Ragnar and the adoption that changed my life

I have always lived with cats. When I arrived in a new city, I missed their company terribly. One morning, while I was on my way to the gym as usual, I started talking to a young woman who showed me photos of a friend's kittens. Her friend was a foster carer for the SPA. She was looking for families willing to adopt them and gave me her contact details.

As soon as I left the gym, I contacted her. She sent me several photos of the kittens, and I fell in love with a little grey kitten. Before I could meet him, I first had to go through the SPA and prepare my adoption application. I got an appointment for the following day.

Once there, a volunteer introduced me to the cats at the shelter. They were all adorable, but suddenly my eyes settled on a black cat with beautiful green eyes.

I have always had a soft spot for black cats. They still face a lot of prejudice and sometimes take longer to be adopted than other cats. The moment I saw him, it was love at first sight.

The volunteer suggested that I spend some time with him. As soon as he came out of his enclosure, he went to hide at the other end of the room. He was very timid. I picked up a toy wand to try to play with him and, little by little, he began to relax. That was when I thought: he's the one.

I told the volunteer that I wanted to adopt him immediately. I had not bought anything yet to welcome him home, but that did not matter: I would stop at a shop on the way. All I wanted was for him to come home with me.

Afterwards, I apologised to the foster family I had contacted about the little grey kitten. She replied very kindly: “What matters is that a cat finds a family.” Those words stayed with me.

Today, Ragnar shares my life. I have watched him grow, gain confidence and feel increasingly at ease. I am still just as in love with him, and I like to think that he has found a home where he is happy. As for me, I am simply grateful to be able to share my life with him.