Sophie was born 1 of 6 kittens underneath a garbage dumpster behind a friends house in the summer of 2000. My friend called me asking me if I could help with the mand take them home, but I was overwhelmed at that time with caring for my second cat Polly, who had constant health issues throughout her four years with me the biggest being a seizure disorder which left her with mild brain damage. I used to say that Polly was a full time job! A week later she called me again to tell me that the mother cat could barely walk because she had been hit by a car or something and that there was a hawk trying to attack the tiny kittens and eat them. She knew that she had to save them so she got a box and one by one was climbing underneath the garbage dumpster to put the kittens in the box, and one by one the mother cat was dragging herself to try and take the kittens back out and keep them with her, but she got all of the kittens and the mother and took them home before the hawk could get to them.
Mamma cat (that’s her name) was a mess. Nobody knew what was wrong with her, but she could barely move her back end, she could barely breathe, she was very malnourished and smelled and looked terrible, but she was the MOST grateful, loving, sweet and caring mother anybody had ever seen. She was so miraculous how she took care of her 6 babies and you could see in her eyes how incredibly grateful she was to have been saved. When she purred she had huge bubbles coming out of her nose and would choke on her own saliva, but she purred, and purred and purred and took meticulous care of her babies even though she could barely take care of herself. Anybody who saw them was utterly amazed at what a kind and loving mom she was. In the litter was 2 tabbies, 2 solid greys (like their mom) and 2 black kittens, one with long hair. Sophie was the tiniest black runt in the family, with 7 toes, 8 toenails, a big head with a teeny tiny face and was honestly a little weird looking.
When the kittens were old enough to find homes, my friend had found homes for all of them except for tiny Sophie who was beginning to get cuter by the day. I was trying to convince a friend of mine to take her in, but agreed to foster her until she found her forever home. I worked in a busy restaurant and had contact with hundreds of people each day, so surely I could find her a home quickly. Well, the moment I got her into my house things changed. My older cat Madeline took to her right away and was so happy to have a baby to care for. She was never able to do that with Polly because Polly always had a “disconnect” with the world because of her brain damage and medications. But the amazing thing was Sophie’s connection with Polly. I say that it was like an “awakening” (like the movie ‘Awakenings’ with Robert Deniro).
Sophie’s kind nature and lively spirit broke Polly out of her shell and made the tension in the house dissolve! Sophie is so much like her mother in that she has the most beautiful spirit inside of her. She’s kind, gentle and patient, but all the while she’s lively and fun with a great sense of humor! She’s so smart and makes me laugh every day! I always say that Madeline is my angel because she saved me in a dark time, Polly is my miracle because she almost died twice and wasn’t expected to make it, and Sophie is the glue that brought us all together!
Sophie has also always loved to dress up. When I put clothes on her she purrs and poses for the camera like she was born to model although modeling isn’t her only gift. Sophie has the ability to connect with people on an amazing level. 
She has gone to several events as the guest of honor to represent adopted and rescued animals. She was at an event at a home for mentally disabled people and her poise and connection with everybody was incredible. They all loved her so much and she even amazed me at her patience and understanding.
She is a true gift to me and the world. If my friend had never rescued those kittens and if they had lived, chances are that they would have ended up in a shelter. Black cats are half as likely to ever get adopted because of crazy superstitions and stereotypes. Shelters are overrun with black cats who sadly never find homes and it’s crazy because Sophie is proof that black cats aren’t bad luck, on the contrary, she’s probably the luckiest thing to ever happen in my life. I can’t imagine a day without her making me laugh and smile.
To be friend with Sophie and see her journey as a supermodel kitty, please follow her @sophie_the_model on Instagram.
Have a story to share? Please submit your cute story for the kinder world here or send a message to our Facebook page.