“Peter and I first met while taking a class together in college in 2015, and we have been dating ever since. We bought a condo and moved in together in 2023.

At that time, my family cat Squiffy joined us as well. My family had had Squiffy since she was a kitten (born in 2009). Starting last January, Squiffy began experiencing some health issues, and she was ultimately diagnosed with cancer in July. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to her in early August, at the age of 16.

Peter and I spent some time grieving the loss of Squiffy. However, we both realized the incredibly profound void that was left in our lives, and neither of us could imagine continuing to live without a cat. After spending a couple of weeks talking about adopting another cat and trying to determine if we were ready, Peter and I began just looking at shelter cats online.

While perusing the websites of local shelters, I remembered Tabby’s Place, which I first became aware of while working at the Service Learning Office at Raritan Valley Community College a few years before (Tabby’s Place was one of our community partners!).

Tabby’s Place stuck in my mind, because I remember being intrigued by its cage-free approach, focus on rescuing cats in desperate situations, and overall position as a sanctuary. Looking at the website, Peter and I were “won over” by the fact that we could come for a tour and visit the cats, which would allow us to really determine if we were ready for another cat.

Walking into Tabby’s Place, we met a lovely volunteer, who spent time giving us a tour. She introduced us to a plethora of cats, which we absolutely loved! Peter and I were in agreement that we would know which cat was ‘meant to be’ once we met them. The volunteer first suggested we meet some kittens, but we wanted to adopt an older cat and didn’t want to risk falling in love with any little ones. So, the volunteer then led us to the FIV+ room, and that is where we met our sweet boy, Squentin Tarantino.

To be completely honest, Peter and I fell in love with Squentin pretty much at first sight. We weren’t deterred by his FIV+ status (I have friends and family with FIV+ cats!) and decided quickly that we wanted to take him home.

This precious boy, meek and missing one eye, would soon begin to fill the void left by Squiffy’s departure. It took some time for Squentin to adjust to and to feel comfortable in our home, but his adorable personality emerged day by day.

Adoption Counselor Allison’s guidance and insights were invaluable, as we learned that Squentin really loves blankets and is addicted to playtime. During our one-month check-in call, Allison mentioned that Squentin would probably do really well with a feline friend. Peter and I were not against this idea, though we joked that Squentin probably needed a short break from the lovable but big personalities he previously shared a room with (we distinctly remember King Kong booting Squentin from his little cube in the corner).

A couple of months in, Peter and I decided it was time to seriously consider a friend for Squentin. After reaching out to Allison with questions about a few of the other FIV+ cats, she asked, “What about Poppa Lay? He and Squentin used to play together.” She included a photo of Squentin and Poppa laying together (pictured here), which immediately won us over.

That weekend, Peter visited Tabby’s Place by himself to meet Poppa and other potential friends, decisively stating, “It’s Poppa. It has to be Poppa.”

Little did I know, in addition to picking up our new addition to the family the following week, Peter was also planning on going to pick out an engagement ring.

As Allison later shared, Peter had told her that he was going to pick out the ring the next week and could only pick up Poppa on a specific day because of it. He also shared preliminary plans on how he would propose, but he would need to figure out if Squentin would wear a collar for it to work.

A couple of weeks later, with our small family adjusting happily to Poppa’s presence, Peter called me into the living room, stating that he had put Squentin’s collar on him and that he looked really cute. Questioning why he did this, I came in to investigate. I asked Peter when Squentin’s collar got bedazzled after noticing the shine.

It took a second, but I then realized that there was a ring, after which I (of course) said yes!

Squentin was a trooper throughout the process, but was very happy to be free of his collar. (Since Poppa was still adjusting and can be skittish, Peter didn’t dare try to put a collar on him! :-))

Since then, we are all living happily as everyone continues to adjust. Squentin is the sweetest, most precious boy, who loves to play and curl up in one of his many blanket nests that can be found throughout the house. Poppa Lay is still coming out of his shell, but is a very playful boy who has discovered (and declared ownership of!) the bed. Most nights, he will curl up next to or on top of one of us and is slowly learning that he doesn’t have to run away at the slightest movement or noise.

Overall, we couldn’t be happier, and we truly appreciate Tabby’s Place for your work, caring for these adorable boys so that we could have the honor of welcoming them into our home!”