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Don't tell Bailey Maitland that disabled pets are unwanted. The recent college graduate recently drove nine hours from her home near Toronto to Ringoes, NJ, to adopt D'Artagnan, a handsome gray cat who loves to climb and play. He also happens to be paraplegic.

D'Art was paralyzed when he was hit by a car as a kitten. He had been living at Tabby's Place, a shelter that specializes in rescuing cats from hopeless situations. Catster first met the tenacious cat and his best friend, Dot, a paraplegic brown tabby with spina bifida, last September.

Angela Townsend, development director at Tabby's Place, assumed D'Art would be a permanent resident at the shelter.

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D'Artagnan, chilling and looking handsome.

“It takes a very special person to adopt a cat who is incontinent and needs round-the-clock care, but the world is full of special people,” Townsend says. “And just when we think a cat is going to be a lifer, along comes that person -- it’s like they’ve been waiting all their life for this cat.”

Turns out Maitland was that special person. She heard about D'Art on Catster while searching for resources to care for her other cat, Princess, who is also paraplegic.

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D'Artagnan with Bailey, his new adoptive mama.

Yes, that's right -- Maitland has two paraplegic cats. About a year ago, she found Princess in a parking lot when the cat was only 8 weeks old. Maitland took the kitten to the vet and found out she weighed less than a pound and would never walk. Maitland was still a college student, but she made the commitment to care for Princess.

“I instantly decided to keep her no matter what anybody said,” Maitland says. “The vet was telling me to put her down. I was looking for resources, and somebody said I should check out Tabby’s Place, because they cater to disabled cats and might be able to help me. I came across D’Artagnan, and from that point forward I kept my eye on him and fell in love with him.”

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D'Artagnan snuggles with Princess, his new sibling, who is also paraplegic.

Maitland's parents said she shouldn’t adopt D'Art because she was still in school and already had one disabled cat. But she was determined to get him as soon as she moved out. And she was true to her word: As soon as she was done with school, she drove nine hours to Tabby’s Place and picked up D’Art.

And what about Dot, D'Art's friend at Tabby's Place? Well, Maitland wanted her, too.

“I wanted all my kittens to meet so they could have ‘drag’ races, since they’re all paraplegic,” she jokes.

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Jackson Galaxy selected Tabby's Place as shelter of the month -- and put D'Artagnan on a t-shirt.

Dot, however, requires more intensive care due to her spina bifida. Maitland has limited resources, so she believed Dot would receive better care if she remained at Tabby’s Place.

Though Dot was staying behind, the staff at Tabby’s Place was thrilled to see D’Art find his forever home. They gave Maitland a warm welcome -- and sent her home with a gift basket that “they said would last him a lifetime, but it’s really enough to last all nine of his lives,” she says.

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Dot was D'Artagnan's former roommate at Tabby's Place.

“It was very surreal at first,” she adds. “I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Everyone was so welcoming -- they said they had been looking out the front door all day to see if the cars had an Ontario license plate.”

Now that she’s got D’Art at home, he and Princess are adjusting to one another and finally starting to play together instead of merely tolerating one another. Follow Princess' and D'Art's journey on Facebook here. Maitland is also getting used to people’s reactions to the news that she has not one, but two paraplegic cats. Some people look at her like she’s crazy. Others are more supportive.

“I was at the airport, and some guy was looking at the cat, and he said, 'Hats off to you -- there aren’t a lot of people like you in the world who would do this,'” she says.

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Bailey with her two cats.

Maitland’s boyfriend is also adjusting to living with the cats in the new apartment he shares with Maitland.

“When Tabby’s Place did a reference check with him, he told them that I love the cats more than I love him,” Maitland says. “I don’t think he loves them quite as much as I do, but he has definitely taken a liking to them.”

Despite what anyone says, Maitland insists that caring for D’Art and Princess is not much more work than any other cat. She has to express their bladders three times a day, but she likens it to changing a litter box for a picky able-bodied cat. She also gives D’Art and Princess daily massages and physiotherapy, which she says is no different than the time average cat owners spend playing with their pets.

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And what she gets in return, she says, is perfect pets -- “they can’t climb on the counters and get into your food and eat your flowers,” she jokes.

“I don’t know if there’s anything more than unconditional love, but that’s what I feel from them,” she adds. “They need you to do everything for them, so there’s definitely a sense of pride I have taking care of them and telling people about them.”

Read about more special-needs kitties on Catster:

• Pretzel the Kitten is Blind, Deformed and Inspiring People on Facebook
• Deformed Legs Can't Hold Back Little Bear the Rescue Kitten
• Deformed Front Legs Can't Stop Triumph the Kitty
• Meet D'Artagnan, a Paraplegic Kitty Living Life to the Fullest

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

No, that’s really not melodrama or hyperbole -- it’s the plain, honest-to-goodness truth.

Let me begin at the beginning and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

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Dahlia and me, 2006.

I never found Sinéad or her remains.

Along with my two remaining cats, Thomas and Siouxsie, I gradually picked up the pieces. We all got used to the Sinéad-shaped hole in our hearts. I had no plans to adopt any more cats. And if I ever did, I was going to adopt an adult or a special-needs cat.

That’s what we always say, isn’t it? But I meant it. Really!

Sept. 18, 2006, was an ordinary Monday. I was preparing some handouts for a workshop produced by the nonprofit where I worked, and, as usual, I went to the print shop around the corner to have copies made.

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Dahlia was so small that even the tiniest collar was almost too big for her.

As soon as I walked in the door, I saw it.

As I filled out my order and talked with the copy shop owner, I couldn’t keep my eyes off it.

Finally, as I handed over the order form, I stared openly at the cage with three tiny black kittens inside, and I had to ask: “What’s the story with those kittens?”

The owner explained that the shop was a satellite adoption location for one of the local humane societies, and these kittens were looking for new homes.

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Dahlia enjoyed the days she got to hang out at the office with me.

I like to think I’m a kind and compassionate person, and when I saw those poor little kittens in a cage, waiting for someone to take them home, I figured they at least deserved some love and kindness until their adopters arrived.

“Can I come around behind the counter and play with them?” I asked.

“Sure,” the owner said, and before I fully knew what was happening I was opening one of the tiny doors and picking up a kitten. I held it close to me and gave it some gentle strokes, but it didn’t seem to be all that interested in my ministrations.

I put that one back and picked up another. This one purred when I stroked it, but it got tired of my attention pretty quickly, too.

Thank God, I thought. I’m staying strong.

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Thomas fell in love with Dahlia the minute she stepped out of her carrier.

Finally I picked up the third kitten. The red band around its neck said the kitten was a boy named Blackie, and he was 12 weeks old.

No sooner had I gotten Blackie into my arms than he climbed my jacket, threw his front legs around my neck, and started purring for all he was worth.

My willpower was weakening.

When Blackie climbed high enough to start rubbing his head furiously against my chin, it was all over.

“I’m a sucker,” I lamented.

That night I went home and asked Siouxsie and Thomas how they felt about welcoming a new kitten friend.

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Okay, how could you possibly not fall in love with this kind of cuteness?

The next morning I filled out an adoption application.

A few hours later, I was approved. I borrowed one of the humane society’s cat carriers to bring Blackie home. Thomas fell in love immediately. Siouxsie grumbled.

That weekend I was writing the weekly Paws and Effect column when Blackie stuck his bottom in my face. “Hey,” I said. “That’s an innie, not an outie!” (Blackie was not a boy after all.) And I changed Blackie’s full name from Black Jack Davy to Dahlia P. Kittenface.

She was a star, a drama queen, right from the start. In fact, I even helped her write her own memoir.

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Thomas and Dahlia were best of friends.

Dahlia shared almost six wonderful years with Thomas, Siouxsie, and me. But shortly after I moved to my new home last year, Dahlia became very ill. The diagnosis was grim -- atypical large-cell lymphoma -- and the prognosis was very poor. On April 12, 2012, a kind vet released Dahlia from her suffering.

I’ll never forget Dahlia, the cat who taught me the truth about cat adoption: It’s the cat doing the adopting, not the person!

How about you? Has a cat adopted you? Please share your story in the comments!

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This is the way I'll remember Dahlia: napping in a sun puddle in our new home.

About JaneA Kelley: Punk-rock cat mom, science nerd, animal shelter volunteer, and all-around geek with a passion for bad puns, intelligent conversation, and role-play adventure games. She gratefully and gracefully accepts her status as chief cat slave for her family of feline bloggers, who have been writing their cat advice column, Paws and Effect, since 2003. JaneA dreams of making a great living out of her love for cats.

More on cat adoption:

• No Cat Left Behind: It's Adopt a Less-Adoptable Pet Week
• 7 Tips on Cat Adoption
• Cats for Adoption
• When You Adopt a Kitten, You Make a Promise -- Keep It

People who knew this person suspected she had more than a few cats, and probably a few too many. But nobody could have even come close to imagining the situation. When we found out, I was one of the group of people who helped re-rescue all of the cats she had originally “rescued” herself.

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Amelia and Aurora behind her originally at the shelter they were "rescued" from.

I knew this woman online through Facebook and animal rescue. Many people did. She was supposedly working with local rescues in Tampa to take in cats, many of them sick, and get them healthy again and adopted. I know numerous people who sent cats from kill shelters to her, with the expectation of a better life for the animals and the promise of a brighter future.

At some point in the past, I believe, that was happening. I believe she had it under control for quite a while, and perhaps at some point it became all too overwhelming. But I might be giving her too much benefit of the doubt. Who can say?

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This is Pretty at the hoarder's house. It's one of the only pictures she ever shared of any of the cats while in her care. I have a feeling this was early on before it was bad.

This woman went on vacation a few weeks ago and suffered a major stroke while she was out of state. She was hospitalized, and her condition was dire. Physicians weren’t sure whether she was going to make it, let alone ever come home again.

And so it was discovered that she had way too many cats. First estimates were at around 40. That's 40 once-rescued cats in her home in varying states of health.

