Charles is a Marine Corps veteran who served from 2001-2010, during which time he was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Honorably discharged as Sergeant, he shares his story about an adopted cat who loves, and helps create, chaos in his multi-pet home.
We appreciate our partnership with Macon County Animal Control and Care Center for their help in making this Marine family complete.
Send in the…cats?
Pets for Patriots has added a new member to our family and genuinely brought a fair amount of joy to our everyday lives.
First I need to admit that I was never a fan of cats. They’re arrogant, self-centered and egotistical, they don’t move out of the way, they only come around when they want you to pet them and they pretty much exist to cause havoc in your home.
Then it occurred to me that there is an incredible similarity between cats and Marines. We’re arrogant, self-centered, and egotistical, we will never move out of anyone’s way for any reason, we only come around when we feel we need attention and we exist to cause havoc – everywhere.
That alone wasn’t the reason I wanted to adopt Quill. 
When we first started looking, I didn’t know about Pets for Patriots. My wife had expressed an interest in getting another pet, preferably a cat. We currently have two dogs: a German Shepherd mix named Kota (female), and a pug named Odin (male).
Odin has a little man complex. Kota is a trained professional, all business, no fooling around.
We looked at several cats. All were very sociable, extremely friendly to my daughter and wife, and myself. Quill was friendly to my wife and daughter, but his first “go” with me was kinetic. He likes to play. That is what I was looking for in a cat. One that wants to engage as much as be engaged.
Quill makes our family whole. He and our dogs get along perfectly. At times he will sit at the top of the basement stairs and wait for Odin to come up, as soon as Odin rounds the corner Quill is on top of him, takes him to the ground and then it’s on! Running around the dining room table, shooting through the living room over the couch and then back toward the kitchen.
Kota and Quill are the same way. Kota waits like a sentry for her next command. She’s been trained as a personal protection dog for our daughter. Her “play” time is a sort of hide and seek with our daughter. Our daughter will hide around the house or in the yard, and on the command “seek” Kota will find her.
Quill follows; I think he likes the excitement my daughter exhibits at being found by Kota. Like I said – we all get along extremely well.
Marine veteran makes command decision to adopt, not shop
Our adopting experience was very easy and pleasant.
A friend of mine at work knew I was looking for a cat. She had actually showed me several cats around the area that were for sale. While she was showing me the cats she asked if I had considered adopting. I hadn’t thought of it – then she said she knew someone who had used Pets for Patriots. From there I went to the website and checked them out.
The rest was easy.
We went in, I informed the staff at the Macon County Animal Shelter that I was a veteran and that I would l like to use Pets for Patriots to assist in the adoption. They knew exactly what to do and how to speed the adoption along. I had already gone online to fill out the quick paperwork with Pets for Patriots, I handed that to the Macon County Staff and then we went about finding a match.
Long boring story short, we found Quill.
He is a great cat, arrogant, egotistical, and just the right amount of “aggressive” to fit extremely well in our family. I want to thank you all for creating Pets For Patriots, it means very much to me and my family.
Respectfully,
Charles (Sgt. USMC 2001-2010)
Read how companion pets help children cope with the stresses of military life.
I like this story because this man was not looking for just any cat, thus demonstrating that all cats are *not* alike. I find it amusing that he thinks cats are arrogant, egotistical, and self-centered. I think they can be aloof, affectionate, and not at all interested in following orders/commands, but certainly not self-centered. I love that they are not obedient, and very much their own “person,” rather than an animal that follows commands and follows me around everywhere as a dog would do.
Interesting observations, Candis! So often we project our own personalities onto the animals we love and see ourselves in them.
My husband didn’t qualify for pets for patriots since we lived further from their vet I still love reading the stories and think the organization is great. We have 3 rescue dogs now. Have always had rescues since I was a child.
Please don’t shop, adopt.
Thanks for rescuing! As one of my bumper stickers reads “Wh rescued Who?”. Truer words were never spoken.
we had a beautiful dog, (Mallory) that went over the rainbow bridge, she was so sweet and loving, we would tell her ok it’s bed time, she would go into my bedroom and get between the wall and bed, (hosp), I am a disable veteran and diabetic, and she loved tight places to sleep, the wife and I both r 70 and the wife thinks we r too old for anther dog r cat, so I look at all the shelters at the dogs and cats and dream bout which one I want, the wife is so mad at me for showing her pics, she will not even come and look at them, so I am so frustrated now, we have been married for over 50 years, thanks for letting me vent, Randy