(Note: Don’t read this post until after you’ve read *last Wednesday’s post.)
I’ve had the flu for two weeks now. I have not been this sick in fifteen years. Unfortunately, an adoption disappointment occurred in the middle of this darn flu and I responded, well, more strongly than I normally would have. If I had known then what was about to transpire, NOTHING could have daunted my spirits. Even the flu couldn’t have gotten me down. The story I’m going to tell today is the stuff of miracles - just in time for the Christmas season. For those of you who left supportive comments and emails (I read every word of support!) and shared in my disappointment last week - THIS POST IS FOR YOU. This isn’t just an adoption story. It is amazing and awesome and special. Well, let’s get started.
Mitts had been chosen by a person who saw her on Petfinder. We engaged in an email dialogue and the home seemed to be what I look for. She didn’t “disappear” like so many who have contacted me through Petfinder, and we continued our dialogue into the actual details - she told her story, I told Mitts’ story, we talked about contracts and requirements, AND, after days of conversation, we even set a date and location for transport. Then last Tuesday, out of the blue, I heard from this person that she had changed her mind. I was heartbroken. Sweet, sweet Mitts. SUCH a deserving little soul. She had been through a life-threatening ordeal after being adopted into a home where she received no vet care, no follow-through on the remaining kitten vaccinations, no spay. We were lucky to have ever known about it. We were able to take her back and get to work on trying to save her life. It was definitely MUCH more likely that we would lose her than that she would make it. (You can read about that in THIS POST.) But survive she did. And she has been here ever since.
Except for Circe, the four who have been here the longest are Mitts, Spritz, Glitter, and Cashmere. You all know how many times I have highlighted “The Gray Girls” in an attempt to find forever homes for them. So here was one of those girls finally being chosen for a home of her own. Except not.
I posted last week about the disappointment, and that was that. Except that unbeknownst to me, there was an angel lurking. On the very day that the Mitts person changed her mind about the adoption, there was a young woman named J who was trying to contact me. She had been trying to connect with me through Petfinder for a few days, but I wasn’t answering her. In fact, I wasn’t receiving anything from her and therefore did not know she even existed. Tuesday is the day my hopes were dashed for Mitts. J knew none of this, but that night she decided to look harder for a way to connect. She looked until she found my personal email and sent a short message - I have been trying to contact you. I am interested in Mitts.
I sat there staring at that email with my mouth hanging open. OK. DO NOT get excited. This has happened multiple times. This means nothing. I knew this would be just another one of those times when someone inquires and then disappears. I sent my standard email response. I would check later to see if she reciprocated. In the meantime, I told myself that maybe this was a sign. Even though the chances were great that this particular situation would not come to fruition, maybe I was being told to hang in there - that Mitts had been noticed and might still someday get a home. I had to admit that the circumstances were REALLY weird. What were the chances, right? A little later in the day, there it was. Another email from J. We started a dialogue that became VERY detailed. Before long, I had told her the entire story about Mitts, and she had told me about her best friend in life - the cat she’d had for nineteen years. She lost her best friend last January and thought she might never be able to do it again. But she had decided she couldn’t live without a cat. And when she found Mitts on Petfinder, something clicked. That’s when she started trying to connect with me.
She and her fiancé read the links I sent to her about Mitts. They were in! In fact, they were ready right now. They lived only a couple of hours away. So friends - (drumroll . . . ) J and her fiancé met me and Husband about halfway between the two of us on Thursday night. When I met this young couple, it was immediately apparent that they were EXACTLY what I wanted. We hugged and talked, signed the contract, and loaded Mitts into J’s carrier. As we drove away, I couldn’t stop smiling. There are, of course, ALWAYS a few tears at a time like this. I love every single cat and kitten who comes into my life. My daughters and I had literally brought Mitts back from death’s doorway. It is always hard to let go. But my tears were WAY more about the joy of knowing this was EXACTLY what was supposed to happen than about the sadness of letting one of my babies go.
Depending on the cat, an adjustment period can last from a couple of days to weeks! I received an email from J late on that very first night. Mitts had already rubbed on everything in their home, purring loudly all the while. From her email, and I quote: She is so loving and just the sweetest thing ever! We love her so much already! Thank you again so much!! Then the next day I received an email from B, the fiancé: I think it's pretty safe to say that Mitts is very happy in her forever home with her new family! Thank you so much for not only what you do with these kitties, but thank you so much for blessing our family with this bundle of joy! She is the perfect cat for us!!
