Stick Figure Cat!

6 months and 1 day

That's how long it's been since Max came to live with us. I still remember how he meowed all the way home from the shelter, but I've forgotten what life was like before he arrived. Did the Spots and I even know what we were missing?

Max celebrated his half anniversary by playing a happy little tune on the rubber band around a cookie box.

He's looking forward to many, many more years of getting his paws on everything that comes in the kitchen!

I had a great cat date

Hanna from Washington Humane Society's adoption department is starting a new enrichment program to help shelter cats feel a little more at home during their stay. Part of this involves daily "cat dates", during which cats get 15 minutes of undivided one-on-one attention from volunteers.

I went to the orientation on Sunday and stuck around to have a practice cat date with Lucky Charm, who spent most of Thursday evening laying upside down on my lap. This time she curled up into a tiny ball across my palms (at 2 years old, she's no bigger than the Spots were when they were 4 month old kittens).

I don't know how long I sat there. Eventually I got up to put her back in her cage. The way she pressed her nose against the bars made me so sad. If I weren't going out of town on Wednesday, I don't think I'd be able to resist bringing her home. Someone so needs to adopt this little kitty. There might not be a more perfect lap cat in the world!

 

The Bread Liberation Army strikes again!

During his long weeks in a shelter cage, Max developed a strong sense of justice. He believes in freedom for... bagels, among other breaded things, and dedicates himself to helping them escape from their plastic packages.

Here our hero assures his new friends of their imminent rescue. And in no time, he delivers on his promise. But it makes him sad that sooo many other bagels remain imprisoned elsewhere in the world.

You didn't believe any of that, did you? Because within seconds, Max shows his true colors and takes a bite out of one of the newly liberated bagels. Freedom has a price, no?

Once upon a time

Lisa from the BARC shelter in Brooklyn is fostering a whole bunch of super tiny kittens. This one is Cassius; he's the size of a subway card! (All photos below are from Lisa's Flickr stream.)

And here's John, whose three siblings are also with Lisa.

And last but not least, Squirrel, who still has his umbilical cord.

 

Max came to watch this video of Cassius with me. I told him he was just as tiny once a upon a time. I'll bet he was every bit as feisty!