I love working at the shelter. I love seeing all those bright-eyed babies running and playing. I love how when I walk through the door, they all come to greet me, each vying for the best position so they can get the first kiss. And they wait, little chins jutting forward, eyes wide with anticipation. I greet them all by name, one at a time, with scratches to the chin and kisses to the head.
I can’t say which of them I love the most, they’ve all stolen my heart. That’s why, when one is adopted it feels so bittersweet. I’m thrilled they’ve found a loving home where they can get those scratches and kisses whenever they want by someone whose attention is solely on them, not shared with 60 or so others. But I’m also sad that I’ll never see them again. It’s hard letting go, even when letting go is not only the right thing, it’s the absolute best that could happen.
A lot of our babies have been adopted over the past couple of months – a lot of our older ones, in fact. Two have come back to us. You might remember their names if you’ve been following along. Clyde and Granger. They’ve lived their entire lives in the shelter, so, unfortunatly for them, being moved to a home wasn’t comforting, it was traumatic. They were adopted together and hid together under a couch for the month they were there. They refused to come out except to eat or take care of business. They’re home now, at the shelter, and seem as happy as can be. Happiness is what we want for our shelter cats, so we give these two (and the others of course) the love and attention they want and need… when they grant us permission to do so. They are ‘cats’ after all. 🙂
Meanwhile, just this weekend, two precious sibling kittens, Jenny and Jeremy, found a home.
Jenny and Jeremy (check your sound – there’s music on the videos)
We worried these two would grow up in the shelter and wind up like Clyde and Granger. They arrived when they were just a couple of weeks old, tiny, cautious, curious and playful. We’ve all adored them and watched them grow. They’re now nearly 5 months old and will make the perfect addition to their new loving family.
If ever you have a chance to adopt an animal, please do so. They may seem a little rough around the edges from living at a shelter, but inside, they are warm and sweet and in need of as much love as any one of us can give.
I want to show you all of our kitties but of course I can’t. I can however show you this great complilation of some of them. I hope you enjoy watching these little guys as much as I do. (Thanks Kate for all of these wonderful videos!!)
Cat Visions
Debbie,
Thank you for sharing the joy of these cats but most of all, thank you for sharing your life with them and giving them the petting and kisses they need.
Linda
Debora, looks like a nice shelter. I’ll bet you pitch in with keeping it that way. Enjoyed the videos, too.
Linda,
It’s funny, but I feel like I should be the one saying thank you. Honestly, I’m happy to do this. Those cats are some characters and they’re such fun to be around. Daughter feels the same way – she volunteers with me. Too cool.
~Debbie
Kathleen,
Humble as it may be, there’s no place like home, yes? I truly believe that’s how the cats feel. We do our best to keep it clean and organized but it’s not always easy. What’s funny is we can take the same perch or scratching post, put it in a different spot, and have all the cats come to investigate. They all take turns with it as if it’s a new piece of furniture. They’re so innocent. And so easy to please. Sometimes. 😉
~Debbie
Debbie-
Oh I so have to work on DH for a cat! Maybe for my birthday…
We got our adorable wonderful poodle from Craig’s List. She’d been adopted and it didn’t work out. Lucky for us!
What a big heart you have!
Debora, you are an animal lover. With stories you write, do your characters have pets? I can picture your homey scenes with a perch or scratching post.
Beth,
If you lived nearby, I’d steer you right to my shelter and match you with the perfect cat. Their personalities are so individual. It’s amazing and such fun. I hope you can convince your DH to get one… when is your birthday? And what’s his email addy? LOL.
~Debbie
Barrie,
I’d heard about people finding pets on Craig’s List. The experiences have been great. How wonderful to hear that adorable poodle of yours has found a new and loving home!
~Debbie
Kathleen,
It’s funny you ask if my stories include pets. I’ve yet to do that, though I really can’t say why. One of my heroines does feed a stray, and she worries when it goes missing. Hero comes in to save the day… and the cat… but that’s as close as I’ve come to giving my characters a pet. Odd, yes?
~Debbie
Thank you again, Debbie, for adding these videos to your blog! There are 26 ACT videos now, and new ones for the cats being added all the time! There are also tributes for Kylie and Cookie. Thank you also for all you and your daughter do volunteering at the shelter.
Kate
My pleasure, Kate. For all of it – posting those wonderful videos you made and for helping at the shelter. It’s such a fulfilling experience. I love it.
I saw the beautiful tributes for Kylie and Cookie. So lovingly created. They reduced me to tears. They were such special babies – and of course, you know how extra special Kylie was to me. Setting her free was a very, very difficult thing to do. It still breaks my heart. Thank you for paying such a heartfelt tribute to her and to Cookie.
~Debbie