Hi Catsters!
I’m Crystal. I work in the marketing department for Catster. You may have seen some of my posts on our social media and listened to some of my stories on our YouTube channel.
Growing up, we always had a dog. I consider myself a dog person! That was until I moved in with my boyfriend, got my own place, and met my soul cat, Ivy.
My boyfriend has to leave town often for work, leaving me alone in a quiet house. One thing to know about me: I HATE being alone.
Since we live in a complex, it’s not fair to have a dog in such a small space. The yard is small, and with so many residents complaining about other dogs in the complex, I had to look for other options to find someone to live with.
This is when I set my heart on adopting a cat. With so many beautiful kittens waiting for their forever homes in shelters, the hardest part was convincing my boyfriend. I begged, I begged (I may have even cried) for weeks on end.
Eventually, he gave up. I’ve saved so many adoption posters on social media, and I find it impossible to pick just one. Why can’t I get it all?
One day, I opened Facebook and saw this post:
I can’t explain it, but I am know it was meant to be my cat. I immediately called the number. The lady said that since this kitten has a unique coat and long hair, many people are already interested, but she keeps me updated.
Later that day, he called me and let me know what I had to do in order for him to decide if I was the best potential cat mother – I had to send through a video of our apartment, a document of pet approval from our complex, and be prepared to pay an adoption fee of approximately $150. This includes her first vaccinations and spaying procedure.
Long story short, two days later and a lot of preparation, I was on my way to pick up my kitten after she was spayed!
I knew I would love him, of course, but I was so nervous. Will he love me? Will I be a good cat mom? Is he only there when it’s feeding time?
All those worries were immediately put to bed. He is friendly and loving and seems genuinely grateful to have found a safe, loving home with us. Over time, with a lot of patience and reassurance (and dealings), we built an amazing relationship.
My bond with my cat is unlike any other bond I’ve had with previous animals we’ve owned.
And yes, my fiance adores her – she stole his heart the moment he laid eyes on her and now accompanies him while he gets ready for work early in the mornings.
Of course, cat ownership doesn’t come without its own set of unique obstacles and challenges…
I’ll be sharing some more of my life with Ivy – the good, the bad, and the ugly – on Catster.com in the coming weeks!
