Mad Cat Lady...

I have to say that I was a little discouraged by the response from the cat charity I phoned. I understand that they want their cats to go to good homes, but the person who spoke to me was very negative about my wish to get a cat who would be able to go out.

I wondered if they had rather a lot of indoors-only cats they needed to rehome. I can understand this attitude, but the owners' needs do have to be taken into consideration. I really do want cats that can go out - I would feel less guilty about being out at work for long hours.

In the com-box, Genty reminded me that there are plenty of other cat charities. I assumed that they would all have similar procedures, but, on impulse, I phoned one up, just to see what sort of response I would get.

A very different attitude, it seems.

"Please do come in, we have lots of cats needing homes. See if there's one you get on with... we can do the home check when we deliver the cat."

So, today I popped in to see the cats waiting for someone to adopt them. There was one very demanding feline - absolutely beautiful - and he was desperate to be let out of his cage. I like "chatty" cats, but was warned that this one was on his own in a cage because he didn't get on with other cats, and needed a home alone. I was tempted, but I really wanted two cats to keep each other company during the day.

There was a large, walk-in cage with several cats lying in beds and sitting on the shelves. I was encouraged to go in and handle a few cats. I was anxious not to scare them, so I left the crutches outside the cage, and hopped in. One big ginger cat made a bid for freedom - I didn't chase after him (I couldn't) - and he hissed and growled when one of the other cats approached him. As there are several cats in our block of flats, this didn't bode well for garden interactions.

There were two tiny kittens, very cute, but they looked as if they needed serious one-to-one care - they were terribly timid, and were licking my fingers as if they wanted mum. Too needy.

A slightly older cat got up and he moved towards my hand, purring. I'm a sucker for a purring cat. I stroked him, and he rubbed against me, and stood up with his front paws on my arm - the shelf he was on was at waist height. I picked him up, and he lay on my shoulder, rubbing his head against my chin. His litter-mate, very shyly, got up to investigate, and she also started purring and rubbing against my hand.

I was totally smitten. The helpers commented that the two cats never normally behaved that way - I did take that comment with a large pinch of salt - but I felt that I had, nevertheless, been approved by the feline adoption committee.

Having gained my full attention, the two cats, in true cat fashion, promptly decided to ignore me and go and have a nap. I recognised my place, and left to sort out the paperwork...

The cats are about four months old. It seems that they were abandoned as kittens in the stairwell of a block of flats - one with an entryphone system. It's difficult to tell a cat's sex at that age, but I was promised a definitive answer by the time they arrive - they had already been booked in to the vets for jabs and microchipping tomorrow morning, so they will be brought round to me in the afternoon. I was a little concerned that I would be out for quite a few hours each day for the first couple of days, but was reassured that letting the cats explore the flat on their own for a bit would actually be better for them...

I did manage to take a couple of photos before I left.

And so, I am proud to introduce Monsignor Mastai-Furretti... (yes, probably female, but she'll be neutered, and she looks like a "Furretti")

...and Cardinal Catzinger !

They're beautiful, and I couldn't understand why they hadn't been snapped up sooner. However, it seems that black cats are particularly hard to re-home. Superstition is one possible explanation, another is that tabby markings are considered prettier. A final explanation was given by the manager - she'd had people say that there were lots of black cats in their area, and they were concerned they wouldn't know which was theirs...

I figure that the cats can figure it out quite easily...

Anyway, I think I am now a confirmed member of the "mad cat lady" club...