Animals have always been a part of my life. They are a source of comfort and joy, even on the darkest days. So, how did I stumble upon Stanny? I grew up with dogs, so when I shared with my family and friends that I was interested in adopting a cat over a year ago, they were surprised to say the least. I visited Puerto Rico in February 2020 – just before the lockdown. I was traveling and exploring on my own and blown away by the number of stray cats hanging out in the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. They intrigued me. They craved attention. I never forgot their faces.
Fast forward to November 2021. I was still without an animal companion and feeling an emptiness every time I came home to an empty apartment. During that time, my sister and her family adopted a female kitten, although their Colorado residency made it impossible for me to meet her in person. I decided it was my time to adopt and focused on Bideawee after following the organization on Instagram since I first set out on my search. I continue to be incredibly impressed to see how dedicated the team is to ensuring the animals they take in are cared for, comforted, and nursed back to health. I spotted a photo of Stanny (then Theodore) and was immediately taken with his regal sitting position (he looked so cute with his tail softly wrapped around his front paws). I knew I had to meet him!
Understanding that animals are not held for people, I literally ran with my carrier in hand to meet this adorable kitten. Arriving at Bideawee, I was saddened to find out that Stanny was very uneasy following the situation he had come from just 15 days prior. When I approached his cage, he was hiding behind a play structure, pressed into the corner. His rowdy roommate was certainly making a play for me to pick him, but there was something about Stanny’s fear and innocence that drew me in. I sat with him on the floor for almost 30 minutes. He did not move. He did not want me near him, but the connection was there. My mind was made up.
Stanny has been with me for more than a month now, traveled to Massachusetts to meet his human grandparents and received a clean bill of health at his first vet checkup. It is with tremendous pleasure to share that any sign of that scared, traumatized, lonely kitten is long gone. He is living up to his “Sex and the City” character namesake, Stanford Blatch. My world revolves around him, he makes me laugh and he is incredibly comforting to me. He follows me around the apartment the minute I wake up, spends hours watching water drip in the sink, and may quite possibly have been a soccer player in his prior life – just replace the soccer ball with my golf balls! Stanny is the first pet I adopted and everything I have heard about there being a special bond between the animal and his adopted parent is 100 percent accurate. It is a look, a feeling, a mutual respect for beginning a new journey together. It is a feeling that is difficult to put into words, other than to say that he came to me at the perfect time and has changed my life for the better in more ways than I can express.
Be sure to watch Stanny grow and evolve on Instagram… follow @SirStanfordBlatch