Rescue Cat Helps Adopter Find Purpose in Life After Loss

Since 2013, Petco Love has celebrated the love that we share with our pets through our annual Love Stories campaign. This Valentine’s Day, in partnership with BOBS from Skechers™️, we’re excited to celebrate the special connection between Carol and Treetop, an adopted cat from the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico (AHNM), Together, they have earned the grand prize of $100,000 in lifesaving funding for AHNM!

Watch as Carol, shares her Love Story with Good Morning America Weekend, celebrating her bond with Treetop. (Spoiler, you may want tissues for this one!)

Read Carol and Treetop’s Winning Love Story

I met Howie in February or March of ’66, and we were married on Christmas Eve of 1967. Howie always had a dream of living in the Southwest, so after we both retired we moved to New Mexico from Rhode Island.

In May of 2021, Howie was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer. On December 30, only seven months later, I lost him. We had been married for 54 years. Needless to say, I felt shell-shocked and went into a deep gloom state. I moved out of our apartment, I joined a senior center, and when the fog started to abate, I said to myself, “I need something to focus on and lift my spirits.” During our years together, Howie and I had adopted more than a few furry pets. “Aha!” I thought, “I’ll get a kitten!”

My son took me to Animal Humane in July to look at the kittens. I originally wanted a boy cat since I knew I would be using the name Treetop. When my husband was in the military, “Treetop” was his computer login. But something really drew me to this 14-month-old female cat we saw in the cat house. I think it was her big eyes. So, I named her Treetop and took her home.

At first, she was skittish which made sense considering she was taken out of a hoarding situation. But within days, she came out of her shell, and now she is my best friend.

Treetop often plays in the living room, right in front of Howie’s table where I keep his ashes, a photo of him, his flag from the funeral home, and some of his favorite DVDs and CDs. While she plays, I sometimes get the impression that Howie is looking at her saying “I’m so glad Carol has you.”One of the things he was so upset about was what was going to happen to me after he was gone. So now I sit by his table, and I talk to him about the love, companionship, and joy she has brought back into my life. Treetop has given my life purpose again.

Wherever I go, she follows. I love her to death, and she is my pride and joy. I am so grateful to the staff at Animal Humane for their role in helping me get matched with my baby.