So there you go. Happy Ending, but more than that - more like a Miracle.
There is another story coming together that you won’t want to miss. Of course, you don’t expect me to just put it out there, do you? That wouldn’t be any fun at all. :-) (That story in the coming days.) See you tomorrow for a puppy post.
I’ve had the flu for two weeks now. I have not been this sick in fifteen years. Unfortunately, an adoption disappointment occurred in the middle of this darn flu and I responded, well, more strongly than I normally would have. If I had known then what was about to transpire, NOTHING could have daunted my spirits. Even the flu couldn’t have gotten me down. The story I’m going to tell today is the stuff of miracles - just in time for the Christmas season. For those of you who left supportive comments and emails (I read every word of support!) and shared in my disappointment last week - THIS POST IS FOR YOU. This isn’t just an adoption story. It is amazing and awesome and special. Well, let’s get started.
Mitts had been chosen by a person who saw her on Petfinder. We engaged in an email dialogue and the home seemed to be what I look for. She didn’t “disappear” like so many who have contacted me through Petfinder, and we continued our dialogue into the actual details - she told her story, I told Mitts’ story, we talked about contracts and requirements, AND, after days of conversation, we even set a date and location for transport. Then last Tuesday, out of the blue, I heard from this person that she had changed her mind. I was heartbroken. Sweet, sweet Mitts. SUCH a deserving little soul. She had been through a life-threatening ordeal after being adopted into a home where she received no vet care, no follow-through on the remaining kitten vaccinations, no spay. We were lucky to have ever known about it. We were able to take her back and get to work on trying to save her life. It was definitely MUCH more likely that we would lose her than that she would make it. (You can read about that in THIS POST.) But survive she did. And she has been here ever since.
Except for Circe, the four who have been here the longest are Mitts, Spritz, Glitter, and Cashmere. You all know how many times I have highlighted “The Gray Girls” in an attempt to find forever homes for them. So here was one of those girls finally being chosen for a home of her own. Except not.
I posted last week about the disappointment, and that was that. Except that unbeknownst to me, there was an angel lurking. On the very day that the Mitts person changed her mind about the adoption, there was a young woman named J who was trying to contact me. She had been trying to connect with me through Petfinder for a few days, but I wasn’t answering her. In fact, I wasn’t receiving anything from her and therefore did not know she even existed. Tuesday is the day my hopes were dashed for Mitts. J knew none of this, but that night she decided to look harder for a way to connect. She looked until she found my personal email and sent a short message - I have been trying to contact you. I am interested in Mitts.
I sat there staring at that email with my mouth hanging open. OK. DO NOT get excited. This has happened multiple times. This means nothing. I knew this would be just another one of those times when someone inquires and then disappears. I sent my standard email response. I would check later to see if she reciprocated. In the meantime, I told myself that maybe this was a sign. Even though the chances were great that this particular situation would not come to fruition, maybe I was being told to hang in there - that Mitts had been noticed and might still someday get a home. I had to admit that the circumstances were REALLY weird. What were the chances, right? A little later in the day, there it was. Another email from J. We started a dialogue that became VERY detailed. Before long, I had told her the entire story about Mitts, and she had told me about her best friend in life - the cat she’d had for nineteen years. She lost her best friend last January and thought she might never be able to do it again. But she had decided she couldn’t live without a cat. And when she found Mitts on Petfinder, something clicked. That’s when she started trying to connect with me.
She and her fiancé read the links I sent to her about Mitts. They were in! In fact, they were ready right now. They lived only a couple of hours away. So friends - (drumroll . . . ) J and her fiancé met me and Husband about halfway between the two of us on Thursday night. When I met this young couple, it was immediately apparent that they were EXACTLY what I wanted. We hugged and talked, signed the contract, and loaded Mitts into J’s carrier. As we drove away, I couldn’t stop smiling. There are, of course, ALWAYS a few tears at a time like this. I love every single cat and kitten who comes into my life. My daughters and I had literally brought Mitts back from death’s doorway. It is always hard to let go. But my tears were WAY more about the joy of knowing this was EXACTLY what was supposed to happen than about the sadness of letting one of my babies go.
On her way . . .
Last picture of Mitts in the cathouse.
