Another month has flown by. Since the hot weather has arrived, my routine is to sun myself on the deck with long water breaks interspersed throughout the day. There may be some napping involved. I try to conserve my energy for the evening. This is when I like to eat. Some people think that evening time is for sleeping. “Not so,” says the cat. Don’t forget I have to meow extra loud as I am legally deaf. There is nothing like the smell of a fresh can of cat food being opened. I would compare it to the smell of fresh coffee in the morning or perhaps the sound and smell of opening up a cold canned beverage. Dry cat food has no such allure. I pretty much won’t eat the stuff. My teeth can’t chew it and it’s just so dry. My people buy it, but why? I think I would rather die of starvation. My food is strictly Prescription Diet Old Cat Formula with Chicken. It’s the next best thing to catching a mouse. After a late dinner I usually retire to my king-size bed, where I find the warmest place I can to sleep. Sometimes that place is right on a person’s face. There is nothing like waking up to hot cat food breath. I dig it.
I took some time out of my busy schedule the other day to stop by the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe shelter. One thing I learned on my visit is that abstinence-only education is not working for cats throughout the region. The long, warm, dry spring and summer have led to a big kitten season. Shelters in places like Lassen, Oakland, and Reno do not have room for all the kittens and cats they are taking in. The same holds true for my canine friends. If you are looking for a new friend, even if you have a certain breed of dog or cat in mind, they can very often be found at a shelter. That’s where most of my best friends came from.
At the shelter I met quite a few cat friends. In one room were two full-figured beauties looking for a new place to call home. They are 5-year old sisters, Marilyn and Sophia (named after two famous curvy ladies, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren), who have been at the shelter for way too long. These playful ladies would love to stay together. Honestly, I can’t tell them apart. One of them does have a shorter tail, but what does it matter? You are taking them both home.
In a larger cat room there must have been a dozen kittens making cute kitten noises and goofing off. On top of the cat cages sat an orange tabby named Lucky, who is described as friendly, but not friendly with other cats. I think Lucky and I would get along fine. The kittens seemed to respect him. It is generally our policy here at Flip’s Friends to focus on more mature animals. Kittens and puppies generally don’t have trouble finding homes, but they sure are cute. So this month stop by the shelter and check out the kittens. We have all different colors and personalities. Admire their cuteness and then go check out the adult cats. It won’t be this warm in Tahoe for long. You are going to need a lap warmer before you know it.
For more info on Lucky, Marilyn, Sophia, or our fresh crop of kittens, visit hstt.org. Have a great month.
~ Comment on this column below.