When word got out, rescuers from numerous places scrambled to find pictures of the cats that had been sent to her. Each one hoped to get those cats back. Many other rescuers opened their doors and hearts and took in a few here and there. Local shelters took the sick cats.

I posted an album on my Facebook page of all the cats who the South Florida rescue folks had sent to her. We posted pictures and as much detail as we had about each one, and we shared it with those who were going in the house and getting the cats out.

One woman was on the front lines, in the house every day. She knew the hoarder but was totally blown away by what she saw when she entered the home.

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Aurora, cozy and comfy now back down in South Florida!

The first day, she took 20 cats out of the house and straight to the vet. The sickest ones were pulled out first. There were sick cats and hungry cats, and as it turns out, FIV+ and FeLV+ cats all mixed in with the general population. One cat had an eyeball literally hanging out, and the vet believed it had been like that for a couple of weeks.

The next day, 24 more cats were pulled from the home. Estimates went from 40 to at least 60 cats in the home.

The following day, another round of cats was taken out, and the day after that, another batch. Each cat was taken directly to the vet and tested and checked out. Local rescues filled up any piece of space they had with these cats. Fosters stepped up, and adopters came around as well.

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Me and Casper and Adele, two of the kitties we re-rescued from her house!

In the end, there were 85 cats pulled from the three-bedroom home. Eighty-five cats. No one had any idea this was going on. You wonder how in the world no one knew. This shows me that anything is possible. You really have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors in anyone’s house.

We worked with the rescuer mentioned above to identify nine cats we were looking for. Comparing our pictures with the cats once they arrived the vet, we were able to track down seven cats originally rescued from South Florida shelters in Broward and Dade counties. Seven of our South Florida cats were safe, and now it was time to get them down here so we could find them real forever homes.

Pretty, Aurora, Adele, Amelia, Panther, Casper, and Misty were held at two different places -– at the woman’s house and at TAPS animal rescue -– while I worked out transport to get them back down here.

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Tristin ready to drive the kitties to real safety. Aurora the kitty had lots to say and catch us up on!

The two we weren’t able to identify were an orange tabby named Oliver and a tabby named Tiger. Unfortunately, I am told there were 24 orange cats and probably just as many brownish tabbies like Tiger. They tried to compare markings but couldn't identify these two.

I've been doing a lot of cat-transport coordinating lately, so I asked a few friends to help drive these kitties down to Fort Lauderdale. A friend in Tampa offered to drive the first half of the trip, and another wonderful woman in Fort Myers offered to do the second half. Now all we needed to do was find seven cat carriers!

Not having the money to buy seven new carriers, I put a call for help on my Facebook page asking for people in Tampa who could donate a carrier to help rescue some hoarder cats. Within a few hours, I had seven with our cats’ names on them. My sister, who happens to live in Tampa, drove all around the following morning collecting carriers and dropping them off at the first driver’s home so they’d be ready to go that afternoon.

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The cats all loaded up in Pam's car for the second half of their rescue transport!

This past Saturday afternoon, our emergency re-rescue transport happened! The first driver, a wonderful woman named Tristin B, drove to the first place and picked up four of the cats, and then drove an hour from there to pick up the other three. Cats from this hoarder’s home were temporarily tucked away all over in a 100-mile radius from Tampa.

And then they were on the road!

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I give Casper a smooch. He deserves it and many more!

They reached Fort Myers, switched over to the second car with a fantastic friend named Pam C, and continued their journey.

At around 10 p.m. on Saturday night, the re-rescued kitties arrived in Fort Lauderdale and settled down in an empty condo a great friend of mine offered up for their temporary safe housing. They are now Good Karma Pet Rescue of South Florida cats (my awesome partner in cat rescue!), and we’ll take them all to the vet and make sure they find the best homes –- the best forever homes.

One of the cats, a 15-year-old Siamese named Pretty, has a couple already waiting to adopt her. Three others, Adele, Aurora and Amelia, are being taken in by our friends at HART of Maine cat shelter. They will be in foster until their forever family finds them. Two more, Panther and Casper, will hopefully find homes soon.

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15-year-old Pretty, safe and sound in her window down here now!

The most shocking thing about the cats we received is that Misty, a pretty but seriously skinny tortie, is actually pregnant. This hoarder woman was supposed to get her spayed, and even said that she had it done on her “own nickel,” but clearly she lied. Some may not agree with us, but we’re going to get her spayed ASAP. There are too many homeless kittens in our shelters now; we don’t need any more. Then she’ll need a home, too.

I visit the kitties at the condo every day during my lunch break from work. It’s right across from my office! They are wonderful cats and surprisingly healthy. They eat like pigs and love like lovebugs.

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Panther's favorite spot right now ... as King of the Closet!

I’m particularly in love with Panther. He is an amazing cat! So friendly and so big, and so demanding of attention. This is what he does every day from the bathroom counter:

I’m so sad these cats had to go through that situation, but I'm so happy that we were able to get them back down here to make things right for them. They are being showered with love right now, and we hope they find the best homes and get showered forever and ever!

Lesson to be learned here: If you are a rescue or shelter, be very careful who you adopt to. You really don’t know someone until you see their house. And if you do rescue cats, be careful not to get in over your head. What starts out as good intentions can unfortunately turn ugly if not kept under control and done smart.

Let’s keep saving and rescuing cats, and make sure we do it the right way. Cats in shelters are depending on us. Let’s not let them down.

Read more related stories: 

• So You Want to Transport a Cat? Here's How in Four Easy Steps
• Hey Southern Kill Shelters: Are You Swimming in Kittens? Please Send Them Up North!
• Are You a Cat Hoarder? Answer These 9 Questions and Find Out
• Established Arizona Cat Hoarder Lucienne Touboul Is at It Again

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Samuel poses for a photo at the Florida shelter from which he was rescued. Image from the Your Daily Cute Facebook page

Maybe it was his huge head, thick and round with the fat pads of a virile tomcat. Maybe it was his lean, hard body, shaped by years of life on the streets. Or maybe it was the tiny little white locket and the white spot on his tummy, which reminded me of a kitty-size Speedo.

He reminded me of my first cat, Castor, another big black tomcat with a white button on his stomach.

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One of Your Daily Cute's fans Photoshopped a beret (worn by the actual Samuel L. Jackson) onto Mr. Catson's head. Image from the Your Daily Cute Facebook page

I first heard about Samuel from my fellow Catster columnist Dorian Wagner. Last year, she became heavily involved in organizing transports of cats from the overcrowded high-kill shelters in her south Florida home to safety and rescue in the north.

Samuel was one of those cats in Florida, and he had tested positive for FIV -- not surprising for an unneutered cat who had spent so many years on the streets, and nothing that can't be managed in a caring home, but a certain death sentence for a kitty in a high-kill shelter.

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Samuel gets a hug just before he leaves for the first stage of his ride up north. Image from the Your Daily Cute Facebook page

Last month, Dorian arranged to get Samuel and 15 other cats transported from Florida to Maine, where I live, in an epic journey that she dubbed (and hashtagged) the #16catroadtrip.

And best of all, Samuel was coming to HART of Maine, the shelter where I volunteer, so I’d get to meet the big guy in person! HART is a no-kill shelter that actually has a whole room in its cage-free facility dedicated to housing FIV-positive cats.

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It's true: Samuel did have me at "meow."

As soon as I heard that Samuel had landed at HART, my heart raced: I was finally going to meet him. I felt like a screaming fangirl at a rock concert.

On Saturday, April 20, the fateful day came. I drove the 20 minutes to HART’s shelter in Cumberland and prepared to clean my two favorite rooms, Isolation (where our diabetic cats live) and Intake (just what it sounds like), where Samuel was staying at the time.

Was he as wonderful and sweet as everyone said he was? I didn’t have much of a chance to find out while I was cleaning, but I did spend a few minutes with him after I’d completed my duties.

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He reminds me so much of my first cat, Castor. I got a little teary-eyed as I stroked his head and gave him a kiss.

Yes, he totally is that sweet. He's so calm. So gentle. His soft, yellow-green eyes gaze enticingly at anyone who approaches him.

He’s the spittin’ image of my beloved Castor-cat. I got a little teary-eyed as I stroked him and he pushed his giant cheek into the palm of my hand and purred.

Last week, Samuel was moved into the FIV room, and I visited him after a hectic morning of cleaning and helping to make room in Intake for a bunch of cats who were being rescued from a bad situation.

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Samuel chills out in the FIV room at HART of Maine.

Sam was his usual chill self, stretched out on a shelf that was barely long enough to contain his massive body, watching the world go by. He’s getting used to his roommates now, and I know it won’t be long before he makes friends with the other cats and he’s able to stretch out full-length and show off his huge, handsome self.

Samuel’s not going to die just because he has FIV. He has a home. I know someone’s bound to fall in love with him bring him into their family. But even if nobody ever adopts Samuel, the folks at HART will provide him with love and care for the rest of his days.

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Thanks to Good Karma Pet Rescue, Dorian Wagner, and a platoon of Cuteheads who drove Samuel L. Catson 1,600 miles up the East Coast, he'll live happily ever after.

Would you help to transport a cat to safety? Have you ever transported a cat yourself or adopted a cat who came from a high-kill shelter? Please share your stories in the comments!

About JaneA Kelley: Punk-rock cat mom, science nerd, animal shelter volunteer, and all-around geek with a passion for bad puns, intelligent conversation, and role-play adventure games. She gratefully and gracefully accepts her status as chief cat slave for her family of feline bloggers, who have been writing the cat advice column, Paws and Effect, since 2003. JaneA dreams of making a great living out of her love for cats.

Of cats who are adopted, the lucky ones find themselves in posh environments filled with good food, soft places to nap, lots of toys, and sometimes other four-legged step-siblings to play with. They also find love, human companionship, and health care.

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Nemo

Others are not so fortunate. Some are given as gifts or adopted on a whim. These cats are eventually forgotten about and neglected when they’ve outgrown their newness or kitten stage. In the worst of cases, abuse is involved. It is not surprising to find at that point a pet who is becoming difficult to handle. 

