Ahhh... and those heavenly blue eyes—we fell in love at first sight. When I walked into the cat room at the Azyl shelter in Tarnów, Edek ran straight to me, dug his little claws into my legs, and demanded all the pets for himself. I was instantly charmed. He’s a red and white cat with the look of a Ragdoll—except with short fur.

I promised Edek I’d take him home, but the shelter staff member who handled adoptions wasn’t there that day, so I had to return the next day. And I did. When I arrived, the woman asked which cat I had chosen. I said, “The red one with the blue eyes.” She responded, “Perfect. I was just about to move him to isolation.” Apparently, Edek had gotten into such a nasty fight with the other cats that they peed themselves. She said that if she hadn’t seen it herself, she wouldn’t have believed it.

For a moment, I hesitated: “Oh my gosh, I already have several cats—what’s going to happen?” But then I remembered my promise: “No, I’ll take him—I promised!” Maybe he lashed out because I didn’t come back the day I said I would. The shelter worker asked for a carrier, but I said no—I’d take him in my arms. After signing the adoption papers and donating for food, we headed to the car.

To this day, we live together. Not once has Edek shown any aggression toward my dog, other cats, or even my ferret. We’re one big loving family. He’s very gentle with kittens, and was already neutered when I adopted him. The only thing was that he had ear mites, which we treated—I didn’t make a big deal out of it, but I know others might’ve returned him because of that. Edek is now a senior cat, about six years old.

From the very first step into our home, Edek acted like it was already his. He’s incredibly loyal—he follows me everywhere, even into the bathroom for a bath! He’s my little shadow.

I wholeheartedly recommend adoption. These animals love, and want to be loved. And yes, I will definitely adopt again someday.