Can One Wrong Make Two Rights?

“When a door closes, two windows open.” ~ Author unknown


Yesterday morning I received a phone call from the owner of the cat that was repossessed by the shelter. After finding out that the agency reserves ownership of the animal, and that the adopting families are merely “foster parents”, they are afraid to run into the same type of heartbreak again at a later time, so they prefer to give up and go elsewhere to adopt.


When I first hung up the phone I was quite irritated. What incentive do people have to adopt animals from rescues if they have to live in fear of seeing their beloved pet being taken away after years of lovingly taking care of it, especially when one can just adopt a pet for free from the newspaper with no strings attached? Who would be willing to pay an adoption fee, be solely responsible for the cost of food and medical care, and at the same time have no rights regarding ownership of the animal? Homes taking in foster children receive financial assistance for providing a safe environment; once they adopt the child the financial incentives stop, but the child is legally theirs.


After the initial irritation, however, I saw the silver lining. The family is now going to adopt two animals from a kill shelter, and thus save two lives. As sad as this episode was for the little girl and her cat, it will have a happy ending for two other cats who might, otherwise, not find another home.


I guess we all could focus on the injustice that took place, but it is certainly more constructive to direct our energy toward the good that will come out of it. It is all too common to notice the darkness of the cloud and ignore its silver lining.


Anything that happens is set in motion by opposing forces, and if we can look at the situation objectively, we can’t find a dynamic negative without its positive twin trailing behind. Painful events often lead to something good and promote a greater awareness.


My heart still breaks for the cat whose world was suddenly turned upside down and felt abandoned by the family he had come to love, all because of a contractual travesty, but deep down I rejoice for the two cats who are now living on borrowed time and will soon discover the joys of snuggling beside a warm fire on a cold winter night.

Beating the Odds

“Our first journey is to find that special place for us.” ~ Earl Nightingale

Yesterday was a very special day for us, as we brought home a new member of our family. His name is Wick, and he is a tiny, eight-week-old black kitten.

Aside from the suspicious stares he received from Wizard, our resident cat, Wick’s homecoming was glorious – the kids were tickled to death and even my husband warmed up to him quite quickly.

In the midst of all the excitement, only one tiny cloud of sadness lingered in the air. When Wick was taken to the shelter, a couple of weeks ago, he and his brother Noir stuck together like glue. The lady who fostered them both said they were inseparable and suffered separation anxieties when pulled apart to be examined. We all started thinking about his brother, and felt kind of sad that we were not able to bring them home together.

Wick, formerly Midnight, has found a home where he will grow happy and healthy – will his brother have the same fortune, or will he end as a nameless adult cat in a shelter that most will bypass and won’t adopt? I suppose we will never know.

When we are born, we are dealt a hand of cards that will decide how the game will unfold. Certainly, if we learn good playing skills, our chances of winning will increase, but part of our success is a mere strike of luck. When they woke up this morning, the two kittens didn’t know of the chain of events that was going to take place within a few hours. They woke and played; they ate, napped and played some more; all of these actions were performed together; yet, tonight, their lives took different paths.

As much as we like to assume that life is a game we can control, part of the play remains unknown, and greatly relies on having faith in the final outcome.

It is a sad reality that many of the animals at the shelters will never find homes, but it is also true that each person walking through the door has the potential of becoming one of their humans. We can never give up hope, as we don’t know who or what is waiting around the corner. We could be disappointed ten times, or even twenty, but the twenty-first time could be the one which will turn our lives around.

It’s good to know, at least, that we have just as many chances to be happy as we have of being let down. And those are wonderful odds.


(I will be leaving this afternoon for Wilmington and will be gone until Sunday night, so there will be no blog posts the next two mornings. Have a happy weekend, everybody, and I will see you back on Monday. )