When adopting a feline companion, we must be acutely aware of how big an impact they will have on our lives.

When Janet bonded with young Zoe in an unlikely way back in October 2001 at the BC SPCA Surrey Education & Adoption Centre, she soon discovered how important this tiny kitten would become.

Janet and her husband shared 18 incredible years with Zoe in their lives. They will never forget her and have passed on to us a tribute that will help her live on in all of our hearts:

In October 2001, I was handed my sweet Zoe. At the time, I was a volunteer dog walker at the BC SPCA Surrey Education & Adoption Centre. A busy staff member, Janice, had asked me if I could give a flea bath to two tiny five-week-old kittens.

I never had cats while growing up, so I could just picture how it would go—trying to bathe two kittens. So, I said, “Oh, but I’m a dog walker.”

Well, they needed me, so I bathed those two kittens.

I offered to bring them home to bottle nurse them until they were old enough to be adopted. Sadly, Zoe’s sister Bonita didn’t thrive and passed away after two weeks.

At this point, Zoe was almost ready to be adopted out but there was no way she was going anywhere. My husband (my boyfriend at the time) was thrilled because he always had cats around when growing up.

Zoe was there for us through many sad times and happy times—marriage, babies growing into youth and loss of close family. She was always upset when the babies cried. She would gently head bump them. She loved romaine lettuce and enjoyed the bathtub tap dripping.

One afternoon we spent several hours of making Lost Cat posters and searching for Zoe after she had slipped or jumped from the balcony. Once the sun had set, we just sat down, feeling defeated in the search. Then, she came crawling out from under a bush.

She was fine and didn’t seem frazzled by the adventure. However, Zoe did stay put on the balcony and just enjoyed the sunbeams from then on. We nicknamed her Queen of the Balcony.

Zoe was my workout buddy, my furball to cry on and as she aged, my gardening partner.

In September 2020, we had to say goodbye to our Zoe. She was a part of almost half my life, and my friend in our journey. She will be in our hearts forever. Thank you, BC SPCA and Janice, for handing me those two kittens that day so long ago.

Thank you to you and your husband, Janet, for choosing to adopt Zoe and keep her as your own. You both fully committed to giving her an amazing, loving life. Thank you for making Zoe not only the Queen of the Balcony but also a Queen in so many aspects of your lives shared with her. May you take comfort in all the happy memories you have with Zoe.

Have you adopted an animal from the BC SPCA and want to share your joy with others? Submit your adoption story!