It is no secret that 2020 is going to be a year that we never forget. From COVID-19, the Presidential Election, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ protests, and the countless celebrities untimely deaths this year is unlike any other.

With so much negative to share, there have been moments of joy. For me it was bringing my two cats to live with me in Sioux City. Now when quarantine first happened back in March I packed my bags and drove 3 hours home to my parents home in Belmond, Iowa where my kitten Arya was due any day with 3 adorable kittens. Arya, or mammas as we call her, popped out 3 playful baby kittens on April 1st. For the next 6 weeks of quarantine my family helped bottle feed and raise the kittens so that they could go to their forever homes in the middle of May.

When May finally rolled around, I was planning on moving back to my home in Sioux City, and my plan was to always take Arya with me but now she had 3 little creatures depending on her so the plans to move her here were on hold until all of the kittens were weened off of her.

Finally the time came and I drove the 3 hours home to pick Arya up and take her back to live with me permanently in Sioux City. Little did I know when I arrived home I would not be able to say goodbye to one of her kittens either and he would make the 3 hour journey to live with me as well. So with litter packed in the back of my car with plenty of food we drove the very long 3 hours back to Sioux City.

After arriving it took a few weeks for them to settle into their new surroundings, but with lots of love and reassurance they adjusted wonderfully and Arya and her baby, which I named Flynn Rider, were finally at their forever home.

Although since getting two cats has causes some extra stress and responsibility in my life I would not have it any other way. Here we are nearly 7 months later and I have two very sweet cuddly animals that brighten my day each and every day.

From introducing them to catnip, spoiling them with treats, to waking up each morning to a cat on either side of me it always puts me in the best of moods. Being a pet parent for the first time gave me more purpose during a year that was so depressing. So if you are living through 2020 and you don’t have a cute cuddly kitten to take away your stress, then I suggest reevaluating your decision and go out and adopt!