get a call from a friend just after she had to euthanize her kitty because of a sudden emergency health problem. It was a very traumatic situation, involving horrifying circumstances I don't' want to linger on. This is the friend who introduced the SO and I to each other, and she loooooooves cats, and has self esteem problems where animals are her only deep bond. When he gets home, I tell the SO this. Moments later we both step outside to go pick-up some dinner to find a beautiful stray kitten (who we'd both admired from afar in the days before) sitting in the middle of our yard staring at us, like she was waiting for us. The moment we both stepped onto the porch, the kitty went immediately into the standard stray-kitty-wants-to-be-your-kitty routine. All desperate purrs, mews and cuddles, all petting her and feeling her tiny tiny spine sticking out and her concave belly. The SO and I had the mind meld and he went inside to get our cat carrier, kitty wanted to go in the house but I held her. SO came out with the carrier, and kitty went inside and cried and cried as we got in the car. We drove over to our friend's place, only she had gone to the park to bury her dead cat, and we couldn't track her down again. We knew she would want the kitty, but didn't have the energy or resources on hand to keep her. Kitty was getting worn out from crying in the cat carrier. Dropped the SO at the house and went to a near by park, opened the carrier, and stray kitty got out, but didn't leave my side even though I wasn't holding her at all. Kitty was in love with me all over again. SO came with water and a dish of wet cat food. As kitty gobbled, we briskly, silently walked away , until I whispered/chanted "don't turn back, don't turn back." After we turned the corner, we heard kitty's forlorn mews at realizing we were gone. Not turning back was painful. If fate brings kitty our way again, we'll try again.