Some unwanted cats are relinquished to a shelter, where they often spend months in a cage before being adopted again or killed to make room for more desirable kittens. Others are merely tossed outside on the city streets or, worse, driven to a rural placed and dumped. 

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OJ and Miss Lyla

Each time a friendly cat shows up at a feeding station set up by Catalyst for Cats Inc., a feral cat trap-neuter-return group in Santa Barbara, CA, we wonder how the poor pet came to be on the streets. We know they have experienced human companionship because they are friendly, and many have thankfully been spayed or neutered. Not used to fending for themselves, the animals arrive frightened, skinny, and starving. Some have injuries and are covered with fleas, yet here they come looking for food and love. 

I have held more than one purring former pet in my arms as it was put to sleep, too injured or ill to save. Each death brought me to tears and left another paw-print scar on my heart. These poor animals should have died in their own homes, surrounded by those who adopted them years ago, not turned out on the streets alone and in poor health. 

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Two brothers from a litter

To abandon an animal is considered abuse and is against the law in many states, but that does not stop some people from doing it. No pet should ever be turned out, to end up dying on the streets or in a stranger’s arms. I did not realize this was part of the job I signed up for more than five years ago when I volunteered at Catalyst for Cats. 

We know that the general consensus of relinquishment to a shelter is a death sentence for any pet. While this might be true in some cases, it is not a certainty. Even if the animal is put down, it is a kinder fate than suffering alone on the streets, especially during cold weather. Turing them out of the house or driving them out into the country for release is even worse, for the animals will not know where to go to for shelter or water and will most likely succumb to predation, starvation, or exposure. I can only think that someone who dumps their pet in this way soothes their own soul by remaining ignorant of the animal’s fate. 

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Tux

Before adopting a cat or kitten, carefully consider the pledge you are making. Ask yourself whether you can afford the food, litter and veterinary bills. Are you in this for the long run, even if it becomes inconvenient? Do you have a plan in place if you are no longer able to care for the animal?

An enriched environment for a cat will go a long way to alleviate boredom that often results in undesirable or destructive behavior. Be patient, remembering that the "kitten crazies" last only a few months. Cats do mellow out eventually. 

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Tweety

Here are tips for welcoming a new cat or kitten by making a cat-friendly environment:

• Consider adopting two kittens at the same time. Being social animals, they will play and sleep together, comforting each other while you are away. They are also fun to watch as they interact.

• Invest in a cat tree, the taller the better. See that at least part of it is wrapped with sisal, a favorite and irresistible scratching surface for most cats.

• Buy or make lots of toys. If your new pet is a kitten, no need to include catnip until the kitten is six months or older.

• Remove or block anything that might be a tempting target, such as breakable knick-knacks and power cords.

• Get an extra litter box or two. Put them in different rooms rather than all in one area, because when a kitten has to go, it is often an urgent need.

• Shower the animal with lots of love. The two of you will form a bond, and you'll get love in return.

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Spencer

Adopting a pet is a serious commitment. If you make one, please honor it.

Here are other stories about cat adoption:

• 8 Reasons NOT to Adopt a Kitten
• 7 Reasons to Foster a Pregnant Cat
• 10 Unconventional Ways to Pimp Out Adoptable Cats

A quick stroll around the joint does not disappoint: Rows of shelves are lined with eclectic goodies, curios, and groceries galore. Boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes are on display down the aisle from colorful stained-glass garden ornaments. Donated clothing hangs on racks near stacks of Spanish-language and Christmas CDs and old Elvis records.

It's just like any other thrift store -- except for a thin brown tabby eating a from a bowl of food on the counter by the register. As thrift store owner Al Richey rings up customers, he works around the cat, who does not look up from his lunch. The friendly feline seems completely comfortable with the hustle and bustle of secondhand commerce.

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This gorgeous ginger kitty is a permanent resident at Animas in Need Super Thrift Store.

And the tabby isn't the only one. While trying on $4 sunglasses, a longhaired ginger kitty winds through my legs. I get down on her level to say hello. She has stunning ice-blue eyes.

These two cats are among the eight who call the store home -- along with a 22-year-old senior (who has her very own chair at the front of the house) and a 17-year-old with cancer. According to Richey, his store's permanent residents are considered "unadoptable" due to a variety of health and behavioral concerns, or because they were undersocialized and have simply been abandoned.

"I've got a little feral at my foot that someone just brought in the store and dropped," Richey says. "It's taken me four months to pet her, and nobody else has been able to pet her but me. She's beautiful -- she's looking up at me as we speak."

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Baby is currently awaiting adoption at Animals in Need.

After operating a national surplus store for nearly 25 years, Richey retired four and a half years ago -- sort of. Instead of closing his store, he redefined its mission. It is now staffed by 14 volunteers, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to helping sick or homeless animals at several rescue groups in the Kansas City area. According to Richey, their "main squeeze" is Kitty Cat Connection, a rescue network that fosters up to 150 kitties at a time.

After he switched gears, Richey’s role in the cat rescue community grew. Kitty Cat Connection started bringing adoptable kitties in on weekends, and soon people came in all week looking for cats. Then Richey started getting calls from individuals who wanted to surrender their cats for adoption -- and some people simply dropped their unwanted pets off at the store.

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The thrift store's displays change with the seasons -- but 100 percent of proceeds always go to animals in need.

Now the store has 13 cozy kennels housing kitties waiting to be adopted. Animals in Need adopts out older and FIV-positive cats in addition to younger cats and kittens. Last year, the organization spent more than $70,000 on veterinary care alone -- and played a role in sending more than 500 cats to their forever homes.

"We have the advantage that people come in here for a box of Little Debbies and walk out with a cat," Richey says. "Regular shelters don't have that advantage -- you've gotta want a cat when you go to a cat shelter."

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Boo is waiting patiently for his forever home.

Over the years, Richey has seen some memorable matches. Most of the kitties he rescues come from individuals in the community. “We get 10 calls a day offering us a cat,” Richey says. Some also come from Kitty Cat Connection or other area rescue groups or veterinary offices where cats have run out of time and may be facing euthanasia.

On one occasion, they rescued a calico cat from the home of an elderly woman who could no longer care for her pet. A customer at the thrift store fell in love with the cat. There was only one problem.

“No one could pet it,” Richey says. “It was so angry and so cage-crazed that it would strike out at anybody who would get near it. This woman was determined that she could overcome that. We actually had to pick up the entire kennel and carry it up into her apartment building. We opened the door, and the cat just walked out like it had been there its whole life.”

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Richey estimates that there are roughly 10,000 individuals in the Kansas City area who are doing what they can to care for the city’s large population of homeless animals, and he and the volunteers at Animals in Need -- as well as the countless individuals who donate time, money, and cat food and litter to further their cause -- are part of that. 

“It takes a village,” Richey says. “I always call it the village of 10,000. If you were the wealthiest man in the world, you couldn't take care of all the cats in Kansas City. But there are 10,000 people doing that. And we're just part of the 10,000 -- part of the village.”

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

And there you see that one. The One. For some reason, he tugs at your heartstrings and you can’t get him out of your head. You immediately know you want him to be part of your family, and you have to help him –- but he’s in a kill shelter halfway across the country and only has a couple days left.

What do you do? Here's our guide to transporting cats across the country.

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You never know when you'll see The One. (Blackjack here is already adopted, by the way.)

1. Contact the shelter and local rescues

The first step is to call and email the shelter where the cat is located. Tell them right away that you’re interested in the kitty, because this may buy him some time. Ask them if they work with any local rescues who may be able to help you pull him from the shelter and work out temporary foster placement while you arrange transport.

Also, look up some rescues on your own. When you find a good prospect, let them know that you want to adopt the kitty, but are out of the area and need help. They will hopefully be willing to work with you to get the cat out safe.

2. Prepare the kitty for travel

Now, two things need to happen: You need to find drivers to help get your new kitty home, and your future kitty needs to see a vet and get some of the necessary vetting in order to be able to travel. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as plopping them in a car and riding off into the sunset.

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Hey, can we get this show on the road already?

If a rescue pulls the cat, you are technically adopting from that rescue, so they may ask you to fill out an adoption form. Then, once the cat is out safe, he’ll need to see a vet. You’ll want him to have some basic tests and rabies shots, and to be neutered (many rescues require this for adoption, period). There are usually low-cost options for all of this. The rescue will have to help get your kitty ready for you.

Also, in order to travel, pets need health certificates. This is a document provided by a vet certifying that your cat is healthy and safe to travel. It requires an exam and can cost $25 to $100, depending on the vet. 

3. Find drivers

To find drivers to get your cat home, go to Google Maps or a similar site and enter the beginning and end cities for your cat’s travel. This will tell you how far he needs to go and the best route. Post on all your social sites, share with your friends, and contact people you know in cities along the way. People are usually willing to help drive a few hours, especially if it’s to save an animal’s life!

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Who wouldn't want to drive a cute kitty?

If you can’t find drivers on your own, there are a couple other options. First would be to fly your pet home. Never fly a pet in cargo; there are too many horror stories. Either fly out to pick up your new cat and fly home with him as your carry-on, or see if someone from that area would be willing to do it. You’ll need to pay for the plane ticket as well as the pet fee, which is usually $100 to $125. Your cat will need an airline-approved soft side carrier and a health certificate.

Other options are to look into transport groups on Facebook or online. Imagine Home and Underground Railroad Rescue Kitty Network are two. I also do transport through an amazing network I’ve built up through my blog, Your Daily Cute (but not as often as the other groups). You can volunteer to be a driver here!

These groups require information from you about the cat and proof of vetting and spay/neuter, as well as health certificates. They will work with their list of volunteer drivers and network to find any holes that aren’t covered. This process typically takes three to four weeks, depending on how quickly drivers can be found.

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Hard carrier, puppy pad... Pookie safely loaded up for her transport home!

