Fluffy's Legacy

Fluffy was my first cat. Up until her, I considered myself a dog person. I did not have much exposure to cats and the few experiences that I did have were not necessarily the best. As I mentioned in previous posts Fluffy forever altered my perceptions of cats and while I love all animals I can say with certainty that I am a cat person first and foremost. While Fluffy was my first cat, I do not envision her being my last cat. I do not believe that I will ever find a cat like Fluffy; she was one of a kind. I am not looking to replace her I just want to give away the love I have for all living creatures, cats most specifically.

The love for cats that Fluffy taught me is what lead Sam and I to visit the Ohio SPCA yesterday afternoon. I had read a story about a cat that had a bad issue with fleas and ticks and that lead to him temporarily loosing his fur and people passed him by for adoption because of how he looked. That stirred up a desire in me to want to help cats and especially cats that might not have the ideal look. I went onto the Ohio SPCA website and submitted an inquiry about a couple of cats. Sam and I then went to visit those casts and many more at the shelter this weekend. I was a little nervous about what our experience would be like. How would I react to seeing so many loving animals in crates just looking for help and a good home. While there were some cats in crates there were also several larger rooms where cats were allowed to roam free and mingle with each other as well as potential parents. I loved getting to enter the rooms and give love and attention to the cats who wanted it. One of the cats we specifically went to visit was very shy and we had a hard time trying to pet him and get to know him. There were a few other cats in the room that were very friendly and loved to rub against our legs and get some good pets and scratches from us. It made me feel good to give some attention to these lovely cats. It was fun to read the cards with their names on them as well as some of their traits.

Visiting the cats gave us a lot to think about. What type of cat are we looking for? What about a cat with a disability or FIV? Maybe instead of looking for what we want we focus on what cat or cats are most in need. While it was fun to look at and play with the kittens, they will likely all get adopted. It made me wonder what cats are least likely to get adopted and maybe we should try and help them. Sam and I have a lot to think about and to discuss together. I know we both agree that Fluffy was the best cat ever and there will neve be another. I have come to understand that that does not mean that we cannot provide a good and loving home to wonderful needing cats in the future. We just need to be realistic that whatever cat we are lucky enough to share our home with in the future will be different from Fluffy and we will love him or her in a our own way and we will love them for their unique personality. We love Fluffy with all of our hearts, but I truly believe we can make room for another cat or two in there thanks to Fluffy who grew our ability to love far beyond what we ever could have imagined.