Say What You Want – Leta

It’s been a good week for adoptions – big fellow Chewey has finally left the building, as has long time resident Cat Benatar, plus a bunch of more recent arrivals.

Plenty of cats still on hand though. I go in to sit with another plus size kitty, Leta. She’s a shy black and white 7 year old, mostly white with some cute black splotches. She has an anxious little meow and a combination of nervous and needy in her expression. Despite her girth she hasn’t been eating here, a bad combo. But she’s very affectionate once she’s used to me, and I coax her to have a few bites of kibble.

She stays alert, and watches me interact with Wallace across the hall. He’s a real beauty, a striking 3 year old orange tabby with large soulful eyes. He’s shy too though, and it takes a few tries before he decides my lap is okay. First he has to give me and my toys the full sniff treatment, then pace around several times. But at last he sinks down, covering my lap entirely, purring and drooling happily. Pretty soon he’s got his paws adorably wrapped around my waist, and if Extreme Purring was a sport, he’d have it down.

A young woman asks to meet Tiny, the cute little tabby and white gal across from Wallace. She’s friendly and demanding, with a cry that’s anything but small, and the woman seems delighted with her. But it sounds like her living situation is a bit in flux, and she’s probably not ready for a pet of her own yet.

A mom and two talkative daughters are looking for a cat who’s young, comfortable with kids, outgoing and affectionate. We meet plump little all black Polka, who fits the bill with surprising ease. But they’re just getting started on their search, the mother says. They want the right fit. (The girls seem pretty excited that this happen really soon, however, and I wonder this will play out.)

We also give Tiny a try, but she makes it clear from the moment she spots the girls that these are not going to be her people. She scoots under her rug and won’t have anything to do with us – night and day to how she acted when it was just two adults.

I glance over at Leta and Wallace, who are also both cowering as if I’d brought by a pair of menacing coyotes rather than enthusiastic grade schoolers. Fortunately, the girls and mom are used to cats, unfazed, and ready to keep looking.

As I check out, I see my big buddy Walter lounging in a comfy bed right out on the front counter. A staffer has him on a harness. "He was bored," she explains. He is one cool customer, and he does seem to enjoy keeping an eye on things and getting extra attention. As I’m standing there tickling under his chin, in comes a group of people with a large cage containing a large, upside down green parrot. A talking parrot, who bellows out friendly hellos, preening and obviously into attention too.

Walter definitely sees the bird. He looks him over. But what he really wants is more petting, and he nudges my hand to let me know.

Say Cheese - Walter

I’m afraid we have a lot of the same old cats at the shelter – but some great new photos of them [www.sfspca.org/adoptions/cats]. And that’s not easy. I’ve been hard pressed to get good snapshots of my boy; he either comes to head butt the camera or rolls on his back with his big paws flapping.

Two charming tabbies, housed side by side, capture my attention right away. Big gray tabby Walter is lolling on another volunteer’s lap, looking blissful. I go in to sit with Ralfie, a lovely 3 year old brown tabby. He’s a former stray, wide eyed and on the shy side, but he soon hops down beside me to purr while I pet him. An enthusiastic woman in the corridor sends him momentarily scooting away, but he quickly bounces back. His paperwork says he likes other cats, which sets him apart from a number of the current Maddie’s residents.

I peek in at Walter. The dude is 16 and newly arrived via the SIDO program, meaning his former person has passed away or is no longer able to care for him. He’s fat, loud, a bit ornery, probably never was the cutest kitten in the litter – but there’s just something special about him. He’s got staff and volunteers swinging by all day to pay homage. I cuddle with him, and he leans into me, affectionate. But I can see he’s just making the best of the situation. He knows something is wrong and he clearly misses his person, poor thing.

Moving along, I show a cute little "cherry blossom" 4 month old to a guy who practically melts on the floor falling in love with him. He’s just moved to a new apartment, though, and is low on funds. I put a note on the kitty’s door that someone’s interested in him, while the young man goes off to hit up pals to borrow money. I see him squatting by the door with his phone, so he can send out a picture.

I’m in with Clinton and Ani, dangling a toy for her while giving him a luxurious belly rub, when I spot an older gentleman in the hall. He looks a bit unsure of himself, confused by the layout of the hallways. But in an instant, his expression shifts completely, to one of amusement and deep pleasure. He’s looking in at one of our entertaining cuties, a young all black kitty who’s romping around her condo.

