Life on the Left Coast: Another Dennis

CAUTION

Cute Kitten Alert

Dennis

I'm not sure how it happens - one of those decisions that turns out to be an unexpected delight. You might call it exceeding expectations. That's Dennis.

We adopted Dennis from the Qualicum Cat Rescue a small not-for-profit place in town. It is run by a woman who has a long history of animal rescue, and having traveled to some of the most heart-breaking situations to help with the abandoned and suffering domestic animals, including New Orleans after Katrina. The storefront is a full pet food and supply store, some of the proceeds of which go to financing the cat rescue operation. On the first level of the building are the big shelves of pet food, along with other supplies. Interspersed throughout are big cat perching scratching posts. Look closely and you will see adult cats cat-napping among the cat food shelves; they have the run of the place. There's also no fewer than 4 large dogs in the store, sprawled on the floor beside the cash register. Better watch your step.

There's one small room for the new intakes. Cat rescues, many brought in from abandoned situations rest up, under observation, before being introduced to the rest of the residents. Upstairs is another room behind sliding glass doors. The Kitten Room. You can view the kittens through the glass but also, up to 3 people at a time can go inside and sit and handle the kittens. If you have reserved one, waiting until it is old enough to go home with you, you can go visit. Some, as Dennis was, came in with his Mother and the rest of his siblings, newborn. Others come in solo, or with a sibling - abandoned, they've been brought in from outside. Sometimes their mothers have been killed by cars or cougars, sometimes humans have dumped them by the side of the road. They are soon introduced to this nuthouse of kittens to socialize. When they are big enough, 1.5 kilos, they get their vet exam, shots and are spayed, before leaving for their new homes. The store appears to be a very popular work placement for young high school girls, so these little guys get a lot of attention. Apparently the woman who runs the place has found homes for over 1000 kittens in the years she's been operating.

I think Dennis has been very fortunate/spoiled all his life. As one of a family of newborns brought in early he always had his Mom, his brothers and sisters, a bunch of friends and humans to crawl all over. Now that he is in his forever home, he gets the best food, the best litter, a ton of attention from a couple of humans who adore him and dote on him. Whenever he feels like a nap, there's a warm lap somewhere in view to climb on. I have never had a cat like this. Dax was much more aloof, but the other side of that truth is I never had the time to pay that much attention to my cats in the past, until now, when time is what I have. He is a huge source of entertainment - we laugh and laugh both at his antics and our own. The sound of human baby talk in this house is truly bizarre.

Dennis is 7 months old now. We decided to go on a few road trips this spring so I went looking for a place to board him. There are a couple of cat boarding places nearby but looking online, I found a website for a woman who does cat sitting in our town. She will come to your house for an hour a day, feed them, play with them, make sure they're ok while you're gone. The cats can have a stay-cation while the owners are on vacation.

Well...not really "owners", After all it's dogs that have owners, cats have staff.

The Cat Lady came over yesterday for Dennis to interview her. Of course this being small town Vancouver Island during the visit we hear the life history, and it is extremely comforting to know that we are leaving the namesake of the God of Wine and Good Times, with what turns out to be a neighbor. She lives not far from us on acreage along the road I do my so-called runs on. I'm starting to think that everything I could possibly want in life is just down the road. Maureen has 6 cats living with her and has built this quite amazing outside cat "smoking room", her outdoor cat enclosure. I think you can trust your one and only in the care of anyone who builds something like this, don't you?