The last dribs and drabs of ‘stuff’ for the tag sale are arriving at the Paws and Claws Care Center in Apache Junction. Most of the year the donation wagon is filled with food and accessories for the animals. Toys, litter (for the cats), towels and bed linens for the beasties are the most common donations after food. But lately we have been receiving all manner of goodies for the tag sale – it promises to be quite an event!

When I started at the Shelter I asked my boss if we could keep a list of people who brought things in and write each of them a thank-you note. Turns out there are far too many people supplying the Shelter to undertake such a task. Some days the wagon has to be dragged to the back and emptied more than once a day. There is no end to the generosity of the community when it comes to the Shelter.

Case in point:

A lovely retired gentleman turns up now and then with cat pans that he has fitted out to accompany kitties home when they are adopted. What a lovely thing to do! He told my boss that he had a done a lot of fun things in his life, but that nothing gives him more satisfaction than shopping for good deals on cat items and assembling the Adoption Boxes.

Meanwhile, cat life at the Shelter is a bit calmer than it has been for the last couple of months. We had a kitten season that would not quit. One day I counted close to 40 kittens, some with their mums, some that had been found.

This gentle little girl had five babes. They look like little worms in the photo – they were only 2 days old. Her kittens have been adopted, and just this week Mama went to her new home.

Nothing is much cuter than a basket of kittens. These were photographed thru glass, so it’s not much of a pic, but you get the idea.

Same for this little fuzz-nut. He is a quite adorable, active kitten.

Now we are down to perhaps a dozen kittens, and only a dozen or so adult cats. They are all beautiful. Each has a unique character and they can be quite amusing. We have a bony black mama with long silky hair, very affectionate. She was terribly thin after nursing her babies, but now that she’s on her own she’s gaining weight and looking silkier and more beautiful every day. When she meows she opens her mouth very wide – it is the funniest thing to see. The mew isn’t loud, but her red mouth in contrast to her black face is full of drama.

Sooner or later each cat goes home. Some stay for several months, but eventually the right person appears for each one. It’s heartwarming to see the love and support people have for their animal shelter, and their generosity. These are the unsung heroes of the Animal Shelter, the people who bring gifts, the people who take home companions.