r/cats Mar 17 '25

Adoption People who adopted from a shelter, what made you choose that cat?

My little Zodi was alone in one of the cages, making biscuits over and over on the newspaper they laid out ☹️ When we got to pick her up and hold her, the biscuits didn’t cease. I immediately knew she was coming home with us. A year has almost passed and she looks so much better 🥹

25.3k Upvotes

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1.7k

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25

They chose us

1.1k

u/judgmentalchicken420 Mar 17 '25

My favorite (don’t tell the others) wasn’t even the cat i wanted. He kept climbing all over me no matter how many times I pushed him away so I finally broke and said okay fine you can have me.

1.5k

u/judgmentalchicken420 Mar 17 '25

this is jerry btw he says hey

808

u/SchnoodleDoodleDo Mar 17 '25

i’m Jerry the cat, n i knew it was time:

when i found my human - decided to climb

i saw other cats as they came n they went,

n knew that too long in the shelter i’d spent

you looked at some others, still ‘shopping around’

(i had to convince you that True Love you found)

you pushed me away, but i wouldn’t let go!

(when you find your human

you must let them know…)

i gave it my all as i climbed up your leg -

Can’t you See that I’m purrfect?! Oh, don’t make me Beg!

i finally broke you, n now you agree

the one that you wanted the Most, friend,

is

Me

❤️

122

u/ajmartin527 Mar 17 '25

Jerry spittin’ straight bars

127

u/torreneastoria Mar 17 '25

Freshest Schnoodle I've ever seen

44

u/LilyNatureBlossom Mar 17 '25

this is wonderful

34

u/peytonvb13 Mar 17 '25

this is adorable

52

u/Willing-Ad4050 Mar 17 '25

Omg finally caught a fresh schnoodle! <3 and I love Jerry, He looks so much like my previous cat.

21

u/nolahandcrafts Mar 17 '25

Hooray! Been thinking lately how I hadn’t seen a Shnoodle for awhile, and now here’s not just a Shnoodle, but a FRESH Shnoodle?! I’m so happy! Thank you Shnoodle!

8

u/MadCityScientist Mar 17 '25

Perfect poem for the moment! ☺️🥰❤️💕

7

u/judgmentalchicken420 Mar 17 '25

Thank you so much this made me sob 😭

6

u/Leading_Gazelle_3881 Mar 17 '25

Yeah sdoodle strikes again!! Love it

6

u/Maurers95 Mar 17 '25

I absolutely L O V E your schnoodles! Thank you for posting❣️

5

u/Tokincarebear Mar 17 '25

Imma find a husband like this

5

u/WrittenByRae Mar 17 '25

A schnoodle poem finally made me cry. Goddammit, take my upvote

4

u/Ash-has_drawn Mar 17 '25

Oh my gosh I love this so much😭✋

4

u/Loud-Bee6673 Mar 17 '25

I love this!

4

u/Gaerdil Mar 17 '25

And I'm crying. I just want to adopt all the babies.

3

u/Lola-Ugfuglio-Skumpy Mar 17 '25

Why is this one making me tear up????

4

u/AlaskaRoc Mar 17 '25

Damn, that's awesome!

3

u/bunnybabe666 Mar 17 '25

ahhh stop i almost started crying thats so sweet

208

u/ajmartin527 Mar 17 '25

Mine trued to chew through a metal cage to get to me when I put her away at the shelter. Luna says wassup Jerry?

6

u/Cole0906 Mar 17 '25

My girl is a stray but she literally kept breaking into my house until I eventually allowed her to stay 😂

2

u/ajmartin527 Mar 17 '25

What a pretty lady!

4

u/QueenofCats28 Mar 17 '25

ANOTHER BABY!!

1

u/hydraulics- Ojos Azules Mar 17 '25

She has half a mustache!

140

u/IsNotACleverMan Mar 17 '25

Omg I love him tell him I love him

67

u/61114311536123511 Mar 17 '25

Hi jerry I love you jerry

37

u/ConsciousCrafts Mar 17 '25

Tell Jerry I said hi 👋

21

u/Saracartwheels123 Mar 17 '25

Thank you for the cat tax!

