A pet adoption day is a special event. Eight years ago, Karma-Kat arrived. on January 31, the day before Seren-Kitty, Bravo-Dawg, and my Mom’s birthday. Yes, all three shared the same birthday.
I posted this (with updates) two years ago. It’s time for another update because we’ve lost loved ones–and gained them–over the past years.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEREN-Angel!
When a friend discovered a kitten asleep in a flower pot on her back porch about the first week of June, I got the call for help. You see, her four-year-old daughter REALLY wanted this kitten, but my friend was allergic yet didn’t want to take the baby to the shelter. So it was Amy-To-The-Rescue.
As soon as I walked into her kitchen, this tiny baby with blue-jean-color eyes raced across the floor and climbed up my pant leg, put her paws around my neck, and it was all over. I was smitten. I wrote about this in Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul. The veterinarian judged her to be about five months old, so we counted backward to give Seren a February 1st birthday, sharing the day with my Mom, a huge pet lover.
So in their honor, purr-haps you’d like to share kitty love by gifting your cat-loving Mom with my latest book CAT LIFE. It’s available on Kindle, and both softcover and hardback is here.
I think the book makes a great Valentine’s gift for cat-moms. Just saying. 🙂 Karma-Kat’s picture is in the book.
KARMA’S GOTCHA DAY
Seven years ago, we prepped for a horrible ice and snow storm set to shut down North Texas for several days. On Friday January 31st, Magical-Dawg(RB) saw “something” dash across the back patio. A hungry, not-so-tiny kitten with blue-jean-color eyes came to the window and paw-clawed to get inside, never mind that a big black doggy face stared and wagged back at him.
He wore a collar, too, so I thought he must belong to the new neighbor. When I opened the door, he ran–I followed, and called for him. He kept running until I meowed at him. He stopped, mewed back, and then can running back to me. And a week later I blogged about him when we knew that Karma was home for good.
The veterinarian guestimated Karma to be about 7-8 months old, so we counted backward and–holy cats!–assigned his birthday in July on the same day as Magical-Dawg’s birthday. Ya can’t make some of this stuff up!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAVO-DAWG!
What a blessing our 34-pound puppy turned out to be. I’ve shared how I consider Bravo a Magical-Dawg legacy in this post.
At first, Karma wasn’t too sure about him. But within only a few short days, Karma had taken his assignment to train this newcomer pup correctly, and they became best friends, tag-buddies, and nap companions until Bravo(RB) lost his battle with osteosarcoma.
We didn’t realize until later that the day we said goodbye to Bravo (March 4, 2021), was also his comfort puppy Shadow’s first birthday. Again, you simply can’t make this up.
WHAT’S YOUR PET’S BEST GIFT EVER?
So what do YOU think? Was there some really kewl karma and serendipity and shadowy magic happening here? For Karma arrived just in time for Seren’s birthday when, frankly, my old lady cat had been so ill that I feared her days were numbered. I know Seren would’ve argued that SHE never asked for a kitten for her birthday, but Karma certainly turned back the clock and gave Seren much needed new energy when he arrived.
I have no doubt that Seren-Kitty lived to be almost 22 years old (passing the end of November 2017) because Karma gave her an extra 4 years of energy to get that aggravating @#$%^YU! man-cat out of here! but at last, she fell in love with him, and he with her.
Having Karma around meant Magic suddenly discovered the joys of a kitty playmate that ADORED him. Sadly for Karma, that love affair ended in September 2017 when Magic also moved on to his next adventure beyond Rainbow Bridge.
In honor of all these special doggies’ legacy, purr-haps you’d like to share puppy love by gifting a dog-loving friend with my latest book DOG LIFE. It’s available on Kindle, and both softcover and hardback is here.
My mother passed away on October 30, 2021 at age 93. She gave me my love of pets, of reading and writing, and is the reason I write. So it seems appropriate that my pets and my mom have this connectedness.