4. Prepare for the road

Then, once you find your drivers (either on your own or through a group), the big day will finally arrive. Your new kitty will need several things to make his trip comfortable and safe:

• A hard-sided carrier (soft carriers are too easily banged around and won’t hold “potty accidents” if they happen).
• Puppy pads to line the bottom of the carrier, and extras for along the way in case of accidents.
• An old sheet or towel to cover the carrier in case kitty gets stressed. This helps calm the cat.
• A calming spray product such as Spirit Essences or Feliway to spritz in the carrier or car.
• Food and water if it’s a longer trip, although chances are kitty won’t want any of it on the road. Do not leave these in the carrier, but maybe provide them at a rest stop to see if he wants some.
• Health certificate and any other vet records.

The most important thing to remember is to NEVER open the carrier with the car doors or windows open. Never! Do not underestimate a kitty's speed. A cat can charge out of a carrier in a second and be lost forever. Better safe than sorry -– always open the carrier (to change puppy pads or give water) with the car completely shut.

It seems like a lot of work, but it’s so worth it to save a life! Transport saves lives. You’d be surprised how many animals are criss-crossing the country every day, especially on weekends. It’s something we should all be doing more to help with.

Have you ever transported a kitty or worked with others who did? Tell us about it in the comments!

What I never anticipated was in addition to life-saving work, there’s a flipside. I call it the freak factor. Yes, I’m referring to dealing with people.

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To be fair, if someone wants to adopt from us, I don’t blindly give up the cat. Each person has to fill out a pre-adoption application. I call the person's vet for a reference. I do a home visit. Some people cruelly joke that it’s easier to purchase a handgun than it is to adopt a kitten.

I recently got an application for our foster cat Bongo. I rescued Bongo from a kill shelter. He had no hope of ever getting out alive because the shelter in question euthanizes 98 percent of the more than 300 cats that arrive every month.

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Bongo gets to know me. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

Bongo has severe nerve damage to his right front leg, so he can’t walk on it. I’ve had four vets review his X-rays and confirm that Bongo can keep his leg, but this means whoever adopts him must be willing to have his leg examined occasionally.

The application in question left me cold. The person is unemployed, she lives out of state (too far to do a home visit), and she didn’t provide much more than a single-word answer to the questions on the form. I had a bad feeling about it, but because I wanted to be fair, I called her vet.

A person at the vet's office reported she’d brought her cat to them a few days ago and had it euthanized. The cat was 14 years old and had a mass in her abdomen. I asked whether the cat had come in for any care prior to being put down, and the person said no.

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Bongo likes what he sees. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

I wanted to spare this woman’s feelings, so instead of denying her outright, I wrote saying we could not do an out-of-state adoption, hoping it would be enough to send her on her way.

She volleyed back with an accusatory (uncorrected) email saying: “How can you turn down me. I thought SPCA'S and any kind of animal shelter looks for homes for these sweet pets. Your breaking my heart even more. I had my heart set on hoping to get him..Please let me adopted Bongo.”

Along with her messages were two photos -- one of her holding her dead cat, the other one of a tin containing her cat’s cremains. When I saw the photos, my jaw hit the floor.

It was a cruel thing to do, but in the photos I saw why she went off the deep end about my foster. Bongo looked exactly like her deceased cat!

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Bongo does resemble this cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

I’m sorry, but a cat is not a lamp you broke. You can’t go to the store and get a new one just like it to replace it.

It happened to be my birthday, and all I wanted to do was go out for a seafood lunch along the shoreline. I rarely go out, and it was a special treat, but now that this person was ramping up her tactics, I began to wonder whether it was safe to leave.

No sooner than my partner Sam and I began our trip to the coast, the voicemail chime went off on my mobile phone. I began to read the choppy voice-to-text transcription: “Hi, this is ____ that I'm at the new town. Please station…”

The Newtown police station? She’s at the police station trying to get my address?

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Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

She had driven more than an hour to do what? Did she figure that in person she could “charm” me, changing my mind about adopting Bongo to a crazy person? What was she going to do if I didn’t give her the cat?

In a fit of rage I called her back. How dare she pull these dramatics when all I had done was be respectful to her? I told her I found her actions “alarming” (though I wanted to use much harsher language). She told me that I had mental problems and then hung up on me. What do I do now? Do I race home and protect my house? Do I have my lunch and not let her hysterics ruin my day?

I had a lousy lunch. We canceled our other plans and returned home.

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This lobster turned out to be rather unfriendly. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

As soon as we arrived, I frantically scanned the house checking on each of my eight cats. They were fine. I entered the foster room and saw Bongo, sitting there on his cat tree, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

Relieved that all was well, I returned to my office and sat down at my computer.

The woman hadn’t given up. Waiting in my inbox was another accusatory email. This time her goal was to belittle me. I fought the urge to reply because I didn’t trust myself to not to fire back at her.

I had Sam draft a reply. He’s the vice president of our rescue and was far enough removed from the situation to lend some clarity. His response was plainly written, fact-based, and not aggressive in tone. His letter included a few words in my defense that I was grateful to read: “Your assessment of Robin is unfair and just plain rude. We deal with the public every day - from government officials and the media to small children -- and she's a skilled and empathetic communicator. People who know her -- as opposed to people who merely shout at her on the phone -- know this.”

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Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

To date I haven’t heard from her again, and I’ve moved on to reviewing another application. This one says “there is no way I’m going to let you do a home visit -- get real. I have three kids. We need to get a cat this week, so when can we come see them?”

Here we go again.

Meanwhile, Bongo is still patiently waiting for a less “enthusiastic” adopter.

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Robin A.F. Olson writes the cat-centric blog Covered in Cat Hair and is president and founder of Kitten Associates Inc. Olson lives in Newtown, CT, with an ever-changing number of cats. When she's not scooping litter pans, she does stand-up comedy and is a spotter for the National Weather Service.

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Pregnant cat outdoors by Shutterstock

Shelters rescue a lot of these momma kitties before they give birth, but they need you to reach out and help them make these little families healthy and strong. Here are some of my favorite reasons for fostering pregnant cats.

1. You’ll save a life

A mother cat is much more likely to survive a pregnancy and produce healthy kittens when she has a safe home and plenty of nutritious food.

2. Actually, you’ll save several lives

Respiratory infections are endemic in shelters. Although adult cats can usually make a quick recovery with proper supportive care, kittens’ immune systems are not as well developed. As a result, a cold that’s miserable for an adult cat can be fatal for a kitten.

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Outdoor cats do the best they can to find safe places to give birth, but this mama-cat and her litter are going to be out of luck if it rains. Cat and newborn kittens in a hollow tree by Shutterstock

3. You’ll make the birth easier and safer

Shelters are stressful places. When a mother cat is stressed, it also stresses the babies, which can cause complications during the labor process and increase the risk of injury or death for the kittens.

4. You can teach your children about the miracle of birth

If you have kids and you want them to be able to watch animals being born, you don’t have to breed your own cat to do so.

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Newborn kitten nursing by Shutterstock

5. You’ll make the kittens more adoptable

By exposing the new kittens to a variety of experiences they wouldn’t have in the shelter -- dogs, children of various ages, men and women, and so on -- you’ll create confident kittens who can enjoy all kinds of different homes.

6. You could be preventing a late-term abortion

Stray and feral cats are sometimes spayed while they’re pregnant. This naturally means that all the kittens die. By the time a cat is obviously pregnant, the kittens are much more than just clumps of cells. Spaying a pregnant cat is also a very risky procedure because there’s so much blood flow to the uterus to support the growing kittens.

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Help! I'm melting from the cute! Mother cat hugging her newborn kitten by Shutterstock

7. You’ll get to witness the cutest, sweetest thing in the world

I can’t help it: Every time I see a momma cat and her babies all lined up at the milk bar, purring and kneading with their teensy-weensy little paws, I get all gooey inside. Maybe it’s just “secondhand oxytocin,” but I sure do love that feeling!

Have you fostered a pregnant cat or a litter of kittens? Do you have any other reasons to add to this list? Please share them in the comments!

Spaying and neutering are good ideas. But sometimes kittens have remarkable effects on people. Read Deborah Barnes' recollection "How a Surprise Litter of Kittens Changed My Life." Kittens also can be a big undertaking. JaneA Kelley covers that aspect in "8 Reasons NOT to Adopt a Kitten." If you haven't spayed your female cat yet, here are things to look for in "The 5 Stages of Cat Pregnancy."

Waiting lists for kittens? You’re telling me that you have a list of people wanting to adopt a kitten (any kitten, any color, any gender!) -- while down here, we can’t find homes for all the ones we have, so much so that they end up on death row?

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Peep and Jellybean, two kittens recently "shuffled" from North Carolina to Illinois!

I was floored to learn this. Maybe I already knew it, but I never processed the reality. We almost always have adorable, adoptable kittens here in the South -– but in the North, where it gets frigid cold and the cats don’t feel like getting frisky any more than the people do in that weather, they have none. Zero, zip, zilch. 

You want kittens? We have kittens. Now let’s connect the dots and save some lives!

It’s not a new idea, but one that I wish were used more widely. Why not transport the unwanted kittens from the states in the South (think Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina) up north, where people would love to have them!

Kitten season is right around the corner (it’s basically already here in Florida), so we have to act fast. We have perfect kittens who will be ready for adoption almost right away, while the future babies up north will still need a few months to go big and strong before they can leave their moms and go home.

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Barry and Whiskers on the road from Florida to Illinois last weekend!

The way I figure, we can get a huge number of kittens out of the South and to the North before its kitten season is in full swing –- and save a bunch that way. Get a bunch of adoptable kittens up there now, and they’ll all be adopted before their own kitten season’s babies are ready to go!

I've been doing exactly this in the past couple of months, and I hope to find more rescue contacts to do it on a larger scale. I have friends at rescues all over, but two in particular have been amazing. Forever Home Feline Ranch in Springfield, Ill., has taken in two carloads, and HART of Maine in Cumberland is getting the next bunch of kittens from Florida in a couple of weeks. I work with my local rescues to bust the little ones out of animal control here, then get them ready to travel and send them off!

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Load 'em up and send them off to safety! Say bye to those palm trees in the background, kitties!

Most of the kittens already have adopters lined up (without even meeting the kittens!) before the babies even get there. It’s amazing! These are all kittens who would probably have died in our shelters because there simply isn't enough demand down here to take them all in. 

