It would be so easy to become crazy twenty six cat lady. The same things that made this neighbourhood attractive to me also appeal to those looking to dump a cat. Its far enough from the village to be country yet close enough for convenience. Normally, I would never need to go looking for a cat because they seem to find their way to me... likely through a sad process of trial and error. Stray cats are like mice around here .... for every happy tail where one wanders in the right yard and finds safe harbour there are ever so many more harsh and unhappy tails.
Then there is also the birds eye view that is afforded in the process of maintaining the homeless pet site. As a matter of fact, it was while I was researching the material needed to build the site that I read about Morgan in the S.H.A.I.D newsletter. Now at the time, I already had four cats, but I was so moved by her brave tale that I drove over to Bridgewater to adopt her. (Anyone who knows well me well knows what a big deal that was as I normally don't drive further than Middleton or Berwick :)))
Like Pandora, who is pictured here, Morgan is always going to be a dainty little miss. Like little Pandora, Morgan was still a youngster herself when she and her kittens were abandoned to heaven knows what fate. Like Pandora, Morgan was a wonderful little mother who was left waiting at the shelter after her kittens were weaned and adopted.
I'll never forget the day my friend Liz and I went to get Morgan. The directions on the website for SHAID are excellent, so we had no trouble at all finding the shelter. I parked the car and we went in the front door. Between the staff and volunteers there were a few people there and everybody stopped talking and looked at the carrier in my hand. As soon as I said, "hi, I'm Janet and I'm here to adopt Morgan", everybody let out their breath and they were all smiles again. Even though they had been expecting me that day, I expect that very few days go by that they do not have somebody show up hoping to leave a cat instead of adopting one.
There have been very few times in my life when I haven't shared space with a cat, so I thought I knew what I was in for when I adopted Morgan. Cats are wonderful and brilliant companions and tabby cats have a well deserved reputation for friendliness.
Even so, I had no idea that so much love could come in such a small package. I think by the time we were back in the Valley, Morgan had already made up her mind about me and we have never looked back. Dora is already bigger than Morgan, but I honestly don't think that anyone will ever have a bigger heart than my mighty little mini Morgan.
I might not know it all, but I do know that Pandora, is very aptly named in one way. She may have arrived at SHAID in a box, ( remember A Mother's Tale? ) but she has too big a heart to fit back in that box now. I could almost envy the person who is wise enough to recognize her as a kindred spirit .... because it won't just be Pandora's world that will be changed.
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