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2012-02-13

Cat Lady Seeking Cat Ladies

I can't walk by a cat on the street without wanting to coax it over to chat with me. I got busted doing that a few weeks ago by some teenage girls. The cat disappeared and as I walked away, the girls meowed at me. Well played ladies... I couldn't help but laugh. I am learning to accept my cat lady status graciously.
I think people try to say 'crazy cat lady' as a negative thing but to me the term no longer carries shame. I like a cute, fuzzy face... so what?

kyle1

That's why when I got an email this weekend from a lady working for a cat rescue I cried a little... and by a little, I mean, a lot. I already knew that over 3000 cats get euthanized every year in Hamilton alone but to get an email with pictures of the cats that are due to be euthanized this week made me feel sick. In Hamilton the local SPCA is a no-kill shelter but there is also an Animal Control and they do put animals down. Cat adoption through Animal Control is a lesser known option and it can be done online. If you adopt directly from the shelter there is no fee, if a spaying or neutering is required that can be arranged at a low-fee clinic. The cats labelled as URGENT are in terrible need of a home!

This isn't a post about the politics between the Animal Control and the SPCA or why certain decisons are made... this is a post asking for your help. If you live in Hamilton or the GTA (or really anywhere in Ontario) and you can fully commit to taking in a cat, please consider doing so. Because the cats are euthanized twice a week (my heart breaks to type that), it is important to take action IMMEDIATELY if you decide to adopt a cat... You can also volunteer to provide foster care to a cat in need. Transportation, medical care and food are provided for cats in foster situations.

I know this isn't what I usually post about, I like to keep things fluffy and thifty... but please think about adopting a cat!!! Our cats bring us so much joy everyday... If you come over for coffee, Matt will probably try to get you to take a cat home with you because it is his thing to pretend to be unhappy in our be-kittened household and deep down (not so deep down), he loves the cat crew too. He gets this smug look on his face every time a purring Kyle (pictured above) snuggles up around his neck and falls asleep. I'm still working on those jealousy issues...

Take a moment and look through here to see the beautiful cats that so badly need forever homes. By adopting a cat, you will be saving their life!

fiona
If you adopt Miss Fiona here,  please have me over to meet her!!!

matrix
Handsome Matrix needs a home so badly... will you consider it here?


If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask Jennie, an awesome rescue agency volunteer by contacting her at jennie_birnbaum@hotmail.com... And while this post is primarily aimed at people who live locally, cat adoption is an issue across Canada and the States. Please help out if you can!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for reading this post!!! And if you adopt a cat, let me know so we can hug it out!!!!! 

25 comments :

Nessbow said...

Thankyou so much for posting this. I own two cats and both of them were strays that I adopted. I always try to encourage friends to check shelters when searching for a pet. You're doing a great thing by spreading the word about this cause.

Lindsey Dixon said...

I'm reading this tearing up over my dinner. I live in Chicago, and if I could I would bring home every cat I see (I think my landlord mght have issues with that...). I really, sincerely hope that these cats go to go wonderful forever homes.

Lora Conrad said...

Thank you for writing this! I think there is a stigma that shelter cats are wild and don't make good house cats, but this is not true at all (my two are proof). Fostering is also so personally rewarding and so helpful to shelters who may not want to put cats down, but have no more room to keep them. Thanks again, Jentine! Cat ladies unite.

Sheila said...

All three of our cats have been either from the SPCA or adopted through a feral rescue program. I will always get rescue cats and kittens.

Cat ladies are awesome! I am proud to be one.

Brooke said...

I'm tearing up just reading this post. I'm glad you only put two pictures or I'd be over the edge in full on sobs!
I'm a cat lady! okay I said it! EK! I've been fighting it and if you ask me in person I'll ....sort of ...deny it. I have two fur babies at home who I ADORE!!! Matilda is going for her spay in two days and I'm already freaking out. Both my babies are rescues and I torture myself every time I go into PetSmart by walking through the adoption section. I have to say over an over again (sometimes out loud lol) "you're not a crazy cat lady, you're not a crazy cat lady" otherwise I'd take them all home!