So let's shuffle kittens to save lives. If you’re a part of a rescue with a waiting list for kittens (I know you’re out there!), please contact a shelter down South and see how you can help. Many are on Facebook, sharing posts desperately every day to find their cats and kittens homes. They don’t want to kill them, so let’s make it so they don’t have to!

When you call a shelter, ask about the rescues they work with. It’s usually not a big task to get the cats tested and vetted, and then it’s just a matter of transport. This can be the trickiest part. Head back to Facebook to find people willing to help. You’d be surprised how far someone might be willing to drive to save a life.

I have organized more than a few transports thanks to the readers of my blog, Your Daily Cute, and there are other transport groups on Facebook willing to help, too. There are always cats and kittens -- the key is finding rescues to take them in!

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More kittens on their car ride to freedom!

What do you say we clear out the South’s shelters and save them all before kitten season hits for real? We’d be saving future lives because of it, and saving the lives of the ones we shuffle right away. It might take a little work and coordination, but it’s worth it to save lives, right?

I have no idea what I’m getting myself into here (hopefully a lot!), but feel free to contact me if you’re a rescue who is interested. Or contact a shelter down here directly!

And if it’s too late to do it for this year, let’s remember this next year -- when the snow is plentiful and the kittens are not.

Thanks for helping save lives! You can find me on Twitter, at YourDailyCute.com, and my blog's Facebook page. You can also talk to me in the comments section below. 

Read more about cat rescue: 

• I Used to Hate Kill Shelters -- Now I Think They Get a Bad Rap
• 8 Reasons NOT to Adopt a Kitten
• 10 Unconventional Ways to Pimp Out Adoptable Cats

I asked myself that question many times as I drove to the Maine Mall on a recent Saturday afternoon. But the answer was always the same: It’s for the cats.

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Cats and volunteers lined up to talk with the mobs of mall-goers.

HART of Maine, the rescue group with which I volunteer, was one of the organizations participating in the second annual Rescues on the Runway event, a combination adopt-a-thon and celebrity ... oh, I dunno, celebrity thing. The celebrities in question were the members of the Portland Red Claws, Maine’s NBA “development league” team, their cheerleaders, and a local radio DJ.

Although I hadn’t volunteered to be among the group of about eight people who had transported a dozen of our cats and set up a table replete with cats, flyers, and merchandise, I did want to go and show my support -- and maybe take some pictures. So, armed with my phone and and a fierce determination not to set foot in any stores, I sallied forth, preparing to wade through hordes of constantly texting teenage zombies, clouds of vile perfume, and the relentless whispers of “come in, spend money” emanating from every single shop and kiosk.

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The mall was even more crowded than usual.

After I found a parking space -- which took me as long as it had taken me to drive there -- I located the event and went to check out the other rescue organizations. I saw dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs ... and a pony. Yes, a pony. In a shopping mall.

I escaped the dog and pony show and found the HART table. It was mobbed! Seriously. There were people four or six deep pretty much all around the 20 feet or so of table space. The half-dozen cats on display seemed to be doing a great job keeping their cool in the midst of the noise and chaos.

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The cats handled the insanity better than I did. I wish I could have napped in the midst of all that madness.

I asked when the runway show would take place. To my chagrin, I was going to have to wait around for an hour before it began.

An hour. In the mall. An introvert’s nightmare.

Sigh.

If anyone near me heard a giant sucking sound, it was my energy starting to drain away.

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People, people everywhere! This was a very good thing for the HART kitties hoping to find new homes.

After an overpriced coffee, one more walk around the place to check out the rescue groups, a bunch of photos of the crowds in front of the HART table, and a trip into H&M to see if they had anything on sale that didn’t suck, the festivities began.

Dog after dog paraded down the runway. Smiling basketball players and cheerleaders guided them, and occasionally the team’s mascot, Crusher, a seven-foot-tall cooked lobster dressed in a basketball uniform, had a turn, too.

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These kids' parents clearly didn't have a clue that it might not be a good idea to let them get right in the faces of stressed-out dogs. I couldn't help but think, "This is not going to end well."

Children squeaked and reached out to touch and pet the dogs, ducking under and leaning over the safety ropes that were supposed to keep the audience from getting too close to the animals.

Finally, it was the cats’ turn to be in the spotlight. Once again, I was amazed that they were so chill in the face of all the flashing cameras, mobs of people, and grabby little kids. And a seven-foot-tall lobster.

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Crusher, the Red Claws' mascot, must have been sweating his carapace off in that costume!

In fact, the cats tolerated Crusher so much better than the dogs did. The DJ made a joke that the cats must think he smelled like dinner.

I think Crusher probably smelled like sweat after hanging out for hours in a padded costume on a stage directly under a huge glass rotunda through which was pouring massive amounts of spring sunlight. If my cats are any indication, cats have an unholy attraction to the smell of sweat.

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A Red Claws cheerleader bends down and lets some children pet one of HART's cats.

I tried to take some photos of the cats on the runway, but alas, most of them didn’t turn out even halfway decent. Like I’ve said before, I’m not a professional photographer, but I’m more than willing to try and fail to get that one good shot.

Finally, the show was over. I took a few more photos, said my goodbyes, and left. I made it about an hour and a half, but my fellow volunteers -- and the cats -- were there all afternoon. And it turned out to be a great day. The great showing the kitties made resulted in several pending adoptions by the end of the day.

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This sweet little Russian Blue look-alike had a huge fan club by the end of the day.

Thank goodness for people who can survive the gauntlet of an American shopping mall for the sake of the cats!

Would you spend hours in a jam-packed mall for the sake of showing off wonderful rescue kitties? How far out of your comfort zone would you go to help rescue efforts? Please share your experience in the comments!

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Sure, they're cute now -- but just you wait! Kitten sleeping on its back by Shutterstock

But I’ll warn you: As soon as you get home with your baby (or babies, because you probably won’t be able to leave the shelter with just one), you’ll find that all that cuteness and charm was merely an act, and you’ll learn the truth about living with kittens. Here are just some of the horrors with which you’ll have to contend -- eight reasons not to adopt a kitten.

1. They’re always underfoot

Are you really looking forward to a life of tripping over kittens who magically appear in front of you? Or maybe you’d prefer stepping on one of those cute little darlings as they dart in front of you while you walk to the kitchen.

2. If they’re not underfoot, they’re in your face

You don’t really need to check your email, do you? You weren’t going to eat that food you keep trying to put in your mouth, right? Climactic scene of a movie? Tough luck, because Baby wants a kiss and he doesn’t care what you’re trying to do!

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Naughty kitten in Venetian blind by Shutterstock

3. They’re constantly trying to strangle or electrocute themselves

It doesn’t matter how many cord protectors you use or how far out of reach (hah!) you stow the curtain cords: Kittens will find a way.

4. They practice random acts of vandalism

There’s nothing quite like waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of your favorite collectibles hitting the floor and shattering into smithereens. When Sinéad and Siouxsie were kittens, one of them chewed my mouse cord in half -- vandalism and attempted self-electrocution at the same time!

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Rude awakening for human in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Kitten playing with Christmas ornament by Shutterstock

5. They think everything is a toy

Your fingers. Your feet. Your shoelaces. Your knitting needles. Your yarn. Your bills. Your glasses. Your keys. Your jewelry. Your tender parts. Oh yeah, and things that actually are toys, too.

6. They’ll eat anything, even if it could kill them

Kittens haven’t learned to have the discerning palate of their elders. They’ll gladly scarf up chocolate, string, plastic bags, onion dip, plants -- you name it, they’ll eat it.

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Kitten attacking a string by Shutterstock

7. They actually do require training

Kittens don’t come magically knowing where they’re supposed to poop, scratch, and eat. They certainly don’t know that the counter is not a place for cats or why it's not OK to climb Grandma’s pants. You have to provide them with acceptable choices and help them understand why it’s so awesome to use them.

8. You never know how they’re going to turn out

Is your cute, delicate little darling going to turn into a 20-pound behemoth? Hard to say, unless you’re sure who both parents are. Is your sweet little baby going to turn into the feline version of Cujo once she hits puberty? Who knows? Environment plays a big part in personality development, but so does genetics.

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So cute, but so naughty! Kitten attacking the couch by Shutterstock

Take it from me: Spare yourself the agony of living with a kitten. The next time you go to the shelter, check out the adult cats instead: They already know their manners, their personalities are fully formed, and since a well-cared-for cat can live 18 or 19 years -- or even longer -- you and your feline friend will have many wonderful years to share. Not only that, but she’ll be ever so grateful to have a forever home because she remembers what it’s like to be without one.

Read more on cat adoption:

• 7 Tips on Cat Adoption
• The Steps and Costs for Adopting a Cat
• Cat Adoption: My Next Cat Will Be the Most-Unadoptable Ever

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Nestled in the quiet town of Thomasville, GA, is Miss Kitty Feline Sanctuary, the first and only no-kill, no-cage cat rescue in Thomas County. Founded in 2010 by Bettye and Jerry Henderson and seven others, Miss Kitty could not open its doors soon enough. Thomas County had long suffered an overpopulation of stray and feral cats, as well as the continuous contributions by intact pets.

Miss Kitty, licensed with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, quickly filled 10 cat rooms and today is home to more than 100 cats.

“We don’t want to be the dumping ground,” says director Carol Jones. “We take in cats when we have space. We really try to help hardship cases.”

Jones gave an example of a couple who were moving to Europe and would have had to pay $3,000 per cat for them to go through the quarantine process required in Britain. Unable to afford the exorbitant fee, they turned to Miss Kitty for help.

“They tried every other option,” Jones says. “There was just nowhere for them to go.”

When the couple found out they were going to have a baby, they were able to transfer back to the States.

“They’re coming back to get their cats," Jones says. "They’re excited, and we’re so happy to see the cats go home. We’re glad we could help.”

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Photo by Robert Porter. Miss Kitty is across the road from the famous rose garden of Thomasville, Georgia.

