Every few days, we drove to see Sunny in his foster home. Now, he looked exactly as his name suggested: he was a bright, orange furball with a butterfly pattern on his shoulders. As time went by, our boy grew stronger; soon, he became a loud and busy kitten. Sunny was able to step out of his box and explore the surroundings. He was an active, curious boy and spent most of his time moving around and playing with toys. We were thrilled to see Sunny growing and thriving.
Once, Sunny had become an adoption event star at the local pet store. The volunteers brought the cats and kittens, to help the animals to find homes and educate people about the community resources for pets. Sunny was in a crate with other kittens. He was studying the large room filled with exciting smells and unknown objects. One of the customers liked the active orange-white kitten and requested more information about him. “Sunny already has a family and is waiting to go home”, the volunteer responded.
When Sunny came into our lives, we lived in a rental apartment. To adopt a cat legally, we had to come up with a pet deposit. At the time, I was studying biology and was a full-time student. Our family lived on the income from my husband’s job and my part-time employment. While Sunny was at the volunteer’s care, we were exploring the opportunities to find the money for the pet deposit. Finally, I applied for a student loan at the university. Now we could bring the boy home and be confident that we comply with the rules.
Next, we realized that our place was not ready for a new addition. Moreover, we don’t know anything about what kittens need. When you bring a new baby home from a hospital, you need a baby car seat. Similarly, when you bring home a young kitten, you will need a cat carrier.
We visited a pet store and purchased a cat carrier, a litter box, a small cat tree, a warm flannel blanket, and a cat bed. Additionally, our daughter Sasha convinced us that cat toys are necessary. We placed a few fabric balls, a string on a stick, and a couple of knitted mice in the shopping cart. A couple of weeks later, we were driving home with our boy Sunny!