To Have and to Hold – Tina Marie

I know, enough with the Royal Wedding hoopla. Want to see some lovely princesses? You’re in luck, because a van load recently arrived at Maddie’s from the Sonoma Humane Society http://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/cats.

Aptly named Sweetie Pie draws me in by making eye contact from her window. She’s a pretty, green eyed, all gray medium hair 3 year old from the Sonoma batch. She stays alert, but goes from cautious to cuddly before long, and stands next to me, rubbing her head around my shoulders.

I invite in a woman who’s been watching, mesmerized, from the hallway. She explains that she and her husband lost a very similar looking cat last summer. She expounds upon Russian Blue virtues, among them extreme loyalty to a special human. Her husband got the royal treatment, she tells me, adding that she thinks it would be too painful for him if she brought home such a visual match.

That’s the plan – she’s going to select the next cat, or hopefully pair of cats, and bring them home; he’ll roll with it. Everything indicates that these two are long and happily married, so whatever works… but, wow, that’s not how I’d do it.

Across the hall, longer term resident Tina Marie instigates a wild play session with herself. She’s more like the gal who’s quirky in looks and personality and is only later revealed to be a princess in disguise. She’s a long legged 8 year old unique looking calico, with a dark splotch on her nose and a white patch down her back.

She’s not into other cats, which has not surprisingly made her stay here challenging. One on one though, I like hanging out with Tina Marie. She sniffs around, enjoys carefully attended to petting, and maintains a strong steady purr, at least until play time. Smart but bored, is how her kennel card describes her. Definitely a cat who lets you know how she’s feeling. I imagine she’s the type who would both figure out and make her displeasure known if her people were planning a vacation. But I’ve had that sort of yes, your highness cat, and never regretted it.

I move along to meet Snuggie and Lentil, two more dainty sweet girls. Hoping their princes, or at least mellow people who need a new friend, will come by.

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Worth A Thousand Words – Tubby

If you’re a fellow Day In Pictures fan, you probably saw the photo from those saved dogs in China earlier this week. Just an ordinary looking dog, his head leaning up from cage toward the hand petting him. Such a soulful expression though, on a clearly intelligent and precious dog.

There’s nothing like meeting animals in person to decide to help them. But some photos really do tell a story. So I’m pleased to see the Maddie’s cat photographer, camera in one hand and toy in the other, making his rounds as I work my shift. Cats are challenging subjects, and the SPCA does well at capturing images of its available animals.

It’s busy there – children are off school, and a number of parents and eager kids are touring the place for entertainment. I settle in with Tubby, an 8 year old pretty brown tabby boy. He’s shy but cuddly, and, yes, a bit rotund. Also sweet and bright, with a near constant purr.

A pair of tiny, noisy girls come dashing down the hall. My boy bravely holds his own, even stepping toward the door to investigate, nose to nose, the child standing, open mouthed, at his door. They hurry away, as another small family comes in, exclaiming about all the cute kitties.

Next door, sweet bonded pair Zac and Sissy are curled together in a tabby ball, ignoring the commotion. It’s hard to tell whose paw belongs to who till Zac bestirs himself up to allow better petting access. They seem pretty content, but I wish they had a nice human family of their own.

I help a woman who wants to see a kitten. She’s looking for a companion for her friendly young cat, and makes her selection very quickly. I probe a little, making sure she’s thought this through, and she assures me that she’s been looking online daily and came in as soon as she saw today’s kittens posted.

The cats are going fast this week. Cleo’s got an adoption pending sign up, and I hear that Big Mac and also Tigger have found homes. The kittens are getting scooped up one after another, with people crowding the hallways, awaiting their chance to meet them. I help a young couple who just melt over a darling gray and white fellow, and whip out their phones to snap photos. All in all, a happy picture.

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Cats on the Move – Tigger

It’s disappointing to learn that pretty long hair Stella was returned, due to problems with resident cats. She seems none the worse for her travels at least – if anything, she’s more eager for personal attention. She’s still friendly and fun, though now recommended to be an only cat.

There’s a new pair from Yolo across the hall. "Cleocatra," a gorgeous and outgoing calico, immediately catches my eye. Then I chat with a woman who’s looking for a cat that can handle frequent car trips between her weekday and weekend homes. She’s drawn to Cleo too, and we go in to meet her.

Cleo’s shy for about a second, then rubs around, super friendly. The woman clearly adores cats, but is a little over friendly with her hands, causing the second cat to retreat. But Cleo enjoys the attention. Just to test her, I pick her up. She settles easily on my shoulder, comfortable with a one handed cuddle, and even climbs up to perch, no handed. The woman has a roommate to consult, and other cats still to see. I’m part hoping she finds the right cat, and part concerned for any cat with a frequent commute.

