When I was just a kid, I spied a cat shivering on the roof of my house. I'd seen him around the neighborhood where I lived, but with no collar. He was deathly afraid of humans and clearly was in need of a home but was afraid to come near me. I stayed and talked to him, and tried to let him know I was not a threat. The following day, I sat on my porch when the same cat ran at me, and stole the biscotti I'd been eating from my hands.
For the next sixteen years, he never left my side.
Though he was diagnosed with FIV making him a special needs cat, the thought of such a sweet little guy not having the home he so desperately needed, never entered my mind (especially knowing what his fate would be in a shelter). I took him in, spoiled him in every way, and was rewarded with the most loving, attentive animal I'd ever owned. He began to trust people, and won over the hearts of everybody he encountered with his sweet nature and massive amount of intelligence.
We had to say goodbye to him on June 27, 2010, but he'll never be forgotten. I rescued him from the streets and he rescued me by showing me how rewarding saving an animal can be.
Long Beach, CA
