Furry Friends - Lexie

A friend is pet-sitting a chinchilla. Actually she’s briefly watching him for her sister, who’s taking care of him for the duration of her in-laws’ kitchen renovation; Sammy’s making the rounds. Anyway, he’s a little round gray fluff ball with floppy ears, teensy little paws, and a cute, if jumpy manner.

She’d told me he likes to be scratched behind the ears. While my impulse was to wonder if a jittery rodent would really even notice, I gave it a try. He loved it, leaning into my fingers and softly shutting his eyes. Pets are mesmerizing!

I arrive at Maddie’s with renewed enthusiasm for furry creatures big and small – and am rewarded by making the acquaintance of 5 year old Lexie, a gorgeous and loving lynx point mix. She’s shy, hiding when I open her door, but I soon coax her out for some petting. Her face is striking, tabby markings with huge dilated blue eyes. She’s got soft tan faintly striped sides and dark tabby striped paws and tail.

She’s chinchilla soft too (now that I have a basis for comparison). She purrs happily, rubs, rolls on her side, and in every way shows me her favorite ways to be stroked. She retreats again when I leave, but flatters me by creeping up onto her perch to be able to watch me as I interact with Blitzen, a frisky tan and white boy across the hall.

A grandmother, mom and little boy in a batman shirt go by, reading each name and solemnly admiring the cats. A couple different young moms with babies in arms wander through, all just here to entertain the kids.

A very young man and his out of town girlfriend want to check out kittens. He says he’s lonely in his apartment, and I’m guessing he’s not long away from dorm life. We visit an adorable foursome of tabby kittens, and after playing with them for awhile he decides to take the two feistiest, a brother and sister.

Part of me wants to caution him, say what a huge responsibility this will be, does he have any idea how long 15 or more years is to take care of these cats? But the reality is he knows he wants a pet. I’ve nearly always had cats even in my wilder days; for lots of us pets will invariably be part of our lives. So I happily send them all off to their new life together.

Learning to be Brave - Sharyn

It’s audit week at my paid job, so a few hours without numbers or scurrying around in search of obscure financial docs are particularly nice. Especially with tabby cats involved.

Maddie’s hallway 2 offers a fine variety of these pretty cats. Bernie and Nicholas are cute, playful, skinny young brown tabbies with white bellies and paws. They look like brothers but are just pals who hang out and mostly get along ok.

At the end of the hall is little Sharyn, a delicate, sweet faced, slightly fussy ten year old orange gal with a white bib and toes. She’s been here for awhile, and gone from being shy to a bit demanding of attention from passersby. She meows, circles, purrs, and rubs around me. Definitely trying to get a message across, though I can’t tell if it’s about taking her home or just bringing her some kibble.

A group of adults and kids tumble into the hall, startling her for a moment, but she quickly regains her composure. The kids aren’t very interested in or sensitive about their surroundings, and one of them whines loudly to go see puppies. Sharyn barely gives them a glance, and bats a toy around instead, meowing as she plays. Across the hall, young Nicholas stands up, paws on his window, watching us intently.

Next up is Chester, a funny, short limbed, cuddly brown tabby. He loves visitors and wants to swoon across my lap, chase a toy, and nibble his food all at the same time. A pair of nannies holding up toddlers appear at the window. I dangle the toy up there so he’ll go after it, and his antics amuse the kids. Although they’re also pretty fascinated by the cat video squirrels on the TV too. They soon leave, one of the young women exclaiming that it’s time for a diaper change, as if that’s all part of their fun day.

Two different pairs of men stroll by, reading about the cats and discussing size and breeds and markings – but none of them want to meet any of the cats in question.

Not a problem – gives me extra time to get to know a new sweet little orange tabby girl, Kiwi. She’s super scared, and gives a tiny hiss when I enter her room. But soon pokes her head out, and when she decides I’m ok, creeps trustingly into my lap and leans there sweetly. She darts away to hide at pretty much any noise, but I can tell she’ll get braver as the days go by. Sharyn could give her a lesson. I just sit and wait for her to reappear, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Family Ties - The Liddys

Happily, my time away wasn’t entirely devoid of feline companionship - although I dislike being away from my boy, and missed seeing the shelter kitties. We stayed at a ranch with a super friendly pair of barn cats who were eager for any attention they could get.

The family gathering peaked at 21 relatives, ranging in age from 5 to 92. Getting us all on the road for expedition was like herding cats indeed. But I got a good chance to move at kid time, where each moment must be filled with doing something – playing, sudden boredom, a new game, a made up twist on the game… Fortunately none of the parents are the hovering sort, and were quite happy to have those for whom play time is a novelty hang with the kids. We even found a game of Twister, which the younger ones had never heard of, and found hugely entertaining.

Still, I also like the feline pace of finding a sunny spot to lounge, enjoying a fine meal, running around a bit then chilling for awhile. So it’s good to be home. Back at Maddie’s, it was nice to see that several longer term cats found homes. Plus kitten season seems finally to be slowing a bit, at least to the point where I wasn’t besieged to show a kitten upon arrival.

