It was a good day when Jodie decided she needed a cat.
It set a series of events in motion that have brought her more joy than she could have imagined. And Jodie was in need of some joy.
Jodie is a widow in DeKalb struggling with lupus and stage-four breast cancer. Though she has family in the area, she told her brother recently, “I just need another beating heart around here,” referencing her solo home in a senior apartment complex.
The next day, her sister-in-law called and said, “Let’s get on this!” Soon they were perusing adoptable cats on the Anderson Humane website, drawn by our Constant Companions program to assist seniors in getting and keeping pets. The cat would be a present from the family for Jodie’s upcoming birthday.
“I’m happier than I’ve been in a while; Tyson and I were meant to be together.”
When Jodie went to meet a couple of these potential new family members at our South Elgin shelter, she said Tyson, a six-year-old cat with a “huge body and short tail,” picked her. She suspects her pocketful of kitty treats had something to do with it. But he kept flopping himself down in front of her walker, inviting Jodie to shower him with attention. How could she resist?
Jodie said she felt an instant connection with Tyson. Since bringing him home, Jodie says he’s slept with her every night, greeted all her family members warmly, and often kneads her chest while purring. He rides on the seat of her walker as she moves about her apartment and even accompanies her to the bathroom, seemingly never wanting to leave her side. Clearly he feels the connection too.
Jodie said she’s thrilled with her new companion and the help she received from Anderson Humane throughout the adoption process. “Everyone was so nice and helpful. I’d tell anyone who wants to adopt from there, do it!” she said.
With Jodie’s ongoing health issues, others are always doing things for her; but with Tyson, she gets to be the caregiver. “It’s nice to be needed. And it gives me something else to think about,” she said.
“I’m happier than I’ve been in a while,” Jodie said, adding that her brother said he could hear a new joy in her voice when they recently talked on the phone. “Tyson and I were meant to be together.”