“I thought she’d be adopted right away, but nobody seems to want her.”

Besides me and the longtime cat-foster mother telling me this story, the room’s only other occupant was the subject of the story, an 11-month-old cat with the temporary name Colander, who was cowering under a table. I had a feeling that this kind of behavior was part of the reason that the attempt to find her an adoptive home wasn’t going well. But it wasn’t bothering me in the slightest.

I was born autistic, and I’ve struggled my whole life in a world that just wasn’t set up for me.

I understood being overwhelmed by crowds to the point of fear. I understood not wanting to be at the whim of every person who walked by, not wanting to be touched.

“Give her time,” the foster mother suggested. “She’ll come to you. She’ll come sit right next to you.”

I understood that too. There’s no such thing as an instant best friend in my world. But give me a little time, and a deep connection can form.

“I want her,” I said. A week later, I took her home.

The foster mother was right. Jadzia, as I renamed her, slowly transitioned from living under the bed to becoming my constant companion.

As she started to feel comfortable, more personality traits started coming out. She loved to cuddle, but she didn’t like to sit on people – just right next to them, so there wasn’t a centimeter of space in between. She liked toys she could chase. She liked to sit at my feet while I worked on my computer, sometimes for hours at a time. She comes running to the door when I get home from work, immediately making it clear how much she’s missed me.

She has the same playful edge to her personality that I do. Like me, she doesn’t like strangers, but is only too happy to welcome recognized guests into our home.

She’s proved time and again that she really is just like me. Never regretted my choice.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story !