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?