I spend awhile with Tigger, a frisky tabby and white 5 year old who’s been here awhile. She’s very alert, a little anxious, and moves quickly between lap cuddles and zipping after a toy. She reminds me of a small child, just in terms of her attention span, but I think she’ll settle down with a comfortable routine.

Our play is interrupted by the sight of a small black cat trotting along the hallway. It’s Twilight, who apparently took advantage of her door not having been fully shut. I hurry after her, and she even makes a dash for the just closing main hall door. I manage to corral her back into her room, very glad not to be instigating a chase through the rest of Maddie’s.

Last kitty of the day isn’t supposed to be moving around – 6 month old Hopalong is recovering from leg surgery. He came in injured, and he’s a shy guy to start with. Very cute though, and sweet and sensitive. He’s a thin, pale orange fellow with greenish eyes. He doesn’t like his big blue collar, but he blinks in contentment as I lie next to him, rubbing behind his ears. So patient for a youngster.

Out on 16th, a young woman passes me, carrying a stylish case with what looks like a grown up version of Hopalong. I catch up with her at the BART station, and compliment her on her cat’s looks and mellow disposition. (My cat – indeed, most cats – would be yowling if confined in a crowded station.) She says he’s a good traveler. He looks not exactly happy, but calmly resigned to his situation. Good to see another adaptable cat.

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Weekend Update - Lana

Happily for my overloaded schedule, there are lots of new volunteers active at Maddie’s. Pretty sure I’m missing the kitties more than they’re missing me. I at least take a peak at the website, which features several longer term residents. Sweet cuddly Lana is still looking for a new home. She’s a friendly soft all black 6 year old, who's longing to spend quality time with a new human friend.

But pretty long hair calico Stella has finally been adopted. (I would have thought she’d have gone home sooner – friendly and funny and kind of a goof, in a good way). She spent weeks in what I still think of as Emmy’s condo.

Now that’s an adoption success story. The boyfriend and I toured Maddie’s back in 2001 – I’d visited before but hadn’t started volunteering and he’d never been. We spent a long time there, and met several cats before leaving, undecided. Miss Emily was a strong contender, and I wasn’t surprised when he announced a day later that he had returned and adopted her.

Emmy was perhaps 5 back then, a big boned, playful, super soft gray and white girl with a big loud purr. She had rubbed figure eights between us when we first saw her, and her signature move was a huge long legged stretch at the sight of someone she liked.

A decade later, she still does the stretch every morning. She wakes her man by swatting her tail in his face, and then dances around his legs, with that guttural purr. But she’s slowed down some. She takes a few lurching attempts before jumping up to the table. Instead of dashing up the stairs, she kind of lumbers up one step at a time. She’ll play, but not for more than a minute or two, before flopping onto her side, uninterested.

She gets her exercise, somewhat unwillingly, from the regular pursuit of her smaller younger sister. Her enthusiasm for meals has never dimmed; when it’s time to eat, she’ll pointedly and noisily lick the bottom of her empty bowl. She had favorite places to nap, and to sit, and a few areas that she’s deemed off limits to the other cat (a mere kitten of a 9 year old).

She’s the queen of her castle, no question. I doubt she even remembers that temporary home in hallway 4. And it’s impossible now to imagine this place without her. But in the back of my mind I know she won’t be around forever, and I take spend a little extra time just sitting with the old girl. Appreciating her on a lazy Saturday, and our time here together.

What a Day for a Daydream - Winkie

Hello sunshine. It's opening day, I've got the Cesar Chavez holiday off work, it's summery as if the floods and slides are distant by weeks instead of days. Got Lovin' Spoonful tunes in my head as I amble through the Mission.

And who do I meet but a dream cat, Jughead. Don't judge by the dorky name, this big tabby boy is a doll. He's a young adult, soft and sweet, with gorgeous striping. He's got a wonderful combo of shy and cuddly behavior. He's new here, and cautious, very aware of his surroundings. But he likes human company, and purrs, and lolls by me, showing off his pretty striped belly.

There aren't many cat shoppers around, so I can spend extra time with the kitties. My buddy Spider Monkey meows for his turn, and rewards me with some extra cute frisky romping after a ping pong ball in his condo.

I help a woman who's touring Maddie's with her son. She tells me he might have allergies, so they're really just checking things out. We meet Dylan, whom I know is good with kids. The boy is bright, but not used to cats; both are amazed to watch him leap up to the top of his climbing structure and back. No sneezing, but it's pretty clear they're not ready to adopt yet. The boy begs to go look at dogs.

