I owe more than a little something to cats. The love and companionship they have openly shared with me over the years: that I can never repay. I can only offer love, companionship, food and shelter in return. It is a paltry deal for the cats.
I volunteer. Not as penance, not to settle any accounts, but because I love cats. Each week I visit the Metrowest Humane Society in my home town of Ashland, Massachusetts and spend some time with the "third-floor" cats. The third floor of this lovely, homey, well-run shelter is the place for cats who may still be some distance from being adoptable pets. In lieu of a family of humans, these cats enjoy a home-like environment and a family of their peers.
The cats featured in these videos were virtually feral before arriving at the shelter. It is my job, and the job of the many volunteers who walk through the shelter's front door each day, to sit with them, get close to them and play with them if they'll let us. The idea is to let them know that we humans aren't so bad. On this day, I brought in a Monster Cheese Wedge for their entertainment. I think they got a huge kick out of it. Well, see for yourself.
Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.