Give a cat the gift of a new home

The refrain from a Christmas carol keeps bubbling from my lips, unbidden. I find myself singing it when I'm driving my car or washing the dishes. "Noel, noel, noel, noel . . ."

Except in my mind the word is spelled "Noelle."

That's the name of a cat I met earlier this month.

This Noelle has a luxurious, silky, shiny, black-and-white coat that she carefully grooms. She has white whiskers that radiate from the most gorgeous face you'll ever see. You'd think such a beautiful kitty would be expecting piles of catnip mice for Christmas. But Noelle is one of 48 cats who live in a little shelter called the House of Dreams in the Parkrose section of Portland.

All this kitty wants for Christmas is a home of her own.

It used to be that the advice was never, ever to get a pet during the holidays. Nowadays, the message is more nuanced, and most local shelters have a "Home for the holidays" campaign.

Make no mistake: For some people, this is indeed an awful time to add a new animal to the household. For the over-committed family with fractious children fretting over their expectations and a never-ending round of visits and visitors, it's not a great idea to add a living creature to the "to do" list.

For others, though, it's the perfect season to add a new four-footed family member. "This can be a lonely time of year. People don't talk about that," says Heather Hines, executive director of Indigo Rescue, a Beaverton-based foster care and advocacy group that finds homes for cats and dogs. There are people who would lose those holiday blues with the love of the right cat. There are cats who are pining for a gentle, kind human to give them a happy home. The holiday magic is when they find each other.

Think adult.

The poet Ogden Nash was a clever wordsmith, but he was an idiot when he wrote, "The trouble is a kitten is THAT/Eventually it becomes a CAT." If you want to find the right match for you, knowledgeable people say the best bet is an adult cat. Anyone who has adopted an adult cat will tell you that grown-up felines are grateful in a way kittens can't fathom.

"All they want is something special -- and that's love," says Eileen Shatrosky, director of the House of Dreams. "These cats will say 'thank you' to you every day."

Adult tabbies have already shown their stripes (behaviorally speaking). It's easy to see the quirks and joys of a grown-up personality. High-energy mini-tiger or a sleepy snuggle bunny? Acrobat or lap cat? You know what you're getting when you adopt a cat that's over a year old. For families with children, an adult cat is always the best choice. No one can completely predict which kitten will grow up to be kid-friendly, but you'll know in an instant if an adult cat enjoys youngsters.

Kids usually understand this better than their parents, says Sharon Murphy, executive director of the PAWS shelter in West Linn. "Kids don't have the same sense of age as an adult; they like the cat that will let them pick (it) up," she says.

She told of a recent adoption of a big, calm cat who purred with joy as a 2-year-old carried him around the shelter.

If you work long hours, consider one of the many bonded pairs of adult cats waiting for homes. These buddies happily hang out together during the day, and then joyfully greet you when you come home at night.

Picking out the right cat:

The best advice is to have an idea of what you're looking for in a cat, and then relax and let that cat find you. "We encourage people to sit on a chair or the floor and let the cat pick them," says Joene Pike, executive director of Animal Aid, a shelter in Raleigh Hills. Shelter workers say no matter how often they see it, the connection that happens between the right cat and the right person is always stunning to watch. "A cat just won't get off the person's lap. He'll follow the person around the shelter. I've quit trying to guess which cat it will be; I'm always wrong," says Sharon Murphy at PAWS.

She tells the story of a woman who came in to adopt an orange cat. "A black cat pushed the other cats off her lap," says Murphy with a laugh. The woman adopted the black one, and it was the perfect match. Because that magic is so important, no Portland-area shelters will allow someone to pick out a cat as a present to another person. But, if you know your friend or family member wants a cat, give the person an IOU or ask your nearest shelter for a gift certificate. All Portland-area shelters do in-depth interviews of potential adopters to be sure the cat is going to a safe, loving, permanent home. All require that the cats are spayed or neutered (usually before the cats can go to their new homes). Most require the animals to be indoors-only, since they've seen the heartbreak of lost cats on the streets. Shelter volunteers will give new owners advice on helping a cat adjust to its new home, including the important step of keeping a cat isolated to one room for a while (especially if there are already other animals in the household).

If you want to pick a cat now and bring it home after the holiday, that's OK with most shelters. They'll hold the cat for you until the time is right to introduce it into your house. At the PAWS shelter, adopted cats get a special Christmas collar that promises someone will be arriving soon to pick up the kitty. "We have a special agreement with Santa," says Murphy. The season of joy: When I was at the House of Dreams, and I listened carefully, I could hear different pitches of purrs gently rumbling throughout the room. It was as happy a sound as any song of the season. The grown-up cats at this shelter have personalities that burst from them. A funny, sweet, pushy cat named Marlee kept trying to get in the photographs. When that didn't succeed, she climbed into the photographer's bag. There was Liam, a dignified 8-year-old with a Manx tail. He has some scars on his face, and a cloudy eye from his days on the streets. But this cat is all love in his middle age. "There's something special about Liam," says Shatrosky as she pet the happy cat. He reached out with his paw, grabbed her hand, and gently licked her finger.

And there was Noelle, who has her own song in my head. My wish for Christmas is that Noelle and all the other homeless cats will find the right people to share their songs this holiday season. When that magical match happens, it's just as much of a gift to the lucky person as it is to the lonely cat.

Reference: www.oregonlive.com

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