Later, a young woman expresses some casual interest in meeting a cat, maybe a petite and friendly girl. As we chat, she confesses she just lost the cat from her childhood days ago. It's so raw that it's painful for her to talk about, and for me to hear. I bring her in to sit with Winkie, a small, soft, chatty 12 year old tabby.

Her meow is comically loud coming from such a petite girl, and she rubs around both of us. Winkie hasn't been eating well, but with our encouragement, she eagerly eats some kibble. She's got a funny way of lifting one of her paws, like a pointer dog, aiming it toward her dish. The woman gently pets the little cat. She's "not in a place now" where she can have a cat, she admits. Eventually she will be, I'm pretty sure, just from watching their sweet interaction. For now, it's just day dreams.

Pick of the Litter – Big Mac

Just a hint of sunshine seems to have driven people out – sidewalks are crowded, and a steady stream of cat admirers wander the halls at Maddie’s. A young man and his mom ask me about a sweet young cat who’s already got an adoption pending sign on her condo. I explain that she’s not available, but that there are plenty of other great cats here. They keep looking in at the pretty calico, seeming unconvinced.

A young couple are interested in a darling 4 month old former feral tabby. They bring a friend in to meet her, and show me a picture of their super cute little cat-friendly dog, whose best pal they hope she’ll become.

They head off to the front, excited about their new kitten, and I visit Big Mac, a friendly 8 year old all black cat. I’m not usually a fan of corporate fast food names for animals, but his name suits him. He’s inquisitive and sweet, big of course, with a good solid head butt and near constant purr. He’s FIV positive, but in good health. I sit and pet him, and he gently paws my hand to keep the pets coming when my attention wanders.

It’s understandable, but a little frustrating, that some cats find homes so much faster than others. Some wonderful animals (just like people!) are on the mature side, or have health issues or personality quirks. But they can still make great companions.

I chat with a woman who’s showing her friend around. Both have cats already, but we enjoy the flirtatious behavior of Topaz, a cutie who’s newly arrived from Yolo County. She’s in a shared condo, and soon an adorable tabby roomie is hand delivered from upstairs.

I check in on Sissy and Zac, who reside next door. They seem a little down; Zac utters his plaintive high pitched meow and I’m not sure what he wants. His old home back, probably.

Not long later, a nice older woman asks to see Punn Punn, the new tabby boy next door. She’s got an opinionated 13 year old kitty at home, and recently lost her second cat. She wants someone young, playful and friendly, who won’t be intimidated by other cats. It doesn’t take long for her to decide that he’s the one.

I’m glad for him, and for pretty playmate Topaz, whom I expect will find a home this weekend. I mean Punn Punn got adopted within a couple hours of arriving on the main floor, and that’s great and not at all surprising. Just wish for good homes for the harder to place kitties too.

Hard Rain – Alicia

It’s a gray day, with intermittent dumping rain. And I’m remembering April of 25 years ago: I was living in London, and stood outside, tipping up my umbrella to watch the first rainfall after Chernobyl. Horrified, knowing just the bare bones of what had happened, but aware of what could be falling from the sky.

Now, I’m not off stockpiling iodine or anything, but just feel sad about the situation in Japan, and frustrated that simple, serious conservation is so rarely in the mix of energy discussions. (As I walk and take transit to my volunteer gig.)

Sweet girl Alicia makes a nice rainy day companion. She’s an 8 year old "sidekick," just your basic cat – soft, small, all gray, cuddly with a touch of goofy. She hops onto my lap, and eases a paw and her little chin up toward my chest, purring happily. I whisper to her the good news that the funny cat and dog pair from last week went home Sunday.

Several volunteers have braved the rain to come in, but there aren’t many potential adopters. So I spend some awhile with a friendly young nanny and her two charges. She’s considering signing up as a volunteer and the older kid is interested in the summer camp, so it doesn’t feel like a total waste of time, even if the kids are admittedly just looking for a cat to play with (their senior kitty at home apparently sleeps rather than plays).

We find several friendly kitties who enjoy the interactions. One pair of feisty guys go leaping after the toys, startling the small boy who got them riled up. Both kids are bright, careful with the animals, and listen respectfully to the adults.

They head off, and I settle in to socialize my sweet boy Stallone. He’s made good progress – his nose is healing and he curls almost immediately in my lap. In the hall, I hear a couple people talking about that video from the tsunami aftermath, of the dog who led rescuers back to his wounded dog buddy.

This was the first animal story I’d seen from the devastation. I know there’s been terrible, tragic loss of life, and no doubt countless beloved pets lost. Somewhere out there, though, hoping for another glimmer of hope.