Don’t get me wrong, my girls are dear to my heart, but even they know no one could take his place. He’s not my boyfriend, my father, or God. He’s my kitty, Shady.

I decided after seeing Pet Semetary I wanted a Russian Blue cat. I searched high and low for one. 9yrs ago my boyfriend at-the-time’s sister told me about an ad for “one grey kitten, 10weeks old” In the newspaper. I was skeptical at first, I called the lady on the ad and went to see the kitten. On the way there I told my then boyfriend “if i didn’t like the cat, we’d leave, and if i do, we’ll take him”

We drove up to this beautiful acreage just outside Spruce Grove, and when I entered the home, this tiny, grey kitten came running across the hardwood to greet me. My heart melted instantly. His mewing and magnetic purring pulled at my heart, I picked him up and he nestled in by my head and in my hair. I knew right then and there I would never let him go.

On the way home I was listening to Eminem and the lyrics were going “you don’t wanna fuck with shady” and every time it said “shady” the kitten would meow. So I looked at him and said “Shady” and he meowed. So that’s how he got his name 🙂 He chose it himself.

The guy I was dating and I split, and I moved out by myself into an apartment that was “NO PETS.” The landlord was certain I had a cat and I’m sure illegally served way too many inspection notices; but, every time they would come, I would pack him up, and every trace of him, and take him to a friends for a day just to pass inspection. I’d be homeless as long as I had him by my side.

When I received my acceptance email to college it was 1am and shady was sleeping next to me. I jumped up and screamed “Shady I got accepted to College!” And he woke up instantly, jumped up, and meowed his approval loudly! I scooped him up, exclaimed how much I loved him and packed to move him and everything I own to go 2000km to school. I paid extra to stay off campus and keep shady. In my loneliest times he was there. In my happiest times he was there. He’s always there

When a guy tried to take advantage of me by pretending he was drunk and passing out in my bed, I outsmarted him by sleeping the night on the couch. Shady meowed all night like he was angry we weren’t sleeping in our bed, and proceeded to soak the young man in the foulest urine known to man, cat urine.

When I left college,I sold all of my belongings, packed 4 boxes and sent them on greyhound back to alberta, and bought me and shady two plane tickets home.

It’s been 9yrs, and if anything ever happens to him God help the poor people who have to pick up the pieces of my broken heart.

I love you Shady xoxoxoxox