Ode to Joy

I got a call from a lady I’ll call Joy. She wanted to adopt a kitten. Her old cat, “Lively,” needed a reason not to sleep 24/7. I was very hesitant.

Not because of Joy’s age – and I could tell by her voice that – like me – she was no spring chick. But I was concerned for Lively. Not because of Lively’s age either – and 19 is old for a cat – but because I was afraid one of my kitties could pass a virus on to this not-so-vivacious-anymore cat.

All of my cats up for adoption at Small Things have been in a multi-cat situation where they share food and water dishes, litter pans and cat beds. This means they also share viruses and bacteria.

Now don’t be grossed out. Every time you put a bunch of living creatures under one roof – be it a shelter, a store, a school, or a hospital – you are going to get a lot of sharing.

I chatted with my veterinarian, who also happens to be Joy’s, and the good doc saw no reason why Lively and Joy and Bubbles the Chihuahua couldn’t welcome a new family member – providing the potential new kitty had been vaccinated and boosted and hadn’t shown any signs of any infection for more than two weeks.

Check, check, check. Wait a minute...Bubbles the Chihuahua? I had visions of doggie eyeballs being spiked and popping. Any of my adult kitties would already outweigh Bubbles, and the kitten I had in care at home – Bananas – was named that for a reason.

Wait another minute...What about “Unsteady Eddie” – so named because he is the floppiest cat I’ve ever had? He has no ragdoll cat markings, but is a most laid-back kitten. Joy was anxious to try him out.

If folks have mobility challenges, we volunteers at Small Things are happy to do home deliveries. I bundled up Eddie into a carrier and off we went and were warmly greeted by Joy and Bubbles, and Petey and Tweety – the budgies...what?!

OK, I know that dogs and cats can learn to get along and to be the best of friends. But cats and birds? We bird-sat some friends’ budgies a long time ago – in our cat-filled household. Things did not turn out well.

Actually, the birds did get turned out – and there was a well of avian blood. So much for that friendship.

I offered to let Joy try out Eddie for a few hours, just to see if it would work. When I returned, I expected to find kitty carnage.

What I found was a houseful of happiness. Lively was continuing her day-long nap. The birds still had their heads. Bubbles was thrilled to have cat toys to chase around.

And Eddie was perched on a chair watching the budgies, but not advancing on them. Not that he hadn’t tried – but Joy is a good shot with a water-gun. I had tears in my eyes when I returned to my van. What was that about? Not sorrow...

No, it was owed to Joy.

Jan Carrie Steven is a volunteer with Cat Adoption Trust Sudbury (CATS) and the co-ordinator of Small Things: Kitty Boutique and Cat Adoptions. For more information, go to www.smallthings.ca.