Cats make a house a home.
For Chris Hersey, his place felt empty without a cat – a home was never complete without the sound of paws on the floor and the occasional meow.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Chris has lived all over Canada, but no matter where life took him, one thing stayed constant: there was always a cat by his side. After his last beloved companion of 19 years passed, Chris thought he needed a break. But the people who knew him best disagreed.
“After a while, people were saying to me that I needed a cat,” Chris laughed. “People threatened to bring me a cat. I guess the world isn’t right unless I have a cat.”
For Chris, cats aren’t just pets – they’re therapy with whiskers. Over the years, cats have been his steady companions through life’s highs and lows, offering calm with a simple curl on his lap or the rhythmic hum of a purr. Their quiet presence is grounding, like a warm reminder that everything will be okay.
Turns out, the world wasn’t right without Ripp. 
Ripp is no ordinary feline. At 11 years old and a solid 15 pounds, this black-and-brown tabby shorthair mix is built like a tank but moves with the confidence of a king.
“He doesn’t look overweight. He’s just a solid cat,” Chris explained proudly.
And he has a big personality.
Shelter staff knew Ripp well – his size, his quirks, and his signature stare made him hard to forget. But as days turned into months, the big cat patiently waited, healing from his surgeries and watching visitors pass him by. One of those surgeries left him with a perpetual squint, giving him a trademark “judging look” – something Chris says is a little too reminiscent of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson raising an eyebrow.
When Chris went looking for an older cat who had already been through the kitten chaos, Ripp was waiting. And when Ripp locked eyes with Chris’s teenage son, the choice was clear: this was family.
From the moment they brought him home in January 2023, Ripp made it clear he wasn’t just settling in – he was taking charge. He spent the afternoon exploring, picking out his “Sheldon spot” in every room (yes, like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory). And, perhaps most importantly, he decided his teenager required constant supervision.
“He was doing as much figuring out of us as we were of him,” Chris said.
It didn’t take long for Ripp to appoint himself the household supervisor, maybe convinced the family would fall apart without his watchful eye.
Now, Ripp lives his best life as a proud indoor cat. Chris jokes that his name probably came from the little tear in his ear, a reminder of his outdoor days, but today he’s more “reformed gentleman” than scrappy street cat. He meets Chris at the door every day, and if Chris dares take too long, Ripp will be at the window giving that look.
He’s food-driven, keeps strict meal times, and believes that Chris’s alarm clock should go off at 5 a.m. – even on weekends or holidays. He’s also claimed a cardboard veggie tray as his personal window bed, and no piece of holiday tissue paper survives his reign.
“He always wants to be part of what’s happening,” Chris said. “We just love him to death. He’s part of the family, and he doesn’t let you forget it.”
For Chris, bringing Ripp home wasn’t just adoption – it was destiny fulfilled.
And for Ripp, it was the happy ending he’d been waiting for: a family of his very own, complete with comfy spots, cardboard veggie trays, and endless love – proof that sometimes the perfect match really does walk through the door.
