Filling an Ellie Shaped Hole in Our Hearts

Dear Ellie,

For the longest time, there was an Ellie shaped hole in our hearts.  An Ellie shaped hole that we tried to fill with cats.  There were three of them in all, which was two more than required to meet the "crazy-cat-people" threshold.  Before we started accumulating cats, we used to make fun of people like ourselves.  How far we have fallen.  We only ever wanted just one cat, but whenever there was some wretched animal in need, our hearts melted and we added another liter box to the corner of our house.

Lucky looking all fluffy and 'sploded

The first unintended cat was Lucky.  We met Lucky when your Uncle Zack told us about a poor cat that was neglected during kitten hood and was now living at the vet.  When we went to see her, she looked up at us with her big, dumb eyes and began rubbing us furiously with her massive fangs (which we surmised meant that she either loved us or wanted to eat us).  When we took her home, though, our original cat, Chicken-the-Unrepentant-Bastard-Cat, attacked her.  Poor Lucky was miserable, so we decided to return her back to the vet.  Lucky snuggled me all the way to the vet in order to make me feel like a horrible human being.  I left her in the car when I went inside and the receptionist at the vet greeted me and said, "How are things doing with your cute little kitty!  I think its so wonderful that you found the goodness in your heart to take in an animal in need!  Now what were you here for?"

I skulked around a bit, and having no other viable excuse for why I was there other than to give Lucky back, I left a $50 donation instead.  I departed after that, cat still in tow.  Lucky has been our extremely fluffy, loyal animal companion ever since.

Missy chilling on my lap, watching Walking Dead with me      

Our second unintentional cat was Miss Fortune, or "Missy" as we call her now.  When Missy showed up at our door, she had chewed up ears, arthritis, a gaping wound on her leg, and was utterly covered with scars.  One such scar was on her neck from some prior, grave wound which made what would have otherwise been a cute "meow" sound more like a "smoker's meow."  Apparently, our neighbors had her declawed and then tossed her to the curb to be chewed up by neighborhood dogs.  She had a few "trust" issues initially given her history, but we fixed Missy up and despite the abuse and she turned into quite the loveable lap cat.  Now, she follows me wherever I go.  It's amazing what love and kindness will do.

Unfortunately, due to your chronic lung disease, our nice, fluffy kitties can't stay with us any longer.  Too many allergens could cause some pretty severe issues with your breathing, not to mention both of your parents are already asthmatics!

So why have I mentioned the cats here in your letters?  Well, a lot of people are following your journey, it turns out.  Perhaps, if Lucky and Miss Fortune are lucky and fortunate enough, some gentle soul that is reading your letters might come and rescue them!...  otherwise, its off to a shelter for the both of them!  It'll be sad seeing them both sitting in cages underneath a leaky roof.  Shivering.  Dejected.  Hair matted and skinny from starvation.  An expression of betrayal in their eyes.  People generally don't like black cats even if they are nice, so I'm sure that Lucky and Miss Fortune will be whisked off to the chopping block or shipped away to the kitty cat glue factory...  Unless someone were to take pity on them and takes them in, of course!