Do you remember what you did for your 20th birthday?
The one thing I like to share about mine is that my roommate bought me a balloon with Happy 50 because I was the oldest on my college dorm floor.
But how do you celebrate a cat turning 20?
Well, in Bridget’s case there were treats, a lot of pictures, a birthday girl hat, but “she was fairly nonchalant about the whole thing,” Claire laughed about the memory.
Bridget turned 20 in July of 2024. But she and Claire met in 2006 at the Dartmouth SPCA Shelter. “I was about to leave my job offshore with a three-week on/three-week off rotation and start my new job with the government where I’d be home all the time, and I wanted a companion. To this day I still remember holding her at the Dartmouth SPCA for the first time. I went looking for a tabby and had a few in mind from checking the SPCA website for potential adoptees on my offshore hitch before I met Bridget; she wasn’t even on the website, so she wasn’t on my ‘list’, but I had brought my friend Edie along and she pointed out Bridget. I think Edie may have even held her first and then told me to hold her. I didn’t want a black and white cat at the time because I figured that no matter what I wore you’d see cat hair on my clothes, but she won me over right away,” Claire said.
It’s not surprising that Bridget chose her human, but she let Claire think she found the one. Looking back, Claire knew “she was the one because she had cool paws (polydactyl), and she purred as soon as I held her. She also continued to purr while the dogs were being brought back and forth through the room (the dog room was on the other side of the cat room at that time). I figured that meant that she was pretty laid back. At the time I wanted to adopt an adult cat as I knew that they were less likely to be adopted over a kitten. She was two so that was perfect.”
Once settled in her new home, Bridget didn’t take long to show her personality. Two-year-old Bridget loved to nap on someone’s lap, more so if that person was allergic to cats, and bathe in the sun on the patio. And 20-year-old Bridget still found magic in her favourite activities.
And for the last 18 years, Claire has loved every moment with her, especially “her napping on my lap. If I’m not working, I’ll brush her and pat her.” Claire continued, “At those moments she seems at her happiest, other than when my kids are around and paying attention to her. At her age I try to enjoy all moments with her, from the simple to the not so simple. She continues to be the best cat ever and I appreciate that every day.”
It’s understandable that Bridget slowed down a little bit as the years passed. But the one thing that never wavered was her love for people. It is one of the things that Claire found unique about her fur baby, something that she shared comes with “absolutely none of the stereotypical aloofness that cats can have. She isn’t fazed by the odd canine visitor either – she views them with curiosity and no fear. I love how she will shake a paw if you open a door to the outside and it’s chilly. We have all loved her extra toes!”
In 18 years, Bridget and Claire made memories for a lifetime, and Claire admits she can’t choose a favourite one, but “I just really cherish seeing how my three boys – 15, 12, 11 – have grown up with her and how they love her and treat her.”
In November 2024, Bridget crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She left paw prints on her humans’ hearts and will forever bring joy and love. Memories of every brush and cuddle, every purr and big stretch are imprinted on all the lives she touched.
While 18 years seems like a long time, there never is enough time with our fur babies, but we know Claire and Bridget found each other when they both needed it the most.
It’s during times like this that we realize that small moments, like lap naps, can have the biggest impact on us. 
Just like Bridget, there are other furry friends in SPCA shelters across Nova Scotia looking for their people to share magical moments with, being big or small, and create a real fairy tale out of them. So, visit our adoption webpage today, or drop by the nearest shelter to you, where you might find your Bridget.
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Bridget’s mom wanted to share, “I’ve lived with Bridget for over 18 years now, which is longer than I’ve lived with anyone – human or feline. She has been the best companion I could have ever asked for.”
The original story was written before Bridget crossed the Rainbow Bridge. This story is a tribute to her and her fur mama and the magic they created together for 18 years.