I sit here thinking (and sometimes crying) about a cat I haven’t met in 2 years. This won’t be the typical #WiseWednesday post, but I send it out with the hope that it might reach someone else in the same category as Yan-chan’s mom.

Like many TNR cats, Kaoru was a pro at living outdoors and showing up daily to greet TNR volunteers for food. She did this day after day, year after year, for over ten years straight. She had the thick sheep-like under-coat of an animal that lived continuously outdoors, through many winters and through all kinds of weather. She minded her own business, when it came to other cats, and was not unfriendly with people. But, she was still always wary, as street cats need to be. When it seemed like a recent upper respiratory infection might become more serious in the freezing weather, TNR volunteers reached out to see if we might be able to take her in. I first went out to meet Kaoru-chan on a very cold January day. I sat down, extending a hand with a treat, and she came right over to say hello. I could see her runny nose, and hear her wheezing with every breath. I could also see her happiness to be given attention. She enjoyed some nice treats, hung out with us for a little while, and then she waddled off down the street, into the distance. I agreed to take her in.

From the start, Kaoru-chan loved her new warm bed indoors, her new regular meals of wet food, and she delighted in having her fur brushed. She didn’t even seem to mind that this was all in a big cage. I loved her immediately and could see that she was special. But, it’s not always easy to find a home for an older kitty. So, she stayed in our quarantine area for a while. Because of her, we named that area the VIP room, since it became her little private suite. She was a talker, and regardless of our inability to understand, she persistently tried to share her opinions with any and everyone. When an opportunity arose for a home, she traveled to Tokyo and settled in. There she became Yanko. She started her dream life, filled with love, good food, a clean comfortable space, and medical care whenever needed. She lived there happily with her mom for 2 years, needing more medical care as time went on. Her health issues finally got the better of her, and she quietly left our world yesterday, from within her beautiful home.

While that’s sad, I mostly think about how lucky Yan-chan was to meet her mom…and how lucky her mom was to meet Yan-chan. As those who have cared for a less adoptable but needy elderly kitty know, making a big difference in a life is really an amazing experience. It’s an honor. For however long, you’re the reason that kitty now has happy and comfortable days. The gratitude cats feel for this wonderful life changing opportunity is real. There is also the gratitude of hard working TNR volunteers, who try their best to help, with limited resources. TNR indeed improves the quality of life for cats having to live out on the streets, but as cats age, this can be a harder and harder life. Not all of them hope to spend their last days cuddled up to a human, but there are some who do and others whose struggles make them increasingly interested in that idea. For these cats, to be able to finally retire from their lives outdoors can be such a kindness.

Yan-chan’s life touched the lives of many volunteers and caregivers. Goodbyes are never easy, but this was a goodbye surrounded by comfort and love. We can try to insulate our lives from the pain of goodbyes, but in doing so, we miss the incredible magic of sharing meaningful time with other souls. I feel that magic today, looking through old photos and watching old videos of Yan-chan in her new home. I smile, and even laugh, remembering her happiness.

As I write this, we have multiple requests for help finding such comfort and love for cats like Yan-chan, still waiting outside for their chance. They are each really special in their own way, and I think about the light they have to offer to a special mom and/or dad’s life. I understand this isn’t a mission that everyone is able to accept. But for those who might be, some incredible journeys are out there on the streets, waiting for you.