Around Christmas, a Thomasville resident and Miss Kitty supporter contacted the rescue about taking in a stray cat with a withered leg. The shelter agreed to take in the cat, named Cassidy, and the resident paid for the surgeries required to amputate the leg and get Cassidy spayed. The resident also donated an additional $190 to Miss Kitty and told Jones that if someone came in and wanted a cat but couldn’t afford the $110 adoption fee, the money should be used for that purpose.

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Cats lounging in a donated dog crate that was converted into a "cat cave." How many do you see?

Not long after this, a woman came in looking for a cat for her housebound father. When told how much the adoption fee would be, the woman faltered, saying she would have to wait. Jones remembered the donation from earlier in the year and told the woman that her fee would be covered for whatever cat she chose. As fate would have it, she chose little three-legged Cassidy.

Weeks later, the woman called the shelter with some good news. “Cassidy really changed that man’s outlook on life,” Jones says. “He quit calling his daughter as much and became more independent. He even gave Cassidy a special pillow on the couch! That’s what we’re all about.”

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Mama Welch arrived with six kittens. She is still looking for her forever home, along with some of her kittens, now young adults.

Miss Kitty has 10 spacious rooms that house a variety of cats. “Originally, we tried to sort everyone by age, but as they got older and not adopted, we ended up with a variety of ages in each room,” says Jones. “We move cats sometimes according to personality as well.” Each room has a large picture window with plenty of perch room for the cats to watch the outdoor activities. This year, Miss Kitty hopes to build an outdoor area with four separate runs.

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Tabs is also looking for a forever home!

Jones says Miss Kitty doesn’t turn away FIV+ or other special-needs cats: “We will adopt out our FIV+ cats, but we make sure the adopters know what it means to have a FIV+ cat and the responsibility that comes with it.”

They recently had to make the hard decision to euthanize one of their special-needs cats, a gorgeous white cat with an aggressive cancer in her ears, resulting in the removal of the visible parts of her ears. After a long battle with cancer and secondary infections, the beautiful cat just couldn’t fight any more.

“We’re a no-kill sanctuary, but we’re not going to [prolong] a sick cat’s misery,” says Jones. Some people don’t realize that no-kill shelters/rescues still have to resort to euthanasia for special cases.

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This little cutie was shy but very curious.

At Miss Kitty, each room is its own community with plenty of room to move and play. The cats are social and surprisingly calm. Donated dog crates are lined with pillows and throws to make cozy hideaway caves. The building, formerly a daycare center, has plenty of cabinets, which are kept open for the cats to explore and hide away in.

Miss Kitty is completely volunteer-run and funded by donations. Science Diet donates all of the food and Oil-Dri donates the kitty litter. These donation partners take much of the financial burden off Miss Kitty. About sixty volunteers also run the thrift shop Miss Kitty opened in 2011 to further supplement individual donations. Hours are scheduled so that the cats always have fresh water, food, clean litter boxes, and human interaction.

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Carol with one of her charges.

Finding homes for the homeless isn’t Miss Kitty’s only community contribution –- it also assists with spay/neuter. “Once a month, we take cats down to Jennings, Florida,” explains Jones. “We help local people get their cats spayed or neutered for less [money]. We’re really trying to make a difference in the community. You have to spay/neuter a certain amount of cats to see a reduction in the population, and that’s our end goal.”  

Read about other shelter heroes:

• Seattle Persian and Himalayan Rescue Saves the Princesses
• I Work with FIV-Positive Cats, and Guess What? They're Not Broken!
• Maine Coon Adoptions Rescues "The Dogs of the Cat World"
• I Used to Hate Kill Shelters, But Now I Think They Get a Bad Rap

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

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Cat on a muddy road by Shutterstock

Despite the efforts of Ginn’s son, at least 30 cats died in the fire. Thirty survivors are being treated at an area vet clinic, and the search for survivors is ongoing.

Ginn is heartbroken over the loss and, of course, has to deal with insurance and other issues while trying to process her grief and deal with the fates of the cats currently under vet care, seven or eight of whom are in critical condition.

But she’s not going it alone.

Rescue groups all over the province have spread the word about Last Chance’s tragedy and begun to collect funds, food, blankets, and anything else the cats might need.

“Our animals are our family. They are the voiceless and we just want be there to help them so we all try rally around each other when tragedy strikes,” No-Kill Animal Association volunteer Jane Nygaard told Global Lethbridge.

The Lethbridge PAW Society is helping to collect donations for Last Chance Cat Ranch and has put out a call for its own volunteers to help foster the Last Chance cats until Ginn can rebuild.

Area businesses are collecting donations of money and supplies. TV and radio stations are spreading the word. And on April 13, a Facebook auction will be held to raise funds for Last Chance.

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Woman offers assistance to a cat on a roof by Shutterstock

Meanwhile, the entire social pet world is buzzing about Last Chance. Rescues began sharing the news of Last Chance’s plight and pet lovers across Facebook and Twitter are providing a “signal boost,” which will hopefully give Last Chance another chance soon.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen rescue groups come to one another’s aid. When the Animalkind shelter in New York was destroyed by a flood, fellow rescuers (including my good friend Robin Olson, author of the Covered in Cat Hair blog) came forward to help the organization rebuild.

And there are lots of other examples.

“Rescue groups say they’re part of a large family,” said CBC reporter Terry Vogt, who covered the Last Chance Ranch story.

It’s true. We are one big family -- dysfunctional at times, yes, but like any family, we come together to help our own in their hour of need.

You can keep up to date with Last Chance Cat Ranch and find out how you can help the rebuilding efforts by following LCCR’s Facebook page.

Five-alarm tissue alert: This tribute video was created by Virginia of Little Cats Lost in Edmonton, Alberta.

What’s your favorite story of shelters working together to help each other after tragedy strikes? Please tell us in the comments.

Sources: Global Lethbridge, CBC News

So how do you go about getting more cats adopted? We have some simple and easy tips you can do (most of them are free!) to help boost the rate of kitties heading to their forever homes. The truth is, this is almost like marketing. Think of it like a business and market your paws. 

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Think you could spruce this place up a bit? Beautiful friendly tuxedo cat by Shutterstock.com.

1. If you have cages, pair up the kitties

Especially kittens! Many people go in looking for one cat, but have a hard time leaving a sibling or BFF behind in the cage. How can you adopt just one of them and leave her buddy? He’ll be so sad. Plus, with a friend in the cage, the cats will likely be more active and happier –- and so, more adoptable!

It also helps to explain that kittens do better with friends, especially in a home where the owner isn’t around all day. Don’t let someone adopt one without at least offering why they might consider another.

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You couldn't separate us, could you? Two cat pals by Shutterstock.com.

2. Make business cards for the cats

People come to meet kitties and often don’t decide right away. They go home and think it over, trying to figure out which would be the perfect match for their families. Give them a little something to remember by having business cards!

Include a nice picture of the cat, his name, ID number, and a little about him –- his story, age, personality, favorite toys, whether he gets along with other cats,. Be sure to also include contact information for your shelter or rescue.

People tend to hang on to these, so they have a constant reminder that other sweet babies are waiting for them. And if they don’t adopt another cat, maybe someone else who sees the card might.

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A super example found on the Friends of Jacksonville, Inc. Facebook page!

3. Have a warm, comfortable “meet and greet” place to sit

Whether the cats are in cages or free roaming at the shelter, it helps to have a nice bench or meeting room where a potential adopter can have some time with her potential new kitty. Even just a wood bench with a few pillows or cushions will do.

Some people will choose a cat quickly based on looks alone, but encouraging adopters to sit with the kitties and really get to know and cuddle them can go a long way to helping them fall in love. The most perfect kitty may just need a little one-on-one time to shine and convince someone they are perfect.

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All I need is a few minutes to cuddle and I'll convince her to take me home! Beautiful Brown Cat Relaxing by Shutterstock.com.

4. Make your voicemail from a cat

When someone calls your shelter or rescue and gets your voicemail, why not make it from one of the cats?

“Hi, none of the humans can come to the phone right now, so please leave a message. By the way, this is Callie. I’m about four years old and as fluffy and friendly as I can be, and I really hope that you’ll tell them in your message that you want me to live with you. Tell them, tell them! Okay, thanks. Hopefully I’ll see you later.”

I bet they’ll ask about Callie when they come in! Hat tip to Petfinder for this tip. Love it!

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Oh hai. Leave a message ... about me! ragdoll kitten investigating telephone by Shutterstock.com

5. Have creative events to showcase your cats

Can’t seem to get those black cats, tuxies, or tabbies adopted as quickly as the “fancy” cats? Put them in the spotlight and give them their chance to shine!

Hold a Black Cat Ball at your shelter (black tie, of course) and dress up for the occasion –- and dress up the kitties, too. Give them sparkly collars (if they’ll wear them) and spruce the place up with sparkly decorations. Black cats and tuxies only!

Or why not have a Tabby Chic party? Get your tabbies all fancied up and stage their cages with a decorator’s touch. A little bit of pretty fabric for drapes, lovely linens on their beds, stylish stuffed animals, and collars to match each one’s décor, of course. Tabbies have style!

Events like these can be done with almost no budget and are great at spreading the word to get people to come in.

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I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

6. Decorate the cages

Speaking of being fancy, why not decorate your cats’ cages with each cat in mind? Instead of newspaper, use towels to make the place more homey. If they have green eyes, use green towels to show them off. Make sure there are a few toys in the cages to not only keep your cats happy, but also make them look even cuter surrounded by adorable stuffed animals.

You can also decorate your adoption room. Paint the walls a warm, inviting color and play soft music in the background. Add a few cozy places to sit and some nice pictures on the walls of current and past cat residents. Create a little slice of heaven that people will want to come visit again and again.

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A cozy place to test out a cat. Cat resting in a chair by Shutterstock.com

7. Blog about the cats

Even if you think you don’t have a single spare second, blogging about the cats can boost interest in them, especially the shy ones who don’t “sell themselves” when adopters come in.

You know the cats better than anyone, so write up quick posts with pictures and what they do every day. Even just a quick, fun post each day will help people fall in love. Did Cleopatra cuddle up with another cat for the first time today? Maybe Jezebel discovered that there is nothing more exciting than her feather toy.

