A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to my $20,000 Inheritance

I was stunned by my aunt's attorney's words:

"Ms. Davis shall receive the sum of twenty thousand…"

"Are you serious?!"

"Let me finish, please." The attorney adjusted his glasses and continued reading. "Twenty thousand dollars, contingent upon taking superb care of my cat Sweetie Pie."

Wait… A cat?!

The attorney handed me a small black notebook. "Here's the instructions."

One year later:

Sweetie Pie, as usual, jumped up on my lap the moment I sat down. I began to stroke to top of her head and behind her ears, and she quickly started purring like a motorboat. "Wanna hear the story again?" I asked her. She blinked, and I took that as a yes. "Well, it all started with your first meowmy's - my aunt's crazy idea…"

Ten months earlier:

I had never had a pet before. But after a month of taking care of Sweetie Pie, I had begun to see what my life had been missing. It became clear why my perhaps-not-so-eccentric aunt had chosen me to take care of her fur-baby. I needed her as much as she needed me.

I had heard that pets were furry medicine for those who suffered from anxiety. But I had no idea how much having a cat - or rather, being owned by a cat - would change my life. Sure, I had the new burdens of feeding, litterbox maintenance, vet visits, and keeping my apartment clean and undamaged. Fortunately, she was already well trained in using scratching posts - which, she decided, includes my old couch. But the pros were far more numerous than the cons.

Not only did I become completely enamored with this new creature, I also found some awesome - or as we like to say, pawsome - new friends in the Cats of Instagram community. I first reached out to them for advice for a new cat parent, and the response was overwhelming! I soon became immersed in this community, delighting in the photos and videos of their cats' adorableness and shenanigans and sharing some of my own. Sweetie Pie began to get a bit annoyed by me putting a camera in her face multiple times per day, but that didn't deter me. I was having too much fun!

I ended up needing my new friends for something I wish I hadn't. Sweetie Pie was already twelve years old, and after just two months with me, I noticed a significant decline in her appetite and activity. My anxiety spiked again, and I quickly called the vet and got the soonest available appointment.

The diagnosis confirmed my worst fears. Sweetie Pie had leukemia. Just a few months earlier, I probably would've laughed at the idea of me crying about a cat. But now here I was in the vet's office, bursting into tears. I was embarrassed, but the vet tech, Jason, was very patient and understanding.

"It's going to be okay," he said. "Her leukemia is in its early stages, and there are plenty of treatment options. Many cats survive this. There are even support groups for people who have pets with cancer."

This gave me a glimmer of hope. "I do know a lot of cat parents who have been very helpful to me."

"That's great," Jason said. "But there's also the matter of cost. These treatments can be quite expensive-"

It's rare to have a moment of clarity so crystal clear that you have absolutely no doubt what to do. I had one such moment right then and there. I immediately called my cousin Cassie, who had been given the task of determining if I took good enough care of Sweetie Pie to be worthy of the twenty thousand dollars.

Cassie didn't know what to say at first after I spilled out why I needed the money immediately. "You know, my mom left you that money as a way to help start you on a way to a better life," she said.

"Yes, I know. But Sweetie Pie has made my life better. More than anything ever could. And losing her now would just…" The tears began flowing again. "Well, it would break me."

Ten months later:

"So, my sweet girl," I said to Sweetie Pie as she drifted off to sleep. "You were what I needed all along. You made it through radiation and chemotherapy, and you're doing great! I found in you the love of my life. And he's pretty great, too," I said as I nodded my head toward Jason on the other end of the couch.