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I was 21 when I got my first place and immediately adopted a couple of black kittens. I named one Meatloaf because she looked like a pile of burnt meatloaf when she slept. The other was Booger, who was such a mischievous booger all the time. When I moved six years later to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Booger escaped and was never seen again. Thankfully, Meatloaf didn’t care to make a break for it.

Photo: Natasha

After 16 wonderful years together, it broke my heart to have to put Meatloaf to sleep due to kidney issues. I wasn’t in a hurry to get another cat, as I felt like I would be trying to replace my beautiful Meatloaf. But the universe had other plans.

My coworkers had been talking about a stray black cat hanging around the parking lot. One night after work, I walked out to my car only to be greeted by this very talkative, skinny black cat. I knew I couldn’t leave her there, so I got my cat carrier and headed back to work, hoping she’d still be there.

She reappeared in less than a minute, still as talkative as ever, and let me scoop her up and place her in the carrier without a fight. When I got her home, she crawled under the blanket with me and fell asleep. It looked like I had a new black kitty.

I named her Bones, mostly because she was skin and bones. But the name suited her, as she was just as sassy and smart as the TV character. The vet visit revealed that she had fleas, worms, and a mouthful of bad teeth. After treatment, she put on weight and took over the house—and me.

Of all the cats I’ve owned, she has the biggest personality and is my first cat-dog. Bones growls at people walking by the house, plays fetch with paper clips, and even chases her tail from time to time.

While I miss my Meatloaf, Bones could never be considered a replacement. Still, I can’t imagine life without this black kitty keeping things interesting.

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Story submitted by Natasha from Santa Clara, CA.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!