Bring Home A Stray For The Holidays––

Eight Cats Looking For One More Life

By Dottie Evans

Make no mistake, Mount Pleasant Hospital for Animals is a full-service veterinary practice and boarding facility for dogs and cats. It is not an animal welfare shelter or a cat adoption organization.

Nevertheless, over the past year and a half, several stray or abandoned cats have found temporary homes in the hospital’s second floor cattery tucked under the eaves of a historic old white colonial home at 172 Mt Pleasant Road.

These strays are being well cared for by staff members. They have been given all their shots, have been spayed or neutered, and they enjoy the relative luxury of the large upstairs room dubbed the Cattell Ritz, where clients’ cats are often boarded.

But space is at a premium –– even in the Catell Ritz, where all the Mount Pleasant Hospital cats enjoy clean, spacious cages, a climbing tree, a skylight, a goldfish tank burbling in the corner, and atmospheric amenities such as ongoing DVD videos of birds singing and frogs croaking.

Despite these perks, there is nothing like a home of one’s own or a special person to belong to.

“These are mostly older cats, and they are hard to place because people usually want kittens,” said Kindra Johnston, head receptionist who helps take care of the animals and is actively trying to find good homes for them.

“I’ve already got four cats at home or I would take one,” said receptionist Sarah Goodspeed, adding, “people should understand how easy cats are.”

“All these cats are very sweet, but they would be happier belonging to families of their own. We hope very much that people will come forward and offer to adopt them,” said Ms Johnston.

 She offered the following descriptions of the eight strays, and said that anyone interested in seeing any of them or talking over their history, would be welcome to call her at the Mount Pleasant Hospital for Animals at 426-8585.

Punky –– This “adorable” brown Persian female is small. She is 11 years old and has been an off-and-on client of the Mount Pleasant Hospital for Animals since 1992. She became a permanent resident 2½ years ago. Punky needs a special diet, but otherwise is very healthy. She would be very good for a couple or for one person. Her fur is smoky gray and she is very friendly.

Casper –– The term “large cat” only begins to describe Casper. He is a domestic all-white short-hair cat that was dropped off last winter. He has been neutered and declawed, and “he needs to lose a little weight but is wonderful otherwise,” with a very sweet disposition. Staff members estimate that Caster is about 12 years old.

Dharma –– This is one of the hospital’s “newer” cats, having lived there only three months. Dharma is a dark, tiger color. She has been spayed and is probably about 6 years old. She, too, was dropped off at the doorstep. “Very good with other cats,” is a comment staff frequently uses about Dharma. When Office Administrator Fernando Branco lets the cats out of their cages for exercise in the Catell Ritz, he reports, “They all walk around together. Dharma is very comfortable with that.”

Bailey –– Another domestic short hair, Bailey is a soft gray color and has the most beautiful green eyes, as well as a very good disposition. Bailey has been known to the staff since 1989, and is most likely about 14 years old. Like the other cats, she has been inoculated against feline leukemia.

Emily –– This is a truly “elder” cat. She is probably 15 or 16 years old and a dark calico color. She was recently abandoned, and her second name is “Halloween Kitty.” Emily has an extremely sweet disposition and is very friendly. She would be perfect for an older couple, and she loves to purr.

Minnie –– This little cat was dropped off only one or two weeks ago. She is very young, possibly between 6 and 12 months old, and possibly pregnant, so she has not been spayed. She is a light gray tabby cat who is very petite, hence the name Minnie.

Bitter and Alvin –– These two cats (not pictured in story) were rescued together in Danbury three years ago. They need to be placed together –– preferably where they can live in a barn and be good mousers. They are definitely outside cats. Bitter is black and white, and Alvin is a tiger cat. These are healthy, neutered males with up-to-date vaccines. They love each other, having come in the same day. They are fairly scared of people. They just want to go outside and have a good time.