How y'all can visit and tend to animals at the pound without bringing a
few home and/or choking up the whole visit is beyond my ken.  A few
weeks ago I told my vet if they had a hardship case, an older cat they'd
like to place, I'd be available.  Today I stopped by the no-kill Humane
Society, just to help out ya understand.  The only person there was a
teenager who mainly cared for the dogs, didn't know anything about the
cats.

First off, a beagle escaped while I was trying to squeeze in the first
gate - off he went with the kid in hot pursuit, fortunately he caught up
to him just into the woods.  There were, btw, some great dogs, friendly
and plaintive and it always comes down to steeling myself, Just Can't
Keep a Dog.  Last time I shared my guilt over a great sheltie by
eMailing my sister, a lover of same.

Not only were there at least two dozen dogs but, alas, at least  that
many cats.  Fortunately a couple years ago they managed to raise enough
money to build "Kitty Cottage", two comfortable rooms with familiar
furniture which is far better than the cages some had to live in back
when I got Willie.  Incidentally, I chose Willie because he was older,
maybe less adoptable - he'd been there for a year or more, and he seemed
intelligent.  Willie was quite affectionate there but it took over a
year before I could get him to purr again.  Turned out to be a great
companion and definitely a sharp cat.

Of course anyone who comes in is swamped with "greeters" while some
others find places to hide.  Once I got by the inital swarm an adult
ginger/white attracted me with his self-assured warmth.  On the top of
the climbing pole an all-black seemed to be on in years, he also had a
grevous eye infection which I could not get him to let me clean well.
Hiding out in the bottom of  a cat cylinder was another ginger, younger
and had some eye exudation too.  He came out to greet me and let me tend
to his eyes in a chair... didn't like it mind, but when I'd do as much
as he'd tolerate he'd get back in my lap and let me back at it again.
After about an hour I talked with one of the care-givers and left my
phone number for a volunteer who knew all the resident felines.

And that's the scoop.  Well, and al the tubs I scooped.

--
"The web has got me caught.  I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got."  <via Nat King Cole>