This is Oscar.
He got a home with a friend of mine in mid-May.
I think they are both wonderful.
It’s that time of year: when pregnant cats, and already born kittens, start showing up in the shelters. It’s a dramatic lesson in the importance of spaying and neutering.
Not just our own cats, but all cats.
When I get asked, “Why do you have so many cats?” I answer with, “Because so many people have so few.”
Because this is a problem that must be worked from both sides. Yes, we should reduce the numbers of homeless cats being born; but we should also increase the numbers of potential homes. This is how we will get the most dramatic, most humane, and happiest results.
I know each of us can only do so much as our resources allow. We might consider if we can add another cat at this season of renewal. We have open windows, extra energy, and maybe room for one more cat in our life.
Or we can see if outsourcing might be our way of contributing to the cats this coming month.
I love helping people enjoy their cats more. But I didn’t want to just “preach to the choir.” I also wanted a resource for people to be convinced cats are the pet for them; especially if they have not experienced that joy just yet.
We should remember that in these tough times, shelter cats are a great pet bargain. They have usually been altered, are up to date on shots, and we will know something about them from the shelter people, who are glad to guide us to the right cats to choose from.
If we know someone thinking of a pet, urge them to consider a cat; lower maintenance, lower cost, lower exercise needs; and with all the affection and amusement they are seeking.
There are plenty of people out there who are not considering a cat as a pet; and maybe they should.
My friend with the kitten? When we met, he was a cat skeptic. Our chats, and reading the blog, has brought him to this happy point.
Because, as Ernest Hemingway said, “One cat leads to another.”
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Love the quote you put in there, One cat leads to another. Yikes. I have 16 here now, Where does it stop?? Just kidding. I love all my cats and I think I have found homes for the latest kittens. I do have one neighbor that is making an effort to catching some of his feral cats and getting them fixed. I still have one cat that I cannot catch. It is driving me nuts. Good blog.
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Oscar is adorable! Congratulations on converting a cat skeptic, what a happy ending!
Thanks, mel. We can all try to be “cat godparents” in such a way.
I sympathize, Margaret. It’s always the smartest ones, and we make a relationship even at a distance. Good luck!