At the ASPCA, we love when adopters tell us that “it was meant to be.”  Whether or not fate is truly involved in animal adoption, it’s so comforting to know that our dogs and cats are so perfectly matched to their new homes—and it inspires us to keep doing what we do. So when we heard the story of Lucy and her new cat, Keenu, we just had to share it. Here is their Happy Tail.

Lucy recently moved to New York from the UK. Having grown up with cats, she thought a furry friend would be the perfect addition to her new home in the Big Apple. But after visiting a number of adoption centers, she was struggling to find the right pet.

Lucy’s boyfriend, who was still in the UK at the time, offered to help by searching for cats online. That’s when he saw Keenu. “He said he loved her and she was perfect,” recalls Lucy. “I wasn’t so convinced and said, ‘Oh, I’m not sure, I don’t think she’s the one.” But later that same night, Lucy left her apartment to run an errand and spotted a sign. “I saw a flyer that said the ASPCA Mobile Adoption Van would be in the neighborhood that weekend, so I thought I would pop along to see if there were any potential cats.”

True to her plan, she visited the adoption vehicle that weekend. “As soon as I walked into the van, I spotted the most beautiful cat with huge green eyes,” says Lucy. “I put my hand out and she started licking me and rubbing her head against my hands—it was honestly love at first sight.” Then came the revelation: “I read her name: Keenu, the one my boyfriend had seen online! What are the odds? I actually could not believe it,” she laughs.

Keenu, a three-year-old Siberian mix, had been surrendered to the ASPCA by her previous owner due to financial issues. She seemed eager to settle into a new home, and Lucy decided then and then and there that that new home would be hers. “Keenu is by far the most charming cat I have ever met,” she tells us. “At first she was quiet, but now she’s quite chatty and makes this cute little chirp-meow in the morning when she’s seen that I have woken up.”

Lucy now fully agrees that she and Keenu are the perfect match. “Baby Keens, KiKi, Keenypie, Keenypaws…My family say I’m obsessed with her and I quite literally am! When I pick her up, she purrs and purrs.”

Looking back, Lucy admits, “It was fate that Keenu was on the van that day,” and we couldn’t agree more. We hope that their story serves as a reminder to all readers that your very own “Happy Tail” may be nearby, even when you least expect it!