Depending on the cat, an adjustment period can last from a couple of days to weeks! I received an email from J late on that very first night. Mitts had already rubbed on everything in their home, purring loudly all the while. From her email, and I quote: She is so loving and just the sweetest thing ever! We love her so much already! Thank you again so much!! Then the next day I received an email from B, the fiancé: I think it's pretty safe to say that Mitts is very happy in her forever home with her new family! Thank you so much for not only what you do with these kitties, but thank you so much for blessing our family with this bundle of joy! She is the perfect cat for us!!
So there you go. Happy Ending, but more than that - more like a Miracle.
There is another story coming together that you won’t want to miss. Of course, you don’t expect me to just put it out there, do you? That wouldn’t be any fun at all. :-) (That story in the coming days.) See you tomorrow for a puppy post.
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Kismet has found his forever home.
Finn has found his forever home.
Arthur has found his forever home.
Silly Whim has found his forever home.
Zen has found her forever home. 
Annie has found her forever home. 
Daisy has been adopted. 
Bobo has been adopted. 
Betty Lou has been adopted. 
Star has been adopted. 
Traci Mae has been adopted. 
Hope has been adopted into a wonderful, patient forever home. 
Dora has been adopted.
Yardley has been adopted.
Nisha has been adopted.
Sienna has been adopted.
Violet has been adopted.
Sugar Cookie has been adopted. 
Matilda has been adopted.
Kippie has been adopted.
Autumn has been adopted. Click here to read why Autumn's family says It Was Worth It.
Circe has been adopted. Click here to find out why Circe's family says It Was Worth It.
Silver has been adopted.
Teddy has been adopted. Click here to read about why Teddy's family says It Was Worth It.
Glitter has been adopted.
Cashmere has been adopted.
Truly has been adopted. Click here to read about why Truly's family says It Was Worth It.
Shiloh has been adopted (with sister Truly). Click here to read about why Shiloh's family says It Was Worth It.
Frosting has been adopted. Click here to read about why Frosting's family says It Was Worth It.
Hershey Bear has been adopted. Click here to read about why Hershey's family says It Was Worth It.
Maverick has been adopted.
Spritz has been adopted.
Jo-Jo has been adopted. Click here to read about why Jo-Jo's family says It Was Worth It.
Mickey has been adopted.
Trex HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Sunshine and Juice have been adopted.
Mitts has been adopted.
Tulip has been adopted. Read about why her family thinks It Was Worth It.
Golden HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Percy HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Monkey HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Charms HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Luna has been adopted. Click here to read why Luna's family says It Was Worth It.
Bagheera HAS BEEN ADOPTED. You can read why his family thinks It Was Worth It by clicking here.
Elfin has been adopted. Click here to read about why Elfin's family thinks it was worth it to adopt a Winnie's Wish cat. 
Jasper and Soapy have been adopted.
Dearest and Max have been adopted.
Gabriel HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Leo HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Handsome HAS BEEN ADOPTED. Click here to read about why his family says It Was Worth It.
Possum HAS BEEN ADOPTED. Read about why his family says It Was Worth It.
Alice HAS BEEN ADOPTED. Click here to read about why her family says It Was Worth It.
Tuxie HAS BEEN ADOPTED. Click here to read about why her family thinks it was worth it.
Ash has been adopted. Click here to read a post about why Ash's family thinks it was worth it to adopt a Winnie's Wish cat. 
Sparkles HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Moonie HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Prince Charming HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
View the Oliver video.
Such a happy post, I can't even express how thrilled I am.
I've been lurking, scanning posts as time permits, but had seen that Mitts' first forever home was anything but. Looks like she struck gold this time, and yes, a real Christmas miracle! :-)
Peace and Blessings to you all, Chrystal.
Posted by: Fuzzy Tales | 12/10/2012 at 08:11 AM
I've been waiting for this ending for Mitts..Yea!! Am so pleased for Mitts and for you too knowing how much they all mean to you personally.
Posted by: Liz Garcia | 12/10/2012 at 08:22 AM
Oh joy! You have made my day. Thank you so much for making it possible for Mitts to have the loving home she so deserves. You guys rock! Blessings. xx
Posted by: Jan (Milo and Alfie's mom) | 12/10/2012 at 08:22 AM
OMG!!! That is so awesome.....I have happy tears!!! Yeah for Mitts and her new family!!
