To celebrate the month of love, we invited our community of cat lovers to tell us about someone they know (including themselves) who went from not liking cats to not being able to live without them. Here are our top 5 stories that were submitted. Get ready for your heart to overflow!
"The summer of 2018, my stepdad reluctantly allowed my cats and I to stay at his and my mom's house for 2 months while I transitioned between jobs. He said he hated cats so the deal was they had to stay in the basement. By the time we went to move, my cats had free run of the house, my stepdad was feeding them cheese right from his own mouth (Lady & the Tramp style) and he always had at least one on his lap while on the couch. Now this cat hater has 2 cats of his own and gets in trouble all the time from my mom for giving them too many treats.”
- Alanna
“For twenty years, I was convinced I was ‘not a cat person.’ The source of my fear was a core memory from when I was 8 years old: being chased down the street by a neighborhood cat on my way home from school. From that day on, I kept my distance.
Fast forward to 2018. My partner and I had just moved in together, and he told me he had a surprise. He didn’t tell me where we were going, but we ended up at a home that was currently filled with the tiny mews of two dozen kittens.
I was nervous stepping inside, but the very first kitten to trot up and greet me changed everything. In an instant, two decades of fear vanished. I looked at my partner and knew right then that we weren't leaving alone.
We walked out with that brave little kitten, and she became my first pet ever. Today, she is an 8-year-old lady who has been by my side through every major milestone of my adult life. I truly cannot imagine my life without her—she didn't just win over a ‘non-cat person’; she healed a 20-year fear!”
- Anji
“When I met Justin he had a dog and I had a cat. He was ‘dog guy’ through and through from fostering as a young kid with his family to adopting special needs dogs. He was not thrilled about living with a cat, but I’d find them cuddling every time I came home from working at the animal shelter. A bottle baby kitten needed fostering and that was a 'no', but within a night he was the one waking up every hour to check on him and feed him. Of course, he had to adopt him since they ‘bonded’. Fast forward 12 years and we have fostered over 200 cats, adopted 7, and he’s the first to care for them, carry them around, make shelters for neighborhood cats, and help with TNR. He says ‘they’ can’t live without him, although I know the opposite is actually the truth!”
- Jen
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2019. During my treatment I was watching videos of cats and I thought, oh I want a kitten/cat. We had our dog Stella (a Westie). I was telling my husband that I would love to have a kitten. On Christmas Day I opened a box and it had a name tag for a collar. It said Tango. I looked at my husband and my granddaughter came up with a beautiful tabby kitten. Tango was 4 months old. He was so affectionate and loved being with me. I called him my chemo kitty. He is my first cat and I’m so happy that he is in my life!”
- Michelle
“I started off as a dog person and never a cat person. One day we decided to go to Petsmart and they had cats up for adoption. I of course wanted to look because they were all adorable. I came across this cat named Woody. He was named Woody because he was found under a wood pile with a broken paw. His sad story made me feel horrible. I was looking at Woody and was talking at him through the glass. He was staring at me the whole time. I had said bye to him and then started walking away. I looked back and I noticed he was looking for me as walked away. I left and knew I had to go back the next day. I filled out an application and adopted him. He was the cat that made me love cats. Now I have 5 in total!”
- Alessia
Thank you to everyone who sent in your stories! 💌 Follow @meowbox on social and subscribe to our newslitter for more contests and giveaways.
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