The Holiday Open House

Nope, not at my house. Why the hell would I have an open house? I don't really like people.

No, the first day I worked at the shelter we were preparing the animals for a holiday open house. I showed up right on time and was paired up with a staff member and we got right to work. I was on cat duty (and cat doody).

I gotta tell ya- I have a whole new appreciation for what it takes to run a shelter. This is a no-kill shelter- so any critter that becomes a resident there has the ability to live out their days at the shelter, regardless of how many days they may have. I think that's a wonderful commitment to make. This place is clean, the animals are loved on (even the grumpy ones) and people work all day and all night to provide those animals with a nice place to live.

There are several large Kitty Rooms with tons windows in each one. There is at least one plastic couch in every one, and some cubbies built in the walls that are just the right size for a kitty bed, and one kitty- but sometimes two can fit in a cubby, but only if the two kitties are the best of friends. They also have a cat walk (heehee) that goes around the room at the top, and a spiral staircase of ledges and perches where kitties can get up and down as they please. they are just fantastic rooms, and you can tell the cats are happy there. I like the rooms from an adoption standpoint because you can really see personalities in the cats from the minute you enter. Some run away from you, some glare at you from the cat walk, some are interested but shy, and some run right up to see you.

Well, let me tell ya- those rooms had a lot of work done to them before the open house. And this stuff is done every single morning- the floors are vacuumed and then mopped, linens and beds are changed out, food and water dishes are sanitized, and the litter boxes are cleaned out, bleached, washed, and then refilled again. all surfaces are wiped down, and while you are doing all this, you are having to unwind cats from around your ankles and collect yourself when the little ones dive bomb you from above. And don't get me started on the laundry there. It's never ending. Never ever ever ending.

My little buddies Schroeder and Hairy Gary were still there. I was happy and sad to see them again. Hairy Gary has no problems being held, and I had no problems scooping him up for a hug when I should have been making a salad for the rabbits. And and and!!! Schroeder came me! He let me pet him through the bars on his enclosure. He's in a huge thing, too big to be called a cage, and he's sharing it with a sweet girl named Holly. Love it. It took him about five tries, pacing from the back of his room to the bars, getting closer each time. But finally he did and he's a sweet boy.

I can't get that dog. I can't get that dog. I can't get that dog.

I think I might need to go there every other week. Every week is just too tempting. I need to stay away for longer till I figure out how to not get attached.

Sigh.