We Saved Each Other

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The last time I wrote a piece was just after the passing of my dear cat Chai. May 25, 2020, the height of worldwide pandemic lockdown, my best friend, soulmate, and cuddle bear passed away in the early morning hours.

When Chai passed my husband, and I were devastated. The center of our home had changed, and our three cats were just as lost as we were.

The summer was socially distant and quiet. Nothing was the same in our home, our lives, our country, and the world. Watching so much go on and no longer have the comfort of my girl, the only one who loved being held, listened to conversations, and tried all the foods she could…. there were many nights crying myself to sleep.

In late August, we decided to spend the afternoon at a nearby cat cafe. They were only allowing a few guests at a time. We could have some coffee, see some cats play and go home.

When we walked into the room, there were cats playing on scratchers and a few chasing each other. In a cubie sitting in a round bed was this tiny tortie.

I walked over to her and touched the top of her head. She looked up at me with sad and jaded eyes and my heart melted.

The rest of our time there, I could not and did not want to leave her. Tears began to soak my face mask and I wondered what had happened to this little one before arriving here.

As we were leaving my husband and I chatted with the director who told us the story of “Vivie”. She had been found in a gas station parking lot in the beginning of the Pandemic keeping her five kittens alive. She was two years old and at first was thought to be feral.

She was not though,  just unsure of herself and also of the world.

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Then before we knew it, I filled out an adoption application.

Later in the evening, while sitting on the porch, we looked towards the pagoda dogwood where Chai lay to rest and cried.

Were we ready to welcome a new member into our family?

I struggled with this until a dear friend reminded me of how Chai came into our lives.

“She needed you. You saved her.”

She was right. Years before, a Craigslist posting of a found cat with big green eyes brought our Chai.

The sad eyes of a little tortie brought us our Una.