Bean
I adopted Bean in 2017 from my local humane society. He had been a victim of a hoarding situation for the first approximately 7 years of his life. I said at that time I wanted to make the second half of his life a wonderful and complete change from the first half. He was totally withdrawn in the shelter and hid in my basement for the first month or two, sometimes to the point that I couldn't find him. But after some time to adjust and some love, he turned into the most amazing cat. He was cuddly and loving to me, he was sweet to my other cats, and he was friendly to friends and family when I had company. Most importantly, he grew to love life. He enjoyed lying in the sun, playing, and receiving treats and neck scratches.
Bean was the perfect picture of what can happen when a human opens their heart and home to a shelter cat. He overcame issues caused by his past, and became very loving and well behaved. He was sweet, fun, and kind; he was cherished by all the humans in his life. The extent to which he was loved cannot be overstated.
He passed away a few weeks shy of what would've been his 7 year adoption anniversary. I hope I succeeded in making the second half of his life amazing, because he truly deserved it. Bean, I miss you so much, but I'm glad you are now without the pain of old age and chronic illness. Thank you for the beautiful years we spent together.