08/17/2026
Today’s date is a day I will remember forever: Forrest’s birthday. For those of you who remember, Forrest is the inspiration behind this business.
When I went to the animal shelter in 2016 with my roommate, I was looking for a dog — a big, muscular, pitbull type dog, or a German Shepard, or a mastiff of some kind.
Well, I walked around and didn’t feel a bond with anyone so I turned to leave. My roommate said for us to check out the cats just for fun and we did. I wasn’t much of a cat person at the time. I love all animals but I’d never had a cat nor had I known someone with a cat.
Anyway, I’m walking by the kennels and trying to get the scared ones to come forward for pets, unsuccessfully. Then, in one of the bottom kennels, a tabby cat came right up to the glass, looking shy but also not. I opened the kennel door and he crawled right into my lap, laid down in a circle, and tucked his head with his chin up.
My heart melted, but like I said, I was there for a dog. So I put the cat back and went to find my friend who was in the other cat room. Someone came in the room after me a minute or so later and said I left my cat behind. I was very confused but when I went out in the hallway, I could hear this very loud meow over and over again. It sounded like “mom, mom, mom.”
So, I went back to the cat room, said hello to Forrest again, and realized that day was the beginning of forever, forever loving Forrest. I adopted him that day, ran around town trying to get cat supplies (I really didn’t know much so I hope Forrest forgives me about that), and then I picked him up the next day.
We spent nearly 8 years together before he passed on June 18, 2024 at almost 11 years old. His decline was traumatic for both of us, and I wish I had made some better decisions in his last few weeks. My advice about that: the vet is the expert, yes, but you know your pets better than anyone else. You can do right by them even going against vet advice. If I had done that, Forrest would’ve had a much more peaceful passing.
Anyway, today is a day of celebration for a cat who was and forever will be my soulmate, my best friend, my first pet, and in my mind, my first born child. Happy Heavenly Birthday, Forrest ❤️❤️❤️
