Sales Pitch – Cheddar & Nugget

It’s an auspicious start to the big adoption push weekend – the first thing I see is paperwork for my buddy Mago’s adoption. There’s a high volunteer to potential adopter ratio on hand, plus the summer camp is in full swing.

I meet new bonded dudes Cheddar and Nugget, both friendly outgoing kitties who are 9 and 5 respectively. Cheddar’s a long hair cream colored Balinese mix with dilated blue eyes. Nugget’s all gray, a trim short hair, who rubs eagerly around to be petted. They both purr as I pet them, one hand per cat. They deign to play for a bit, but then curl up happily side by side, all three of us competing for the square of sunlight from their south facing window.

A young couple ask to meet Becky, a sweet young all black kitty. Little Becky weaves between us adorably, and the pair seem enamoured. They don’t say a lot though, and I’m not sure whether they’re really interested or are just testing things out, the way you might check out open houses for fun before you can afford a mortgage. I’m not really into pushing the hard sell here – my feeling is the cats sell themselves much of the time.

Across the hall, shy and pretty Bonnie isn’t loving the summer camp sessions. She’s a lovely gray 2 year old who unfortunately tends to hide in her box unless it’s quiet and she’s been expressly invited out. I sit with her and coax her out to be petted. She loves to be stroked, and leans gently against my leg. But the voices and commotion in the hall soon send her scooting back to her safe spot.

Peaking back in at Cheddar and Nugget, I watch a pair of kids interacting with them, and it’s totally adorable. The cats and the children behave so well together that it’s hard to resist going in to pat all four of their sweet little heads.

An older woman making her way around asks about all the children, and I explain about the summer camp. Another cute little girl, who’s visiting a small tabby cat, spots us and holds up her hand made Adopt A Shelter Cat pillow. Talk about a sales pitch.

Towards the end of my shift, I find that Becky’s gone – good for her! A new kitty has already been brought down from upstairs and is exploring the condo. She’s a cute and frisky tabby. The way things are going, I expect she’ll be on her way home before the weekend’s over.

Out of the Spotlight - Buffy

I stop at the Bi-Rite while I’m in the Mission before my Maddie's shift. There’s a full camera crew plus several photographers on the corner, outside Tartine. It looks more like an art project than news, but in any case, I hasten by, counting on my middle aged invisibility to stay anonymous.

Of course that’s not such a good strategy for the older gals at Maddie's. Not concerned about putting herself out there, frisky adorable 2 month old tabby Ashbury has found a fan right off the bat, and I end up showing her to three different sets of people.

While shyer adults like Buffy and Durga, who tends to hide, are regularly overlooked by people passing by. There are lots of cat shoppers around, but I make some quality lap time available for big mostly white Buffy. She’s a loving cat, though she’s cautious at first, and has been known to nip if handled inattentively. She needs an adult only household, but I think this plus sized kitty would make a great addition for a mellow single or couple.

I’m happy to meet a woman who is specifically looking for an adult cat who’s been here awhile. A staffer suggests both Pebbles and Leta, and we visit them both. She’s clearly a good cat person – calm, attentive, and gently affectionate with the cats. We go over Pebbles’ story – that she came from a hoarder house where there had been litterbox issues.

Pebbles has been nothing but friendly and sweet here at Maddie’s. She’s a lovely tabby and white, and she weaves between us, arching her back for petting and flopping onto the floor for a belly rub. After a brief look at Leta, we return, and the woman decides Pebbles is the cat for her.

I’m psyched for them both, but quickly get sidetracked with other customers. A cheerful woman and her two super polite boys have narrowed their kitten search, and want to meet a pair of all black youngsters. All black cats are good luck back in Scotland, she tells me. The boys are quiet and careful with the kittens, but enjoy pulling toys for them to chase.

It’s interesting to hear their accents – the mom’s is charming and obvious, while the boys already seem to be blending into California blandness. Adorable Sprocett climbs into the mom’s lap and looks up at her, purring and waving his little paws. I can see that she’s smitten, but she wisely waits until the cat has nuzzled each boy and they beg to adopt him. Then they all head off, happy with their choice.

Meantime, word of Pebbles’ departure has spread. I’m not sure how aware her adopter is of the buzz around the place – she’s just come here to bring home a cat – but this low key stranger had brought a lot of joy to the shelter today.

Interested in adopting? Check out next weekend’s 72 in 72 event:
http://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/72-in-72

Economic Indicators – Oscar

Busy week in my little world. The annual fundraiser at work had me out later than I’m used to, plus dashing around in dressed up clothes and mingling in a noisy room of hundreds of supporters. Nice to schlep around in jeans and sneakers at Maddie’s, cross legged on the floor with my quiet kitty friends.

The fundraiser did well. But as I listen to the various and often contradictory news items about the economy, I wonder when things really will turn the corner. There are positive signs. But also plenty of anecdotal evidence pointing the other way. We’re struggling to keep adoption rates up, even with the discounted pricing continued, and kittens are lined up waiting for space to open up.

Friendly cats are sharing space too. The first person I see, a friendly older woman, asks to meet Bo Bo Muffins, who’s housed with Oscar and Grandma (these names!). She’s in the still contemplating phase, but charmed by the group. They’re getting along pretty well, but hungry for one on one attention. I particularly like fluffy Oscar, a super soft 4 year old gray and white long hair. He’s got a sweet expression and an intelligence about him that’s appealing – you can almost see him thinking "what am I doing here??"

