Rescue Stories - Harry and Hermoine: Mended Two Broken Hearts

Hello, and Happy Tuesday! We're continuing our Adopt A Cat Month Celebration by bringing you a fab rescue story today. Meet Harry and Hermione, two adopted cats who mended two broken hearts. 

Lola

My daughter and I were heartbroken when we lost Oliver, my mother’s 17-year-old cat, who had been with us for five years after my mom had to be put into a nursing home. Oliver had been a sweet Siamese whom we’d loved dearly. He’d suffered for two years from kidney disease before we knew it was time to let him go. Within that same year, my family suffered another loss when my 90-year-old mother also passed away. 

A few months after my mother died and nearly a year after we said goodbye to Oliver, my daughter Holly told us she wanted another cat – a kitten or a young cat. She’d always talked about wanting a black cat but said that the important thing was that she found one that was friendly and affectionate like Oliver had been. 

Near Holly’s birthday in October, we visited a newly opened cat café that was working with Golden Paws, a rescue in our area, to find homes for cats. As soon as we walked into The Shabby Tabby, Holly spotted a black kitten and began playing with him. While she was occupied, I looked around at the other cats. One of them, a pretty calico kitten with muted colors, strode up to me, her tail high. She seemed very friendly and smart. 

A few minutes later, Holly asked if we could adopt the black kitten. I checked with the owner of the cat café, and she told us that the kitten, named Harry, hadn’t been claimed yet. However, he couldn’t be adopted without his sister. We weren’t planning to adopt two cats, but I asked which cat was his sister. When I saw that it was the calico, whose name was Hermione, I knew I had to take them both. There was one other stumbling block. The owner of the cat café informed us that Harry and Hermione had tested positive for FIV. While I’d had cats all my life, none had ever been diagnosed with FIV, and I knew little about the disease. The owner explained that FIV in kittens may not be a true indication that they are infected because the tests often result in false positives before six months of age when the kittens’ immune systems are not fully developed. She said that if we decided to take the pair, the Golden Paws rescue from which they came, would pay for the repeat tests when Harry and Hermione were old enough for an accurate result. 

While this made my decision somewhat tougher, I saw how happy my daughter was with Harry, smiling for the first time since her favorite cat and grandmother passed away. My heart was also touched by Hermione, a proud and beautiful kitten whose purr was as loud as a grown cat when I petted her. I also found it coincidental that while Holly was looking for a black cat, I’d always wanted a calico and was hoping to find a female cat because I’d had only male cats for the last 15 years. But I think what made me finally choose to adopt Harry and Hermione was a feeling that they were meant for us. We’d lost two very special loved ones and here were two who needed us. Despite the chance they were healthy, there were those who wouldn’t want to take that gamble, and black cats like Harry are statistically the last to be adopted. 

Now, nearly two years later, Harry and Hermione have helped heal our hearts from losing Oliver and my mother, although they will never replace them. They have grown into beautiful cats and have given us so much joy. Harry was quite shy when we got him and would cry every time his sister left his side. Today, he’s a confident cat who is outgoing and friendly. Hermione acted like the older sister of Harry and was more daring, exploring everything before he tested the waters. As a very active girl, she was less apt to be a lap cat. She is still very playful and energetic but will occasionally shower you with purrs and affection. She especially enjoys helping me put away laundry, as she curls into the warm sheets and towels. 

Harry and Hermione tested negative for FIV at six months. I’m glad that I trusted my intuition and adopted them. The joy and fun that they’ve brought into our lives is invaluable. 

After registering their microchips, I also learned that they were at a local animal shelter before being taken to the Golden Paws rescue and then placed in the cat café. I will always be grateful that I adopted them and urge others to adopt cats from shelters and rescues. You will never regret doing that, and they will make your house a home. 

Harry and Hermione live on Long Island with their older brother, Stripey. You can follow them in their Kitty Korner columns on Sneaky the Library Cat's blog.

If you have a rescue story you'd like to share with us, please email us at LolaTheRescuedCat@gmail.com!