When you’re open to the new and unpredictable, you might end up surprised when you get just the thing you need.
And in Erica’s case, it was two cats. Only not the ones she thought she’d bring home.
Erica always knew in her heart that when she’d be ready to bring home new furry family members, she’d adopt two cats. And she thought she might have found the ones at the Dartmouth Shelter. Only they ended up finding their loving home by the time she got there. “This ended up being a blessing because I met my boys,” she said.
When she entered the cat room, Gordie Meow and Pawstin Bieber sniffed their person immediately. “They were so affectionate and chatty even while in the kennel, I knew they would fill my home with love and entertainment. As soon as I opened the door, they were tripping over each other to come out and say hi,” Erica remembered.
Bringing two pets home at the same time is no easy decision, but for Erica it was a no-brainer. She said, “After meeting the boys, it never crossed my mind, they could be adopted separately. They were a package deal from day one.”
And with that decision, on a summer day in June 2025, Gordie Meow and Pawstin Bieber went to their perfect home. They got a second chance and new names. 
“I love a good name pun, but the names didn’t fit their personalities,” Erica explained. “The first few days while we were getting to know each other were great. I was expecting they would want to find a safe spot to hide while they got used to the space, but they scoped out the place and then just wanted to spend time near me. It took some time getting used to their feeding schedules, as my previous cat was able to free feed but the boys made it very clear from the beginning thatthey were very food motivated and free feeding would not be happening. When they first got home, I knew I wanted to change their names and had already settled on George before he came home but I wasn’t sure on Goose’s name until a few hours of him being home when he crawled into the kitchen sink and I called him a silly goose and it just kind of stuck.
As time went by, the four-year-old siblings showed their fur mom why they were bonded. Goose and George share some personality traits like being incredibly friendly and trusting, vocal, and of course, sharing the same love for their person. “They both listen to the front door and will run to greet me and my partner after work, showing a lot of affection,” Erica explained.
Despite being the same age, they do have a big brother, little brother relationship. Erica described, “Goose is exactly as you’d expect, he’s a silly goose. He loves being involved in whatever you’re doing and will be the first to explore new spaces. He loves climbing into the fridge and I often find him sleeping in the kitchen sink even when it’s wet.
“George is clearly a big brother, he is very protective over Goose, but he also thinks that means Goose needs to share his food, and I often catch him clawing pieces of kibble out of his brother’s bowl. George is slightly less cuddly to new people, but when he warms up he makes sure he gets his snuggles, occasionally giving you a little nibble when he’s really happy. George is very smart and will hide treats from his brother by sitting on them until Goose moves along and he then eats them without having to defend his stash.”
They share everything, from napping together to chasing each other around the house and playing hide and seek. And every single day, through their antics and affectionate ways, they prove to Erica that she might not have gotten the pair of cats she initially wanted, but the one she needed at that time and after. 
And Erica has some advice to anyone wanting to adopt a cat, or cats, that is based on her story. “Be open to meeting a few cats, don’t go in with your heart set on a specific cat online because you may not vibe with each other. Be prepared to go to the shelter multiple times because new cats come in regularly so your future cat may not be there the first time just be patient and let the kitty gods work because when it’s meant to be it will happen.”
If you’re ready to give a kitty a loving home, visit our adoption website or one of our shelters. And if you’re not ready to adopt, you can still help by donating, volunteering, or fostering.
