Feeling the pitter patter of feet inside the brown cardboard cat carrier as I walked out of the Milpitas Humane Society, I couldn’t process that a kitten was now a part of my life. I would have never guessed that over the course of one Friday, the year 2020 — or at least its end — would be so enjoyable for me.

With the arrival of winter break, I wanted to end the disastrous year of 2020 on a positive note. Ever since sixth grade, I always wanted a feline friend but was never able to adopt one because of never-ending reasons from my parents. According to them, I was either not responsible enough, no one had time to care for it or our precious couches needed to remain in prime condition. I thought I had lost all hope. 

But after continuously spotting a black cat on my daily neighborhood walks, I wondered if my parents would finally cave and fulfill my wish before I leave for college. I decided to give it one last shot. 

I found solutions to all of the issues I’d previously heard. With everyone working from home, we would finally be able to give this new family member the attention and care it needed. There were plastic claw protectors to minimize damage to our leather couches. And, well, I could only hope my ability to handle responsibility had improved since I first asked six years ago. 

Surprisingly, on that same day, I successfully convinced my parents to surrender their protests and see the joy a cat could bring to the family, especially during such a difficult time. 

The online adoption process for a kitten from the Humane Society was much more efficient than expected compared to in-person adoptions. It simply took one 45-minute Zoom call wherein I selected three cats I was interested in; the adoption counselor introduced me to their personalities, discussed  their medical background and even showed me the cats interacting with the staff in real time in the Milpitas center. 

Then, we electronically signed the adoption documents, and my 4-month-old black kitten, Madeline, was available to pick up only a few hours after I made the momentous decision to try my luck again and reopen the cat question. 

If I’ve learned one thing from 2020, it’s how much can change in one day, for better or for worse. Thankfully, this time, life changed for better in a fluffy kitty way.