Giving Thanks – Alexandria

Happy Thanksgiving! Ate a lot and stayed up late, but managed not to seriously overdo it. My gang of friends have been doing this for so long that homes have downsized. Former babies are debating Marx in high school or grown and living on their own. This year’s hosts’ resident dog made lots of new friends and scampered around licking the floor. The cat managed one peak into the crowded kitchen and fled, appalled.

Personally, I’m more like a cat, but have learned to be dog-like sometimes – it’s how you turn strangers into friends and new acquaintances into the people you raise a glass to in your toasts, giving thanks for being part of their lives.

Volunteering at Maddie’s makes us cat people be more outgoing and social. Black Friday is as usual packed. Right off the bat I make a nice match of a shy kitten and a likable young couple who take the time to get to know her.

I manage half a visit with pretty and playful Alexandria, a young gray and white long hair sweetie. She goes from shy to paws on your knees friendly fast, and she’s learning to interact with people passing by - so hopefully she'll be headed to a new home soon.

In quick succession, I facilitate visits with several sets of people and cats. A mom and gentle little boy see several kittens. A woman who has two cats and is only contemplating a third falls under the spell of an adorable tabby. An older woman with her adult son looks for a replacement for her beloved and recently departed cat. She says her house is too lonely now, and I recall with her the pain of coming home and not being greeted by a kitty. I’m pleased that she chooses Faun, a beautiful shy long hair sweetie.

Toward the end of my shift I help a girl and her grandmother, who are there to choose a new kitten. We go in with a trio of mostly black kittens, all similar in looks and frisky personalities. The grandmother seems tired, but she patiently gives the girl time and space to pick out her favorite.

Finally, she decides, and skips off toward the front desk to complete the adoption. The girl is just excited about her new kitten today. But years from now, I bet she’ll look back on this day with gratitude toward grandma too.