One Friday morning in 2007, I said to my son that I could hear a kitten crying. I realized that it was coming from our loungeroom wall and that there was a kitten stuck in our wall cavity. After ringing up the local council and animal rescue places, I had to pay Aud $340.00 for a animal rescuer to get him out. The man came the following day, so that in that time I made a connection to the kitten that I named Lucky. What happened was that Lucky's mother brought him through a hole in our roof and he must of fallen into our wall cavity. The Animal rescuer said that he was about four weeks of age, I had to bottle feed him and he used to suck the milk off my hand. He was such a little guy, I decided to keep him. I was very emotional because a few weeks before I had to have my dog put to sleep. God works in mysterious ways, I believe Lucky was sent to me to look after. He is now 5 and a half years and brings us much happiness and a part of our family. Julie

After my sisters passing in 2010 i was so alone exept my family

so i moved back in with my mom but i was still missing something.

my aunt got me a hamster for my birthday it worked awhile

then he died. After hes passing i still needed something or someone

in my arms so my niece gave me a rabbit i named daisy she was sweet

but i couldn't handle her.i made her a indoor pet .so i gave her to good

home. Then when christmas 2012 rolled around i new what i wanted been missing

in my life since the passing of my sister i needed a cat to fill that hole thats

when my aunt got me this kitten i her name is buttons shes the sweetest cat

ever. I think she knew she was mine from the first day she was brought to

me she has made me smile and laugh just watching her play,

Buttons lights up my world

One day, while feeding my cats in the garage, they alerted to the cat door leading in from outside. I saw a shadow and asked "who's there?" I heard a meow and a very skinny young cat came in for breakfast. It was obvious she had recently had kittens, so I decided not to bring her inside in case she still had kittens to feed. After a few days it was obvious she was done nursing, as she never left my property and no kittens were ever found. I named her Mattie and took her to the vet to find that she had several medical issues needing attention and she then had a bad reaction to anesthetic after being spayed, but is now a happy and healthy (and spoiled) cat. The young cat my husband said was the skinniest cat he had ever seen now zooms in and out of the house through cat doors thoroughly upsetting my older cats. When she's running through the house at full speed, my husband warns the other cats that "mom has released the Cracken!"

I adopted Franklin from the Humane Society - This picture from Petfinder stole my heart. He has been with me through my Mom's death, which I thought was the hardest thing I'd go through. Then 2 yrs ago I found out I had cancer. I'd come home exhausted and sick from chemo and radiation, and his sweet face and eagerness to just rest with me carried me through all of it. He's now 9 years old, and I'm almost cancer free. He is truly my precious gift!

About two weeks after Christmas of 2012, I was walking home from work across this big soccer field and there was this whining noise coming from my left and behind this big pile of dirt, so I went over to investigate. Behind and almost inside the dirt pile was a little- and I mean tiny, he nearly fit in the palm of my hand- little dirt brown and white puppy. Actually, the white part of him was so dirty and muddy, that I didn't even know he was white until I got him home and cleaned up. I wasn't intending to keep him, there was already three cats (Sergio, McKinley and Amalia) two other puppies (a three week old husky Wolf cross named Sage and a German Shepard husky cross named Kai) a rabbit (McCoy) a lizard (Hettie), six horse, two goats, a donkey (Dandy) a tankful of fish, a turtle,a calf, and a pig already as pets. But the little guy just seemed to fit right in. The next morning when I woke up, there was a pile of fur on top of my stomach, somehow the little guy had gotten up onto my bed and he looked so darn peaceful sleeping with me that I knew

I couldn't take that away from him. I took him to the vet later that day and found that he was about a month old and that he was a Corgi/Lab cross. Anyway, I took him home and named him Ace. He's been my baby since. Just last night, I woke up to a dog pile on my feet with all three dogs, and guess who was on to, looking like a king? That's right, my rescue...Ace

I've been a dog person since I was very young, and had a bad impression of cats early on. After working as a dog handler for 6 years I could not imagine ever owning a cat. After getting married and moving to a "no dog's allowed" apartment, we got a hamster. But I missed the connection of having a pet and I decided to give the cat thing a chance. I went to the shelter with a cat named Tiny in mind after a petfinder search, but it pushed me away and clawed at me upon our first meeting. Immediately a cat stood out to me, she was alone in a cage and gorgeous, I asked to see her and the minute I took her out she put her paws around my neck (in a hug) and purred so loud it made me cry. I had found my cat! Waiting 2 days to pick her up was torture, but once she was home, she was my baby. I began to struggle with an illness and Peanut would not leave my side for a second, I was her bed and her job was to keep me safe and warm at all times. When the decision was made to go to treatment out of state I decided to get a second cat to keep her company. I found this cute little kitten that was being given up for adoption from a caterry in Brooklyn because she was different (she didn't look pedigree). We took her home and that first night Peanut wanted to tear her head off. I was so upset, I cried and cried worrying about what would happen. The next day I got to work on bonding them, I placed the sleeping kitten on Peanut who was asleep in her bed, and it worked! They have been inseparable ever since. They snuggle, they play, they fight (like humans do sometimes), they play fetch, and they are my kids. I could not imagine life without them, they have helped me get through so many struggles, I feel like they rescued me!

