How We Became Cat Parents!

We always talked about having pets one day. We said once we got into a bigger place, we'd finally get some. Little did we know that 2025 would change all of that.

For eight years, I worked as a Teacher Assistant at the middle school I attended as a student. It was mid-January, and the day after her birthday, we received the heartbreaking news that a longtime teacher—who had also been my 7th-grade teacher—had unexpectedly passed away. She was a longtime pet lover and rescuer.

She had two beautiful boy cats who were barely a year old and suddenly needed a home. One of them was even sick with what they called "kitty COVID." They needed someone to take them in, and the people who wanted them weren't able to.

It was a cold weekend, and we were celebrating my 35th birthday. It was difficult to celebrate, though, because it had only been a week since my coworker had passed away. My parents had been over, and my husband, Josh, had just gotten home from working out. I had just received another update that the cats still needed a home, so I asked Josh if he wanted cats.

Without hesitation, he said, "YES!"

He had wanted to be a cat parent for a long time.

I was nervous about taking them because we had never owned cats before, and we would also need to pay a cat fee. To our surprise, friends from work pitched in and helped us cover the fee. That's when we knew the cats were meant to be ours.

The following Monday—a very cold Monday—there was no school because of MLK Day. I bundled up, grabbed some blankets, and headed to Animal Control at our local police station. One of my friends from work met me there with food and a litter box and helped me pick them up.

They were the sweetest little guys, and I hated seeing how scared they looked.

We got them settled into carriers, and I brought them home. I let them explore. They hid a little at first, but before long they started settling in.

That afternoon, Josh got home. He sat on the bathroom floor and just cried.

He was so happy that these boys were finally here.

They reminded him of two cats he grew up with. Travis, our tabby, reminded him of his cat Tigger, and Jason, our fluffy guy, reminded him of his other cat, Alex, who was almost exactly like Jason.

That was the moment we knew they belonged with us—that the Lord had saved them for us.

Jason was the one who had been sick, and after some time we found out he was doing much better. The kitty COVID was gone. He only needed ten more days of medication, and he was good as new.

Both boys continued to grow, and their fur got thicker and fluffier. They are the most beautiful, handsome, silly, lovable boys ever, and we couldn't be happier.

Yes, the boys are named after the Kelce brothers. No, we didn't pick the names!

My coworker was a Swiftie and originally named them Taylor and Travis. Later, she changed Taylor to Jason since they were both boys. We decided to roll with it.

What's especially funny is that we're Chicago Bears fans!

The names they had when they were born were Sloppy Joe and Big Pete. Cute names, but we probably wouldn't have kept them.

The Lord always brings blessings into your life, even through hard times. I'm thankful that my friend and coworker loved these boys so much, and I know she would be happy knowing they ended up with us. I also love that she was a believer.

Keep trusting in the Lord, no matter the situation.

And that is how we got our boys!