“I have always had cats in the past,” says Kay. “When I lost the last of my four-legged babies, I was devastated and, then miraculously, the Furry Friends website ‘found me.’

“Amazingly, their shelter is only a few miles from where I live! The moment I met stunning white and black beauty Felicia (she even sports a black beauty mark on the left side of her nose) at the Furry Friends shelter, she literally stole my heart, and I knew that she was the one.

“My husband Templeton and I met Frida (formerly Scully) at the Furry Friends shelter and adopted her to be a companion for our adult cat,” says Kellette. “She was so sweet and so friendly. She was playful and loved getting into our laps at the shelter.

“I have always been passionate about cats,” says Marion. ”I have a 14-year-old cat named Kiko whom I adopted 4 years ago, and my partner and I live with two 6-year-old cat sisters named Quilla and Nyxx.

“ I was going through a separation from my husband, and my son had never had a pet because his dad was allergic to cats,” Alana says. “Pumpkin was, in fact, our third foster kitty, and somehow she became ‘the one.’

“I have had cats nearly all of my life – at least since I was five,” Devon says. “Many kitties have passed through the doors of my various homes.

“Intrigued by Mochi’s online photos, I arranged to meet her at the shelter. Not only was she beautiful, she immediately bumped my hand with her head. It truly was love at first sight! Once I adopted her, I changed her name from Thistle because it simply didn’t fit. She’s far too soft to have been named after something with spiny thorns.

“I’ve had cats all my life, and until several years ago, a goofy black Lab named Ruby,” says Tammy. “I used to joke with my two kids that when they left for college, I would replace them with a kitten. Kind of a joke … because I did.

“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.