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Whew! Narrowly averted the urge to get a new kitty at the ASPCA today.
There was news coverage Monday morning because there are SO many homeless kittens and cats at the local shelter that they're overflowing and the foster homes can't even take any more. Since poor old Claudia died, we've been down to one cat. Dinah is a good kitty, in general (orphaned at 3 days, so she has some cat habits that are...unrefined. I just bought a 30 dollar catbox that has a top entry because that cat insists on peeing outside of conventional cat boxes. Even the ones with lids. She aims right at the seam. *sigh* Plus I have to buy VERY expensive prescription food for her because she has food allergies...my point is she's a pain in the butt!), but I miss Claude because she was an exceptionally sweet cat. She was an ASPCA rescue too, so I thought "Why not?"
I'll tell you why; those cats were in miserable shape. :-( Seems they all came from the same home...over fifty cats & kittens siezed from one house. Not one was spayed or neutered and they'd never been to a vet in their little lives. The whole bunch was miserable, skinny and sick. All the kittens had flea dirt in their ears and diarrhea, and the adults were half-feral. It was a bad situation for them, no doubt.
I would have taken one anyway just because I'm a very good pet owner and I enjoy saving a life (and my sweet old Claude was an abused kitten once too, and she turned out to be the most awesome cat ever...), but I have my current pets to think about. Dinah has always had a touchy respiratory system because of her own terrible kittenhood problems, and with the new food she's finally looking really healthy. I have never had a single flea or ear mite in this house and I don't want to start now. Plus, a traumatized kitty probably wouldn't react well to Kiba, the brat-prince of the house. He's gentle and good to Dinah (who hates him...HATES!), but he's a big gallumphing idiot and a cat would have to be healthy and confident to adjust to his constant offers of doggy friendship.
I really have to be honest; I went to the ASPCA today looking for Claudia. She was such an incredible spirit. But none of those cats had her sweetness and I left feeling a little sad, missing my old friend. She was something special.
I don't feel bad though. There was a parade of people leaving with cats in carriers...the news story really worked and a lot of people opened their hearts and homes, it seems. I just know that I'm going to have to wait and watch for that special soul that says "take me home!".
I'll tell you why; those cats were in miserable shape. :-( Seems they all came from the same home...over fifty cats & kittens siezed from one house. Not one was spayed or neutered and they'd never been to a vet in their little lives. The whole bunch was miserable, skinny and sick. All the kittens had flea dirt in their ears and diarrhea, and the adults were half-feral. It was a bad situation for them, no doubt.
I would have taken one anyway just because I'm a very good pet owner and I enjoy saving a life (and my sweet old Claude was an abused kitten once too, and she turned out to be the most awesome cat ever...), but I have my current pets to think about. Dinah has always had a touchy respiratory system because of her own terrible kittenhood problems, and with the new food she's finally looking really healthy. I have never had a single flea or ear mite in this house and I don't want to start now. Plus, a traumatized kitty probably wouldn't react well to Kiba, the brat-prince of the house. He's gentle and good to Dinah (who hates him...HATES!), but he's a big gallumphing idiot and a cat would have to be healthy and confident to adjust to his constant offers of doggy friendship.
I really have to be honest; I went to the ASPCA today looking for Claudia. She was such an incredible spirit. But none of those cats had her sweetness and I left feeling a little sad, missing my old friend. She was something special.
I don't feel bad though. There was a parade of people leaving with cats in carriers...the news story really worked and a lot of people opened their hearts and homes, it seems. I just know that I'm going to have to wait and watch for that special soul that says "take me home!".
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