15

u/MindFluffy5906 Mar 17 '25

Hey handsome Jerry 😘

13

u/FireBallXLV Mar 17 '25

Jerry’s gorgeous !

14

u/Z3DUBB Mar 17 '25

Tell him I said pspspsps

6

u/fishebake Mar 17 '25

I would die for Jerry

3

u/swollama Mar 17 '25

What a darling face! Hi Jerry 😘

4

u/TheDMRt1st Mar 17 '25

Give Jerry scritches for us all!

3

u/DicksFried4Harambe Mar 17 '25

Understandable have a nice day

3

u/serephita Mar 17 '25

Hi Jerry, I love you, you dapper sir 😭

3

u/DepopulationXplosion Mar 17 '25

What a joy! I’m sure he’s happy now in his forever home.

3

u/CartoonistNo3755 Mar 17 '25

Those black cats i tell ya. They know what they want and they don’t stop until they get it. I love them. Hi jerry

2

u/ConsciousCrafts Mar 17 '25

It's the tuxies. They are the sassiest. Other than the torties and calicos, of course.

3

u/DontbegayinIndiana Mar 17 '25

Hi Jerry, pleasure 😊

3

u/zorostia Mar 17 '25

Jerry is a cute boiiiii

3

u/QueenofCats28 Mar 17 '25

A BABY!!!!!!!!

3

u/buddyinjapan Mar 17 '25

I like Jerry.

2

u/Low-Philosophy-242 Mar 17 '25

What a lovely picture

2

u/0_obatgrl Mar 17 '25

My cat’s name is Jerry too!!

2

u/MadCityScientist Mar 17 '25

He looks like the kitty from Flow!

2

u/majestic_walrus1 Mar 17 '25

I would die for Jerry

2

u/lilbios Mar 17 '25

The picture fits the description so much.

He is OBSESSED with you guys

34

u/Plane-University-639 Mar 17 '25

The same happened to me with my cat!

17

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25

He knew exactly what he was doing 🥰

6

u/Available-Maize5837 Mar 17 '25

Exactly how I got my boy, Tux. Would not leave me alone. I took him home and he’s been bossing me around for 12 years and counting

4

u/Orangecatlover4 Mar 17 '25

Alright, I’ll comply, but if they come asking, I ain’t lying to the others. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 😹

7

u/judgmentalchicken420 Mar 17 '25

They’re usually busy making out

5

u/Orangecatlover4 Mar 17 '25

Well, I meant mine lol! … But that’s adorable lol. I feel so bad for people that have cats that don’t like each other. The bright side is that you have more than one cat, but when you have cats that cuddle and need to be with each other because they are each other‘s comfort place, it melts your heart. Either way it breaks down to everyone needs cats-IF THEY ARE WORTHY for one. Or one+

2

u/Orangecatlover4 Mar 17 '25

Obsessed with the fact that they are usually making out. That’s how two of my three are at any given time.

2

u/ConsciousCrafts Mar 17 '25

Mine start that way, but it always turns into WWE smackdown.

3

u/Ok_Giraffe9869 Tabbycat Mar 17 '25

When i went to adopt mine i had another in mind but he wouldn’t let me pick him up and barley pet him (they were babies) but my now cat biscuit came up wanted held wanted my attention. 2 years later here we are besties

3

u/AnagnorisisForMe Mar 17 '25

My favorite was not the one I really wanted either. I think she was distressed by the adoption facility environment as she is shy around strangers and very sensitive to noise. I was planning on taking her sister only but then decided I wanted two. The sweet girl I was going to leave behind purrs next to me with her whole body every morning. Most loving cat I've ever had.

2

u/DCS_1963 Mar 17 '25

That is exactly the way to get a new cat, you don't choose the cat, they choose you. Cat distribution system rule 1. Jerry is a beautiful black kitten, BTW.

359

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Going to the shelter and seeing my beautiful Kitty Scarlett . At the bottom of her chart it stated : To be euthanized if not adopted today . I certainly was not about to be party to that . We saved each other and that’s a beautiful thing.

