Graby and Jamie Alexander : Furry Friends Fur-Ever Tail

“While this isn’t my first kitty, it’s one of the most meaningful additions to my life,” admits Jamie. “I adopted a sweet little gray cat named King Kong from Furry Friends at the end of September last year. I later changed his name to Graby: it felt more like him. He came at a time when my heart was still healing from the loss of my beloved cat, Goyangi, who had passed away earlier that year, leaving me devastated.

“Thankfully, before Graby’s arrival, I had adopted a kitten named Oskar, who helped me through the grieving process. Oskar quickly became my little beacon of comfort, spending his days perched by the window, meowing and chirping at the cats outside who often responded by hissing at him.

“Although I hadn’t planned on adopting another cat, it was obvious that Oskar needed a companion. Then, one day, Graby’s face appeared in my inbox through Adopt-a-Pet. He had the same sweet expression and the same gray coloring as Goyangi! After work, I drove over to Furry Friends. A volunteer called out his name, and to my surprise, he ran right over to me. When I picked him up, he instantly began purring. I didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take him,” I said, and I brought him home that night.

“Graby and Oskar’s adjustment to one another was gradual and yet it went surprisingly smoothly. Oskar, being the larger of the two, initially behaved like a bit of a bully. But within two weeks, they were snuggling and wrestling like lifelong friends. Graby has since caught up to Oskar in size, making their playtime an even match. Seeing them bond has been such a gift, especially during a difficult winter, where I faced multiple layoffs. Their mere presence added so much joy and comfort to days that might otherwise have felt so very heavy.

“Graby is a total snuggle bug and a social butterfly. He’s always the first to greet visitors while Oskar hangs back until he feels more comfortable. Graby is obsessed with the laser pointer! Whenever he sees me reach for the drawer where it’s kept, his face lights up in anticipation. Both he and Oskar love sleeping together in their window hammock although they sometimes sleep separately in their wall-mounted hammocks. They truly are best buddies, and I feel incredibly lucky that their bond formed so naturally, because as any cat owner knows, that isn’t always the case.

“Looking back, I believe there was a reason Graby’s face stood out to me that day in my inbox. He was clearly meant to be ours: a little soul waiting to find his place, just as we were waiting to welcome him.”

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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.