If you have litters of kittens, introduce them and keep everyone updated with new pics as they grow up. There is nothing that will go viral faster than adorable kittens. And even if those particular kitties are no longer available when people call or come in, others will be.

Don’t keep your cats hiding in your adoption room -- get them on the Internet.

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Get on here and tell my story! Technological cat with laptop by Shutterstock.com

8. Make your Petfinder descriptions unique and fun

Don’t just give age and sex and how adopters should contact you –- get creative. Make your cats stand out from the crowd. 

Tell people things they wouldn’t know from just looking at a picture. Do the cats talk a lot, love to crawl into your lap, play like a maniac, or relax calmly all day?

If a cat's purr motor kicks into overdrive every time someone approaches, tell people! If a cat clearly missed her calling as a baker because all she wants to do is knead and make biscuits, tell people! A few extra words can be all someone needs to fall in love.

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Can your kitty fly like Superman? Tell people! Young cat raves on white sofa by Shutterstock.com

9. Have specials and offers to boost adoptions

In February, announce that “Love is in the air,” and offer a special when adopting a pair of kitties. To get more black cats adopted, create signs that say, “Everything goes well with black!” and tell people they can adopt a black cat for free with any other cat adoption. Advertise a “retirement homes needed” campaign for senior kitties just looking for a place to rest their paws and relax. 

The point is, get creative. Do more than just dollar-off specials. Make them fun and unique to draw more attention.

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The more the merrier when it comes to adoptions! Little kittens in a cardboard box by Shutterstock.com

10. Don’t forget the basics 

As always, don’t forget the usual list of must-haves: Keep the shelter clean and fresh-smelling (change linens and scoop promptly!). Take beautiful pictures of the cats. Have friendly volunteers and employees who love to share information about the kitties. Make sure the cats are healthy, and separate sick ones if necessary. Have a Facebook page and post often, and respond promptly to email inquiries and phone calls.

Also, give the cats names, not just ID numbers.  

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I don't care how it happens, just take me home. Okay? kitten by Shutterstock.com

Have any more suggestions? I'd love to hear them in the comments. Let’s get some kitties some homes!

Read more on adoption and rescue: 

• 7 Tips on Cat Adoption
• 10 Tips for Taking Great Photos of Your Cat
• No Cat Left Behind: It's Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week
• 5 Reasons Senior Cats Are Awesome 

Until your human gets you fixed, Adult Cat Finder can connect you to local felines looking for virtual love.

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“With Adult Cat Finder, you’re never more than one click away from chatting with a hot, local cat in your area,” the site promises.

If you go to the site and click the green Try It Out button, you’ll get a pop-up chat window where your kitty friend can engage in some conversation. Well, okay, the conversation is not compelling. Not even a little bit. Unless you think “meow meow MEOW MEOW moew moew MEW” is seductive or interesting. Even if you respond, the other side of the conversation never changes.

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Of course, Adult Cat Finder is nothing more than a parody of the real-life personals website Adult Friend Finder. And, to be honest, it’s kind of dumb and pointless right now. But … I can imagine how this site could become an amazing tool for animal rescue.

Stick with me for a minute here.

We all know that adult cats have a much harder time getting adopted than kittens. So, wouldn’t it be awesome of the creators of Adult Cat Finder parlayed this tool into a way for people to find actual, adoptable adult cats in their area?

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Websites such as Petfinder and Petango provide listings of adoptable cats from all over the country -- and even all over the world. I could imagine the Adult Cat Finder people partnering with one of those companies.

Technology exists to create chatbots that respond to people’s input. I’m not a software developer, but I’m sure there’s a way to code a chatbot so it responds based on characteristics from the cat’s description.

Okay, maybe I’m taking this all way too seriously. Or maybe I’m not! If you Adult Cat Finder developers are reading this and you think it’s a good idea, leave a comment or look me up and let’s figure out how to make it happen.

Source: Mashable

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Carmen Bernard and her husband were driving down a country lane just outside of Jacksonville, FL, when they spotted something fuzzy moving in the road. Thinking it was an opossum, Bernard, a senior veterinary technician and wildlife rehabilitator, pulled over to help.

Once she got a closer look, she realized it wasn’t an opossum at all, but a tiny Siamese kitten. The baby cat’s back legs were twisted in such a way that they looked broken. Bernard thought the kitten had been hit by a car, so she scooped her up and took her home.

The kitten, later named Pretzel by her thousands-strong Facebook family, was only five weeks old when Bernard found her. According to the veterinarian Bernard took Pretzel to see the next morning, the kitten had not been injured but had in fact been born with several severe deformities.

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Pretzel at five weeks old, after she was found on a country road outside Jacksonville, Florida.

“The vet said she’s not broken; she was born that way,” Bernard says.

X-rays revealed that the joints in Pretzel’s right leg were backwards, and her kneecap was on the back of her leg. As a result, the muscles and tendons in her leg were also reversed, and the pressure was causing her bones to twist. These issues limited her mobility and caused her a significant amount of pain. Her left leg was impacted as well, although not as severely as her right.

In addition to her twisted legs, Pretzel was blind. Her optic nerves were not connected to her retinas, meaning her blindness was permanent. Because of these myriad disabilities and deformities, the sweet kitten was given a deadly label: “unadoptable.”

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Pretty Pretzel poses by the mirror.

“The vet said, you have two choices: You can either stick in this for the long haul or you can put her to sleep,” Bernard says. “And I had to give her a chance.”

Pretzel’s new lease on life will include several costly, complicated surgeries to repair her twisted legs. Now 14 weeks old, Pretzel has already undergone one surgery to correct her right knee. The procedure involved actually cutting her bones in half and repositioning them so they faced the right direction. Surgeons also constructed a functional kneecap for her and inserted plates to hold her bones in their new positions. Once her knee heals, Pretzel will need to undergo similar procedures on her right ankle and left knee to ensure she has maximum mobility and is pain free.

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Pretzel relaxes with one of her forever family's two dogs.

But considering Pretzel was up and walking around on her cast the day after her first surgery, Bernard is not worried about her ability to recover. Bernard also watched Pretzel quickly learn the layout of her home despite her blindness and make friends with her two dogs, a blind Pekingese and a feisty Boston Terrier. This leaves Bernard with no doubt that this kitten wants to make the most of her second chance at life. In fact, Pretzel is so tenacious that sometimes Bernard forgets there’s anything different about her.

“Animals are so much better at adapting to situations than people are,” Bernard says. “If she wasn’t wearing a cast, you wouldn’t know that she’d had anything done to her. It hasn’t slowed her down a bit.”

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Pretzel stood up on her new leg for the first time only a day after surgery.

Part of Bernard’s unwavering dedication to her unique kitten stems from her own experiences as a child in Guam. When Bernard was born, she had a severe heart defect, and doctors did not expect her to live.

“The doctors said just to take me home and make me comfortable, because there was nothing they could do for me,” Bernard says.

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Pretzel with her forever family's Pekingese, who is also blind.

But Bernard’s mother would not give up so easily. When Bernard was five years old, her family moved to the United States, and she received the emergency open-heart surgery she needed to save her life.

“I lived, and I’m thriving because of it,” Bernard says. “My mom didn’t give up on me, so I’m kind of paying it forward.”

As Pretzel continues to grow, recover, and thrive, Bernard shares her progress with Pretzel’s more than 12,000 Facebook friends (join them here; for obvious reasons, Pretzel’s page is called “The Little Kitty That Could”). Bernard says it can be difficult to fully understand a cat’s medical history solely via Facebook photos and status updates, so she tries to be as open and detailed as she can when discussing Pretzel’s treatment.

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Pretzel recovers at home on the day the doctor made her leg "look like a banana."

Bernard also says she is grateful she has the opportunity to share her special kitten with people from around the world. She frequently receives notes from people who have been touched or inspired by Pretzel’s story.

“I have parents of children with disabilities say their kids are able to identify with the cat,” Bernard says. “That really brings a tear to my eye sometimes, when parents say how much they appreciate me sharing the cat with them and their children, to show those kids that they aren’t alone.”

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

Want more inspiring stories of kitties overcoming the odds? Check these out:

• "Deformed Legs Can't Hold Back Little Bear the Rescue Kitten"
• "The Biggest Loser: Tiny the Fat Cat Drops Half His Body Weight"
• "Deformed Front Legs Can't Stop Triumph the Kitty"

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Marnie was found roaming the streets in a northern California town with her brother. When her sib was killed by a car, she became friends with several other cats, which is where the petite lynx-point Siamese was found by a person maintaining a colony of community cats. Now Marnie is being fostered in a San Francisco suburb and waiting for a person to adopt her.

Mulan, a front-declawed 13-year-old sealpoint Siamese, was surrendered to a shelter by a family who couldn’t afford to take care of her. She had a severe upper respiratory infection, bad teeth, and a cyst on the back of her neck. She’s not quite ready to be adopted yet, but she’s recovering nicely in a foster home in Pennsylvania.

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Siamese cat roaming outdoors by Shutterstock

These are just two of the more than 20,000 stories of cats Siamese Rescue has saved and placed in loving forever homes.

The Siamese has been one of the most popular cat breeds since its introduction. The cat’s gregarious and affectionate nature wins the hearts of people of all ages. But even their popularity and purebred status can’t save them from being abandoned or surrendered to shelters. And that’s where Siamese Rescue comes in.

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Lilac point Siamese cat resting in a warm blanket by Shutterstock

Siamese Rescue consists of four groups: Siamese Cat Rescue Center in Locust Dale, Virginia; Texas Siamese Rescue in Corinth, Texas; Rocky Mountain Siamese Rescue, which works out of a variety of foster homes in Colorado; Pacific Siamese Rescue in Carmichael, California; and Southern California Siamese Rescue in Agoura Hills, California. They rescue Siamese and Siamese mix breed cats from high-kill shelters, treat any medical conditions the kitties have, and then place them in foster homes so they can learn what it’s like to live with a loving family.

