On Friday, March 23rd, my entire world changed for the better.

In late April of last year, my 17-year-old beloved cat Whoopie passed away. I was more than heartbroken - I'd lived almost all of my life with her around, and her death was an incredibly painful loss. I didn't know how I could go on without a cat in my life; it seemed like Whoopie had always been around, and now, suddenly and without warning, she was gone.

I was in deep mourning for a few months. We had her cremated and I ordered a necklace which had a charm that could carry some of her ashes inside of it so I'd always have a piece of her with me, but I was still processing what it meant for me to have to move on without her.

To me, it was just like losing a human member of the family; equally as painful, equally as difficult to move on.

My mom was opposed to having any more pets in the house, so it seemed like I wouldn't be able to bring another cat into my life when I was ready until I moved out and had a stable living situation and career. For a while, I felt lost, like a piece of my soul was missing. I knew that I needed to adopt a cat waiting for its forever home to restore this missing part of myself, but I also knew that it was likely going to be a long time before that could happen.

To my surprise, nearly a year later and after having (mostly) effectively processed Whoopie's passing, my mom tagged me on a Facebook post featuring a beautiful 12-year-old Siamese cat named BeBe who was at Little Shelter in Huntington. My heart was racing: Why did she tag me? She's always telling me to stop asking for a cat and now she's drawing my attention to one who needs a home. Is she just getting my hopes up for nothing or is she serious?

I immediately replied: "do you want to meet her?"

And meet BeBe we did. She was so beautiful and sweet, and although she grumbled when the volunteer took her down from her high spot, BeBe didn't bite or scratch. I spent some time with her and pet her. She stood patiently as I stroked her soft fur and scratched her cheeks, which she especially liked; she even headbutted my hand for more.

I knew this girl was the one for me, so I spoke to my mom about adopting her. My mom came with me to the shelter two days later (Saturday) and agreed that BeBe was a good match for our family and home. I filled out the adoption application the same day. Pending an X-ray scheduled for the following Tuesday, Bebe would have her forever family.

Thankfully, the X-ray turned out just fine and we proceeded with the application. We brought BeBe home the same week on Friday (making the 30-minute drive to the shelter so worth it) and she took her first tentative steps into her new life.

I love BeBe so much and I can tell she is happy to have her forever home. She's rarely alone for very long, so she always has someone's voice to listen to who can pet and love her throughout the day - she's even purred several times while we pet her and has her favorite bed, which she snuggles up in a lot!

I'm aware that some health issues could pop up as BeBe is an older cat, but I'm prepared to handle them as they come and give BeBe all the love in the world.

As much as losing Whoopie hurt, and knowing that I won't have BeBe for as long as I had Whoopie (unless she somehow lives into her early thirties), it's been a true blessing and a conscious decision I made to bring BeBe home.

I'm so thankful to my mom and dad for being open to this adoption which has made me and BeBe so happy. Senior animals are just as wonderful and deserving of forever homes as kittens and puppies, so please consider adopting an older animal if you're looking for a furry friend to join your family!