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Kiko is much more than my cat. He is my friend and the star of my family. I adopted him while battling depression after the end of a long relationship, and he helped save my whole family following my dad’s passing, shortly after I turned 23.

Photo: Kimiko

I had wanted a cat since I was a little girl, but because I had never had a pet before, I was afraid I would be inadequate or unprepared. Then I realized I had the love and means to provide a forever home. My fear only meant one fewer cat would find a loving family and one fewer space would open in a shelter for another cat in need.

Kiko was born into a stray litter in my friend’s backyard. She was trying to find homes for the kittens instead of taking them to a shelter where they might be put down, especially because they were all black. Kiko was the only male. He was much larger and fluffier than the other kittens, and I loved him instantly.

When I moved from California back home to Hawaii, Kiko flew with me. Within a month of our arrival, my father became sick. A few weeks later, he was diagnosed with cancer. Within four months of my move home, and only three months after my 23rd birthday, he passed away.

Kiko brought us moments of comic relief and a sense of calm during that painful time. He is the silliest cat I know, and sometimes I am almost certain he does things on purpose just to make us laugh.

If you have the love and means to provide a forever home, there is no limit to the joy and affection you can welcome into your life by adopting a friend who will remain beside you through every high and low.

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Story submitted by Kimiko from Honolulu, HI.

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