Kristopher concedes that sometimes relating to other people is a challenge for him. So the Air Force veteran decided to visit his local shelter to adopt a feline friend.

A quiet life

In the late 1990s Kristopher served in the Air Force as a linguist. These professionals are responsible to find, transcribe, and translate foreign language communications and provide that intelligence to their commands.

Kristopher served honorably and separated from service after his tour of duty. Many years later, he lives a tranquil existence.

“[I’m] living a quiet life in Florida with my sweet wife,” he says.

Finding a feline friend

Relating to other people has long been challenging for Kristopher. Yet the Air Force veteran has always found solace with a feline friend.

“Unfortunately, I am not so good with people sometimes,” he shares, “and the friendship of cats has helped me.”

By chance, in mid 2022, Kristopher learned about Pets for Patriots through his local Veterans Administration. He experienced the comity of cats before and decided to adopt a cat in need from his local animal shelter.

“They can be good friends for me,” he says.

So in early July of that year Kristopher applied to our companion pet adoption program for veterans.

Still, it would not be til month’s end that the Air Force veteran met a whimsical adult cat named Frapichino.

The price of pets

In 2019 SPCA Tampa Bay joined our free shelter partner program. Together we have almost 50 adoptions together, pairing their more overlooked cats and dogs with our nation’s heroes.

At the time of Kristopher’s shelter visit Frapichino was a three year-old cat weighing just over seven pounds. She has a lustrous gray and white coat and stunning yellow-green eyes.

Kristopher was delighted to have found his feline friend. And he appreciates how our benefits make lifetime costs of pet adoption more affordable, as well.

“We are fortunate to have our new kitty. She is well now and seems to be happy here,” he says. “Being of modest means, the program has made her adoption easier in these thin times.”

Yearly and lifetime costs of having pets go up every year, owing to inflation and other economic factors.

According to Rover, the up-front costs to bring home a cat can range from $765 to $2,715. Much depends on the age and health of the cat, and adoption fees—which vary widely.

For dogs, the same up-front expenditures range from $1,150 to $4,420.

Like most veterans we serve, Kristopher enjoyed putting the gift card benefit to good use.

“I have received the gift card and am very appreciative of the opportunity to look after our pretty, sweet little friend.”

“…a live wire”

Dollars and cents aside, Frapichino’s feline friendship is priceless.

“She is a delight to spend time with,” Kristopher shares, “and helps especially when I am feeling lousy.”

Although he confides to not being good with people, Kristopher found it easy to work with our team. Our outreach begins once a veteran or Gold Star spouse is approved, and continues for a full year after their adoption.

“It was easy to work with them,” he says of our team. “They made sure all was taken care of. I tend to have difficulty working with people, but not these people.”

Our sustained outreach helps nurture the bond between people and pets. It lets our adopters know that we care about them and are here to help. And it supports our philosophy of pets for life.

But it is Frapichino who is the star of this story. Her playful nature and kind disposition make her an easy friend. She helps fill the void left by Kristopher’s discomfort dealing with people—and does so in the most joyous ways.

“She’s really sweet,” he says, “and a live wire!”