Well Worth the Wait!

Kaliah was a very special senior cat who passed away nearly two years ago.  Mama Deb cherished her, and so did Deb's daughter, Whitney.  Kaliah was 18 when she passed, so they all had many good years together.     

Deb knew they would bring another cat into their home one day, and was just waiting for that time to feel right. 

When the Kibblesmiths moved in with us in summer of 2014, Sweet Evie caught Deb's eye, and she emailed me about her availability. Deb's granddaughter's name is Evie, so she took this as a sign that perhaps Sweet Evie was meant to be her kitten. But it wasn't. Deb would be starting a new job soon, and with the demands of a new job, she thought this wasn't the best time in her life to add a kitten, so she decided they should wait.  

And then a bunch of other life stuff happened and a year passed. About the time our Plunketts moved in, they decided the time was right. 

Deb and Whitney came to meet the Plunketts after Ernest had been selected, so they had their choice between Vancie, Lucille, and Ellie. They loved all the girls and struggled with their decision at first, but the longer they stayed, the easier it got, because Vancie was clearly becoming more and more smitten with Whitney.  After some good cuddles and purrs in Whitney's arms,  Vancie became the front-runner.  Deb had said from the start that it was so important to her that their new kitten have a bond with Whitney, and clearly they were bonding!  

In all of my years of fostering, and all of these kitten adoptions, I don't think I've ever witnessed more joy than I did in the moment we finished the adoption paperwork and I handed Deb and Whitney their girl.  

I know these photos are a little soft and somewhat blurry, but I think you can still see the love and happiness of the moment. 








 
And as joy-filled as they were in the moment, I think they might be even happier today. Here's the first of many notes I've received from Deb about how well Vancie, who now goes by Olivia, is doing: 

Laurie, 
Olivia was made for us. She loves to snuggle with me! That purr motor of hers is so endearing! Whitney can hear it...we can all hear it!! She loves to play! She has adapted so well!! We are slowly introducing her to the rest of the house. She and Whitney have such fun playing. She is coming when we call Olivia! Great appetite, good litter habits, and fairly quiet at night! And she is really enjoying napping on a soft fleece blanket on the window seat. We are totally besotted!!! Thank you again for the blessing of Olivia!


You've got a great, love-filled life ahead of you, dear Vancie/Olivia! I know it took a long time for you to get your baby, Deb and Whitney, but she was worth the wait because clearly she was meant to be yours! Enjoy her!