It was a November day in 2023 when Bill walked into the Yarmouth SPCA Shelter.
He was ready to offer lots of love and a warm, welcoming home to a pet in need. It was sweet, three-year-old Arabella who caught Bill’s attention.
He brought her home, where slowly, she was coming out of her shell.
They only had three weeks together, before Bill lost his home, and Arabella in a heartbreaking tragedy.
Each furry friend that leaves our lives creates a permanent paw print in our hearts. No matter how long they are with us, hours, days, months, or years, the loss cuts just as deep and the silence they leave behind is quite loud.
While staying in a motel trying to find a new place to live, Bill felt that silence. It was maybe too quiet having grown up with the pitter-patter of nails against the floor. No one could replace Arabella, and a new pet is never meant to do that.
But Bill knew other cats were still waiting for a family, and he was looking for a companion. So, once he had secured a new home, he revisited the Yarmouth Shelter.
This time on Christmas Eve.
Gilbert was there. A three-month-old orange ball of fur who showed his personality from the start and knew his big, beautiful yellow eyes would make someone fall in love with him. 
That someone was Bill. And on December 24, 2023, Gilbert went home.
“He settled in pretty quickly,” Bill said about the first couple of months with Gilbert. “He was curious, and even though loud noises still startled him sometimes, he found all of the places he loved. As a kitten one of them was my shoulder, climbing up my legs and back. He still tries now when I’m not looking.”
Gilbert loves the life of an only cat. As I was talking with Bill, Gilbert was sitting on the couch, all sprawled out and looking very much like he runs the place. “He does,” Bill agreed, “and he’s spoiled rotten.”
Months passed and with each moment spent together, their bond grew stronger. Gilbert, in a fashion only cats seem to possess, seeks love when he wants it, but he is never too far away from his fur dad. Bill said, “He likes being where I am. I’ll watch TV or play video games, and he curls up on the couch. Not right next to me, but close enough and starts to purr. I’ll pet him and when he’s had enough, he’ll give me that look.” He continued, “Sometimes, when I’m at the table, working, he can get lazy about jumping on my lap, so he puts his paw right above my knee and gets himself up using his nails, and you know that sharp nail feel.”
It’s a quiet, peaceful life even a year later.
Bill and Gilbert’s moments are just what each other needs since they formed their own little family. When I talked to Bill about the memories they made so far, he said something that stayed with me, “They’re all good.”
The adoption date was a coincidence. And perhaps a little sign that new chapters and new beginnings don’t erase old memories but build upon them.
As we near the festive season, and I try to finish writing Bill and Gilbert’s story, I am reminded that it’s not about perfection or things always being the same. It is okay to find joy in small moments – like a cat purring next to you or watching them sleep on top of the dresser because that’s their favourite spot. That it is okay to hope for a fresh start. And that love comes in different shapes and sizes, but that it will always stay with us and light up our lives.
Just like it did for Bill.
And if you are looking to add a furry friend in your life and think of adopting, Bill’s advice is, “Just do it. Go to a shelter and meet the pets, spend some time with them, and see what their personalities are like. The best thing I’ve ever done was adopt from a shelter.”