trying to get pets and affection! He lit up something in my heart the instant I saw him although we had no plans to get another cat so soon. (As for his new name: from the moment I met him, he was just a big love bug).

“I started the year with three cats and had lost two by summertime,” says Elena. “They had been with me for over 12 years and their loss left a large hole in my life. After taking some time to grieve, I began searching for a new cat to introduce into my household.

“I’ve had cats in the past and presently have one named Angel,” says Hayley.

“After seeing a photo of Shadow (then most fittingly called Ebony) on the Furry Friends website, I made an appointment to meet her at the shelter. As to why I chose her? I was looking for an all black cat because they’re the least adoptable.

“I grew up with cats and have always loved them,”says Alison. “Since getting married and starting a family, we have had three cats, two of whom passed away. Fortunately, we still had Missy, our sweet and gentle calico, when we decided to adopt Pax (originally named Murphy).

“Having had cats in the past, we knew how wonderful kitty loving can be,” says Annabelle. “And so, we started searching for one to adopt.

“We met Eeyore at a Furry Friends adoption event at PetSmart. He was the first kitty who caught our eye when we walked in, and as soon as we picked him up, he melted right into our arms. We knew, then and there, that he was perfect for our family!

“My husband Adam and I have always had cats,” says Jenn, “and we lost our last one in April 2025.

“We met Oliver Franklin when we were visiting PetSmart and our female dog liked him! He allowed us to hold him and pet his belly and then he played with us. Really, I think he chose us.

“Being a feline fancier, I’ve always had cats in my life,” says Jenna.

“We met Evvie, whose original name was, quite surprisingly, Jake the Girl, at PetSmart during a Furry Friends adoption event. We chose her because of her sweet, playful and fearless personality. But she’s also the prettiest kitty, and who wouldn’t fall in love with her extra toes!

“I felt lost after saying goodbye to my cat,” Gloria says. “I had her for 20 years, and she was my best friend.  

“I donated most of her belongings to Furry Friends and when I dropped them off at the shelter, I noticed a little white cat watching me from the living room and a little orange cat watching me from one of the catios. Something about that place touched me deeply.

“I have had cats most of my life and love their energy,” says Paul. “Last September, my wife and I decided that our current kitty Circe needed a companion, and noticed Ziggy (then Gemma) posted on the Furry Friends website.

“I have been a ‘crazy cat lady’ since the day I was born,” Destiny laughs. “In August 2020, I adopted my soul cat, truly a daughter in my eyes.

“In November 2022, she gave birth to six kittens and I became a ‘grandma.’ I kept one of the male kittens and encouraged various family members and friends to adopt the others. While she tolerates her son, she exhibits many of my traits: low temper and high annoyance.

“I live alone in my own apartment,” Anna says. “I’ve always been a cat person at heart, having grown up on a farm, where the barn cats were my favorite part of each day. Watching them explore, play and hunt brought me so much joy.

“After my neighbors and I rescued 6 kittens from a hedge, I fostered them for Furry Friends, named them and ultimately adopted four of them,” says Jade.

“Izzy and Apollo were bonded. My mom immediately fell in love with Izzy, while Apollo’s love cannot be refused! Clio, however, was truly special. Loki, my soul cat, had passed away 6 months before, and I felt that he had sent her to me. One day, I tried teaching the kittens to spin (I had taught Loki to spin for his food) and only Clio did it. Far more affectionate with me than my husband or mom, she follows me around and snuggles me when I’m stressed. Shy, sensitive Nia promptly bonded with my husband.

“My husband Juan, our three children and I met Hank, Harvey and Miso (formerly Tiggy) at their foster homes,” says Holly.

“I personally saw Tiggy posted on FB, just had to meet him, and instantly knew that he was for us. The kids fell in love with Hank and Harvey, and since we couldn’t choose just one, we adopted them both. All three, who made themselves at home immediately, were placed in our lives at the right time, and have made our family complete.

“While we’ve had various cats in the past, Roba, who was formerly called Pookie, is the first one we’ve adopted from Furry Friends,” says Karina.