Kitty Kind

I realized that now is probably the worst possible time to get a cat. Our apartment is small and I barely have enough money for myself let alone a cat. I figured the most responsible decision would be to volunteer with cats. It'd be a good way for me to help out and get the interaction without having to take on the responsibility and expense. A few weekends ago, Antonio and I saw a table for Kitty Kind, a cat adoption center located inside Petco near Union Square.

Today was my first day volunteering at Kitty Kind. I met the adoption reps - all older ladies and one older gay guy. Perfect! My target demographic! I'll fit in perfectly. I met Scott, who trains all the new volunteers. He was pretty friendly and did a good job showing me what I needed to do. There's a fairly detailed procedure for cleaning and feeding each cat / kitten. I watched him do one cage and then got a fresh pair of gloves to do my first cage solo.

I opened the cage and started to wipe out the hair and litter when the cat hissed and bit me. FML! I did my best. I petted him and used a soothing voice. I came to the conclusion that this cat was just an asshole. The rest of the cages got better and the time went by pretty quickly.

One thing they stressed was not talking with the people interested in adopting. They really want the adoption reps to answer and all questions. Since the store was open when I was training, there were people coming by to look at the cats constantly. I saw of the people that wanted to adopt...scary. One guy was wearing a black, mesh shirt. My thought, "Um. No. You can go now." And then some girl with bleached, blonde hair and way too much makeup caked on her face walked by. Again, my thought, "bitch, these aren't accessories."

I think this is going to be a good fit for me. The people were all very friendly and welcoming. It'll be a welcome escape from my hectic life. I'll get a little temporary feline companionship and I'll have a sense of giving back to the community.