The Nature of Cats - Mago

Can I compare the animal shelter to a zoo yet? It’s getting there. People are lined up again as the doors open at Maddie’s, and it stays pretty busy.

I help an older couple who’ve come in with a younger woman and her bright eyed little girl. They’re looking for an outgoing male cat who likes kids. And while I can think of a few who might be suitable, they promptly decide to adopt the first fellow they meet, a playful tabby. The young woman wonders if they shouldn’t look around a bit more, and I nod in agreement, but the guy seems like he just wants the deed done.

At least they want an adult cat. Lots of people are here for the kittens. Hallway 1 gets pretty overrun with people lining up 2 and 3 deep for a look at the little cuties. It’s a challenge to get groups of people into the rooms and keep frisky kittens from escaping, but for now, it’s controlled chaos.

I squeeze in a little time to sit with some shy adult kitties, who aren’t loving the crowds. Pretty 3 year old gray tabby Mago mostly hides till someone comes to visit. He’s surprisingly big emerging from his box, adorable and sweet. He slinks around, belly low and ears alert, then crouches next to me while I stroke him. I’m hoping someone will see him out like this, someone quiet and looking for a quiet companion.

Instead a group of oversized teens wander by. Their loud voices scare Mago, but they’re polite and interested in the cats. We visit Nigel and Boots, and they pepper me with questions. One feels bad that the cats are mostly alone in their rooms and wonders why they can’t all be put together in one big room. (Talk about chaos!) But I try to give a respectful answer, explaining the solitary nature of cats.

Pretty soon it’s back to the kittens. Some people have quite specific colors and ages in mind, and I have to explain that they’re coming and going fast and they may just have to keep checking in. Others want to take them all. It’s sweet and rewarding to see one woman lose her heart to a tiny fellow named Fum (siblings Fee, Fi and Foe already having been adopted).

Another couple peeks in at him afterward from the hallway. Why is he so cute, I want him, the woman moans to her companion. Also the nature of cats.