My best friend and I were living together for two years when my cat, Stitch, passed unexpectedly at the age of 2. Though my heart was still broken, my best friend's cat was so sad and lonely, we knew we had to go get a friend for her. We went into the local shelter that my best friend got her cat from a few years ago and this teeny, tiny cutie pie just stood up and started kneading into the blanket she had in her cage as if to say - YOU! You're here! I've been waiting for you!

If I hadn't already been sold on her cuteness, I found out that she was brought into the shelter on my birthday - fate - I shall call you Lilo.

She will be five this year. I no longer live with my best friend, but my fiance and I have four cats all together - so there's never a dull moment in our house. Lilo is very much your typical cat - keeps to herself unless she wants love, gets about half an inch away from you and walks away playfully. The picture I chose of her is when I came home from a trip and she hopped up on my bad and yelled as if to say HOOMIN! WHY YOU LEAVE ME!

She's my favorite of the four - but don't tell the others, they get jealous!

It had been a few months since my sheltie passed away and I was hoping that a new friend would help ease my pain. The timing was right when I went to the local animal shelter and came across an emaciated, beautiful, friendly girl. She was middle-aged and had been in the hospital for quite some time before I met her. She stole my heart when she gave me kisses as soon as she came out to meet me. I was hooked! I fattened her up and we walked everywhere - she loved to walk and we went all over town. She came with me wherever she could and loved to go for rides, just to be with me. She continued to have her medical issues, but she was the sweetest, friendliest dog and I enjoyed the next seven years with her.

I adopted Jorge six months after our cat of years, Gomez, died at the age of 9 due to kidney failure the day before my 18th birthday. My gramma missed him dearly and pledged to never own another cat in her life. He had meant so much to her, and the rest of us. But soon after he passed I kept looking at the door before bed to let him in and swear I could see him in the mirror reflections. I had had enough. I knew Gomez did not want us to give up on the cat race just because he died prematurely. So, being 18, old enough adopt my own cat with no problems, and having saved up the money to adopt him and feed and care for him, I headed to the Humane Society Adoption Center at the back of my local PetSmart.

George (his name at HS) was not my first choice though. I wanted an older cat like Gomez. A 6 year old cat named Dot was who I wanted and I planned to pick her up the next day. That same night I got a call from the night caretaker that Dot had to be the only pet in the household. Uh-oh. We have 4 dogs. George had also caught my eye so I asked if I could have him instead. It was just a simple change in the papers. The next day, George was mine and I surprised gramma with him.

She wanted nothing to do with him for the first 4 days. But on the 5th...I caught her cuddling him in the corner of the kitchen. BUSTED! His name eventually became Jorge since my mom said, "We live in New Mexico. He is JORGE!" And it stuck.

Jorge went from being a part of a litter found on the street with no mother in sight, to a pound kitty, to mine! He is my baby of three and a half years and the whole family loves him. He recently stayed by my grandfather's side after his gall bladder surgery.

He's a keeper!

Who knew "home" could be so far ? My sister and I went on vacation recently to our hometown in Danville, Illinois. She lives in Texas, and I live in South Carolina. But we grew up in that far-away small town. The day after we arrived, we went to visit the Humane society for old time's sake. We used to volunteer there on Saturdays as teenagers. We walked in to look at the animals and there she was in cage 17. She looked sweet and scared at the same time. I took her out and held her. That night I told my husband on the phone that we had found her and were trying to get someone to adopt her. And we did try. But nobody cooperated. I sent my husband a picture of her. We went back the next day to visit her, and every day that we were there, including 3 times in one day. That night when I called my husband, he had given her a name, and I knew he was interested. How devine ! I knew then she would be going home with us. So, on Saturday we sprung her from the pound. She was so happy, and my sister and I were, too. We took her to my friend Kathy's, where we spent the first night with her. In the morning we gave her a bath, and she spent the day visiting friends with us. That night we snuck her into our motel room, and the next morning we hit the road for home. Our other motel was pet-friendly, so she was ok to stay there with us. She now lives in South Carolina, where she has a " big sister". Our other rat terrier. We think Coco is rat terrier and Jack Russell mixed. But the two dogs love each other and run and play together every day now. She is having the time of her life.