Snowboots, the Survivor

Snowboots came in as an extremely shy stray that trusted no humans. When I first some him in the adoptable cat room, I was warned he would not be the warm and cuddly feline like Boo or Lucy.

I made my way to his bottom-level corner cage and saw this white cat crouched behind his litter box, his eyes carefully watching me. I slowly opened the cage door and started talking to him as he immediately tried to crouch even further down, and further into the corner.

I sat there for about ten minutes, where we could just watch each other. I didn't reach in, he was obviously not going to welcome my hand. Uncomfortable with people, being aggressively friendly wasn't going to work with Snowboots.

The next week I came in and saw Snowboots again in his cage, but no longer hiding in the corner. He probably witnessed the other cats getting taken out of their cages by these mysteriously gentle humans and coming back unscathed and calm. Maybe he felt it was time to try venturing out, because he let me open his door and pick him up. He was tense as I carried him to the socializing room and he was tense when I put him next to the room's largest cat scratcher.

It only took another ten minutes for Snowboots to approve of his new surroundings and permit me to scratch behind his ears. It didn't take much longer for him to be comfortable with getting a complete kitty body massage. Not much more time passed until he shoved himself in my lap and couldn't get close enough to me to satisfy his need for human attention.

Snowboots has turned out to be the ultimate cat lap that I thought he was the exact opposite of. He's proven everyone wrong with his new-found extreme, snuggly attitude. He will be the most giving and grateful adopted cat that has ever been adopted. Go to the Napa County Animal Shelter to check him out!

Tortiseshell Tabitha

Tabitha is clearly one of the most distinct and beautiful kitties at the shelter. Her black and tan mixed coat and her be-speckled eyes make her unusual and alluring.

Tabitha is 13 years old and clearly likes a slower pace of living. She walks around with patience and a little bit of timidness at first. Once she's gotten used to you, she starts making uncertain mews, as if asking for permission to make a sound.

She may take her time wandering about, but she knows where to go for a good head or ear scratch. She'll look back at you, meow questioningly, and promptly start the trek over to your hands.

I can easily see Tabitha becoming a lazy housecat who adores sunbathing by windows and stretching on beds. In addition to being a calm and collected feline, she'll be quite the art piece walking around your house!

Lavender: The Energetic Ballerina

This lovely lady is no ordinary feline. She may have a precious exterior and begging eyes, but a good 5 minutes of watching her and you know there's a little bit of calculated crazy underneath. What you first notice are her petite frame, skinny limbs, and soft walk. If only Lavender turned out her feet when she walked, you could swear she was a prima ballerina ready to attach an offending toy.

As she gingerly walks around the kitty play room, Lavender is as curious and playful as a baby kitten. At two years old I wasn't expecting her to have maintained many kitten-like tendencies, but if one little thing catchers the corner of her eye, she immediately stalks it. She likes to hide behind scratching posts and chairs to monitor her prey (likely a ball), then wiggles her behind, and *pounce* she has made a capture!!

Lavender is so playful and with so much energy, it's no surprised she is such a svelte kitty, always ready for a runway. She will keep you entertained for hours with her youthful antics and pouncing ways!

A Sad Truth

I really need to invest into a camera of my own, because I haven't been able to keep the chronicles of my ventures properly documented. Anyway, what I want to write about today is something really hit me super deeply. I had met Kelly and she had told me the good news that there had been a cat adoption, and there was a new face to see. I was really excited. I get to the cat room to greet the wonderful new face. My heart stops. I recognize this face. This face belongs to the cat that my neighbors had been pet sitting a year ago. There is no way I could ever forget that little cats face. I take her out of the pen, I read her chart and see that she is just the right age to be the cat who I think she is. As soon as I hear her meow, it's all set in.

I get her in the play room and begin to pet her and everything she does tells me it's her. She was just so happy to be out of her cage and to have some interaction. I never had a doubt in my mind that it was her. You can't forget a cat like her. Why haven't I called her by a name yet? It's because she still hasn't received one. When she was being pet sit by my neighbors, her name was Luke. We used to think she was a he, until we kept noticing that my neighbor was calling her a she. Luke is a strange name for a little girl, but that was the name her owner had chosen. Sadly, now she is without a home.

