September - Junior

Autumn manifests itself at the shelter not with the city’s standard summer-like heat, but by a dearth of campers, and fewer kittens and fewer volunteers. They put little plastic hearts on the condos of cats who haven’t had visits recently, and over a dozen have gone three days without a volunteer visitor.

First up, though, a young couple (appearance suggests high school, but the fact they’re living together and looking for a kitten has me guess just out of college) are waiting anxiously in hallway 1. Though Maddies has only been open fifteen minutes, the first kitten they chose, from a group of adorable orange tabby and calicos, just got snapped up by someone who had gone straight to the front desk.

The remaining bunch are cuddly-cute, so it’s not too hard for them to select another one. (I’m thinking, first, that I can barely tell the difference between these tiny creatures, and second, hey guys, do you realize your new cat will most likely still be your baby in the year 2020? Can you imagine your life that far from now, wouldn’t an older cat make more sense?)

But it’s their choice, and they pick a sweet medium hair calico fluff ball. I head off to see what are unfortunately some regulars. Sweet soft Kitter, who really craves human companionship, and shy Becca, and even shyer Helen.

Junior watches from across the hall, waiting patiently for his turn. He’s a massive 22 pound black and white boy, ironically named yet it suits him. What a sweet, fat lovey guy. Really, it’s pretty rare for me to find a cat who makes my boy look small in comparison – but where Montana is short legged and chunky, Junior is even fatter plus long limbed.

He’s on the shy side too, and on the old side at age nine. But he still likes to play, and he bats my toy around as well as rubbing, purring and delicately licking my hand. His motor is loud enough to hear out in the hallway, and I keep hoping someone will come by and see him, be drawn in by his older guy charm.

No such luck; the kittens are still the most in demand. After awhile a vivacious model-like young woman asks to see another set of kittens, saying she likes orange ones and tabbies. When I mention the other room with the orange kittens she says no, that that whole group has been adopted just in the last couple hours.

Like the first couple, her initial choice was already selected by an earlier adopter. This woman has grown up with cats and her mother shelters feral kittens – she clearly gets it about the responsibility and everything. She settles on a striking 2 month old orange tabby boy and a smaller but slightly older golden eyed all black girl. Halloween kittens, she calls them, calling her husband to urge him to get down right away before anyone else sees them.

I point her towards the front desk where she can get her paperwork started, and stake her claim. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that the kittens are finding homes. Just wish they all could be as lucky.