When I was thirteen years old, I desperately wanted a ragdoll kitten. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the ragdoll breed, ragdolls are big, beautiful, and affectionate cats who typically form an incredibly close bond with their owners.
I was drawn to these animals and I begged my parents to allow me to get one. I saved and saved for one of these beauties, but something would always come up, and I never saved enough money to purchase a kitten.
As the years go by, I still desired a ragdoll, but my life became busier and I figured I would have to wait until I was older to get my kitty. After I married my husband, Brady, I started to look into getting a cat again because we were living on our own and would be able to care for one. Brady was more of a dog person, so for a while we were debating on getting a cat or a dog. We never really made a final decision. I think if we had more time together, we would’ve gotten both.
After the doctors told Brady he had weeks to live in September, I spent a lot of my free moments watching kitten videos on YouTube. Seeing the carefree animals play and snuggle with each other calmed me and distracted me from the immense pain I was experiencing. Brady realized this, and on one October night as we were laying in bed, he told me that he wanted me to get a ragdoll after he died.
He knew how much I wanted a fur baby, and he cared enough to encourage me to buy one even though he wasn’t going to be around to meet her.
Two weeks ago, I picked up the ragdoll kitten I’ve been wanting for six years. I named her Maui, after our honeymoon spot. She has brought so much joy into my sad and lonely life. Every time I look at her or cuddle with her, I think of Brady and how happy he would be knowing that I finally got my kitten.