by Noella noelophile®
In our house, we’d had a very mature discussion.
The time had come to welcome a new feline family member (or two). We were headed for the local shelter.
Mature cats, we had agreed, were our candidates. They were less likely to be adopted, and a lot less rambunctious for their future lives as indoor kitties.
We were sticking to our plan beautifully.
In the cat room of Long Beach’s Pitchford Companion Animal Village, we’d lost our hearts to a gorgeous, three-and-a-half-year-old silver tabby mix. One cat adopted, one more to go.
And then…
We walked past a cage just near the door. A small, five-month-old black kitten with downy, baby fur thrust a paw through the bars at my husband. “Mieuw…”
(You probably know what comes next. She had us at “Mieuw”!)
Ever notice how, the moment you’re comfortably “felined’, other adoptable candidates (“catdidates?”) seem to come purring out of the woodwork?
Our two four-legged family members have now been part of the household for years, and we know who’s in charge around here. Anyone who doesn’t, can just ask our silver-tabby dominant kitty, “Snow”–after they finish scratching her chin.
And now, pet shops seem to have adoptions every week, with cats practically pointing to themselves as you walk by. “ME-ow! Me! Now!” There is a glorious Maine coon cat in a window not far from the grocery–and she has a way of following passersby with her eyes. “I am auditioning a new family, wouldn’t you like to submit your application?”
Last Christmas season, we enjoyed “Operation Santa Paws”, where Justin Rudd and company visited local animal shelters.
We could hear this kitty purring through the bars of her cage at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. If we didn’t already have two perfectly good “miniature lions”, we would certainly have brought her home! (However, ours already don’t seem to comprehend that a bed has sufficient space for two cats!)
But–if you love kitties and can make a fifteen- to twenty-year commitment (if you’re lucky, that’s how long they can live!), you might like to “audition” at your local shelter. Sadly, Pitchford, in Long Beach, is not a no-kill. If you start there, you may be saving a life.
Closer to Seal Beach? Seal Beach Animal Care Center is a no-kill shelter, and they’d welcome your support. (They need volunteers, if you aren’t in a position to adopt.)
And earlier this year, Los Angeles became the largest city to ban retail sales of non-rescue pets. Does your city have that ban? Here is the link to a great nonprofit–Best Friends, the leader of the no-kill movement. They publish a list of cities and states with retail pet sale bans.
You’ll find resources, ways to get involved and, of course, adoptions in your area.
Happy Caturday! May you wind up with a four-legged sovereign who graciously accepts your devotion.