It is amazing how much joy a few cats can bring! Last night was my final night of volunteering at the SPCA this semester, and unfortunately I had an in-class final immediately beforehand. I was feeling a bit wiped out from the combination of final assignments due and of this exam. A lot of the cats were either high-energy or nervous, so at first I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t end up with a cat in my lap.

However, I ended up really enjoying playing with cats, even if they wouldn’t approach me. I think there is a perception that cats are more serious, irritable animals because they are constantly compared to dogs. But playing with and even just observing cats last night, I saw a lot of really silly behavior that made me laugh. (See attached photo). Oddly enough, I think this connects to my own identity. I think others probably perceive me as serious or unfriendly sometimes, because I tend to be a bit shy and bad at starting conversations with someone I just met. In reality, I am always looking to have fun and make friends. I feel a bit of relief when another person is good at making conversation, because it means I can participate without coming up with small talk topics! Maybe this relation is part of what makes me appreciate cats so much.

Overall, this has been a great semester with the cats. I really enjoyed my time at the SPCA, both working with the cats and getting to know my peers.

It is amazing what a wide variety of cat personalities exist. They are a lot like humans in that way. Some cats are very high energy- climbing things, scratching the posts, and playing with whatever they can find. Others prefer to take a nap in their bed while you pet them. Determining the needs of each cat gets easier with every visit. You can get some base information from their charts, but even walking into the room tells you a lot. How they greet you (if they do) and what they do when you open the door is a good indicator of their personality. I often wonder if these cats would act the same way anywhere, or if the shelter environment is different.

In a house, these cats would be pretty much left alone all day if they wanted to be. They wouldn’t be interacting with strangers all day, both human and feline, and would have the freedom to choose the perfect napping spot within a whole house or apartment. I feel like the environment must be somewhat overstimulating for many cats, but unfortunately there isn’t much to do about that. Luckily, the SPCA provides a lot of enrichment and interaction for the cats who need it, and lots of blankets and cushions for the cats who are just looking to nap.

This week, there were far more cats than had been there the last time I had a shift. It made me reflect on just how many people must live in Tompkins County. Out of the families who adopt cats, they probably only adopt one cat every 5-20 years. And yet, there is a huge amount of movement through the SPCA of Tompkins County. We have shifts every two weeks, and usually very few cats are still there for your next shift. There can be around 30 cats at one time, and yet when you return, very few are familiar. Compared to my home county, I think of Tompkins as very spread out with a fairly small population. But lots of cat adoptions means lots of families looking for a cat, which means lots of people! It is pretty remarkable to think about just how many people there are in the county (or state, or country, or continent), and it is really nice to do so with a cute little black cat in your lap.

This week at the SPCA, the other volunteers and I noted a dramatic decrease in the number of cats. There were a total of 5 cats we were allowed to interact with (many of the cats that are particularly shy or still adjusting to the shelter are staff-only). The remaining, unadopted cats were all fairly shy, independent cats.

Spending two hours on only 5 cats means that there is a lot of time to earn their trust and make them comfortable.  Interestingly, with the right toy or the right amount of time, most of the cats would come out from their hiding spots to interact. This just made the process more rewarding, as it felt like a moment of progress with the cat’s socialization and trust of humans.

I also find it intriguing that at the same time, I myself was socializing with the other volunteers. While we were attempting to get the cats to a friendly state, we were all subconsciously doing the same amongst ourselves! Humans are social beings, so we have a tendency to immediately chat and get to know one another. Cats need a bit longer, but they will still get there. Sharing our success in getting the cats to a state of comfort only furthered our own, human sense of comfort with one another.

A Video of Fiona the Cat:

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Stepping into my first week at the SPCA of Tompkins County, I was excited, but a little unsure of myself. I haven’t had a cat in years, and while I love animals I’m not too sure about cat body language and interaction.

During training, we were instructed to interact with the kittens and FIV+ cats first. These were the cats most likely to catch diseases, so visiting them first ensures we aren’t spreading anything from other cats. After holding and talking to a kitten until she seemed to be becoming overstimulated, I headed back to check whether there were any FIV+ cats. To my surprise, there was a cat, Max, who had come in the day before. His recent arrival meant that there wasn’t much information available on him, so I wasn’t sure what to expect upon entering the room. He was initially sleeping, but when I stepped into the room he jumped up to meow at me. His tail stood straight up and he kept meowing at me, staring with huge eyes.

I immediately assumed he was angry that I was invading his space and decided to stand still and let him get used to me. He started rubbing against my legs and I quickly realized that he was asking for affection!

I petted and talked to Max for around 15 minutes, while he purred and rubbed his head against me. I think I will quickly learn how to read cat body language, but I don’t think I’ll adjust to how happy the cats make me! 

Max the Cat