And now there are 9-Finnegan's story

Out of darkness comes light, out of despair, hope and out of death, new life...

Bob and I decided that we'd seen too much death lately and that both us and the kitties needed some new energy. Please join us in welcoming Finnegan James to our herd. Finnegan was found wandering the street by one of my clients. He was neutered and in good health, other than being a little thin. They had him FeLV/FIV tested, de-wormed and vaccinated. They were planning on keeping him, but their resident cat wouldn't allow it. That's when the flyer was posted at my work. Normally, I might not have acted on this, but according to the flyer, Finnegan (originally "Steve") was scheduled to go to Cat Adoption Team on July 7th, which is my birthday. That for me was a sign. I made a phone call, and yesterday we welcomed Finnegan into our family.

He is currently living in our 4th bedroom, although I'm starting to isolate him in other rooms during the day, in order for him to leave his scent. He is friendly, although a bit nervous, having fended for himself and then being moved around a bit (he boarded at a kitty motel and also lived in my clients' bathroom). It's going to take him some time to bond with us, but once he realizes that this is his forever home, I think the nervousness will subside. He seems pretty easy going and the other cats don't seem too upset by his presence; they seem more put that they have lost access to a room!

Finnegan's right ear has been tipped, indicating that he may have been part of a feral cat colony at one time, although he doesn't act feral. I'm hoping to introduce him to his new brothers and sisters this weekend.

I wasn't sure if I would adopt another cat anytime soon, but this feels right. We invest a lot of love in our pets, only to have them leave us all too soon. Yet with each loss, the void left in our hearts eventually heals. When this happens, we are ready to welcome another pet into our home and hearts. This is but one way we can honor the memories of those pets who have passed on.

Ellen