I’m immediately charmed by a bonded pair of 4 year old litter mates, Little Liddy and her brother Big Liddy. Little is almost all black, small of course, and slightly more assertive. She commands my lap right away. Big is a good sized black and white boy, yellow eyed and precious, and lounges happily next to me. They both purr and gaze up sweetly. They’re good natured, confident cats, pleased with both my and each other’s company, and very much at home with each other in a comfortable family way. Big plays in a goofy way, chasing a toy and toppling off his climbing structure in the process. Little prefers chewing on things with a bit more dignity.

Next door are another bonded pair, all black Luigi and pretty tabby Jeremy. These two are a bit more shy, though they warm up quickly. They wander around nudging my hands for petting and bumping heads in a friendly way. As I sit with them a couple kids, clearly siblings from both appearance and behavior, run up to the window. Hands and noses pressing the glass, they giggle at the cats and casually shove at each other in a probably unconscious ritualistic way.

Their mom moves them along, one hand per available shoulder. I whisper to the cats that they’re lucky to have each other and to stick together. Either of these pairs would make fine additions to a family.

Weathering Storms - Charlie

Got a "dear volunteer" letter earlier in the week. Several paragraphs of recession and low interest rates and difficult decisions, to reach the point: layoffs on the SPCA staff. Big bummer, although not a real surprising one. I can’t think of a friend who hasn’t been dealing with something similar at work, big and small, nonprofit and for. The upshot for a lot of us is doing more work for the same pay and lesser benefits.

I guess I’m glad that things don’t seem noticeably tense when I get there. It’s tough on everyone, I well know. But the needs here haven’t changed, there are still plenty of homeless animals. And a good number of people looking for pets today too.

I take a young woman in to meet Cissy, a pretty and playful little dill tortie. Not sure if she really wants to adopt or is just getting out of the house, but they interact nicely.

Next door is a new pair, a shy long hair tortie, and Prika, a uniquely beautiful girl with a sweet personality to boot. She’s soft with mottled pale gray, pale tan, and white fur, and large blue eyes. She purrs loudly and loves to be petted. Unfortunately, the two girls aren’t very comfortable with each other and both hiss when they get near each other. I stroke them, one on each side, and peace is achieved.

Of the many perks of volunteering here, getting acquainted with an outgoing one-of-a-kind sweetie is a good one. But so is visiting a classic brown tabby who happens to be shy. Charlie’s such a pretty boy, but super cautious. He’s the kind of cat who really rewards you when you gain his trust. At first I just sit near him, talking softly. Then a hand sniff. Some rubs behind the ears. Finally he ventures out and slinks around the room, and enjoys a nice petting session. He makes good eye contact, and I admire his expressive yellow eyes and long sturdy tail.

That’s it for the quiet time though – a bunch of people want to see kittens. I end up showing the same room of six, including the aptly named Tornado and Tsunami, to several people. Typical two month old kittens, either roaring with energy and charging around or collapsed in adorable rag doll sleeping poses.

A lone woman tests out each of the six before telling me she’s leaning toward little Tsunami. Then a guy and his buddy check them out. He’s got an older cat and a mellow dog at home already, and wants a kitten who can hold her own, and he favors Tsunami too.

A couple with a polite and cat savvy boy are next. They each pick a different favorite, laughing about their lack of consensus, but it’s clear they all like all the kittens. I tell all kitten shoppers that the cute active kittens get adopted fast, but that there will be more available as space opens up.

I'm headed east for a family reunion, so I'll miss the kitties next week, even the rambunctious little ones...

One Small Step - Luigi

Can it possibly be 40 years since the moon landing? My memories are blurry as the images on the small black and white TV screen we gathered around to watch, but I do recall the sense of amazement, and the unity of the shared experience. Whole families went outside that night to stare up at the moon.

The TVs in the cat condos are fancier than what we watched back then. But for all the technology now, I wouldn’t trade the wonder of having lived through that era.

Speaking of low gravity, I’ve got a customer wanting to meet kittens as soon as I arrive at Maddie’s, an older woman who’s recently lost an old cat. We squeeze in with three goofy two month olds. As she coos and tries to draw out a shy little black and white girl, the more active brother launches himself onto my leg and starts climbing my jeans as if I’m a tree. The third kitten bounces between us, emitting teensy squeaks.

She needs to think it over, and I urge her to take her time, that this is a big commitment. Then a young couple specifically want a gray cat. I show them a newly arrived gorgeous but shy Himalayan mix, who purrs, cries, and hides all at the same time. Not helping her own cause and too timid for them, but she’s young and cute and I expect her to get snapped up soon.

I hang out with Luigi, the more mellow guy next door. He’s a dignified, lanky black and white 8 year old, with large eyes and a soulful expression. He leans on me, rubbing, as I talk to him, and circles around to also rub across my back. But my voice has alerted the cat in the adjoining condo that there’s a human nearby, and he starts up a loud chorus of meows.

Their window is blocked, but the sound carries. I go silent and just pet Luigi, who stares back at me, seeming a bit put upon, but understanding. He’s a smart guy. He’s just waiting for the right person to come along, take that first step with him.

