Cat Tails

The shelter is flooded with cats at the moment, from teeny weeny little kittens to big, plump, senior cats. I often develop favorites during my shifts at the shelter, and when I come back for my next shift they are often not there anymore, either having been adopted or sent to foster care.

That's a good thing.

Unfortunately, there have been a few cats who have still been around for my past few shifts. Considering I only come in every two weeks, it means they've been at the shelter for at least a month or two, which is very stressful for the cat and very sad in general that they haven't found a home yet and are resigned to being in a cage for most of the day.

These are some of the cats:

Thunder:

This big boy has been there the longest, since the beginning of April. Poor guy. It's probably because he's not the kind of cat that will jump to the front of his cage, wanting attention and pets. He is a nice cat, but more on the independent side. He gets along well with other cats and likes to play with them, especially the kittens. He loves his Temptations treats and will follow a trail of them right back into his cage without a fuss.

Annabelle:

At a year and a half old, she's such a tiny girl but has already had a litter of kittens! They've all found homes and now she's waiting for her turn. She's very quiet and like Thunder, doesn't really seek out attention. But once you have her in your arms she's very affectionate, likes to be held and cuddled. Also has been there since April.

Whiskey:

This cat was an owner surrender. All owners have their own reasons for giving up their pets (especially with the economy as it is), but this one? "Didn't want anymore." Just like that! Why they didn't want this cat, I have no idea. She is very sweet but was very scared at first. Now she always sits at the door of her cage, waiting to be let out. Once we do, she's like the cat room ambassador; she lets everyone that comes in pet her, likes to lounge around on the top of the cat tree watching the world go by, and likes to play like a crazy kitten with a stuffed mouse once in a while.

I could go on and on about the cats that haven't found a home yet, but there are just too many.

Lastly, my favorite cat for this shift: Nala, a beautiful white Turkish Angora cat.

Such a sweetheart! She was very timid and didn't want to venture too far out of her box, but at the same time wanted to be petted so badly that she just rolled around on her back, rubbing her face against your hand and drooling a little while you stroked her soft fur. If only I could take her home...

At the very end of my day, a young fellow who came in with his girlfriend to look at kittens said to me, "Thank you for your time, and thank you for your help. And thank you for taking care of the animals."

Aww.