If I didn't live in a little condo I'd definitely add to my little family!

Kimmielovesparis said...

I love all animals but I am a cat person above all. I have a very demanding Siamese and he wouldn't be favorable to another cat in the house (unfortunately).

My sister rescued a stray that had been abused (you don't want to know). He's the sweetest cat, I really don't know how someone could be so mean to such a lovable fellow with such a sweet nature. He's got a good home now. So it's a happy ending for Creepers - he's a Black cat with a little white bib.

I hope your plea reaches someone who can adopt these beautiful creatures. My heart is breaking just looking at those furry purry faces.

Thank you for posting.

Cheers,
Kimmie

LK said...

I would never buy a cat. There are way too many in shelters. In fact, I'd never get a kitten for the same reason. I can't imagine what would have happened to my cat in the wrong home (she has 3 legs). Love her to death. I'll always adopt.

April said...

I think this is an awesome post, Yen! There's so many people that read your blog, and even if just one of them helped out, it would do something!

anilorah said...

I adopted my cat 6 years ago and I will always adopt from now on. Even at work we have an adopted street cat.
Thanks for the post! Hope all the cats find homes in time.

Emily said...

you are making me so weepy. and it's not even 9am.

I really want to foster but my apartment = NO animals.
it's such a freakin bummer and it is depressing to think about all these poor animals. I just wanna buy a farm and fill it with animals from shelters. if that happens, i may hire you to landscape/clean litter

Secondhand Stella said...

Aw, I wish I could! John caught me feeding two cats that I think live under my porch. One is missing an ear. It makes me so sad! I would adopt all the cats in the world if I could!

I have an idea... let's start a cat sanctuary and be crazy cat ladies together.

BmoreLoveLeigh said...

I love that you posted this. I'm more of a dog person (I know, I know) but my heart breaks for any animal that is in a shelter and looking for a home. Thank you for spreading the EXTREMELY important message about the importance of adopting a pet.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

Marie McGrath (The Joy of Fashion) said...

It makes me so happy to see you writing about this. My family has always been cat lovers and we have had cats throughout my entire life. All of my cats are adopted off the streets. It totally breaks my heart to see cats dying of hunger on the streets. Ironically, we have just adopted 4 new kittens (one died though. snif snif) because we found that their mother had died. We knew they wouldn't be able to survive without her, so we took them in. My brothers took 2 of them and we kept one. So now I have 4 cats at home (I'm a cat lady too) and I love each and every one of them. Each time one dies, we try to adopt a new one from the streets. I hope people read this heartfelt post and adopt a kitty! Go cat ladies!

www.thejoyoffashion.blogspot.com

D said...

ugh, my heart. i will only have rescued cats. from a shelter or off the street. my two that i have were rescued off the street. kitten small was hit by a car and mimi found me on a jog. i asked mimi, 'where do you live?' she said, 'with yew'. i said, 'ok'. i love cats. call me a cat lady too, i don't give a hang. thanks for trying to help kitties get a home. you have a good heart.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this Jentine!! My fiancee and I have 2 adopted cats, and they are amazing! They both make us laugh so much everyday, and we love them to bits! (and unconditionally, even though one has an intense meow-fest ever morning between 5:30-6:30!!! ahaha)

We live in Ottawa currently, as I'm working on my MA at Carleton, but we're from near the GTA, so I'm going to send this to some folks in the area!

Cat ladies, and friends of cats, unite! ahaha

Natalie xo

Cullybaby said...

I too am a rescue sucker...I drove to Greece, Buffalo (yes, there is a place) to pick up Jet - our cat who was deemed 'unadoptable'. I shake my head. He's a character for sure and has had his moments but after 6 years, watching him play with our toddler warms my heart and cements why we rescue the unloved and give them awesome lives ;)

Katherine said...

I too am a crazy cat lady, and I turned my husband into a crazy cat man. Both of our kitties were rescues. People decided they didn't want them because one is a nervous eater when she feels unsettled or neglected, and the other can't process carbohydrates and needs special care in order to function. Seeing how our fur babies have grown and blossom since we brought them into our home, makes every single day better. Thank you for sharing your passion about this!

