Our Little Buddy is Gone

Yesterday our little foster kitty, Todd, went to an adoption event and never really came home.

A nice young couple (reminds me of Nancy and Ryan, and Les and Tim) came to the event especially to meet him and fell in love with him. They already have two lady cats and were anxious to add out little guy to their family. Mary (our cat social worker) brought him to me and I delivered him to their home without even bringing him inside our house. Like anything painful, these things are best done as quickly as possible. He now has a wonderful forever home and we have a little hole in our family.

When we take the fosters into our house, we know they will be leaving us. Sometimes it's in a couple of weeks -- and those are easy and joyful. A few times it has been a couple of months -- and those were bittersweet. This time we had had him for six months and he really had become one of our family. I miss him when I come in from the garage and he isn't waiting to greet me, or when he doesn't help me while I eat breakfast and attempt to read the newspaper. Our other cats obviously are aware of his absence and my reaction and are trying to comfort me. When you live with animals they can tell when you are sad and they really do try to help.

We have decided to take a time out for a month or so. There is a kitten needing a foster home now, but Alex and I and our furry kids need the break. I'm sure in a month or so Mary will call and say that there is a cat or kitten who really needs a home, and we will open ours to it once again. In the meantime, our sadness is tempered with the knowledge that we did a little something to help one small and very dear animal. We know that we passed an affectionate and trusting little guy on to a young couple who will love and care for him and whose lives he will leave a little bit richer.

I often wish I had the means or the talent to make a huge difference in the world, but I tell myself that if each of us can make a small difference -- within the scope of our ability -- we can collectively do even more than a Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.