A group of pre-schoolers comes rushing into the hall, and Oscar beats a hasty retreat. There are dozens of children around – older summer campers plus another group of younger kids, all looking like they’re enjoying themselves. The woman jokes that she wishes she could attend the SPCA summer camp.

I check Oscar’s paperwork on his door. The poor guy was surrendered a couple weeks ago, and I wonder what happened with his people that they would have to give him up.

I help another woman who wants a kitten companion for her shy cat at home. She was here a few days ago, and is surprised by how many new kittens have replaced the ones she met then. But she happily chooses a darling little orange tabby.

His adorable brown tabby sister is the only one left of their litter, and I peak in later to make sure she’s not too lonely. She does look a bit bereft, but purrs and nuzzles when I pet her. I’m not worried about her – regardless of the next few months and even years, she’s got a long happy life ahead.

Getting Along - Porter, Freewheel

I was watching the early evening non-riot in Oakland on TV Thursday. Relieved that there was no acquittal, and remembering the King riots from years back. The Mehserle case hits home a little bit, since I’m a regular BART rider (though my experience as a white middle aged woman commuter is quite different from anyone’s on the platform that night; I can’t think when I’ve last seen a BART cop).

Anyway, this doesn’t have much to do with the animal shelter, except that sometimes societal problems seem both long lived and overwhelming.

Early in my shift at Maddie’s, a pair of young women, friends or possibly sisters, are checking out the cats in the back hallway. They tell me they’re still looking around, seeming taken aback at how many halls and rooms of cats they’ve encountered. I tend to forget, but we do have an awful lot of homeless animals here, every age, color and temperament. Even with all the adoptions in June, there are many more cats in need of new homes.

I get acquainted with new roomies Porter and Freewheel. Porter’s young, all black with golden eyes, friendly and frisky. He’s charming with me, lounging on my lap and playing happily, although his exuberance is a bit much for shy guy Freewheel. He’s a gorgeous orange tabby who’s sweet but a little nervous about hands (or other cats) touching below his shoulders. As I softly stroke his head, Porter scampers after a stuffed mouse, picking it up firmly in his mouth and dunking it into their water dish.

A woman escorting a group of talkative kids pauses to point at the pair. Freewheel hides while Porter preens at the door, not bothered by the children's voices or tapping on the door.

Down the hall, big black and white Leta is still here waiting for someone to notice her and bring her home. Freewheel’s opposite in terms of petting preferences, she meows at me for some company. She loves to be petted anywhere, enjoys having her fur fluffed up, and rolls onto her back, paws flailing, for belly rubs.

Later, I express my enthusiasm for sweet tortie girl Gertrude to a woman who had seen her on the website. The cat is a lively outgoing "party animal," and the woman is looking for someone friendly and cuddly. I’m glad to see an adoption pending notice up on Gertrude’s condo a short while later. Progress is slow but steady.

Nature/Nurture – Bertha & Lacy

Got to visit friends with foster kittens earlier this week. Two tiny siblings were left of the litter; the goal was for each to reach 2 lbs. They were awfully cute in that skittish splayed legged kitten way. Very different in looks and behavior, even at this age when it’s counted in weeks. One was frantic and playful, the other a determined lap sitter, anxious for attention. I tend to think of kittens as kind of formless in terms of personality, but these little ones were all set to prove me wrong.

I thought about the nature versus nurture thing over at Maddies, visiting pretty tabby and calico sisters Bertha and Lacy. They are strikingly similar in looks, and tend to follow each other around, doing the same cute things (like sitting and pawing their door when people pause there – so adorable!). But even so, Bertha is a bit bigger and friskier, and Lacy more lovey dovey. How’d that happen?

A group of young women rush over to admire them, and though I don’t speak the language, it’s clear they’re discussing their how awesomely cute they are. But it’s a tough season for these sweeties – they’re little, adorable and kittenish, but actually 2 year olds, and people into little and cute often go for the under 6 month set.

A couple ask to see Sassy, a lovely soft all black 9 year old with emerald green eyes. She’s a bit of an escape artist, and darts past me into the hall. But once she’s corralled back in her room, she rubs between us sweetly. They’ve recently lost a beloved cat, and they’re still getting over that – want to be around some felines and will adopt again when the time is right. We chat about cats from our pasts, and the goofy/lovable/unique habits they had.

I stay on with Sassy when they leave to prevent another escape, and she flatters the pair by planting herself at the door meowing after them as they move down the hall. A couple young men wander by, but Sassy’s given up on the door and is back bumping my hand with her head for pets.

I talk to another couple who are testing out the guy’s possible allergies. Apparently he’s had mild reactions to cats before and just put up with it. But we agree it wouldn’t be so good for him every day. I hope it works out for him – he seems nice and they both obviously like cats.

A young woman asks about meeting a cute 3 month old orange tabby boy. He sits shyly away from us at first, but then starts playing and racing around. She decides he would be too active for the calm cat she already has. And I can see that if I hung out with him for awhile, his personality would start to emerge. More important, whoever takes him home will get to watch it develop, along with the blossoming of their own sweet and unique relationship.

**** happy Independence Day... please keep your pets indoors! ****