This is my cat, Astor. I’ve never owned a cat before Astor, and for the longest time I figured I never would. As someone who is highly allergic to cats, I didn’t think owning a cat was a possibility for me, but as fate would have it, Astor and I were connected in a really beautiful way. The story of how Astor came into my life is a story full of signs and synchronicities that l love to share with others...!
In 2015 I had taken and completed a course in animal communication (a story for another time) when I had an intuitive feeling that I needed to get a cat. I felt this deeper than any other time before. My previous partner and I had discussed getting a cat on several occasions but his answer was always no. At the moment of this strong feeling I thought, if I message him this time and he says yes, then I’ll know it’s meant to be. Sure enough, the answer I received back was “yes.”
I immediately did an internet search hoping that I might find an older cat that needed a quiet, loving home, to live out the rest of its life. The most recent ad pictured a handsomely, wild-looking Russian Blue, and I thought, “there he is.” I had always imagined if I did own a cat one day, I would like for it to be a Russian Blue. Their silky, silvery-coat, with lavender paws and bright green eyes are hard not to love. I clicked on the ad as quickly as possible and began to scan through the pictures and the description. The first sentence read loud and clear that this cat suffers from epilepsy and his current family
could no longer care for him.
I wondered how dire this cats situation was and wanted to see more of his life. I took my search to Facebook where I looked-up his current owners name. I was surprised to see we shared a mutual friend, my cousin Elizabeth who had passed away several years prior. I later discovered that the owner too, was a cousin of Elizabeths on her father’s side. I put my computer away for the night and decided I’d do what I do best; throw the idea out into the universe and wait to see what it would throw back.
In the following days I began to see 9:11 on the clock. This was a new sequence of numbers for me so I assumed this was related to the cat. I wondered if 9:11 was a desperate call for help or if it was a red flag telling me to stop in my tracks — this wasn’t the cat for me. For days I tried to make sense of these numbers but I began to feel more lost than before.
Realizing I hadn’t yet learned this cats birthdate, and still curious about the 9:11 sequence, I decided I would send the owner an email to ask for more details. With her reply, suddenly 9:11 made sense… his birthday is January 1, 2009 — 09-01-01!
Along with that, I had learned the cats name was Kosmo, which came as another surprise. Earlier that year I was connected with my dog Sonny, who was born on the day my previous dog, Wiley, had passed. Unsure of what to name Sonny, I decided to ask my dreams for help. That night I had an amazing dream about the solar system and in honour of that, I decided I’d name this fun-loving-high-energy dog, Sonny, after the sun. The spelling was a compromise with my partner at the time. From that moment I had decided if I got another animal, I’d like their name to be inspired by the solar system as well.
So needless to say, Kosmo was kismet!
Although the signs were there, I had hesitations about caring for a sick animal. It was only a short time before this that Wiley had passed of diabetes, and I wondered how I’d manage financially with another sick animal. I did an online search for information on how to care for cats with epilepsy… it didn’t seem too difficult but required daily medication and extra veterinary care. I decided I’d reach out to the universe once more. I expressed my fears and financial concerns of caring for a sick animal and I asked for one more sign — the most obvious sign I could get. Moments later I opened my social media and on my feed there was a video of an abandoned dog house, housing a mother cat and her babies. Sure enough, these cats were Russian Blues!
With all the signs and synchronicities, I decided to pick up Kosmo the next day. I had no idea how to care for a cat, and I certainly didn’t know how to care for one with epilepsy, but I knew I needed him in my life regardless and that I’d figure it out day-by-day.
For the first few days and nights he hid behind a chair in the corner of the living room. We exposed him only to give him his meds but shortly after receiving them he would throw them back-up. I had reached out to the previous owner for support but it hadn’t appeared to be their experience with him. Intuitively, I had felt he was rejecting his medication to let us know he didn’t feel he needed them anymore. With the help and guidance of his vet, we started the gradual process of weening him off his meds and within a few months, he was off them completely. I’m happy to say that he has been free of seizures and medications since he came into our care!
The name Kosmo felt a little chaotic for this very dapper being so we decided to name him Astor. In essence, he is worldly, philosophical and regal, and reminds me of a time traveller from another century. The name Astor, which stemmed from the word ‘asteroid,’ seemed to suit him perfectly.
I know this will come across as silly to some, but to this day, Astor is one of my best friends. I’m so grateful to have him in my life. Since he’s been with me, he has certainly pushed the boundaries. Once reserved and timid, Astor is now a spirited and spunky cat fit for royalty. And although I need a box of tissues just to be around him, he still sleeps on my chest most nights, and I wouldn’t change a thing!
PS: As I’m editing this post, I went into my email history to confirm the dates and I’m content to rediscover that the day I messaged Astor’s previous owner was on November 22 — a date that has marked the day of my grandmothers passing. Thank you, Elizabeth and Nan, I know the two of you were responsible for this connection!
Do you have any special, synchronistic stories about the animals in your life? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!
If you like this story, you’ll enjoy reading my post ‘A Sign That Led Me to the Country.’
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