Life can be unpredictable, but sometimes the best things come unexpectedly. This was the case for me with my beloved cat, Maple.
As a self-proclaimed lover of all things secondhand, I have always appreciated finding something special that has already lived a life before coming into my possession. However, I never expected this same ideology to apply to a feral animal I found on the ground outside.
Let me set the scene: it was Halloween weekend in 2021 and I was dressed as Tinkerbell in the backyard of someone’s townhome-style apartment. While my friends had taken to playing beer pong and listening to “Doses & Mimosas,” I spotted a small calico cat perched on a nearby fence.
Initially, her friendliness led us to believe she had an owner. However, after speaking to the apartment owners, who said they had seen strays around but never this one, I got curious about how she got there.
Not long after, we realized she had been freshly neutered and the tip of her ear had just been cut. From this, we deduced she was a “Trap-Neuter-Release” cat, a humane method of controlling feral and free-roaming cat populations.
Instantaneously I was drawn to her due to her affinity for people. Naturally, I started sending pictures of her to everyone I knew. I was posting pictures of her on my private Snapchat story saying, “meet my new child.” I even texted my parents, preparing them for the fact that I was about to take home this new furry friend.
I was talked into leaving her at the party that night. However, the next day when talking to my roommates, I mentioned that we should go back and check on her. If she was still there, we would take her home and make sure she was fed. If she wasn’t, we would leave it be.
Luckily, she was still there. From that day on, Maple became an integral part of my life. I quickly fell in love with her and knew I could not leave her at that fence post for one second longer. Even though I wasn’t necessarily looking to add a pet to my life, she seemed to have chosen me to be her owner.
All my friends are absolutely obsessed with Maple too. They fight over who gets to take care of her when I go home for the weekend or leave for vacation. She has garnered a fan club. Everyone in my life loves to come over and feed her, play with her and give her extra treats when I’m not looking. And, of course, they can’t help but take a million photos of her for social media. Maple has added an insurmountable amount of joy to all our lives.
I like to think about the fact that many people say their cats chose them, not the other way around. This certainly happened to me.
As a college student, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the demands of school, work and social life. However, Maple has provided me with a sense of companionship and unconditional love I never knew I needed. She has taught me that the best things in life are often free and we should always be open to unexpected gifts.
In a world that often feels uncertain and unpredictable, Maple has brought stability and comfort into my life. She is a constant reminder that even amid constant chaos, there is always something to be grateful for.
Whether it’s a secondhand find or a new furry friend, keep your heart open to the unexpected. You never know what life may have in store for you.
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