I may not know how her life started out. I don’t know her age or zodiac sign, either. But I can tell you without a doubt that my cat is the most adorable creature on the planet. Who? Me? Biased?
Maybe. Maybe a little.
Ellie May Toldo graced our lives in June of 2020. I am not sure what came over me the day our eyes first met at the Humane Society of Genesee County. I have always liked cats. I love all animals; but I have historically been a dog person. I cannot explain it, but my heart simply melted when I laid eyes on sweet Ellie.
I was covering a story about pet adoptions during the pandemic. A lot of suddenly homebound people craving companionship created a bit of a pet adoption boom. I had three dogs at home, so I can assure you, I was not starved for love or affection.
The shelter staffer held Ellie during our interview. Ellie nestled and nuzzled, she “made the biscuits” on my arm, she meowed. Before I knew what hit me, I was completely smitten. Weren’t cats supposed to be cold, calculating, cunning little creatures? The myth-spinners had gotten cats all wrong.
Before we called her Ellie, this golden-eyed black cat went by Darlene – the name the shelter gave her when she was dropped off as a stray. Before that, her name, birthday and history are a mystery.
Nearly three million cats entered shelters in the United States last year. Just over two million were adopted, 362,000 were returned to their owners, and 273,000 didn’t make it. When I looked these numbers up at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) website, it hurt my heart.
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month. Do a little research and you will soon find there is a lot of magic in these slinky, silly, sweet little mammals.
A good 60 percent of the animals that land in shelters come in as strays – but not all of them have always been homeless. I would be willing to wager that my sweet, faithful girl knew the love of a human at some point in her past, because she sure does love affection – and seems grateful to have a safe place to lay her head.
Sadly, that is not the case for an estimated 60 million homeless cats. While roughly 10 percent of Americans feed strays, that is hardly enough to meet the need. A solid 80 percent of the kittens born in the U.S. every year are born of so-called “community cats.” That’s why there is such a push to control the cat population through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs becoming more widespread across Michigan.
You may call them aloof. I prefer “self-reliant.” I think cats can be a little intimidating because they are so independent and mysterious. In Celtic folklore, there are “fairy cats” called cait sith in Scotland. In fact, in some cultures, a black cat running across your path under a full moon is actually considered good luck!
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month. While I don’t recommend getting a pet impulsively, I do encourage you to consider a feline friend. Do a little research and you will soon find there is a lot of magic in these slinky, silly, sweet little mammals.
