For those of us with siblings, it’s hard to imagine our lives without them. I for one would be
completely lost without my sister!
A few months after suffering the loss of our beloved cat Garfield, we decided it was time for
us to adopt a kitten – we hadn’t given much thought to adopting siblings (though this practice is
recommended for a multitude of reasons). After speaking with both Jan and Rena from
AnimaLovers, I was convinced that bringing two new furry friends home was the way to go…
convincing my husband on the other hand was not going to be quite so easy!
Jan contacted me to advise that there was a litter of kittens who would be coming up for
adoption soon and wanted to know if I were interested in meeting them. She sent photos, and we
arranged a convenient time for my daughter and I to meet the kitties.
It was love at first sight for both my daughter and myself – and after seeing the two kittens
together, I was convinced more than ever that we needed to adopt them both. The two of us rushed
home to fill my husband in on the details – “oh ya,” I calmly stated, “and by the way, we need to
adopt two.” At first my husband offered an adamant “no”. However, being the reasonable man that
he is – he listened to my argument and reasons why. Perhaps the most convincing of the long list
was the socialization, manners and overall health and well-being of the kittens.
Finally, with hesitation, (and a list of concerns, like, two cats equals double the mess) my
husband agreed to adopt two kittens. The true test would be bringing them home.
So here we are, one month later… and I cannot image life without our two wonderful little
girls, Suki and Jasmin. Even my husband, who at first had many reservations, has admitted that his
concerns were diminished almost instantly upon their arrival. Suki and Jasmin do everything
together – they are each others’ shadow. They keep one another company while we are at work and
school, and they teach each other how to behave.
In hindsight, I feel a little embarrassed at how ignorant we had been in thinking that adopting
two kittens would be more work, more damage and more costly – when in fact is has been quite the
opposite! And as I watch the two run through the house side by side I think to myself how awful it
would have been to separate siblings whom would clearly be lost without each other.
AnimaLovers is truly an amazing organization, composed of kind, compassionate, and
knowledgeable volunteers – thank you for all that you do!