I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

We’ve tried to be pet people over the years; a panther chameleon, two puppies, several goldfish, a guinea pig, and a crested gecko. Nothing seemed to be the right fit. Although I must say, I loved Leo, my chameleon but he was a bit difficult to cuddle with… as much as the kids tried.

I’ve been throwing around the idea since last summer that maybe we could be cat-people. Everywhere I turned, the resounding reply was, “NO! DON’T DO IT!” Not to be detoured, in December I started searching high and low for a very specific breed, as I am allergic to 99% of felines. After weeks of searching with no luck, I gave up. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be after all.

Then a month ago, on a whim, I decided to contact my husband’s niece who is a Vet-Tech at an animal shelter, four hours north of where we live. I asked if she could keep her eyes open for this specific type of cat. She agreed. It would be like winning the lottery… that’s how slim the chances were this would happen, let alone happen quickly. 

WELL…

The very next day, this cat, my cat, the only cat I am not allergic to….

WELL!

My niece called to say a 4 or 5-year-old female Lynx Point Siamese Ragdoll had been picked up over New Year’s and no one claimed her. The cat was brought to her clinic to be spayed and put up for adoption. She wanted to know if we wanted to rescue her.

My Vet Tech Niece 🙂

Two days later, one of my kids and I drove 2 hours north to pick her up, meeting my niece halfway.

Our first stop after picking her up…. a major shopping trip at Petsmart. It’s the first place I thought of, it’s where I’ve always gone for my pet’s needs over the years.

We needed everything!!

We bought:

• a scratching post (but she still uses the couch, need to work on that), 
• a bag of adult cat food (Royal Canin, made locally), and 
• a kitty litter set (not the grey clay kind either).  

The Petsmart employee, who became our personal shopper, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. She told me about Natural Fresh kitty litter by Blue. It’s walnut based. So awesome! Keeps the smell down, and there’s no dust! Never thought I’d get so excited about kitty litter. 🙂

We also picked up:

• toys, 
• a laser pointer, 
• cat treats, 
• a collar, 
• a brush, 
• shampoo, 
• nail clippers, and
• bowls for her food and water. 

Our cart was more than overflowing!

And of course, while we were there, the kids and I had to check out the other cats they have for adoption, the fish, hamsters, geckos, and snakes. Every time we go to Petsmart, it’s not just a quick trek to the cat food aisle, it quickly becomes a field trip with the kids.

1st Stop – Petsmart!

A couple of weeks after purchasing nearly half the store for our newest addition, #CollectiveBias sent a request for me to share my Petsmart shopping experience. It was a pleasure to participate in this shopportunity because it is truly the only place we shop for our pets. 

It was like a circus when we finally got home. The kids were so excited to meet her. At first, I thought she was going to live under the couch forever, our youngest can be a bit intense when he’s excited.

We decided on the name Mitzi because her mitts are so huge. She is polydactyl, meaning she has an extra toe on each paw. It’s the cutest thing ever.

She didn’t stay hidden for long, she integrated with our family quite easily and quickly. She loves to cuddle and sleep next to us, she comes to the door when coming home, she rolls onto her back so her belly can be scratched, she searches the house until she finds one of us, and meows in a whisper (she is super quiet) until we pay attention to her.

Every day she has brought a smile to our family. My husband, who said he’d never want a pet (it’s me who always just shows up with one, SURPRISE!), can be found cuddling with Mitzi on the couch, having long conversations with her. One day last week, while she was curled up on his lap, he looked up and said, ‘This was the best decision. I really needed this.”

We’ve been through an enormous amount of financial stress and emotional pain since Dave’s dad passed away 2.5 years ago. The death of his parents, his mom in 2005 & his dad in 2011, has left a hole in his heart. He’s not fully grieved. It’s incredible how stress seems to dissipate when you’re patting this little fur ball. I can feel my blood pressure lowering just thinking about her.

She is the best thing to happen to us in a long, long time. She is just what this family needed.