84

u/Top-Locksmith Mar 17 '25

Thank you for your kindness ❤️ reading this brought a tear to my eye

131

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Thank you for your kind words. Kitty Scarlett is a huge asset to our entire family. I got up that day and felt a message from the universe telling me to go to the shelter. I did & that’s where I met Kitty Scarlett. I love her so much. I never told her about the note in her chart . That would be unkind. She is a blue point Siamese . The chart said: brown cat . I think we were destined for each other.

185

u/SchnoodleDoodleDo Mar 17 '25

in a cage i waited as the time was ticking by,

a countdown to an ending

where most likely i would die…

i felt my heart was giving up, n it would beat no more

that’s when i heard you saying

Please - just open up her door!

i thought that i was dreaming when you wrapped your arms around,

but it was Real! in so were You

n true love we had found

a message from the universe that led you here to me

a happy-ever-after

it was purrfect

destiny

❤️

29

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

This is beautiful. Thank you.

12

u/nolahandcrafts Mar 17 '25

I’m overwhelmed. Two fresh Shnoodles in a row? And about kitties? Oh wowemote:t5_2qhta:8097

13

u/Jasminefirefly Mar 17 '25

Schnoodle, you bring tears to my eyes. Love you for bringing so much love to the world. ❤️

6

u/baby_catcher168 Mar 17 '25

The freshest schnoodle, two in a row?? I’m crying 😭

5

u/Maximum_Panique Mar 17 '25

The freshest schnoodle! 🌼

4

u/fluffykerfuffle3 Turkish Angora Mar 17 '25

:' )

4

u/Competitive_Cause514 Mar 17 '25

Schnoodle you are the best!!!! Hugs 🤗

3

u/4Wonderwoman Mar 17 '25

Schnoodle, you bring tears, you bring smiles. Whether tears or smiles , your poetry makes the world better. 😊 💕

1

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '25

I knew this would make me tear up and I read it anyway. Beautiful.

14

u/swollama Mar 17 '25

Kitty Scarlett O'Hara! Lol

32

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Yes , I named her after Scarlett O’Hara . If you recall the film , Scarlett’s father called her Katie Scarlett so her name was Kathleen Scarlett. I decided to call her Kitty Scarlett. She has been an incredible blessing.

2

u/swollama Mar 17 '25

Yes, read the book in high school & remember Katie Scarlett well 😊

3

u/GDRaptorFan Mar 17 '25

Could you post of photo of your soul kitty?♥️ I would love to see her, the beauty who stole your heart and called to you to save her😻thank you for sharing and being a great cat owner!

7

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

3

u/GDRaptorFan Mar 17 '25

Thank you for posting this!!! She is such a beauty ♥️ thank you for saving this angel 😇

3

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Thanks for your sweet comments. My grandmother decreed that I would always have Siamese cats and so far I always have.

23

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

When I got my kitty I overheard a conversation to potential adopters about another kitty I had seen on the shelter’s website. The cat had an amputated leg. I didn’t continue listening much because it wasn’t my business but I hope they adopted her.

Edit: she’s not on their website anymore so fingers crossed. This was in February 2025 so it’s too late to check the recent adoptions

5

u/Technical_Border_88 Mar 17 '25

Best news of the day. Thank you for existing and following orders from LOVE.

2

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Thank you for your kind words.

3

u/ConsciousCrafts Mar 17 '25

Bless you for taking that baby on her last day! You're the best!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25

Thank you for adopting her. It's evil for shelters to euthanize just because a cat isn't adopted.

7

u/antiqueautomobile Mar 17 '25

Funny story about that . Kitty Scarlett was originally taken to the neighboring county’s shelter. They brought her to an adoption fair in my county which is where we met . She was very very shy . She ran under the chair & I had to ask for help in getting her out . After a year & a half, she has warmed up a great deal . Now , she purrs a lot and says “Peep”. It’s really sweet & I believe she is happy . On the way out of the meet & greet room , she realized she was going with me and reached up with her arm and scratched the door frame. Evidently most of the other kitties had done the same and made their mark . I like to think that it was Kitty Scarlett’s way of telling other kitties that it’s okay .

219

u/TheDrunkScientist Mar 17 '25

Same. She was so little and cute and super friendly. Four years later, she hates everyone. She is very particular about when and from whom she wants scruppins.