Lisa said...

Thank you for this post. I have two rescue cats and two rescue bunnies. They are the best things in my life! I have foster cats occasionally and generally try to educate people about adoption and rescue. You are a wonderful person for contributing to the effort.

Cynthia said...

After I adopted my most recent rescue cat, Tweety, I made the mistake of friending Carolina Paws, the pet rescue org, on Facebook. Now every day I get to see cute pictures of available cats just waiting, waiting for me to take them home. If that's not enough, our department secretary volunteers for another rescue org and is constantly telling me about the adorable cats they have available. But I already have three adorable rescue kitties (who need more pats than I have hands) so it is hard to see where another would fit. I wish I could adopt them all though.

Poptartlr said...

I am totally a cat lady - I adopted two adult cats from my local shelter after my 3 legged siames (who was also from a shelter) died after 16 happy years with me. I would have many more if it wasn't for the fact that my two would disown me!

A Stylized Hysteria said...

What a sweet post! I was always a dog lover until my nephew got a cat and I was charmed. In the past two years, I've adopted two cats from shelters and they are the loves of my life. Everyone should adopt a cat. Or two. They're more fun in pairs!

Cindy said...

Yes, cats are great in pairs. I have limited myself to 4 cats and they are all different little sweeties. 3 are from shelters and one was abandoned behind a grocery store where my son's friend worked. Since he was an "only" I got him a buddy from the shelter when he was 2 months old. Since I can't afford any more and I have a tabby who wants all my attention, I volunteer at my local shelter to help those babies get a little love. Shelter cats are such a bargain compared to "free" cats. The one my son rescued cost $400 the first year for private vet care where his buddy from the shelter cost a total of $49. I grew up with dogs and only got my first cat 5 years ago and prefer cats - they don't bark or have to go out in the rain and give just as much love.

Marie a la Mode said...

This breaks my heart : ( I am a Cat Lady, I love my fluffball Prints Whiskerson Sultenfuss the First and if I could take on more cats and wasn't allergic to them (I can't breathe out of my nose most days)I would! I wish I could save them all. Thanks for posting this and bringing awareness to this issue. I hope these cats can find good homes...

Emily said...

This post completely distracted me at work today. I originally planned to get a cat the second I graduated college but still find myself catless a few months into my "adult life", mostly because I know my roommate is a dog person. This post is making me reconsider waiting until I get my own place, though...

http://ofseedsandthorns.blogspot.com/

Red said...

Thanks so much for posting this! I cannot even look at shelter pics right now because, well, the inn is full and so those pics would break my heart. I bought a house for the first time a few years ago and right away all the lonely, homeless fuzzyfaces of the 'hood began turning up at my front door. THEY KNOW.

I don't have one cat who wasn't a stray; I don't even need to go to shelters. I think there's a big glowing welcome sign in the sky above my house that only cats can see, lol.

From ancient and gentle marmalade kitty Roscoe, to tri-pawed Weemus (a rescued "fanbelt kitten") and adorable roly-poly penguin/cat hybrid Womulus (who came with the house! and who doesn't meow, she squawks!)I am surrounded by kitties. My husband grumbles, but he's the one who brought in innocent fluffy boy Arfur Von Mew, who loves EVERYBODY. And no sooner had the hubs rented an office to work in than a neighbor's tiny black and white girlcat adopted him. He now probably spends more time petting the cat than working.

We have a friend and his two cats staying with us atm too--owlish little orange mouser Sprocket, and 20 year old Orca, a feisty tuxedo cat with a heart of gold.

Factor in our outdoor "guard cat" , squirrel killer Mooch, and we top out at *gulp* ten.

(No, the house doesn't smell like cat wee. It usually smells like pumpkin bread, lemon furniture polish, incense, old books and thrifted clothing. Oh, and cat hair. I love it.)

Our cats are our little buddies. I cannot imagine life without them.

Oh, and you may like this. I have a new term for crazy cat lady:

PURRMUDGEON. And I am one. ;-)