“He looked so sad,” recalls Meghan Mahoney over phone, her voice betraying how desperately she wanted to save him. At the time she was watching Faber, a middle-aged cat at an animal shelter’s adoption pen, the college student based out of North America was dealing with mental health issues herself. “I went in knowing I wanted a cat,” she says, revealing that her new pet was to be her emotional support, and that there was only one thing she was particular about. It wasn’t breed, age, or gender — “I wanted to adopt a cat that was less likely to be adopted,” she says.
Faber was six years old at the time (close to being considered a senior pet) and had a black fur coat, both aspects making him a tougher rescue to find a home for. “I was immediately drawn to him. He’s the best decision I ever made,” gushes Meghan who feels it was love at first sight, for the cat began purring immediately.
Today, Meghan, is an Instagram star whose comics under the name ‘faberillustrated’ have seen her amass nearly 20,000 fans. Her followers marvel at how insightful she is about the power of having a companion animal. “I do (the) comics as a release. Art makes me really happy, I take it and help people with similar experiences,” says the full-time college student with an anxiety disorder. “The vast majority of my comics are things that actually happened. He gives me so much material,” she laughs. “Knowing that there’s this creature that loves me unconditionally gives me a sense of responsibility.”
Noticing Faber stare longingly at other cats in the neighbourhood, Meghan adopted another rescued kitten, Maple. The famous duo now offers people a laugh at the end of what might have been a challenging day. Meghan adds, in all seriousness, that she knew her boyfriend Erik Peterson was “one of the good ones” because he passed the Faber test. “This is how I tell,” she speaks of the moment Faber took an instant liking to him.
Meghan is baffled by misconceptions that people have about adopting older rescues. “If you give a loving home to an animal, they’re going to reciprocate,” she says. In this context, she rues the fact that there are not enough homes for animals like Faber who are just waiting to blossom into incredible personalities.“It’s heartbreaking,” she says, appealing to people to always adopt rescued animals instead of encouraging the pet breeding industry. “Adopt, don’t shop,” she concludes gently, wishing she could save every animal in the world. For she knows from personal experience, that they always save you right back.
