So today I was back into the Purrfect Inn with my favorite buddies. The first thing I noticed was that Tom T
om was not in his cage. I inquired with the Kennel Attendant to see if she knew his whereabouts. In my mind, one of three things could have happened: Adopted, back in the area for sick cats, or (I shiver at the thought) put down. I really couldn't imagine that the latter would be the case since there are about a dozen vacant cages in the front, but he had been there for quite some time, so who knows what rules they have to follow. Thankfully it was the best news I could hear. My favorite pal was adopted by a family who completely fell in love with him. Who wouldn't? He is such a lovely cat! So anyways, that just makes my whole week become wonderful! But I have to say that I did miss him during my visit, no other cat snuggles like him, or take naps with me like he did. Farewell my dear Tom Tom!
First up was Alison who we met last week. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that this was a different cat all together. She no longer growled at certain cat toys, which is very good to hear because that would make a lot of potential adopters very nervous. She is so very soft, I just can't get enough of petting her. Thankfully she LOVES the attention and just wants you to pet
her and wants to rub up against everything in sight. Apparently, and according to the paperwork attached to her cage, she was brought in by the police due to the passing away of her owner. No wonder she was acting a little strange last week. She just doesn't understand why she has been put into the shelter and it wasn't because of anything she did. All she knows is that she was taken away by a strange person out of her home and brought to a place that she finds very confusing and I am sure not as comfortable as her previous home. She absolutely loved climbing the cat condo and trying to catch the furry toys that I was teasing her with. The cutest part was that she is so happy that her tail is constantly sticking up. This was especially hilarious when she was stepping out of the light-weight collapsible cat cube and she would drag it behind her with her tail still in it.
Next up was T
ux, who has moved up to my #1 position of favorite kitties. Unfortunately for Tux, today was cloudy and he was not able to get baked (laying down in the direct sunlight), which is one of his favorite things to do. Tux is a tuxedo cat, hence his name. He is surprisingly quiet. I can't say that I have ever heard him meow, even when I first enter the room and all the cats are trying with all their might to grab my attention. He is also not big into purring. It is not that he isn't happy, he's just like a typical man, afraid to show any emotion. Today I noticed that he really likes hiding inside things when we are in the midst of playing. He tends not to go hurdling through the air after a toy, or even chasing one around in circles. He is more of the hide and pounce kind of cat. I hope that his future home has a few good hiding spots (ie: under a bed, behind a couch) for him to get comfortable in. I find that Tux tends to be more interested in the string than the toy that is attached to the end of the string. You gotta love Tux, he's my big teddy bear.
Once again I had the pleasure of playing with Domino. He is the
polydactyl cat that we met last week. Next time I visit Domino, I hope to get a picture of his paws. I tried to count his toes today and found that each of his hind feet have 5 digits (the normal being 4) with the extra being dewclaws. On the front paw I counted 7 digits (the normal being 5) on his left leg (3 within the "thumb"). I had a hard time looking at his right paw due to Domino not liking his paws examined, which is why I
had a hard time clipping his nails last week. I am sure he has a lot of people handling him in this manner to examine him for digit counts. I was able to count 5 digits on right leg, but he has a large thumb and could be hiding one or two small digits in there somewhere. He is such a sweet cat and still is very affectionate even after I handle him for inspection. He loves a good head rub and allowed me to get the "schmutz" out of his eyes. I took another look at his mouth today because of the funny smile he has. I noticed that he seems to have some extra gum flaps going on in his mouth and this made me concerned for his ability to eat and drink. I called in the Kennel Attendant to see if she could take a look and let me know if this was something for concern. She was slightly concerned but wasn't able to get a good look because Domino was getting a little tired of all the examinations. She said that she would put a note down for the vet to take a look. We were both very hesitant of doing this because there is always a chance that whatever the vet finds causing the cat to no longer be considered "adoptable". This is one of those catch 22's in the shelter world. You don't want to report non-life threatening issues that you find, because you fear it causing the animal to be put down. Sometimes just having bad teeth will make a cat not suitable for adoption in the vets eyes. But, you struggle with the idea that since its a fairly minor issue, that the vet might be able to do something to easily help the cats quality of life. In this case, you want to report the issue because you fear that whatever the problem is might get worse or be causing the animal discomfort.
I also played with Whitney during this visit. Whitney took the cage that Tom Tom used to be in. She loves to be held in your arms while she purrs away. She also was quite humorous in the cat tube (which is lined with a faux-lamb fur). She would roll around and do somersaults. Such a sweet heart and I can't wait to play with her next time, if she is still there.
There was also a cat by the name of Molly but she wasn't wanting to come out of her cage. She was very friendly and loving the attention I was giving her, but wasn't wanting to be picked up or held. So I sat there and pet her for a little while and then moved on to Joy's cage.
Joy is such a beautiful and fluffy cat. I can't quite tell if she is slightly overweight, or if it is all
fluff. She is very playful but doesn't wind down easily after chasing things. She is affectionate before being played with, but after playtime, she wants to attack your hands if you go to pet her or try to pick her up. This made it a bit hard when it was time put her back in her cage, but I gently scruffed her by the neck and was able to carry her in my arms.
He is an absolute sweetheart! The papers indicates that he is black and white coloring but I for the life of me couldn't find a patch of white anywhere other than a dozen or so white hairs scattered around his coat. He is just a cutie pie who loves to be held, even on his back like a baby. He is a bit on the hefty side, I wouldn't say fat, just manly in stature. I can totally see this boy laying beside his future companion on the couch and in total heaven. He doesn't seem too interested in playing, although he did swat at the feathers on a stick a couple times. He just wants a good dose of loving and and cozy couch to hang out on. He will let you know that he is happy with his soft and mellow purr. He didn't mind too much when I clipped his front paws and he absolutely adored being brushed. I was heart broken when it was time to put him back in his cage because he just wanted so desperately to hang out with me all day.
Lancie is a sweet little 1 year old Black and White cat. I would consider her markings to be that of a mask-and-mantle but creeping into the "tuxedo" area. She doesn't seem quite sure of herself but that is probably due to the fact that she is fairly new to the shelter and at the tail end of the healing process of being fixed. 
She likes to play a little but she really loves being on an elevated surface and looking out the window. Every time someone walked by, she was up on her hind legs with her nose pressed against the glass. The cutest thing was that she has a tendency of leaving her tongue sticking out of her mouth just a little bit. I tried taking a few photos while I was in the room with her to capture her adorable pink tongue.
Trudy is a very soft muted tabby. She is so affectionate and also quite playful. She surprised me a couple of times by jumping vertically and reaching 3 feet off the ground to go after the feathers on a stick. She is a wonderful lap kitty who also knows how to play. She likes to watch out the windows and even shows her affection by licking your hand. This was actually the first time
any cat in the shelter has licked me and it is such an honor for her to be so open to me on our very first visit with each other. What a cute face with those black tipped ears, and she has meow to match her sweet personality.