Siamese cats, particularly those who are rescued, have a special place in my heart because of an experience in my own family. My mother adopted a front-declawed sealpoint Siamese cat who had been abandoned by an irresponsible breeder wannabe in a nearby town, and after Tinka was spayed, she and Mom shared many happy years together.

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"I can has forever home?" Flame point Siamese cat by Shutterstock

So here’s to you, Siamese Rescue, and all the people who work with you to save the lives of these beautiful cats. Thank you for your hard work.

If you’re thinking you want a Siamese cat, please consider adopting from a rescue group!

Sources: Ventura County Star, Siamese Rescue website

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

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When Lauren von Krusenstiern stopped into the Windham County Humane Society shortly after her family’s 15-year-old cat passed away, she was looking for a kitten.

“They didn’t have any kittens,” she remembers, “but they had just taken in a really sweet pregnant mama cat, Sadie, and asked if I’d be interested in fostering her and her soon-to-be-born kittens. I jumped at the opportunity, and my kids were thrilled when I brought her home."

Sadie gave birth to seven healthy kittens less than a week after Lauren and her family welcomed her into their home. Lauren's son, Magnus, was 4 at the time, and he got to see some of the birth.

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Magnus and kitten

The von Krusenstierns missed their old cat very much, so having new life in their house lifted their spirits.

“I feel that exposure to animals is such a good way to teach young children how to responsibly care for them," Lauren says. “It teaches compassion toward other living beings. Kittens are great teachers!”

Magnus and his sister, Zola, got a firsthand look at how kittens develop and grow (so fast!) and how Sadie cared for them. With all the nursing, cleaning, protecting, and guiding, Sadie was a very busy mama. When it was time to return the family to the Windham County Humane Society for adoption eight weeks later, the von Krusenstierns opted to keep Sadie, who they figured would be the toughest to adopt out. They also chose to adopt her smallest kitten, PeeWee.

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Sadie nursing her kittens

But fostering hasn’t always been kind to the von Krusenstierns. Last May, they were contacted by the Humane Society about a pregnant cat who was in urgent need of a foster home. There was an upper respiratory infection going around the shelter, an affliction that can be fatal to kittens. The mother got the infection and passed it to some of her kittens. In kittens, upper respiratory infections result in mucus-filled noses and throats, which hampers their ability to breathe while nursing.

The von Krusenstierns tenderly cleaned the kittens’ noses and fed them with droppers, and a cat specialist from the Humane Society came to their house twice a day to administer injections of antibiotics and fluid. Unfortunately, two of the kittens didn’t make it, but one, Peanut, survived. She grew a great big belly from the formula and loved it when the kids fed her. As her health got better, she eventually even went back to nursing from her mama.

“We were all very sad about the loss of the two kittens,” Lauren recalls. “Then a funny thing happened. We got a call from the shelter, telling us that a kitten -- about the same age as Peanut -- was found on someone’s lawn. They needed a surrogate mother. They brought her over and she looked EXACTLY like one of the family, black with little white markings. The mama rejected her at first, but then accepted her as her own. It was a very sweet chapter to a sad story.”

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Zola feeding kitten with bottle

As I'm sure you can imagine, Lauren was worried a bit about her children getting attached to the kittens, especially when she found herself getting attached to them, too. “Even when the kids were young, they knew that fostering the families meant that the cats and kittens would only be staying with us for a short while,” Lauren explains. “Knowing that they will go back to the shelter to get adopted by other families helps them say goodbye when the time comes. The kids realize that they are providing a really great situation for these kittens, and they feel fortunate to be the ones to socialize them.”

The kittens also grow at an alarming rate, quickly pushing the seams of the private room they occupy in the von Krusenstiern home. “A private room is very important, so the cat families are protected and feel safe from other animals and people in the house,” Lauren advises. “We have learned that while kittens are cute and fun, they also require a lot of work."

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Magnus with large litter of kittens

According to Keri Roberts, animal care manager of the Windham County Humane Society, it’s extremely important to foster cats before they give birth, because the longer the cat is in the shelter the more likely she is to contract an illness, such as an upper respiratory infection, that can be fatal to the kittens. “Animals in a shelter are under constant stress and stress reduces their ability to fight off viruses,” Keri explains.

Between April and November, the Humane Society sees its biggest need for foster homes. Even the Windham County group, which is in a small Vermont town, sees 10 to 15 pregnant cats between these months. "The foster parent is allowed their choice of a kitten for no charge, and once the kitten is spayed or neutered, the foster parent can officially adopt the pet," says Keri. "We provide any supplies the foster parent needs, as well as medication, parasite treatment, vaccines, and vet care.”

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Zola with kitten

Though the von Krusenstierns have taken a bit of a break from fostering recently to help settle some new permanent animals into their home, Lauren says they’d foster again in a second. “Kitten therapy really works! When you are feeling rotten, just lay on the floor surrounded by a room full of kittens. Within minutes your rotten mood will lift and you will be filled with joy and little squishy soft paws on your cheeks.”

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Zola and Magnus partaking in some kitten therapy

To learn more about fostering opportunities in your area, contact your local Humane Society. 

Do you know of a rescue hero — cat, human, or group — we should profile on Catster? Write us at catsterheroes@catster.com.

Here's the thing that got me: It's not the animals' fault they ended up at a bad place.

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Caruso is a sweetheart waiting for his Valentine at the Pompano Beach Adoption Center of Broward County Animal Care.

Do I like kill shelters? No. Are they horrible, sad places that euthanize cats and dogs right and left? Yes. Is killing for space the most awful idea ever? Yes.

But do those animals deserve the same chance at a happy forever home as the ones in beautifully decorated, plush, well-supported and well-funded no-kill shelters? Oh, hell yes. They just have a deadline for finding it.

I used to shout from the mountaintops how fabulous my favorite shelter was ("Like a little slice of heaven" was my favorite line). Go there and adopt a cat, I would say! Poor so-and-so has been there for almost two years and still hasn't found a home! 

Almost two years?! That lucky kitty! If he doesn't find a home, he’s still alive and being cared for. 

I'm not saying I don't support them -- I absolutely 100 percent do. We need no-kill shelters, and don't get me wrong: Every single shelter should be a no-kill shelter. 

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Gary is a big-headed cutie at the Pompano Beach Adoption Center of Broward County Animal Care.

But they need help to get to that. If the animals aren't adopted out, then how can the shelters keep taking in more? And they have to take in more, because someone is always finding a litter of kittens or a stray cat or (in the saddest scenarios) surrendering her longtime pet (do NOT get me started on people surrendering pets). More need to go out, so more can go in. It's a circle.

So this is how I have been spending almost all my effort lately -- for a kill shelter. There are some of the most wonderful cats at my local animal control! Tiny cats, big cats, tabby cats, black cats, pretty cats, ugly cats, Siamese, Russian Blues, Bombays, and mutts –- all pawing at their cages hoping someone will take them home. All wonderful! 

They talk when you walk by their cages and show you their bellies if you reach in. They purr the second it looks like they might be getting some attention. They rub their heads on your face and look at you with wide eyes, hoping you’re the one to break them out –- just like the cats at no-kill shelters.

And yet people avoid the place like the plague. 

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Emma was surrendered by her owner after six years. She is also at the Pompano Beach Adoption Center of Broward County Animal Care.

“Oh, I’m not volunteering there. It’s a kill shelter. It’s too sad.” 

“Eww, they are a kill shelter? The people there must not care about the animals.”

“The cats are in steel cages with no toys or attention? They are probably not friendly.”

But if people like us don’t help get the word out about animals in kill shelters and try and find them homes, how in the world are they going to get out of there safely? How can it ever be less “sad” if we don’t help it get that way? On average, they have a few weeks to get out, but sometimes it's as little as a few days.

Every single animal who makes it out of animal control is a win. They deserve a loving home with a soft bed and fun toys and a loving family. They didn’t ask to be sent to this horrible place, but they can’t ask to get out, either.

It’s up to us to help them get out.

That’s why I broke my staunch “no-kill only” pledge, and why I hope more people will, too. Animal control is not a pretty place, but it will never get any better without help and support. Imagine what a difference we can make if more people work together to do this!

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Macy and Manda, pretty 5-month old sisters at the Pompano Beach Adoption Center!

Here are some ways you can help:

1. Volunteer

This is not for the weak, because the reality is that many of those cats or dogs you go visit to play with and socialize won’t make it out. But even if they don’t, they deserve to know love, don't they? And with this love and attention, you’re making them less scared, happier, and more adoptable. Trust me, it makes a big difference. 

2. Take pictures

The photos on sites for animal control and animal services are often just the intake photos. The animals are absolutely petrified, and often in traps. Who wants to adopt those cats, compared to the glamour shots offered up by nicer places? Let’s get these animals some better pictures!

3. Spread the word

Some people don’t realize that these places put down animals, and how quickly it often happens. They think that if they surrender their pretty kitty there, she’ll definitely find a home because “she’s a great cat!” Oh, she may be, but so are the other 50 cats there. Let’s get more people in these places to adopt these babies!

4. Share the animals

Our local animal control has Urgent Cats of Broward and Urgent Dogs of Broward Facebook pages. Volunteers visit and take nice pictures and share them here, and other people then share them, and so on -- and many dogs and cats get adopted because of it! Transport is often available, so many end up going out of state to homes. Social media is a wonderful place to network.

One final note (so I don’t get destroyed in the comments):

I think no-kill shelters are awesome (My favorite one is still a little slice of heaven!). And if more pets get adopted from them, then (logic says) that they can take in more, hopefully even from animal controls. I get that, and I have many friends at wonderful no-kill shelters who have taken many cats out of our local animal control. But often no-kill places have just as many surrenders trying to come in, so ultimately they don’t have the space to help clear out the kill shelters.

I say, help somewhere. Kill or no-kill. Basically, I’m just pro-cat. Whichever ones need the most help, that’s where I’ll be.

At the time of this writing, all of the cats pictured in this post are available for adoption from Broward Animal Care in Pompano Beach, Florida. If you're interested, please click their names for more info about them: Caruso, Gary, Emma, Macy and Manda.