Around the corner, I check out the noise maker. There are two charming cats housed together, both striking looking but of mismatched temperaments. Hunter is the loud guy. He’s a pretty long haired tabby, newly arrived, and bound and determined to tell the world all about it.

His roomie is Chaka, a darling long hair orange Persian mix. She’s clearly a princess, despite her little ET face. She steps delicately across my lap and graciously accepts my petting and admiration. But when Hunter, who’s also eager for attention, steps too close, she hisses and bats him away. We all know who’s boss here, so I coax Hunter away and pet him on the sly.

A young woman asks to meet Chaka, but as she’s getting acquainted, a staffer hurries in to say that someone else is starting the process to adopt her. The woman leaves, disappointed, but this is good news for both cats. I look back over at Luigi, who’s sitting patiently on a small cushion. He’s more average looking and sounding, but I know he’ll make someone a good companion.

Summer School - Penelope

I show up a bit worse for wear from having been out late at my workplace fundraiser (successful event, but pretty exhausting for staff). Not displeased at a quiet start to my shift.

I hang out with Monkey. She’s an all around swell cat, and really does seem younger than her age. She’s friendly, chatty, and even bats at the toy I wave around for her. Elsewhere in the hall, Kincaid and Teyana are content with simple petting and lap lounging.

After an hour or so, I’m refreshed and ready for the less bridled energy of active cats and visiting children. I meet Penelope, a darling little 3 year old skittish all black girl. She launches herself on and off my lap, squirming and rubbing, almost dancing around. A couple children enter the hall, then a couple more, and I realize it’s not a big family but another school group on tour.

The first ones see me inside the condo (awesome as a human in a zoo, their expressions indicate), and soon a bunch of them gather at the door, noses pressed to it, jaws dropping flatteringly. I move the dangle toy so that Penelope chases it right in front of them, and they giggle with delight. Penelope doesn’t seem at all bothered by this rapt audience, and alternates between playing and winding herself around me affectionately.

Even though the kids’ visit is just educational, I like seeing the school groups here. Not only are they clearly enthralled, one or two of them might just decide to return at some point with parents in tow. Penelope seems like a good candidate to mature along with an active family.

On my way out, I stop to admire some pictures tacked up near the volunteer station. People who’ve adopted sometimes send in stuff about the cats they brought home, and Tugboat’s new family has sent several pictures. He looks enormously happy, along with just enormous – and my day is officially made.

Petty Theft - Monkey

High drama at Maddie’s this week. A tiny black partially blind kitten was stolen sometime Wednesday afternoon. They checked the security cameras but couldn’t locate a perp. Local media were contacted, and apparently it was a slow news day, because the story got coverage. Facebook missives are circulating too.

I guess we all hope the thief just didn’t want to pay the adoption fee. Volunteers were told that if the kitten is turned in, to just accept it, no questions asked. Unfortunately, it’s not the first kitten theft.

Many years back, these were apparently more common, so they started locking the kittens in their cages. This made for a cumbersome process to show the kittens, with volunteers needing to check out a key and tangle with a lock to even get to a kitten. Having them in groups in the condos is nicer for the kittens, and easier for us. But I can see how a theft – at least of a non-meower – could occur. It gets pretty chaotic in the kitten area, even with volunteers around. And there are times when volunteers and staffers are not on hand.

And yes, I see the irony.

I’m pleased to learn that Baby’s gone home. Older guy Felix is still here, though, chatty and sweet as ever. He’s lounging happily on my lap when a massive group of kids, 30 or so, all with polka dot bandannas, crowd into hallway 5. They’re from a school, touring the place. Good kids, quiet and attentive. Felix chooses to ignore them, however, and looks up at me to make sure I focus on petting him.

The tour guide points out the TVs in some of the condos, and the back wall of windows that some lucky cats like Felix have. She says there’s a guy who comes in the morning and practices Tai Chi with the cats all watching.

I go down the hall to see Starbuck. He’s a precious skinny little 2 year old orange tabby, a "love bug" boy. I think of the Battlestar Galactica character, but he’s nothing like her, he’s shy and sweet. He accepts some head rubbing and cautiously hops down. I gently pull him into my lap, and he’s so nervous at first that he stays right where he landed. But then he relaxes, purring, guiding my hand with his head for maximum behind the ears petting.

Of course then he wants to stay permanently glued to my lap, and I have to tempt him with the remains of his breakfast to manage to stand up again. What a sweetie. This hall is full of tabbies – beautiful 16 (!) year old Monkey, frisky 9 year old Kincaid, and tiny kittenish Abigail all nose their doors, waiting for company. We're all hoping the charming and outgoing Monkey finds herself a good home fast. She's wonderful company.

There are a few people walking around, most in the "just looking" phase. A mother and daughter stay for a good hour or more, checking out a bunch of cats, pretty pleased with every one of them. And they’re just narrowing it down for other family members to come tomorrow.

I poke my head into the kitten hall on my way out. Except for some scrambling around, all quiet.