Nine years ago a litter of kittens arrived at Animal Friends. One of them was a pretty little Tortie who was named BoPeep.
It wasn’t long before the kittens, including BoPeep, were adopted. She went into a loving home with a nice family. She lived a good life. She slept with her favorite person. She played and chased shadows on the walls. She enjoyed sitting at the window and watching the butterflies just out of reach. She grew up to be a beautiful adult cat.
Almost 2 years ago, BoPeep developed a few medical problems. Sadly, it happened at the same time the economy was making life difficult for many people. Her family couldn’t afford to take careof her and she was returned to the shelter. Animal Friends never turns away one of our own, so we welcomed her back and began her medical treatment.
It took about 6 months for BoPeep to feel better. Her medical problems were treated with a special diet. Physically, she did great and emotionally she enjoyed endless TLC and love from staff and volunteers alike. She quickly became a favorite but she was also a cat with ‘special needs, one that no one was interested in adopting. Because of her special diet, she couldn’t go to the free roam room so she lived in a cage. BoPeep spent a year at Animal Friends until her angel walked through the doors.
His name was Dan. Dan came to Animal Friends asking to adopt an older cat who nobody else wanted. He understood that kittens come and go very quickly. Dan too had been adopted and knew what it was like to be waiting for a family. He was lucky to find parents who didn’t insist on adopting an infant. Dan wanted to pay it forward. I told him BoPeep’s story and asked if he’d like to meet her.
They met in one of our get acquainted rooms and within just a few minutes, Dan was ready to give BoPeep a home. BoPeep didn’t really ‘show well’. She just sat there looking at the door hoping to get out of that room. She paid no attention to Dan. But this wasn’t about Dan’s needs. BoPeep needed a home and her angel had arrived.
BoPeep’s name is now Gabrielle. Dan named her after the angel, Gabriel, not realizing that he was the angel in her story. She is, once again, sleeping with her favorite person, laying in the rays of the sun, looking out windows and watching the butterflies just out of reach. Animal Friends has many cats like Gabrielle. Through no fault of their own, they’re at our shelter, in cages, waiting on an angel to call their own.
Luckily, at Animal Friends, we believe in angels.