(The way these rotations work is that, if the first animal-related content I see the next time I'm online is another post from Loulou, I'll ignore that and post pictures of a different kind of animal. Some days it will be dogs, and this web site will not rule out horses, chickens, or rabbits either. And although "the urban hubs of the Eastern States" is a Petfinder theme that seems likely to work for a lot of readers, occasionally we may visit shelter pages for other States and Canada...because they're there.)
1. Zipcode 10101: Shelters Near New York City
Do youall realize how many cats there are in New York City shelters? There was no way I could even scroll through all the pages of adorable black and white shelter cat pictures. This picture was the most adorable showing on page one...page 1 of 247. Many other cats have not had a fair chance so please spread the word and get the list of Tuxies down to a point where this web site can make a reasonable choice of the cutest picture.
Today, unfairly, I picked Donatella...all that cute white fluffy fur! After reading about this lovely old ladycat, I decided to stick with her because she's not the perfect pet for everybody. Which means she's the perfect pet for somebody; I, for example, would probably bond with her if Serena would let that happen, which she probably wouldn't. Serena watches and carefully instructs her own kittens, as well as her friends and fans who stay with us, to be tame but not cuddly--well, other than Traveller, who was a snuggler Serena loved enough to indulge. (Anyway, Donatella is in New York City. Her dream home is probably in the big city too.)
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| To meet this reportedly shy, sweet senior cat, click or paste: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/donatella-47837626/ny/new-york/k9kastle-ny262/ . |
What makes this picture irresistible (to me): All that white fluffy fur. (Her dream home contains a good vacuum cleaner, not too loud and high suction power.)
What might make you want to adopt this cat, or not: Well, for one thing she's already ten years old, so the odds are against your having a full ten years to enjoy her company.
But also, she's described as a particularly shy cat. You will want to caress that fur. She will let you, but only as she gets to know you, only on her time and terms. If you try to grab her she'll hide under the bed. If you pet her too long or in the wrong way, she'll hiss. She likes a little attention. Not a lot. She was a stray, possibly a runaway from a sloppily "loving" home, who gradually befriended a human who then put her in a shelter. It might be months before she'd let you really sink your fingers into that gorgeous ruff.
The secret of making friends with feral cats, or unfortunate cats like Donatella, is to let them come to you. I'm comfortable with that...but Serena probably wouldn't let Donatella come to me. And cats with this much fur really do need some human help to groom their coats. Like daily.
So, first you have to force yourself to leave her alone, probably long enough for her to accumulate and hack up at least one wad of fur, and then you have to brush and comb and vacuum up masses of fluff. Probably on her schedule. You'll want to buy and try a few different types of grooming implements since she'll have a preference. If she's like cats I've known who had that type of coat, once she's trained you to apply the right brush or comb in the right way, it'll be "You can talk on the phone, cook, take a shower, sleep, kiss your mate, etc., any old time. I've got a tick! Nowwww."
You are one of the readers who thought my slow bonding process with Samantha Scaredycat was cute and funny. You would not mind being the personal servant to an adorable animal who is herself in bondage to fears and hang-ups. You can get in and out of New York with a fluffy cat the mere sight of whom would probably make some people on the train sneeze. If so you must go into the city and adopt Donatella.
If not? They only have about a hundred easier cats to adopt. Some of those cats are Tuxies too.
2. Zipcode 20202: Shelters Near Washington, D.C.
The caution here is that the posh Eastern Shore shelter where this little fellow is currently living with his brother sounds overpriced and overcontrolling. Maybe you can negotiate a discount if you adopt both brothers. Connor and Conrad have already been vetted, neutered, and vaccinated so, although obscene, that three-figure rescue fee is probably just paying an existing veterinary bill--a one-time necessary expense, because who'd want to live with two tomcats who had not been neutered at an early age?
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| To meet Connor (and Conrad), click or paste: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/connor-49187502/md/chesapeake-beach/mabels-orphaned-angels-rescue-md477/ . |
Why you'd want to adopt him: (1) He's an Amber-Eyed Silver Tip, the creme de la creme of familiars.
(2) You want an excuse to drive out to the Eastern Shore, anyway, while the leaves are colorful.
(3) If you want a tomcat in your house, and this shelter insists you sign an agreement to keep your rescued cats indoors, you want a neutered one who won't constantly foul every surface up to the doorknobs and sometimes higher. If you want a pet who's been sterilized at an early age and will grow up asexual, you want one who comes with a sibling, so they can bounce and pounce and keep each other from growing up fat and lazy.
Pause for consideration: Three-figure rescue fee. Even if it is just about the amount you'd expect to pay, on the Eastern Shore, for the majority of veterinary care these kittens are ever going to need. Even if, from this point, the rest of their medical expenses should be routine maintenance.
3. Zipcode 30303: Pets near Atlanta, Georgia
Narrowly edging out a cat I was tempted to pick just because the photo looked terrible, and no cat should die in a shelter just because its rescuer didn't have a good digital camera or know how to use one...but this cat is in a shelter with kittens, so Georgia readers can save a whole family. And doesn't she have a distinctively cute face?
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| To adopt Mama Flo and/or her adorable Amber-Eyed Silver Tip kittens, click or paste: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/mama-flo-46070355/ga/atlanta/southern-animal-rescue-ga653/ |
The deal here is that the mother cat has been spayed, but mother cats usually don't mind sharing their home with one of their adult kittens. (If they're not social cats or it's not a big farmhouse with lots of yard and barn space, they might feel crowded in a household that kept more than one kitten.) At least two of the kittens seem to have black fur and white skin on their faces. One is mostly black, but crowded to the back of the photo, and one looks as if its father were a classic Seal Point Siamese.
Maybe it's just me, because of Black Magic...I think there's something special about a Siamese-American cat with black fur and white skin. Granted, most of them are not going to be the most affectionate with you, most social with other cats, most intelligent Listening Pets, and also the most efficient hunters you'd meet even if the one who was all those things converted you into a full-time cat rescuer who's lived with a social cat family for years. Most of them are just slim, graceful, lovable little pets. But I've never known anyone who's disagreed with the premise that this type of cat brings good luck: Whatever else may happen during the time you live with one, every day you live with it is a lucky day in the sense that you have a wonderful pet. (And sooner or later, somebody is going to go on television and say that on one of those days person also won the lottery.)
4. A Bonus in Blountville
Clicking back to my own part of the world, on the general "cats" page I saw several Tuxies in Tennessee, but while the "Tuxedo" filter was open I saw only pictures of cats who seemed to be several hours' drive away. Why? Because people don't always type everything that happens to be true into a computer profile page. The Tuxies at the shelter in Blountville were listed as American Short Hair but not as Tuxies.
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| To meet Burrito, click or paste: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/burrito-48586204/tn/blountville/the-animal-shelter-of-sullivan-county-inc-tn894/. |
They don't come much cuter than that, and he's already been vetted and neutered. And although the web site doesn't mention his being from Kingsport, he just has the look of that fantastic family of social and/or Listening cats who turn up in Kingsport alleys and sometimes get put up for adoption in Blountville. If you think the things I've reported about my resident cat family had to be fiction, the Blountville shelter can't guarantee you a cat who will understand words and/or adopt kittens and/or protect your resident cardinal just because you're fond of it, but it's a good place to look.
These little outbursts of cuteness are being brought to you...by you, Gentle Readers. As long as I keep revisiting pages a week or two after posting a cute animal picture, and seeing links broken because the animals featured here have found homes, I'll keep posting the cutest shelter animal photos in the Eastern States. Sharing these pictures and links on social media sites is encouraged.
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