Having a pet in my house is something I wasn’t accustomed to at all until I met my partner in February of 2012. That’s when I became acquainted to Driggs, a very ornery cat who had previously been with my partner Chris for more than ten years at the time. It took Driggs a good year from that point to get used to me and vice versa, but when we both did, the two of us became inseparable. But tragically Driggs developed oral cancer four years later and had to be put to sleep, leaving me devastated.
Part of me wanted to replace Driggs as soon as possible to cover up the pain I felt inside, while the other part of me wanted to take enough time to grieve like I would any other member of my family if they had passed. I opted for the latter and chose to leave the decision with God on whether I was ever meant to have another cat again.
Month after month went by after that where the only answer I got from my Higher Power about getting another cat was “not yet”. It’s hard to explain how I kept getting that answer and any attempt to do so would probably not make much sense. But let’s just say I know God was being overly clear that I wasn’t meant to get another cat any time soon.
Ultimately, I had plans to get a purebred Siberian Forest Cat when God eventually said it was time, because I wanted a hypoallergenic animal in my house. Not that I’m allergic to animals these days (like I once was), but more so for any guest that may come visit me who is. Nevertheless, it seemed like God had a different plan, as God usually does, because one day my sister contacted me and said she had to get rid of one of her cats.
When I asked why, she told me that her two female cats were having major issues with a male cat she brought into her household earlier in the year. Supposedly they were now constantly peeing and pooping outside their litter box as acts of defiance for having this male cat around. It’s probably important to mention at this point that how my sister acquired this male cat was rather interesting.
She discovered him at around 2 weeks old by a dumpster in her neighborhood. He had been abandoned there and was most likely going to die if left unattended. She chose to rescue him, and nursed him back to heath as best as she could. At one point not too long later though, he developed a pretty serious urinary issue that the vet thought he wasn’t going to heal from. That’s when my sister and her husband opted to pray for him and wouldn’t you know their prayers worked. He fully healed and ever since has been an extremely friendly and playful cat. Unfortunately, my sister knew she still needed to part ways with him because of the trauma her older cats were feeling with his presence. That’s when she called me and suggested I take him.
At the time of that call, I was still receiving the same answer from my Higher Power that it wasn’t time to get a cat yet. So I started praying to God at that point that if I truly was meant to take my sister’s cat, to let me know somehow. And wouldn’t you know, just on the precipice of when my sister was planning on taking the cat to a shelter, I received the answer that it was time to get a new and my sister’s cat was it. Zoom forward to just a few weeks ago with my sister’s visit here and it was then I was formerly introduced for the first time to Smokey.
Sometimes I find it really funny how God knows just what you need, when you most need it, because ever since Smokey’s arrival, my spirits have been much brighter. This cat has bonded to me exceptionally well and now usually follows me everywhere, is constantly purring, and regularly just wants to sit near me like he is right now as I type this very entry. (See the picture below.)
Smokey has brought a smile to my face and humor into my home a good number of times already and on some level, that’s exactly what I need these days with everything I continue to go through with my health and healing. Thus I’m grateful to God for once again having such precise timing in knowing when I was meant to get a cat again. Thankfully I remained patient enough with God to see it all come together in the way it was meant to. I’m sure the same holds true with my health and healing, but for now, I thank you God for bringing me Smokey The Cat.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson