Little Lonely Kitten

It was a special weekend at the shelter. My cage mate and I awoke early this morning, the people who were called “volunteers” were running around trying to feed us, clean us, and make us all look pretty for the potential families we would meet. My person put me in the tub and sprayed me with water, I hissed and growled at her, I do not care for water but I let her clean me up because what I wanted more than anything else in the world was a loving family to snuggle and love me. My cage mate and I licked ourselves dry and soon the doors were opening and lots of people were coming! I laid on the top platform of our corner cage and watched the people. Some were looking at the old orange cat, what a sad story he has, he needs a family. Some were looking at the young cats in the cages next to ours, they loved the older people but hissed and bit the children. Last night we all talked about adoption day and most of us decided that hissing and biting wasn’t a good idea but when the people started coming in and flooding our area with movements and noise some of us got scared. We didn’t know what was going to happen next, cats and dogs left this shelter all the time and were never heard from again, were they happy, did they find their furever homes? Children came by our corner cage and played with my cage mate, he is a friendly kitten and loves to play. I let the big people pet me, they said that my fur is soft but I am too black, one lady said that I was too relaxed. I want to be adopted but this family did not feel right, in fact, no family felt right. That night the grey kittens in the cage next to mine were crying, they wanted a family but they didn’t want to be separated. I tried to comfort them but I wasn’t much help because I was also sad. Adoption weekend was supposed to be the time when all cats and dogs found their furever homes and some were adopted and their old cages were once again occupied by other cats and kittens who were brought from the backrooms.
I had a restless sleep that night and I dreamed of the day I was left here alone and frightened. My first family didn’t want me, I don’t know why or what I did. I was playing with my mommy and someone came and picked me up, put me in a box, and brought me to the shelter. The shelter, I over heard some people say to their children, was a place where unwanted animals went until they could find new families. Was I unwanted, was I unlovable, was my fur too black or was I too relaxed, was my meow not right? I tossed and turned on my little perch in my cage all night. The next day I was tired, the volunteers came in with smiles and fed us, my person told me and my cage mate that we were sure to find our families today, the grey kittens too. I wasn’t so sure about me, the grey kittens were younger and smaller and fluffier, people like kittens who are fluffy.
It was Sunday so when the visitors came some were wearing fancy clothes and talking of a place called “church” apparently its a place where you dress up and learn about God. I laid in my cage, I was still depressed. My cage mate played with the children and entertained the big people. Late in the afternoon I heard laughter, I had to know where it was coming from then I saw you.
From the moment I saw you I knew you were for me. You and your children walked around all the cages, you told my person you were looking for your lost kitty. The sadness in your eyes made me want to snuggle you all the more. My person took you around to our cages, my cage mate played with your boys through the bars. Then you left our lobby and went to the other rooms. While you were gone I tried to think of ways I could get your attention. Then again, why would you want me, I am black and every black cat in the shelters knows that the chances of our being adopted is small at best. No one seems to want a solid color cat, let alone a black one. There you were again, back in our lobby! You went to the cage on the end where one of the meanest cats I know was, she hissed at the children, bit the big people on the hands but you were kind to her. I watched as you lovingly scratched her cheeks for what felt like forever. I was happy for her, she needed a loving home even through she didn’t care for dogs or kids. In the mean time your boys came to play with my cage mate, they liked him and he liked them. Soon you came to get your boys, while I was sitting on my perch I looked into your eyes and something told me that you were for me. Something told me that my fur color didn’t bother you. My volunteer person came over to talk to you and you told her that you wanted to meet both my cage mate and I in a private room, we both knew what that meant!
                   First it was my cage mate but he didn’t like the dog you brought with you. He said that the dog was big and nosy and scary. He protected himself by hiding and hissing, he even said that he hit the dog! I was afraid now of the dog too but it was my turn so I took a deep breath and went into the room with you and my person. She sat in a chair but you sat with me on the floor. Your boys rolled toys around and I got to chase them, and the dog, he wasn’t so bad after all, he was just curious. Still, you looked sad so I crawled up in your your arms and went to sleep. Before I knew it I awoke back in my cage and you were gone, was it a dream, did my perfect family only love me in a dream? I laid in my cage and thought of you and how real the dream felt.
As I laid there my person came back to took me out of my cage, it was another interview I thought but no, she handed me to you, what a wonderful day, I have found my furever home and now I get to snuggle, chase and play as much as I want and guess what, my new family has babies, a calico, and another black cat too! I am no longer alone in the world for now, I have my furever family, a new name, and my furever home.