Hey Iowa, Saving These Kittens Saved Me
Having a pet can truly enrich your life in a beautiful way.
On October 20th, I celebrated my first Gotcha Day with my adorable cats. It's absolutely crazy how happy these two little chaotic balls of hair have made me.
And I cannot believe that they've been running bossing me around for a whole year!
There are 47 million cat households in the United States, according to reports. In addition, about 3.2 million cats end up in shelters every single year and people are typically more likely to adopt stray cats than they adopt stray dogs.
August and Cornelia Run the World
Picture it...Autumn 2023.
I had moved out to a new apartment after getting the boot from my landlord.
They decided to not renew any of their tenant's leases, so that was pretty fun.
One of the great things about my new apartment building is that it's pet friendly. So, I decided to take this as a sign from the universe that it was time for me to get a cat.
I looked at all of the local animal shelters, trying to find the perfect furry companion for myself. In between tasks at work I was looking at cats on the Cedar Bend Humane Society's website.
I'd find an adorable cat on their website, and then forget about it. By the time I'd remember them, they were already snatched up and sent to a loving home. Honestly, I think I kept pushing it off because I was a bit nervous about owning my own pet for the first time.
I still highly encourage you to adopt from a local shelter like Cedar Bend Humane Society.
Ask and You Shall Receive
So, I'd been talking about how much I wanted a cat at the office. One day, one of my co-workers Bob came up to me and said that he had found some kittens on his property.
He and his wife Julie had tried to bring in the whole litter which included mama, but they had no luck. The couple was only able to bring inside two babies that were a few weeks old.
They fed them, bathed them, and make sure they had everything they needed as they tried to tame them.
After mentioning their feline friends that they'd found, Bob sent me an email the next day with this picture of the kitties.
The message read, "I can't promise the one on the right, but the left one I can! We caught them in live traps and they're now in a big rabbit cage in our garage while we try to get them tamed. Please let me know if you want him/her... no idea at this point."
I knew immediately that I had to bring home these cats.
Originally, my heart was set on taking just the orange one home. I prepared myself to hear from Bob about how the other one was already taken by one of their friends.
When I went to their house to meet the cats, the couple surprised me with some big news.
I could take both of the kittens if I wanted!
My jaw sort of dropped to the floor as I held the purring orange cat. I think this pic might've been right around the moment they told me.
Two?!? I'm scared about being able to handle one! That's double the poop to scoop!
BUT! I had been reading that if you are adopting kittens, it's better to get a pair. They'll always have a buddy AND it's supposed to help teach them not to bite.
So...I ended up taking the cats home a week or two later.
Since I'm such a big fan of Taylor Swift, I decided to name them after two of my favorite songs by her. I picked 'August' and 'Cornelia Street.'
Thus, August (orange cat) and Cornelia (gray) came into my life.
It's crazy how quickly they both became such important pieces of my life. I live in a one bedroom apartment at the moment, so we really are all squeezed together here.
They've helped me deal with my anxiety and the homesickness I feel every now and then. I know it might sound silly, but the three of us have become a little ragtag family.
I struggle with some mental health issues and having these constant, furry presences in my life helps me bring myself down to earth and center myself.
I've flown with them across the country, taken them out to farmers markets, and have used them for some great social media content.
Now that they've been a part of my life for a year, I'm so excited to see what the years ahead hold for us.
Kerri Mac Looks Back at Her First Year of Pet Parenthood
Gallery Credit: Kerri Mac
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Haunting Iowa Roadtrip Map
Gallery Credit: Kerri Mac