Sometimes, animals come into your life unexpectedly, like this little tabby that mysteriously appeared one day a few years ago. Sadly, since we live in a rural area, “dumping” pets happens with some regularity – a terrible practice because there are so many dangers to domestic animals allowed to roam (predators like coyotes, cars, exposure to the elements, starvation). Since we already had several cats, we called local shelters to see if any could take her, only to find out that they were full. Small wonder that some people choose to dump their pets when there are no shelters to accept them.

In any case, she stayed with us (and was promptly spayed!). She’s such a lovely, calm, and charming cat that I can’t help but think that she was meant to find us and make our lives richer. I’m thankful for our “windowsill cat” – and now, she only looks out of windows, not in.