Last night, I left work early-ish and drove to meet one of
the kittens I was considering for adoption: Chloe,
a bobtailed Manx tabby at Homeward
Trails Animal Rescue in
I got lost seven times trying to negotiate the spaghetti labyrinth of Beltway
and feeder highways in
Talk about dedication: this woman has three adopted dogs (who were fosters
before their new lives as family members), and she's fostering four kittens,
including Chloe.
She is just one of the army of dedicated, generous, devoted people on Petfinder who work ceaselessly to rescue pets from shelters in rural areas, or to foster and show adoptable pets every weekend at pet stores and in their homes. I met many of the soldiers this weekend as I rushed hither and yon, looking for "the right cat."
Some background: On Sunday I'd gone to the two PetMAC adoption centers, which sell pet food
and supplies to benefit Homeward Trails, and witnessed the arrival of a
transport of adoptable cats from
In the afternoon, I drove to Chloe's foster mom's house -- but realized when I got there that I had lost my cell phone and I couldn't summon anyone to the door. So I retraced my steps, driving back to all the locations I had visited in the day, looking underneath parked cars, in gutters, at the stores, in the bottom of my car ... no phone. To make a long and dull story shorter, let's just say that I had to get the cell service turned off on the one phone and then had to buy another one at full retail price and get it turned on -- and by then, I was discouraged and tired.
When I at last met Chloe, yesterday, I found her to be beautifully-marked, delightfully playful -- but not particularly interested in me. Why should she be, with her kitten-mates and barking dogs and a whole house to explore?
She is adorable, and yet ... I keep thinking I ought to rescue a grown cat who doesn't have as much curb-appeal as a playful kitten. I went home and started searching Homeward Trails listings on Petfinder again, this time for a young or adult cat. Such as Sassy. Or Kitty Bob.
Maybe, with adopting a less-likely-to-be-adopted cat, I can
become a private in the underground army of pet rescuers. I would be so very
honored to join their ranks!
Previous entries:
To
adopt or not? Getting closer ...
To
adopt or not?
You should try looking at WARL or Montgomery County Humane Society's website. They have a whole list of foster cats ranging from kittens to seniors. August is black cat month where they waive the fee for black cats and seniors come with 75 dollars towards vet fees! Check it out!