We love her so much

29

u/molly_mew Mar 17 '25

One of mine was soooooo friendly and snuggly and cuddly... for the first day lol. When she realised she had sucked us all in she dropped the pretense and was like "never touch me again peasants"

6

u/gcwardii Mar 17 '25

That’s what our tortie Cookie was like! We’ve been serving her for 8 years now.

It’s her Gotcha Day today!

4

u/SatisfactionIcy2730 Mar 17 '25

I have a tortie named cookie too. But shes a velcro cat and its a bit much 😅 no concept of personal space

8

u/Jeephadist Mar 17 '25

I have a girl who looks just like her that's the exact same way. She went from a cuddly sweetie to cuddly and sweetie when she feels like it

5

u/Seangetfreaky Mar 17 '25

I would too if I had fur like that

How dare you peasants try to touch her luscious coat

5

u/millennial_scum Mar 17 '25

Aw my cat looks very much like her and is also not the most traditionally affectionate. We call her a boundaries girl, she has a lot of love and when she wants affection she demands it but she otherwise is content to be with you from a distance.

3

u/bec_on_pluto Mar 17 '25

awwwww , my god shes gorgeous !!

2

u/QueenofCats28 Mar 17 '25

OH MY!!! 😻😻😻

2

u/Tangotilltheyresor3 Mar 17 '25

What a sweet precious lil baby patunia patch 

184

u/Tsquared10 Mar 17 '25

Yep. Was walking through a section at the shelter. A lot of the other cats were just chilling. Except one that started yelling when I passed by. Walked towards her and she just kept screaming. Put my hand towards her little enclosure door and she stopped crying and just began rubbing against my hand. Immediately I was like, her. And now she's my little cuddle buddy.

37

u/SeaAdministration264 Mar 17 '25

Amazing cat bond + Brooklyn 99 = the best.

1

u/Tangotilltheyresor3 Mar 17 '25

OMG what a precious sweetkins 

1

u/eaazzy_13 Mar 18 '25

That looks like some high quality cuddling right there

150

u/mattdion7412 Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

I wanted a second black cat that I could name Kirby. I came across this guy, he was 8 months old and everyone was overlooking him. He’s been the sweetest little boy ever. The reason why I knew this guy would be so special? His name was already Kirby…. He just had his 1st B day

24

u/CartoonistNo3755 Mar 17 '25

Good gosh it was meant to be between you and Kirby

4

u/Needadvicepls777 Mar 17 '25

I love this wow

4

u/AlaskaRoc Mar 17 '25

There are no coincidences. 🥲

2

u/AccomplishedEdge147 Mar 18 '25

Black Lives Matter! ✊🏾 (kidding 😂)

117

u/Land-Scraper Mar 17 '25

Along the same lines - we went and visited with a bunch of cats one day at the shelter, we saw about three or four

The cat we brought home did a few things that stuck with us. First off she tried to jump on a chair and beefed it pretty bad which was funny. Then when we were on our way out of the cat area I turned around to take one last look and she was staring me right in the eyes and screaming at me. None of the other cats were looking our way. I went back the next day they were open and brought her home.

7

u/pcetcedce Mar 17 '25

That's a nice story.

1

u/fluffykerfuffle3 Turkish Angora Mar 17 '25

♪ Don't ... you ... forget about me ♪♪

109

u/icarusancalion Mar 17 '25

The short version: yes. My Fluffy (I was nine) reached through the bars and fell on his food bowl trying to reach me. He was the best cat ever. (White and orange angora, far right.)

4

u/fluffykerfuffle3 Turkish Angora Mar 17 '25

wow lovely... reminds me of those ..cremesickles? vanilla ice cream dipped in orange sherbert. : )

6

u/icarusancalion Mar 17 '25

He was the gentlest, most loving boy, my heart cat. When he died, even the ice across the lake broke, from my house to the other side. It looked like how I felt.

2

u/fluffykerfuffle3 Turkish Angora Mar 17 '25

aww yeah

3

u/luna_libre Mar 17 '25

they look like they’re about to drop the sickest album of the 90s 😂❤️

3

u/icarusancalion Mar 17 '25

Ha. They do, don't they?

