Up at Night

Recently Evan and I took in a newly homeless kitty. Well, homeless isn't exactly the right word; she was living alone in the house of her late mommy.

Smokey is a 14-year-old Maine Coon mix. When her elderly mom unexpectedly passed away in her home, sending Smokey to the shelter was the last thing the surviving family wanted to worry about. I saw the post on a local Facebook group desperately trying to re-home this old beauty. Evan and I have a huge soft spot of older cats, and Smokey being a Maine Coon mix was just an added plus at that point. We took her in and she blends in very nicely with Ariel and Sarah. She even curls up on the bed with Effie.

I've noticed that some of my deepest thoughts and realizations come when I'm only half awake. That being said, we noticed some interesting behavior from Smokey at night. When we're fast asleep we're often awakened by Smokey forcefully nudging us. Our other cats do this for pets but not this rough... Then it hit me. Her late mommy died in her home. She's making sure we're okay...

Call me crazy, but animals aren't dumb and they never forget. It's absolutely heartbreaking to think of her behavior this way, but the dots connect. We brought her in to give her a happy, healthy, and safe retirement. She deserves nothing less.

I mean, look at this sweetheart!

She's a food thief, though. Hide your pizza. <3