Knoxville man starting endowment in memory of his beloved cats
Mia and Nomar, the cats Scott Colby adopted in 2003 when he was 32, were the first pets he ever owned. The cuddly companions meant the world to him, and since they've died, he's made it his mission to help other pet owners in their name. The cats were named for respective soccer and baseball legends, Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra, who are married. When Colby adopted them all those years ago, he'd originally gone to the mall to do some shopping with his sister. He never expected to come home with a pair of kittens. They became "like children" to him, he said. "I never knew ... how having a pet could be life-changing for you in terms of like, yeah, your whole world revolves around these two guys now." Love cute dog and cat pictures? Vote for your favorites for Shelter Pet of the Week! Nomar died at age 16, and Mia died at 20. Before Mia's death, she experienced a variety of health problems, including lymphoma, kidney disease and mobility issues, which required extensive veterinary care. Colby estimates he was spending a couple hundred dollars a couple of times a month on her vet appointments. The experience
