Their Last Photo Together—and the First Goodbye
She found a home where there is another cat and the family was looking for a companion for their cat.
The photo was meant to be cheerful—a little milestone snapshot before the next chapter began. All of them lined up in a wiggly, imperfect row, ears tilted in different directions, eyes blinking at the camera like they had no idea what “last group photo” even meant. But I knew. I knew as I held the phone that this was the final time they would all be together under one roof. When the family arrived and gently lifted her into their arms, she didn’t resist. She looked curious, maybe even excited, completely unaware that my heart was quietly cracking open. I smiled. I answered their questions. I handed over her favorite toy and a little blanket that smelled like her siblings. Then the door closed. The house didn’t feel louder or quieter—it felt different. There was a tiny space where she should have been. A missing movement in the corner of my eye. I didn’t expect it to hit this hard. I told myself I was prepared. After all, this was always the plan. I can’t keep them all. But loving them enough to let them go turns out to be its own kind of ache.
Still, beneath the sadness, there’s comfort. She didn’t just “get adopted.” She was chosen with intention. The family had been searching for a companion for their resident cat, hoping to bring balance and joy into their home. They asked thoughtful questions. They sat on the floor and let her come to them. And she did—confident and trusting, like she somehow knew this was right. That gives me peace. She won’t be alone. She’ll have another feline friend to wrestle with, to groom, to curl up beside the way she used to with her siblings. That image helps when the quiet feels too heavy. This is my first time fostering a kitty family, and no one warned me how deeply attached I would become. Watching them grow, eat, tumble over each other—it changes you. But maybe this is what it’s supposed to feel like. Not loss, exactly. More like a bittersweet pride. She came into my care small and uncertain. She left healthy, loved, and ready for her forever. My heart misses her tonight. But somewhere, she’s exploring a new home, and another cat is meeting a new best friend. And that makes the hard part worth it.
