Kits & Cats

Yesterday on Facebook, I saw a plea from the Waikato SPCA for kitten food.  The Waikato branch has always held a special place in my heart because that's where I met the love of my life, Edelweis.

Ever since that meeting, I've donated to the SPCA and sung their praises to all and sundry, especially those looking for a new pet.

I've kept Edelweis up-to-date on his former abode, and when the kitten food plea was posted, we discussed it at length, and he asked if I could spend some of his pocket money* on kitten food.  Bless.

My first stop today in the pouring rain was the local supermarket, where I picked up several boxes of kitten food.

The supermarket has a food donation bin specifically for the SPCA, but it was full to overflowing and this time I felt like delivering Edel's donation personally.

The next stop was the Waikato SPCA located at 219 Ellis Street, Frankton, Hamilton.

Although it was absolutely hosing down, the car-park was full. The reception area was jam-packed with new adoptive and foster families.  Some fluffy darlings were in cages in reception to entertain and entice the visitors.  Other fluffy darlings were in cages ready to be taken to their new homes by their new parents.  The staff were flat-tack on the phone and dealing with the enquiries at the counter.

Out of the blue, a favourite childhood rhyme** sprang to mind:

As I was going to St Ives

I met a man with seven wives

Each wife had seven sacks

Each sack had seven cats

Each cat had seven kits

Kits, cats, sacks and wives

How many were going to St Ives?

What I immediately wanted to know is why the hell they were going to St Ives via the Waikato SPCA?

A volunteer took Edel's kitten food donation and added it to a growing pile of cans and packets (which was heart-warming to see), and then I went out to the cattery to visit some of the current fluffy darling inmates.

Oh. My. God.

The place was heaving with cats, they were literally crawling up the walls. I've never seen so many there in all my life.  And kittens...crikey...so many kittens of every colour and degree of fluffiness imaginable.

Every little fluffy darling looked happy and healthy. They were doing kitten stuff, and argh...kitten stuff is so damn cute! Bouncing, pouncing, teasing eachother, sleeping and generally being 100% gorgeous.

And along with the bouncing pouncing fluffy darling kittens, there were some adult cats who were as equally beautiful.

I have been a self-diagnosed "Crazy Cat Lady" since I was 8 years old.  Even my twitter profile states my love of cats.  But today, I felt overwhelmed.  Completely overwhelmed.  Would I really cope with a house full of cats in my old age?  I have to admit...no.

Today, I realised I was a one-cat crazy cat lady, not a multiple cat crazy cat lady.

But that's ok. I've decided that if I can't be a crazy cat lady in the true sense of the moniker with multiple cats, then I CAN BE a crazy cat Aunty.  I'll continue to Aunty the cats at the Waikato SPCA by taking them food and toys, and visiting them on occasion. 

And, if you're reading this, and you think there is a place in your heart and a space in your life for a fluffy darling (either a kitten or cat), please go to the SPCA and adopt or foster one.

And maybe if you can't adopt or foster, you too could be come a crazy cat Aunty. Just maybe?

*Edel's pocket money is also known as my savings account

** Click on the link http://bit.ly/hFARa for an interesting discussion on how many were actually going to St Ives

POSTSCRIPT:
Hey everyone, meet "Dust" who was adopted by a friend of mine, the day after this blog was first published.

I had several other friends take food and donations into the Waikato SPCA on that particular day. It just goes to show the power of the blog. I'm absolutely thrilled :-)