So I have a curse when it comes to cats.

My first cat, Tony ( short for Antonio Banderas), came home from Richmond Animal League at five months old and died a little over a year later of a freak blood clot that left both of his back legs suddenly paralyzed. The doctor said he would have a long, hard road ahead of him if he survived, and so I chose to not let him suffer. It broke my heart to let him go. I would never find a cat that played fetch like he did, or one with a crazy obsession for Q-tips. He was such a lovebug, and I still miss him.

I got five month old Sebastian a few days later. I had already paid the pet deposit, and had a home to give an animal in need, so my mom and I went to the Richmond SPCA and a sweet little tuxedo cat chose me. He was so affectionate and I just couldn’t leave him there. He got lost in my house for eighteen hours that first day and we finally discovered him in my roommate’s armoire the next morning snuggled under piles of sweaters. He had a cute “hee-hoo”meow and was very playful and sweet. He disappeared 11 months later right before Thanksgiving and though I posted signs everywhere I never saw him again.

On December 11, 2015 I brought home Bentley, a cute and rambunctious five month old grey tabby kitten from Richmond Animal Care and Control. The shelter director explained that he’d been hit by a car as a tiny kitten and had undergone pelvic reconstruction surgery, so could potentially have an issue later in life called megacolon that would call for him to be put to sleep.

I said that as long as he wouldn’t need extensive medical care, I could give him a good home and do the right thing if and when the time came. I took him home and promptly fell in love. So snuggly and sweet!

The time came exactly a year later. He started having a really hard time going number two, and three hundred dollars an x-Ray, and two enemas later, I was told he didn’t yet have megacolon but his colon had healed extremely narrow and he’d need stool softener twice a day and a wet food diet.I also had a lot of people praying for my little guy.

I did all these things, but a week later he was in a bad place again. Tearfully, I admitted to myself “the curse strikes again!” . Why did bad things keep happening to my pets? I called the vet and he agreed that it wasn’t a good sign. I asked if I could buy an enema from them, since I couldn’t afford another three hundred dollar visit. He said I could get two for ten dollars and to come pick them up in the morning.

I knew in my heart that if this last ditch attempt didn’t work, I would have to put him down. He was too uncomfortable. The thing that made me hopeful was that during the afternoon a phrase from a popular Christian song had popped into my head, “Even when you think you’re finished, it’s not over yet, it’s not over yet!” I also flipped to a Scripture in Psalm 145 that reminded me that the Lord is compassionate towards all he has made, and I prayed that Scripture and asked God to be compassionate towards Bentley. I glanced up at my bookshelf and a book title I’d forgotten about jumped out at me: “NOT OVER.” I felt God was affirming that he would let Bentley live. I hoped, at least.

The next day was rough on me, Bentley, and my friend AshCap who came over to help me administer the treatment. It was traumatic for all involved, and for the next couple days all I could do was wait and see if he would get stopped up again. 

I have never cheered so hard for a cat to poop in my life, but four months later we are still going strong! 

God answered, and it grew my faith. There’s no reason why the doctor’s treatment didn’t stick and mine did, but that’s exactly what happened and I know my God is able and willing to show up when we ask him to!

Prayer: For God to show up in big ways and heal our loved ones so that we may praise him and know he is God! Especially for my friend J!