The road to finding the perfect pets: Who we are and why we do what we do.

We have always been animal lovers. My boyfriend and I melt whenever we see pictures of cute little animals. Our families have taught us that every living thing- great or small- deserves love and kindness.

While in college, we had dual custody of our pet Goldfishes (Pyro, Suisha, Sunshine and Bruce) and our Robo Dwarf Hamsters, brothers Chip and Dale (like the cartoon Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers). These pets were not just goldfish and hamsters to us, they were a part of our family. We took the time to take care and love them. As we all know, pets like these don't live for very long. Our goldfish lasted for about over a year and unfortunately, Chip fell victim to the 100 degree Farenheit weather we were having that summer. On the upside, Dale is still with us today. He is almost 2 years old and even though he is balding from old age, he is still as cute as the day we got him.

 

Not long after we graduated from college, we moved into an apartment together. We found a place that would allow us to make room for not one, but two cats! We were excited. The Universities we attended did not allow cats or dogs and the wait was finally over. Searching online on Petfinder.com, AdoptaPet.com and PetsInNeed.org became an addiction. We were bombarded by all sorts of cuteness. 

The first pair of kittens we found was through Petfinder.com. They were cute, fluffy kittens that were being fostered nearby. We contacted the foster parents and set up a meeting but later that week we found out that they were already adopted. The feeling was bittersweet.

The second pair we found were  from a shelter called NineLivesFoundation posted on AdoptaPet.com. They were brother and sister, Maine Coon mixes. Supppeerrr cute! We visited the foster home and spent 2 hours talking to the foster parents and playing with the kittens. Everything was going great and we really liked them, but we were competing with other families- which was great! After discussing the situation, we both decided that since there was a demand for those kittens, there was no doubt that they would be adopted. We decided to continue our search and knew that there were plenty of other kittens waiting for a home.

Our last venture ended up at the Pets In Need shelter. Although their website showcases some of their animals, we knew that it was best to visit. Their facility was recently remodeled and it was so clean- with glass enclosures for all the cats and dogs and to top it off, the staff was very professional and warm. Since Pets In Need is a No-Kill shelter, this means that all the animals that they have will continue to live there until they find a family. My boyfriend never had the opportunity to grow up with cats, and he was thrilled to pick out the perfect felines for us. While looking into the little cat rooms, he saw two pairs of big golden eyes staring back at him. We asked the Pets In Need staff if we could meet the two kittens. Giddy, we followed the staff person to a "meeting" room so we could get to know the little furballs.

My boyfriend picked up the pretty little tortoiseshell kitty and fell in love. While she was in his arms, little Lucy stared straight into his eyes. Enzo, her brother, was a little shy, but he opened up with a little coaxing. We never thought that we would adopt a black cat, but his easy-going, tender personality made it hard not to fall for him. Knowing that we could not leave the shelter without them, we welcomed them into our home that same day.

Today, Lucy and Enzo spend their days as full time indoor kittens. Indoor living is never dull for these two. They amuse themselves by watching the variety of birds and squirrels outside the window, they run around our two bedroom apartment with footsteps that grow louder as they grow bigger, and they LOVE boxes! They have never met a box that they didn't like. We enjoy watching them spend countless hours diving, pouncing, hiding and tearing through cereal and shoe boxes. The joy that they have brought into our lives has been endless and we are thankful that we found them.

Watching the birds and squirrels.

On that note, we can not adopt all the homeless animals out there (wish we could!) but felt a strong need to help them out somehow. Not all shelters have websites, twitter accounts or online listings- this is where we come in. We want to help promote the adoptable animals in these shelters by visiting them and posting our findings in hope that someone will stumble upon our site and fall in love with a furry, fluffy, fabulous animal. Every animal deserves love and kindness, they're simply waiting for a family to find them.