Those of you on my Facebook know I try and help my friends as much as I can, but sometimes in helping a friend you stumble into a kindness done for a stranger.

A friend of mine recently found himself unexpectedly homeless. That was one thing, but in addition to being out on the streets his two cats were out of a home too.

Alone, finding a shelter or crashing on a couch isn’t a problem, but with two cats many doors were closed that would otherwise be open. The dilemma now became finding them a new home–fast; or finding a no kill shelter.

He asked me to help get the word out to see if we could find them a good home, so I sent messages out to friends, Facebook friends, and on Craigslist. It wasn’t long before messages started coming in. Many were notes of contrite deferment, but some offered suggestions. Then I got what would be the best email. A young mother with an autistic boy was looking for cats, per the advice of his therapist.

After reading her email my friend was touched. She called and talked to him and told him of her daughter who was so excited that she had been surfing the Internet for toys.

This hard working mom is also a full time student and money was tight. She asked if there was an adoption fee. “No, all I want is for them to have a good home.”

I think it was a done deal the moment he read her email, but we arranged a time for her to bring the children to meet his “children.”

I can’t describe the look on the little boy’s face, but I will never forget it either. The little girl had the glee of a child when she spotted them in their crate, but the little boy….

His eyes went wide and he was all at once excited and calm. He sat down on the floor beside the crate and calmly stroked the cats, first one then the other. The male cat took to him immediately, cuddling his head in the boy’s cupped hand. It was a rare, instantaneous and unconditional love that bonds two souls together.

This was fine with his sister who was taken with the female cat. Their mother beaming as she looked from one child to the next. I thought my friend was going to get a bit misty watching this transaction.

The only trouble we had was transferring the cats from the crate to their carriers. As with most cats, the didn’t like this and I thought the boy was going to cry when one scratched me. “It’s all my fault! I scared him.”

“No, no dear,” I assured him,”its the carrier, not you.” He put his fingers in the holes of the carrier and the cat rubbed against him. The boy smiled.
My friend smiled and so did the mom.

Ten minutes later, they were gone. But, it was more than finding pets a home, we brought together an autistic boy with a true friend and companion.