Have you ever had new furry wonders arrive at JUST the right time in some weird-and-wonderful coincidence? What’s the best birthday or gotcha-day gifts your fur-kids ever got? Do tell!
In the play STRAYS, THE MUSICAL we included a very short, funny but poignant scene called INAPPROPRIATE PET GIFTS, in which a puppy asks an older dog about the best and worst gifts he ever received. Worst gifts include a hotdog costume for Halloween, and the puppy’s best gift was an old shoe that smelled like the owner–“Heaven!”
“What’s the best gift you ever got?” asks Puppy.
Old Dog answers with two words. “A home.”
So today, as I celebrate the happy accident and magic of pets past, and of Karma-Kat and Shadow-Pup present, I know that there will be a pet future. I’m just waiting for that next paw-step to enter my world.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!
Two pawtastic occasions to celebrate!!!! 18! What a grand age and Happy Happy Gotcha Day to Karma!
Thanks so much Caren!
Happy Birthday to Seren & Happy Gotcha Day to Karma!
Happy Happy Birthday to Seren and your mom. So glad Seren has a new lease on life since Karma has arrived. I think God specifically sent kittens to me at certain times to help me with unspeakable grief. I was 29 in 1982 when my mother at the age of 50 died unexpectedly in her sleep. I was grieved and depressed and a few times I thought I was having a heart attack and the ER told me it was my nerves. In 1984 my dad died. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I had always wanted a black and white cat like Sylvester. In 1985 my best friend found one in Pottsboro and we went to get him. A few days later a long haired gray kitten also showed up. They were about the same age. I named them Blue and BJ. At 19 1/2 years old both of them passed away 4 days apart. I believe God sent those cats to help me with my grief and they did.
Thanks so much. Wow, 19-1/2 is a wonderful long life, and they must have wanted to stay together. I do believe God provides what we need. 🙂
Well that certainly makes Feb 1st a special special day!
Seren is such a beautiful name. I won’t talk about the pet names I’ve come up with. What a wonderful beautiful life this sweetie has. She certainly knew which flower pot to fall asleep in.
Happy birthday! These are such beautiful stories.
Happy Birthday Serena with a woof from Layla who celebrated her gotcha day yesterday 31 January xxxxx
OMG that is amazing! Nutter The Cat is estimated to be 17 and he acts like he’s 2. Love him to pieces.
A birthday and a gotcha day on the same day? Cool! I love Seren Kitty’s story.
I hope you all had a wonderful celebration! Happy Gotcha Day to Karma and I hope Seren had a very happy 21st birthday!
Wow, congratulations on your 21st birthday, Seren! That’s quite an accomplishment!
Seren and Karma – so fabulous, and to celebrate birthday’s and gotcha days, such a blessing! Such a beautiful piece – thank you for sharing!
Happy 21st Birthday! Seren is legal now!
Happy Birthday Seren, and Happy Gotcha Day Karma! This is such a lovely double celebration. Thank you for sharing their stories.
I didn’t shop for anything as far as gifts, but next year I’ll come through like a champ!!! Happy birthday/gotcha day for the kitties.
What a great day. Happy birthday
Oh Happy Birthday precious Queen Seren! You are so loved and missed. I know you and Magic are running, frolicking and having fun at the Rainbow Bridge.
And Karma – Happy Gotcha Day! Thank you Magic for spotting Karma on the patio. Karma you’re so lucky and fortunate to have found your forever family and home.
And Amy, thank you for sharing your pets with us.
Nice…very nice.
Thanks!
What a wonderful tribute to your pets and mother. After I lost my Siamese, Oliver, who was my mom’s cat for 13 years and ours for 5, Harry and Hermione came into our lives. It took them almost a year for us to find one another after Oliver passed, but we found them three months after my mother died. Ironically or maybe due to destiny, they were three months old when we rescued them which means they were born around the time we lost my mom. I wrote about their story in Second Chance Cats. The happiness they’ve brought us has helped heal the loss of Oliver and my mom.