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The "Cat Daddy," who lives in Monson, picked up the moniker after he adopted a feline friend he made during his first deployment. During his second stint overseas — last year in Iraq — he made another. So when it was time to return home, members of his unit turned to him to see if he would be willing to do it again.
"It wasn't my plan to adopt a cat from every deployment," he joked. "I don't want to make this a habit."
Finnegan said he and CJ bonded during his time in Iraq. One of his buddies started the process of getting the cat out of harm's way and turned to Shane to finish the adoption. He believes a number of his comrades would have taken the cat in, but he didn't want to take the risk.
Finnegan worked with SPCA International’s Patriot Pets program, which reunites soldiers with their pets, to get the cat out of danger and back into his lap.
"I'm just happy to know she's safe," he said.
Finnegan adopted Scout from his first deployment in Kuwait, but the cat was far more fond of his parents, who also live in Monson. Scout lives with them now.
CJ, however, has stayed attached to Finnegan's hip since they were reunited last month. It's the first time they've been together since Finnegan returned home in January.
"She follows me around everywhere I go," he said. "It can be a lot sometimes, but it's good knowing that she's happy."
Finnegan said some people might question why not adopt an animal from a local shelter, but he said it's hard to bond with a cat you only get to spend a few minutes with before adopting them. He and CJ spent 10 months together.
"We survived together," Finnegan said. "She became a motivating factor and a morale boost for the unit. All the good and bad stuff we went through. ... There’s an attachment and bond there that you can't get anywhere else."
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