While reading her charts, I saw that her status said stray. I was a little relieved. I thought that perhaps she had gotten out of where ever it is that she was living and that her owner just hadn't found her yet. I had read that she had been brought in on June 1st, but I try to stay optimistic. I spent what time I could with Luke (currently without a name) as I could to make her feel safe and secure, and then I moved along with my day and took out other cats. I had four cats out today and felt pretty successful. I couldn't wait to get home and talk to my neighbors. I saw one of the employees and told her the situation, and that's where my happy relief fell short. She informed me that "Luke" had been surrendered. She had also just given birth to a litter of kittens. It was impossible to believe, but I knew it was true. I worry what happened to the other cat that she been with when I knew her as a kitten, whether he is back there too waiting for his chance at adoption.

I think the most important thing to learn from this is to spay/neuter your pets. It's horrible to think that there are so many unwanted animals out there that are stuck in shelters because no matter how great the shelter is, the shelter is not the same thing as a home. It hurts that I had seen this sweet little kitty start to grow into a young adult, and now I see that fate has reunited us in the last place that I would want to see her. I can only hope that she is quickly adopted! I'll be sure to post pictures of her when I get access to a camera, and to update everyone on her name!

Update: ADOPTED 7/2/2010!! The Dressy Gentleman

Tux wears his fancy suit for any and every occasion. Whether it be attacking the scratch post, rolling on the floor, or begging for love, Tux is ready for a show.

I’ve taken Tux out of his cage twice now and I have a pretty clear idea of what he likes. He likes adventure. He likes getting loved. Tux is so eager to get out of my arms and into the fun room, he almost squirms out of his suit. When he jumps to the floor his excitement overtakes him as he checks out everything in the room and can’t decide what to play with first.

Tux is a super slinky cat that appears to have taken ballet classes since birth. One of my favorite things about it him is that despite his natural grace, Tux isn’t afraid to follow his curiosity and risk looking silly. It’s an awesome quirk. This fancy feline loves to jump to the top of the cat scratcher and back, but needs to know that someone is always there to scratch his head and watch him play.

That actually seems to be a common trait among all the shelter cats. Some like their independence more than others, but they all want to know their human is there to love them. It’s what they’ve been without for a long time and the idea of losing that security is always in the back of their minds, until they get adopted. I wish I could adopt them all and finalize my Crazy Cat Lady persona, but I can’t. That’s where all of you come in!

Baby Boo

Say hello to Boo! Boo and I bonded the first day I volunteered at the shelter. I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about him. On my first day I opened the cage next to Boo to pet a different cat. While petting the other feline, I feel a little *pat pat* on my arm and then something pulling my sleeve. I turn to look and there was baby Boo, arm outstretched with his little paw on my shirt, mewing at me for attention with longing in his bright green eyes.

The next time I came in both the cat socializing rooms were occupied so I held Boo in my arms. He automatically slipped into a rocking baby position, soaking up the head scratches. He purred and purred and twisted in my arms to get his back scratched as well. In a matter of seconds his purring slowed and eventually stopped completely. I look down to see Boo had fallen asleep in my arms.

Ever time I see the cats I make sure to stop by and say hello to Boo. He always looks up and softly mews until I melt and have to at least hear his precious purr. In the socializing room, Boo is like a giant kitten. He's excited to see all the toys and cat scratchers, try them out, then roll all over the floor for giggles. And once he's worn himself out he hops onto your lap for some more head scratches before drifting off to a purring sleep with his favorite companion, you.

Lucy the Lap Cat

I have a huge soft spot for Lucy. She looks like she fell in a bucket of orange paint and then someone spattered her with black paint. Her hair is at odd lengths and she has a permanent disapproving facial expression. Somehow, the combination of all this has made her into the most lovable and beautiful lap cat.

I believe Lucy could sit on your lap for hours as you scratch behind her ears, her face, and her little belly. She purrs with intent and goes straight to you for attention. She is a pleasantly content feline.

Once she's gotten comfortable with you, she will go exploring for a bit. The scratch post? She thinks its pretty fun. The rope with feathers on the end? She must destroy it. Lucy is a playful cat when she wants to be, but easily reverts back to getting scratches and purring happily.

Don't let her gentle nature deter you from giving her a good hard scratching, she will adore you for it!