Never mind the cat photos – that expression of delight is the image I wish I could have captured.

Slowing it Down – Zoe Rock

Good news at Maddie’s – Kentucky, Beans, and senior lady Mask have all been adopted. Disappointing follow up, though – I see that two different mature former adoptees, chatty orange Persian Chaka, and sweet, super-sized black and white Junior, have been returned.

Chaka greets me happily and loudly, immediately friendly and hopping onto my lap. She keeps an eye on the hallway too, and trots to her door to say hello to a couple young women passing by. Still a charmer, I’m glad to see.

Not long later a woman and adult daughter approach. They’ve just lost one of a pair of cats. They seem numb still, a bit overwhelmed, but also anxious that the remaining cat not be alone. We go in to meet a shy young kitty, who seems a bit intimidated. I talk to the daughter a little more, and try to nicely suggest that a brief mourning period might be appropriate for their cat. That’s how I phrase it, but I really mean for the people too. I‘m not sure any of them will be quite ready for an interloper – even an adorable one – quite so soon, and I assure the women that Maddie’s will still have plenty of cats looking for new homes in the days to come.

They keep looking around, and I settle in with Zoe Rock, the shy 6 year old long hair calico. She’s gone from scaredy cat to just quirky, launching herself out to vigorously rub my legs and roll around happily, purring and emitting little purr grunts while I pet her.

I’ve been in a rush all day – laundry and several errands this morning, hurrying here to put in most of my volunteer shift but leave time to catch the end of the Giants home opener. (Go Giants! It kind of reminds me of when the Dead were in town – I’ve seen people wearing the gear everywhere I go.) And this is all on my day off.

But soothing Zoe makes me slow down. And sitting there on the floor stroking her, silent and still, I suddenly recall a dream from last night. Both my parents were alive and well, and driving me through my hometown in our VW mini-bus. They were chatting together about how much better they both felt.

Sometimes it’s sad to wake up from that sort of dream. But last night, it just felt peaceful. My boy was purring, pressing his nose into my hair, and I felt like I’d just had a little visit with the folks. Makes me wonder how much else is missed, what other flutterings of semi-consciousness just disappear, from forgetting to slow down. Thanks, kitties.

Elusive Happy Endings – Jessie

It’s pretty quiet when I get to Maddie’s, so I find some quiet kitties to visit. Jessie is a lovely slender tabby and white 15 year old gal. When she first got to the shelter she was quite shy, but now she’s used to the routine, and squawks a friendly greeting at the sound of the door. She patters across my legs happily, purring and rubbing, and gazes up with her big expressive eyes.

Across the hall, Mikey has a similar look, but he’s a 5 year old shy boy with more white than stripes. He generally hides completely under his blanket unless there’s a human with him to expressly invite him out for a cuddle. (Not the best strategy for finding new people to take care of him, I’m afraid.) Once emerged, he’s sweet and affectionate, though a bit wary of hallway noises.

We have a number of harder to place kitties these days. There are several bonded pairs, in addition to the shy guys and seniors. Plus a newly arrived trio, Lizzie, Shoyo and Rascal, who ended up here when their prior owner lost his home. The three of them, all big vigorous looking cats, are curled up together in their climbing structure, looking adorable.

I help a young family – who present challenges of their own – looking for the right cat to join a rambunctious little boy. He’s a cutie, and super enthusiastic, but that’s not something a lot of cats can handle. We meet Clinton and Ani, just to see how the kid does, although the parents understandably don’t feel ready to take on two cats. (Too bad, because Clinton and the little boy have a great time playing together.)

Unfortunately, several of the mellowest cats are out on Outreach duty this afternoon. I take the mom and kid in to meet Beans, another laid back young male cat, but the dad decides he doesn’t like him. By this time the boy is getting a little squirmy, and I’m kind of relieved when they decide maybe they should come back fresh another day.

I ease in to greet Blanche Du Bois, a soft and dignified snowshoe mix. No happy ending, not yet at least, I whisper to her. But hey, if my matchmaking was as simple as a Hollywood movie, where’d be the challenge?