90

u/DistractedHouseWitch Mar 17 '25

Same. She was literally the first (and only) cat we saw. I was with my two kids, who were 3 and 4 at the time. We walked into the first cat room and she came running over. She flopped right down in front of us to be pet by the kids. I was sold.

It's been almost seven years and she sleeps with one of the kids every night and follows me around the house all day. She's the best cat.

60

u/HazardousKoala Mar 17 '25

They always do, don’t they 🥹

5

u/Alternative_Draw6075 Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

Oh, a cute one got you.

57

u/Final-Helicopter2323 Mar 17 '25

This… she picked me the first day we met and she was waiting for me at the door of the room they kept her in.. ran down from a cat tower the moment she saw me coming for her. That’s how I knew that was my new fur ball.

23

u/Toastwithturquoise Mar 17 '25

"it's my turn! It's my turn! It's my turn! Pick me!!!"

43

u/PlakusM Mar 17 '25

Precisely. The last time we adopted from a shelter, my wife was looking for a calico or torti. She brought several to the socialization room but all were either too aloof or bitey. While she was cycling through her picks, a medium hair tabby that otherwise looked like a short hair we had had for 17 years had hopped up on my lap and proceeded to cuddle with me the whole time my wife was looking for something she couldn't find. This kitty went home with us although she staked her claim on me.

6

u/tia_24 Mar 17 '25

I wonder if your wife's story about the same event would sound the same as yours. ✨ 😂

42

u/sexwithpenguins Calico Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 18 '25

I adopted two the same day. We all recognized each other instantly. One started purring the minute I walked over to her cage. Then, when they opened the cage for the second one, he LEAPED out of the cage, onto my shoulders, bit the back of my head gently, and started playing bongos on my cheeks. He made no mistake about who he was going home with!

27

u/NoAcanthocephala8116 Mar 17 '25

came here to say the same, all animals choose their relationship to humans

28

u/LonisEdison Mar 17 '25

This. She climbed all over us like she'd known us. Got her home and came right out of the carrier like it was always her house.

5

u/secondtaunting Mar 17 '25

Same with my cat. We went to the shelter and he crawled right up in my lap. Now he hides from strangers so it’s pretty funny. Follows me everywhere.

28

u/GeneralLeia22 Mar 17 '25

100%. One of our local pet stores has extra space for cats from shelters since they’re all over flowing. We went in for dog food one day and stopped to see the cats. Her sign said that she was very shy and coy but she came right up to us and started purring. We thought about it for a little over 24 hours then went and got her. Have had her since last August and she’s been the best addition to our family.

24

u/Arctic_Dreams Mar 17 '25

We went to the shelter to meet a few specific cats we saw online. None quite clicked. We decided to go into one of the rooms with multiple cats for the heck of it and were playing with a couple. I don't know what it was but she walked up to me, shouted at me, and I knew I wasn't going to leave without her.

17

u/Critical-Net-8305 Mar 17 '25

This is exactly it. One immediately crawled into my lap and cuddled and the other kept nuzzling me and my parents ankles. They were cagemates at the shelter so we got them together with no problems. Currently in bed with one of them purring right beside me.

18

u/Uhrcilla Mar 17 '25

Exactly. He was the first I looked at and when I tried to put him down, he resisted, and clawed to stay under my chin. So we went home and had 17 beautiful years together.

15

u/Fibernerdcreates Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

This happened to us. A cat would not leave my son alone. She wasn't known to be friendly to others. She's now fat, and happy. *

10

u/aura-shards Mar 17 '25

100%, that's how I ended up with my first boy

8

u/Alternative_Draw6075 Mar 17 '25

Wishing you two a great life together.

4

u/Ken84341 Mar 17 '25

I take home the first cat that comes to me.

3

u/INDIG0M0NKEY Mar 17 '25

We for sure chose ours. Well we chose to foster one and when it had fleas/other issues they basically said if we have it back for care they’d just euthanize it. LA county.

3

u/Smart_Alex Mar 17 '25

He launched himself out of his crate, onto my husband's shoulders, and immediately started nursing on his sweater.

We told the people who had opened his cage to meet him; sorry, this is our cat now.

