First Day

Chip, a long-furred, black and white cat with cheeks that could belong to Sylvester greets me at the door. And by greets me, I mean he runs past the second entryway door and places one giant paw on the door to the outside.

"Hey sweet kitty." I haven't yet learned his name, and I don't know if he likes being held, or even petted. "It's too cold outside, let's go this way." He lets me pick him up gently and lead him back into the main room.

The shelter may be conveniently close to multiple bus lines, but that doesn't make the buses keep to the time schedule, and I'm a few minutes late. The shelter is already full of volunteers scrubbing out cages. Cats wander in and out of legs and out and about of cages. Anywhere I look, all I can see are cats. I'm in heaven.

I bend down and pet Chip as I look around for someone who looks like they're in charge. I find her and after introductions and a brief recap on where everything else, another new volunteer and I begin cleaning a room that houses nine cats. Two fat tabbies, Mama Lu and Kia, are asleep on some shelves. Bryn is on the highest shelf in the corner, only her ears and her cautious eyes visible. Chip chases Tux into the room. It's hard to tell whether or not they're just playing. Chip looks playful, but Tux seems terrified, so after a bit of hissing the shift supervisor sprays Chip with "discipline water".

The bulk of my time is spent cleaning the room top to bottom, and familiarizing myself with the cats. They are all sweet, they are all adorable, and should all be able to find homes. Chip, while kind of a bully (especially to Jack Benny), loves being petted and adored, and is probably just an attention hog. Mama Lu is the softest cat I've ever petted. She's not really interested in playing, but just wants to lay on her side and be petted so she can purr and purr. Her children: Tux and Licorice, are both easily startled (especially Licorice with his giant, yellow-green eyes) and they are all handsome/beautiful cats that like playing and roaming. Goose looks a lot like Chip, but she's a fluffy little princess. She will allow you to pet her long, silky fur, but if you don't pet it just right you will be reprimanded.

The corner room is full of four sweet, sweet girl kitties. The youngest, Quibble, is so excited that she climbs all over the other new volunteer when we go in the room, but then becomes startled when she can't figure out the fabric of the volunteer's shirt. My favorite is probably Winter. A gentle, calm cat with a heck of a purr and fur as pure and white as fresh snow.

A family comes in just as we leave the room. Their pure white cat has been missing for several months, and they saw Winter online and thought she might be their cat. Unfortunately, Winter's eyes aren't green enough, and she doesn't have the right tufts of fur on her ears. The family leaves in tears.

The day ends on a happy note, as two young cats, Carmel and Cinnamon, are adopted. The newly catted couple leave the shelter with smiles on their faces. I'm pretty sure Carmel and Cinnamon are smiling too.