My Experience With Adopting Our Pets

Every Pet in My Family Was Adopted or Rescued

3 Million!  According to the ASPCA, approximately 3 million cats enter animal shelters annually.  June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, so it feels like the right moment to share something dear to my heart: every pet in my family was adopted, rescued, or found their way to us.

Animals have always been part of my life. When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Our home was always full of animals:  cats, a dog, fish, and even a rabbit. Looking back, it makes sense that I wanted pets as an adult.

What I didn’t know was how each of them would find their way to me.

Some came from shelters. Others were rescued from dangerous situations. A few were born in garages. And some just appeared one day and decided I belonged to them.

That’s how my current pet family came together: six cats, one dog, and countless paw prints on my heart.

Tank the day he came home.

Tigger: The Cat Who Started It All

Before Ajax, Athena, Tank, Ace, Domino, Avy, or Walter, there was Tigger in the earliest days of my adult life.

Tigger was my first pet as an adult and, in many ways, the cat who started it all.

I found her on the hot asphalt of a busy shopping center and brought her home. She was just a tiny kitten, small enough to fit in my hand.  I rushed her to the vet. He gently told me she might not make it through the night and warned that I could spend a lot of money trying to save her, only to lose her in the end.  I said I didn’t care and slapped my credit card down on the counter.  But Tigger had other plans.  She survived and thrived.  She was so young that she needed to be bottle-fed. We would wrap her up in a towel like a tiny "purrito" to feed her. Somehow, this little kitten who wasn’t expected to survive kept proving everyone wrong.

Tigger had vision problems from the start. She was missing part of each eyelid, and over time, fur rubbed against her eyes, causing damage that eventually led to blindness.  None of that ever slowed her down.  Tigger lived to be 15 years old.  Tigger taught me what it means to love and to let go. That lesson shaped how I welcomed every new animal that came into our lives.

My first cat as an adult (Tigger)

Ajax & Athena: A New Beginning

In 2014, after we said goodbye to Tigger and entered a new phase, my husband, Luis, and I realized something important: our home just didn’t feel complete without animals. Since Tigger was blind and frail in her later years, we felt it wouldn’t be fair to bring a dog into the house.  After saying goodbye to our little lady, we visited Miami-Dade Animal Services.

That day, we adopted Ajax and Athena together.  Ajax, our scruffy mutt, stole our hearts right away. He has a collection of bandanas and loves riding in the truck. If you ask him, Luis is definitely his favorite person.  Athena quickly established herself as the queen of the household.  She’s sweet but reserved. She loves head bumps and sitting next to you on the couch. She’s made it clear she’s not a lap cat. Affection happens on Athena’s schedule, not yours. She loves pink and likes to look like a perfect little lady. When she’s not napping, she watches lizards with the focus of a wildlife biologist.  

Athena and Ajax were adopted together from Miami-Dade Animal Services.

Tank: The Kitten Who Waited

Later, Tank joined us after a feral cat ran into a friend’s garage and had kittens. The other kittens found homes quickly, but Tank stayed behind, with little interest from adopters.  During what was supposed to be a simple outing for chicken wings and beer, I convinced Luis that Tank belonged with us. And just in case he tried to back out on our agreement, I recorded video of him agreeing.  As it turns out, I was right.  Tank grew into a gentle giant. He loves sunny naps and sitting on his cat dad’s lap. He enjoys spending time with his feline siblings. His loving nature brings joy to our home every day.

Tank is our very sweet, gentle giant.

Ace & Domino: The Brothers Who Stayed Together

By April 2018, we visited Miami-Dade Animal Services, hoping to welcome another cat into our home.  I had gone to the shelter to adopt one cat.

Instead, I came home with two.

I went to the shelter to meet Charlie, who had been waiting since November 2017. Charlie would later become Domino.  Then the shelter staff asked if I would consider adopting Domino’s brother, Bravo.  Someone had agreed to adopt him, but never returned to pick him up.

I immediately looked at Luis.

He answered right away:

"Are you crazy? We can't. I tried to make a deal, tried to negotiate.

"We're already going to have three cats. One more won't even be noticeable. Plus, we can't separate these two brothers."

He walked away, muttering quietly about going to look at the dogs.

I told the shelter staff we would take Bravo.  Eventually, Luis came around.  Even now, I like to joke that Ace was our impulse purchase at the checkout counter.  The brothers are still inseparable. In recent years, Domino has also become Avy’s reluctant big brother (more on her below). As every cat owner knows, we don't really own cats.  They own us.

Domino and Ace were adopted together from Miami-Dade Animal Services.

Avy: Delivered by the Cat Distribution System

In November 2024, Avy’s story started on the side of a busy road in Miami.  I saw a tiny kitten cowering against the concrete median. I stopped my car in the middle of traffic and got out.  As I got closer, she ran under my car and sat next to the driver’s side front tire. I knew I had exactly one chance.  If I missed, she would likely run back into traffic and be hit by a car.  Thankfully, I caught her.  Otherwise, she might not be here today.

Avy became our first fluffy cat. She proudly shows off her floof. Even now, at almost two years old, she’s tiny but has a big personality. She is feisty, spirited, and very clear that affection happens entirely on her terms.  Now, she follows Domino everywhere. Domino acts as her devoted guardian and patient big brother. Sometimes he seems happy to have a little sister. Other times, he looks like he’s second-guessing every choice that brought Avy here.

Avy was rescued from the middle of a busy roadway in Miami.

Walter: The Cat Who Chose Us

In January 2021, South Florida had an unusually cold night. Local news stations encouraged people to provide warmth for outdoor cats.  So I put a box outside with a blanket.  That night, a skinny black cat with missing fur and a damaged eye found the box.  And then he never really left.

Walter showed up as a feral cat, cautious and unsure of people. Slowly, with meals, patience, affection, and consistency, he started to trust us.  Over time, his fur grew back, and he gained weight. He learned that ear scratches are wonderful and that people aren’t always so bad.  Now, Walter comes for breakfast and dinner every day. He rubs against our legs, enjoys affection, and knows where to find his favorite people.

Most importantly, he has a family.

Walter chose us as his furrever family.

Why I Believe in Adoption

Every animal in my family came to me in a different way.

Some came from shelters.

Some were rescued from dangerous situations.

Some were born in garages.

And some simply showed up and decided that we were theirs.

Adoption taught me that family isn’t always the one you’re born into. Sometimes, it’s the one you rescue, welcome home, or quietly let into your heart.

Today, my family includes six cats and one dog, and I cannot imagine my life without them.  If you’re thinking about adding a pet to your family, I hope you’ll consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have so many wonderful animals waiting for a second chance.  I know because every member of my family got one.  And truthfully, I think they’ve rescued me, too.

Sincerely,

Carol