Two months after losing Zoe, our feisty "daughter" of 19 years, my husband and I decided the house was just too quiet and too lonely - we needed another kitty. We visited the local pound - twice - but didn't find the "one." We planned a third visit and decided to prepare in case we found a match, and stopped at PetSmart to pick up the essentials. Lo and behold, it was adoption day! I was talking to the head of the animal rescue - Lifeline Animal Rescue in Warren, NJ - about the adoption process, turned and saw my husband standing in front of one cage playing pawsie with the occupant. He had found the "one." Chloe was picked up on the streets of Harlem with her 2 nursing kittens by NYC Animal Control. Lifeline Animal Rescue drove into the city to rescue her and her kittens, and placed the three of them in foster care. Once the kittens were weaned, Lifeline decided Chloe was ready for adoption. It was estimated that she was anywhere from 10 months to 3 years old, but we didn't care how old she was - she was the "one." On her first day at our home, Chloe stayed under the bed. However, sometime during the night, she ventured out and rubbed against my hand. That was it! We had bonded. She blossomed into a beautiful dilute calico girl who loved to play and be brushed - and eat! We discovered that Chloe loved people food - teriyaki pork chops, turkey, ham, chicken, pound cake, and Duck donuts! Must have been the time she spent on the streets eating whatever she could find or sharing the tasty bits that kind strangers gave her. And so Chloe became our sous chef, constantly pacing through the kitchen to carefully monitor the oven, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. As the years passed, she also became my hair dresser, masseuse, nurse, therapist, office assistant, and constant companion. Sadly, our beautiful Chloe passed over the rainbow bridge on February 25. Even though she went to the vet yearly and appeared healthy, she had undetected heart disease (I guess that's why they call heart disease a silent killer). We miss her terribly, but she will always and forever be in our hearts. We know that we can never repay Chloe for rescuing us and for all the joy and love she gave us over the past 12 years. Please consider a rescue - you won't be sorry!

Daphne
HUNTERSVILLE, NC