Dear Abby, Shirley & Co.,

I've been meaning to sit down and compose a letter for a while; to express my deepest appreciation for bringing such amazing, loving characters into my life.

Last October, I decided it was time for a cat. I found Felines, Inc online and left work early that day to make it before you closed. When I walked in, I was welcomed by Shirley's friendly face and dozens of cats. I said, "This is what Heaven must be like." Indeed.

After an hour of introductions, Shirley took me in a separate room and showed me the one kitten you had. Her name was Sunny and all her siblings had been adopted in pairs; leaving her all alone. It was love at first sight. I was told that if I really wanted to adopt Sunny that I should adopt an older cat, who would act as both companion and role model.

I met a tabby upstairs named Cher that, when put in my arms, climbed right up on my shoulder and onto my back. Silly and slightly stand-offish as she was, she tickled my funny bone. She was saved from a shelter that euthanizes; the fact that she was alive seemed like a miracle.

And so I left Felines on October 26th with Sunny and Cher.

After a few days of getting to know their personalities, new names emerged. Sunny chose Smudge and Cher chose Abigail.

Abbie has warmed up and opened up quite a bit despite an uncomfortable skin problem this winter. After a biopsy, it was determined to be an allergic reaction. (All clear since February.) Abbie is quite the graceful athlete, jumping effortlessly across the room from couch to chair and often leaping 3 feet up in the air before pouncing on a toy or an unsuspecting Smudge. She startled me the first time I saw her perched atop the kitchen cabinets, looking down. This is one of her favorite spots.

Smudge is nearly 1 year old now and is just starting to become a little less precocious. (Though, we suspect Abbie has let Smudge take the blame for her more than once.) She's just now old enough and big enough to follow Abbie
up on top of the cabinets, which is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

While definitely not as graceful, Smudge does try hard to be like her older sister. Much to our delight, she still likes to climb in bed with us at night to snuggle.

It's obvious that Abbie and Smudge love each other and have found true companionship. They groom one another and often fall asleep spooning just like real sisters. As I write this, they're taking turns chasing a plastic milk ring around the house.

I sing the praises of Felines every chance I get. Your commitment to saving these cats and making sure they all find a healthy and loving home is truly inspiring. Our tale is not unique, I know. We are just one more among the *thousands* of success stories.

I cannot thank you enough for providing me the opportunity to meet and fall in love with these two curious, lovable, little souls. I couldn't love them any more.

With warmest regards,

Karin C. Zaverdinos

PS - I've attached some of my favorite pictures. Feel free to share them.