Jenny Lewis

Senior Pets & Emotional Companionship

Age 71 · Retired elementary school teacher and animal shelter volunteer

I grew up on a small dairy farm in western Pennsylvania, where animals were part of the family from day one. I spent 38 years teaching second grade in a tiny town outside of Harrisburg, raising a son on my own after my husband passed unexpectedly at 42. When I retired at 69, the silence in my house became louder than I ever expected. I started volunteering at our local animal shelter twice a week — mostly to have somewhere to be, someone to talk to. That's where I met Max, an 8-year-old tabby who had been returned three times for 'behavioral issues.' He came home with me that afternoon. What followed was a education in patience, enzyme cleaners, and the surprising truth about how cats communicate. I write for anyone who's ever felt alone, and for anyone who's ever loved a difficult animal enough to figure it out.