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.