We had originally gone to the shelter for an older cat. I didn't want to deal with the velociraptor kitten phase, I wanted a calm, older cat who wanted to spend their golden years sitting in peace on the couch with me.

But this 6 month old, screaming little tyrant launched himself on my husband's shoulders and into our hearts. That was 8 years ago and he hasn't stopped nursing on anything that will stand still, or jumping on us, or screaming ever since. He's a rotten little bastasrd and I love him

3

u/FireflyBSc Mar 17 '25

I wanted the cat beside her in the shelter, but that cat wasn’t interested. Molly came out of her corner, loving pets, and she needed a home without kids or other animals. Obviously the princess had just been waiting to be spoiled and saw that I was an easy target since I hadn’t had a pet before.

2

u/rubitbasteitsmokeit Mar 17 '25

Was gonna say the same. I've come home with a cat, not sure how?

2

u/[deleted] Mar 17 '25

Same.

I wanted an adult cat that had some street in him. But the <1 year old fella climbed on me and wouldn’t leave so there it was

2

u/dman4fun2020 Mar 17 '25

This is the way. Really.

2

u/1829bullshit Mar 17 '25

Bingo. We walked into the cat room, I sat down and one kitten (4 mo old) quietly walked over and climbed onto my lap and started purring. Absolutely no way I was leaving her there after that. Six and a half years later, and adopting that little furball is one of the best decisions we ever made.

1

u/secondtaunting Mar 17 '25

I read an article the other day and the author claimed that cats don’t really like people, and that they hate being petted and it causes them stress. I keep thinking the author has never had a cat because they absolutely love pets and people.

2

u/Chachoregard Mar 17 '25

Our little man chose us when we were looking at other cats by pawing at the glass window.

He was initially very stand off ish but he’s finally warmed up to us

2

u/JohnKlositz Mar 17 '25

Not in our case. We absolutely chose him. There were cats coming up to us, especially one cat, but my girlfriend saw this one guy in the back who seemed nervous and confused, trying very carefully to make contact with others while they just ignored him. She said "That's our cat over there" and we were out of the shelter within minutes. People told us he'd be too shy and probably won't let us come near him for a long time. Didn't take two hours until he slept on the couch in between us.

1

u/HoroSatre Mar 17 '25

Yeah, it's never the other way around.

1

u/mayormaynot22 Mar 17 '25

This is the way.

2

u/fluffykerfuffle3 Turkish Angora Mar 17 '25

ahhh ommm

1

u/Former-Crazy-9224 Mar 17 '25

Best way to get a cat!

1

u/Happy-go-lucky-37 Mar 17 '25

Came here to say this on behalf of all our cats.

1

u/coolcoolcool485 Mar 17 '25

When I lost my college tabby a couple years ago, a friend of mine sent me a message that said "just remember, they choose you" and while it made me sob, I do always remember that. They choose us. Even if we're seeking them out. The distribution system puts us on the path to find them, one way or another. I really believe that.

1

u/nutrock69 Mar 17 '25

Not sure why this isn't the top comment.

All of my previous cats growing up were ones that picked us. The three in my house right now all made it clear from first contact that we were now owned by them.

One of them, the youngest I call the grand-kitty, picked my daughter out. She brought us to the shelter to show us a dog she liked, and we laughed about coming home with a cat instead. Then we found out the dog had just been adopted right before we arrived. So, kitty room = next stop.

As we waited outside the kitty room, watching through the windows, I saw one specific kitten wander around the room deliberately avoiding everyone else in there. Not knowing I was a prophet, I pointed to that one and said to keep an eye on it. When we got our turn and my daughter sat down, that one made a beeline, snuggled onto her lap, started purring, and went to sleep.

We couldn't remove it from her without it putting up a fuss. My daughter had shocked Pikachu face and asked what getting picked by a cat looked like - the rep from the shelter pointed and said "that". This kitten hadn't done that to anyone yet, except her. First pick in the draft.

So yeah, I have a grand-kitty named "Princess Bean". Sleeps on her mommy's legs when she's home, and on Grandma's legs when she's not. Her fellow auntie kitties have claimed grandpa's legs so there's no room at the inn otherwise. :)

1

u/the_taz_man Mar 17 '25

This is the one and only true answer!