Posted by: Random Felines | 12/10/2012 at 08:27 AM
I am sitting here posting with tears running down my face. We who follow this blog know all about the story of Mitts and her near death and you all brought her back from deaths door. I have litterly praying for someone out there to come to Mitts rescue with a forever loving home and now she has the perfect home for life. Joy to all in this unfolding story of love rescue and letting go. It is so hard to let go of a baby that has lived with you for months. Bless Chrystal for saving Mitts twice and now for pushing back her tears and sending Mitts off to her new life with blessings for the future.... Joy to the world - Ginny & The Fur Family
Posted by: ginny& the fur family | 12/10/2012 at 08:30 AM
YAY!!!!! We are so, SO delighted, both for Mitts and for you, Chrystal! It looks like she will have a wonderful home with her forever family!
Posted by: The Poupounette | 12/10/2012 at 08:35 AM
Hurrah for Mitts! It seems like the right home was waiting for her; you traded a temporary dose of disappointment for a permanent happiness about her. A happy Christmas for Mitts.
Posted by: Bellen | 12/10/2012 at 08:45 AM
One word....Woohoo!
Much Love,
Mindy :)
Posted by: Mindy Slimmer | 12/10/2012 at 09:18 AM
A miracle indeed :-) How wonderful for Mitts!!!
Posted by: Cat's Cats | 12/10/2012 at 09:42 AM
This post needed a tissue warning! I had to scramble to find my box! I am so beyond happy! I'm excited that a cathouse cat has been chosen, I'm over the moon that one of Leo's sisters now has a home and I'm bursting all over because it was Mitts!!! With all that girl has been through, she deserved a happy ending! (The only thing that would make this better would be if her new mommy and daddy would start a blog!) Dance party!!!
That's one down people! And the rest of the cathouse to empty! Let's keep this going and Clear Chrystal's Cathouse by Christmas!
We need adoptions! Don't forget books! Don't forget the fundraiser! Don't forget to share!!!!
Posted by: Andrea and the Celestial Kitties | 12/10/2012 at 10:48 AM
This is wonderful!!! I am so so so happy!! I was praying that something like this would happen for Mitts!! YAY!!! Let's Clear the Cathouse by Christmas!!
Posted by: Kat & the Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde | 12/10/2012 at 11:23 AM
Yippee! So happy for Mitts and her angel! Purrs...
Posted by: Colehaus Cats | 12/10/2012 at 01:56 PM
What a wonderful Christmas Miracle for Mitts and for you!!
The Florida Furkids
Posted by: The Florida Furkids | 12/10/2012 at 02:57 PM
This IS the season of Joy, for sure! I am here crying away, but they are happy, happy tears. Mitts deserves all the love and happiness her family will shower on her for many, many years to come! And no doubt she will return that love and happiness in kind!
Posted by: Webbthistle | 12/10/2012 at 04:12 PM
Oh, my Mitts got a forever home! I'm sorta sad on one hand but SO THRILLED on the other. Rock on, Mittsy. I'm sad you won't be part of my family someday, but over the moon that you have found the most perfect home for your sweet self. Yay, Christmas miracles!
Posted by: Lana G. | 12/10/2012 at 06:12 PM
How wonderful!! So glad Mitts got a good home! Wonder what your story is? :-)
Posted by: Rebecca Hamilton | 12/10/2012 at 06:17 PM
Tears of joy. Honestly! I'm so happy for Mitts and her new family. Thank you, Chrystal, for never giving up hope. What a wonderful Christmas miracle!
Posted by: meowmeowmans | 12/11/2012 at 03:45 PM
I am the new mommy of mitts!! I just wanna say thank you for all the sweet kind comments all of you have left for her! She is truely loved by so many of you! I just wanna let all of you know she is doing GREAT in her new forever home! I never thought I would be as happy with a new baby as I was with my old one of 19 years. When I lost her this past January I told myself I could never have another cause I get way to attached. But after talking it over with my fiance we started looking. When I saw mitts's pic the words out of my mouth were, "I love her already!" After talking to Chrystal for a few days we made the plans to get her. She has been a blessing since she took her first steps into our lives!! We love her so much and I couldnt ask for a better baby! Thank you to Chrystal and all of you for your prayers and love until we found her! She is loving her new home more and more every day!! I hope all her kitties find forever homes like ours, full of love!! Meery Christmas to all of you!
Posted by: Jnanda McAlpin | 12/13/2012 at 03:47 PM
Love the above post! Thank you to Mitts new mom (and dad)! And obviously thanks to you, Chrystal, for all you do!
Patti in KY
Posted by: Patti Mitchell | 12/17/2012 at 08:34 AM