This time last year my husband and I took a trip to a nearby RSPCA in the hope of adopting a kitten. Little did we know that we would be bringing home a fifteen year old cat they called Snowy! It was meant to be from the moment they opened the cage and I reached my hand in to pet her. I immediately started crying and that’s when I knew we had to adopt her. Tears streamed down my face as we walked to the car with our new companion. Not long after we began driving did her new name come to mind: Beatrice.

I’ve had my fair share of kitty companions in my life except for the last five or six years when I was either in school or planning to move from America to England and therefore couldn’t justify owning a cat. One of the first things we had decided after I moved to England last February was that we would get a cat. It took us about a month of looking for kittens and continually being disappointed with how difficult it was to find one before we decided to check out the RSPCA.

It sounds really crazy to admit, but I have no doubt in my mind that Beatrice chose me just as much as I chose her. Over the last year we’ve formed such a deep bond and it’s been really great to see her grow comfortable around us and gain confidence. She’s such a funny cat and I love her to bits. I love that she starts waking us up at 6am by climbing on our pillows and rubbing her tooth along our faces to let us know she’s ready for food. I love seeing the many different ways she sprawls out on the bathroom floor. I love how she’ll walk out into the middle of the living room and scream just to get my attention or to let me know she’s bored.

Beatrice is now sixteen years old and although we’ve had a lot of brilliant moments with her, there have also been quite a few times where we had to prepare for the worst. Luckily she’s healthy and happy for the time being, but you can never be too sure when dealing with a senior cat.

Since today is Beatrice adoption anniversary, I made sure to give her extra cuddle time in bed this morning, followed by a bunch of cat treats and a little morning walk outside! Thankfully the weather has been absolutely gorgeous today so she got to spend a while roaming around the bushes and checking out all of the new smells around.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel so lucky to have Beatrice in my life. I wish I could have known her as a kitten so that I could have more time with her, but all that matters is the time I have with her now. Here’s to my lil Bean, the Queen Bee herself, Miss Beatrice.