Portly pussycats

182 out of 196!

No, that’s not my MCAT score – but it is cat related. 182 is the number of cats adopted out of the 196 taken in by Small Things CATS (Cat Adoption Trust Sudbury.)

Are the numbers exact? Nope! We have only nine at the shop and one in foster care, so we are out by four. OK, I’ve semi-adopted two of those, so that’s still two missing in action.

And it’s always a best estimate. We know the numbers are higher because I am terrible at paperwork and our faithful cat-counting volunteer, Ashley, has to go on the best info I give her, which is always barely passable.

Is this number of fosterings and adoptions something to brag about? Not really. Our numbers very likely pale in comparison to the larger pet rescues in the city.

But having said this, we are just a handful of volunteers who raise our spay/neuter funds with garage sales. And that is something to blog about!

Are there cats that stand out in my mind? To be honest, as I look through the list, I have to say I don’t remember most of them. This is pretty sad, since we normally only have eight at the shop – Small Things.

But as distinctive as they may be to the new owners, they are a bit of a blur to me, the co-ordinator. Especially since we name them by the street they were found on. I think we are up to Bruce-4 this year.

I guess the unforgettable ones are the kitties I thought stood no hope in Hades of ever getting adopted. You have to remember that the vast majority of our cats come from the City Shelter and we try to rescue the already-fixed cats first.

While we get a shelter rate for spay/neuter prices, it is by no means cheap for us – and if we charged for the cats what it costs us for veterinary care, our adoptions would be thin on the ground.

The only easy way to tell if the lady cats are spayed is if they are “thick” – on the ground and otherwise. A portly puss is a fixed feline. And while these girls are beautiful to us, the general population has not completely bought in to the idea that big is beautiful and voluminous is even better.

Enter Baby and Bruschetta.

We don’t know why Cassie at the shelter named the stray from Main Street “Baby” – except that she had a tiny head atop her pear shaped body. Our saying for her was, “No one puts Baby in the corner – because she won’t fit!”

She had a confrere, “Bruschetta.” Her original name was Brucette because she was found on Bruce St. – but naming her after a high-calorie delectable seemed more appropriate.

These gals would still be at Small Things except that a friend of mine from university days brought a friend of my daughter's from their Tim Hortons time for a visit.

Ricky (not his real name) fell in love with both of these girls. They practically splayed themselves at his feet. He settled finally on Baby, but then, as he was leaving said, “I can’t leave Bruschetta behind.” Bingo! Bango! We sent him off with lots of cat food and reinforced carriers.

Small Things: CATS (and Books) is moving again. Our third time in three years. It’s not our first choice – the landlord we sublet from needs to move.

Location, location, location is what the realtors say. And we are hoping for a West End wonder.

At 253 B Hazel Street we will be conveniently located across from the Nickel City Tavern and beside Extreme Pizza at the corner of Hazel and Lorne - spitting distance the Gatchell/Copper Cliff bus route.

After picking up a cat and a book, you can treat yourself to a beer and your cat to anchovies and be driven safely home.

Right now there is a cat at the Greater Sudbury Animal Shelter called Hazel the Hippo. Hazel, because she was found on Hazel, and Hippo because she is hefty. I think she’ll fit in just fine, once we enlarge the cat door to the Ladies Room. Bongo!

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