“I had lost my special Jack Jack last year,” explains Tracy. “A handsome black and white tuxedo, adopted at two, he was 16 when we had to say goodbye. It took some time for me to open up to adopting again. When I was finally ready, I searched and searched to find a special boy in need of a home. My search was specific: a young male black and white tuxedo.

“I saw Francis and it clicked. I wanted to meet him. My daughter Kayla and I arranged to meet him on a Saturday just before Mothers Day. I must admit that Francis didn’t wear his tuxedo well that day. He was very nervous and kept running to hide. We were finally introduced in the Catio and with some patience, he began to show us his sweetness, and I was more than eager to bring him home.

“Since we have two other kitties, we created a safe haven for Francis upstairs and my daughter got the benefit of his cuddles early on. We kept his special name because it suits him, although we sometimes call him François. The transition was gradual with this sweet boy, but each milestone melted my heart. His first head butt, his first purr, his first solo introduction downstairs. The kitties weren’t immediate friends, but they manage with each other. They eat together and even sleep on the bed together. Our dog tries to play with Francis without any luck!

“My son bought him a kitty hammock. This is his alone and he loves it. We have a toy basket and he became familiar with it quickly. He loves the mice best and always gets one when he wants to play. He loves his window perch and comes, most of the time, when we call him. He also loves kitty treats and is an expert at begging.

“I love his morning and evening cuddles. He’s brought such incredible joy to our family (my husband likes him too). I’m so glad that I saw beyond his first impression and had the patience to let him become part of our family on his own terms.

“BEST MOTHER’S DAY PRESENT EVER‍!”

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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. She lives with her adopted Maltese named Mini.