It’s amazing how the pain of a broken heart can lead to joy and smiles.

On Thursday, Feb. 16^th, Chip and I had to put our last cat to sleep. Her name was Lesslie. She was a wonderful companion and friend for almost 13 years. She made us smile and laugh with her antics and gave us so many wonderful memories that I swore that when the day came for us to have to say that final goodbye that there would never be another cat.

Lesslie saw me as Momma Kitty so our bond was instant and very, very close. From the day I had the fire department retrieve the little orphaned kitty from under our home, she hardly ever left my side. She was always at my feet, beside me on the couches or curled up beside me in the bed sleeping with her head on the pillow.

The day I made the decision to let her go, my heart shattered like fine Bacarat crystal. Truly in a million pieces. Even though I knew that the right decision had been made, I carried guilt like Atlas carrying the world. I didn’t believe I would ever recover from the pain. Until I saw our Cocker Spaniel Jack’s pain at losing her as well. It was heartbreaking. For a week, all he did was mope around, walk from room to room looking for her and when he would look at you, you could see the pained expression in his eyes. While he didn’t know where she was, he felt the loss as deeply as Chip and I did. He hardly ate, didn’t show any interest in playing and looked ready to cry at any moment. It got to me in a big way. Something had to be done and fast.

The following Thursday, Chip and I went kitty hunting. We bought the local rag sheet and I checked out the pets section. Nothing. Finally, we called our groomer  who heads an organization called Recycled Pets. It is an animal rescue group in our town that does wonderful things for abandoned animals. This is also where we got Jack. I trust my groomer and her honesty when I look for pets. She is top notch! (And a great lady!)

Anyway, Chip and I hopped into the Jeep and off we went to see Terri. When we got there, she introduced us to a pure white cat named Adelaid. (Her name is now Belladonna) She is 8 months old and a bundle of energy! She is also very loving and affectionate. When we got her home, she and Jack met and checked each other out. They appear to be very compatible and in time I believe will be good friends. Jack is still moping but not as much as he was. He tries very hard to get her to play with him but she just looks at him right now. Although last night while Chip and I were watching a movie, she jumped up on the large couch and pulled at the fur on Jack’s foot with her teeth. It was a cute sight.

It’s amazing how the human heart can be broken and healed so quickly. Belladonna has moved into my shattered heart and has started to help put the pieces together again. While there will always be a special spot in my heart that will contain the special relationship that Lesslie and I shared, Bella has shown me that once the heart mends, there are many, many places in the heart as long as you are willing to open it up and love.