Making Noise - Katrina

Feels like one of those weekends when I want to keep it quiet about the Bay Area. Bright autumn sun shining over a massive and fabulous free concert, the last baseball games plus local football, the usual festivals, farmers’ markets, restaurants and upscale performing arts, even a pinball exposition… to which I’m tempted to say: shhh, let’s keep it to ourselves.

Lots of cats went home in the last couple weeks, yay. But that doesn’t mean the shelter is empty. I show some kittens, then settle in with sweet sonic-purr Chloe, all alone in her condo. But soon she has company, getting transferred to the big front windowed condo, the first one you see coming into Maddie’s.

I move on to see Midas, a gorgeous 5 year old brown tabby with tan highlights and big wide eyes. She moves toward my lap cautiously, and as we sit together, a loud cheerful couple enter the hall. They’re kind of retro 80s looking, jeans and cowboy boots (or maybe they just found the look back then and stuck with it).

Anyway, they exclaim over the cats, tapping on the windows, and calling each other over to for a look. Midas slinks into my lap a bit, but puts her head up in a friendly way when the woman looks in. Katrina, a large 10 year old dil calico, gets excited by the commotion and starts pawing her door. She stays right there, riled up, even as the woman yells, "Hey, her name’s Katrina!" to her companion.

They don’t want to meet her though, and move on. Pretty Katrina calms down while I visit with her. She’s a big plump girl with a somewhat small head, dainty feet, and a friendly purr. She wanders around the condo, rubbing, plotting her escape. She hasn’t been eating much, still a bit nervous in her surroundings. She needs her own people to give her extra attention and encourage her to exercise.

After awhile, three tough looking city kids come slouching through the halls, also on the noisy side, exclaiming over the size of several of the adult cats. One guy accompanies another volunteer in to meet a frisky calico. The others amuse themselves strolling up and down the hall, whisking a dangle toy under doors and laughing as the cats chase it.

I wonder if their loud voices and brisk movements will scare the cats, but soon they’re lined up at their doors, eagerly watching. Even shy Tanya is pretty interested in the proceedings.

The guys are still there when I leave, still loud and enthusiastic about the cats. Sometimes that’s what it takes.