A pet is part of the family. We spend our days with them, and we grieve them when they pass. Some people think the death of an animal is different, but to anyone who’s experienced it, it’s devastating all the same.
Mrs. Andrews, a high school math teacher in Texas, lost Blondie, her cat of 16 years, in May of 2016. As you can probably imagine, she was absolutely heartbroken. After so long, Mrs. Andrews’ cat had become a part of her life, and the grief she was feeling was immense.
One of Mrs. Andrews’ students, Rachel Hanhart, along with a few of her friends, decided they would surprise the math teacher with something special.
The girls loved Mrs. Andrews, and it was heartbreaking to see her this upset. So, Rachel, Sheridan, Ashleigh, and Makayla put their heads together and, two days later, came up with the ultimate surprise.
“I thought something was afoot,” Andrews told Huffington Post, “when only half my class was in my room second period the next day when the tardy bell rang.”
The girls walked into the Joshua High School classroom carrying a gorgeous bouquet and tray of yummy cupcakes. As they walk down the aisle, the teacher is noticeably shocked. When they arrive at the desk, the first girl gives Mrs. Andrews the bouquet of white roses. “Oh, thank you!” she exclaims, tears already beginning to fall.
The math teacher gasps in shock, her hand covering her mouth as she crouches in emotion. The camera pans to the smiling students, and you see Rachel holding two squirming, kittens against her chest. One of the kittens is black and white, the other is an ashy grey— but both are adorned with bright red ribbons for the special occasion. “Are they mine?” Mrs. Andrews’ asks the girls, almost in disbelief.
Rachel told Inside Edition that when tears started to flow down the teacher’s face, no one in the classroom could hold back their emotions. Mrs. Andrews then takes each kitten, kissing and holding them to her chest. “Hi, Sweetie!” she greets them between tears.
Inside Edition covered the girls’ heartwarming surprise, and since being posted, the YouTube video has been viewed more than 2.2 million times. Luckily for us, the girls’ recorded the event— and people just can’t get enough of their kindness and the teacher’s heartfelt reaction. After getting the kittens, Mrs. Andrews’ named them Missy and Girlie, and there is no doubt that she is giving them all the love in the world.
“She said she was going to get new kittens soon,” Rachel told Huffington Post. “But we beat her to the punch on that one. Mrs. Andrews doesn’t know about her fame yet, but we certainly didn’t do it for this. Her happiness was the most amazing part.”
Watch the teacher’s heartwarming reaction for yourself!
