Powell: Feline endings start new beginnings

Whether her name will be Louise, Abby, Tasha, Marishka, Rosemary, Angela, Nadia, Adrian, or another name from a long list is undecided. What is decided is that the beautiful steel gray cat with large green eyes is definitely a keeper.

Yes, I have a new cat. After Max’s death, I vowed I wouldn’t get another cat. That decision was quickly forgotten when Carolyn Jones called with a message that turned my head and heart.

Carolyn called to tell me that there was a Russian Blue cat at the Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter. I have been interested in that breed ever since one came to visit Max at the window.

Carolyn is a caring cat person. She has rescued more than 30 cats and taken them to be spayed and neutered. Recently, she rescued two kittens and socialized them before taking them to a shelter. Her resident cats over the years include a 20 year old named Mama Cat and a feral cat that was transported from Devils Lake to her home in Monclova to live a life of luxury which included a heated bed. Now she has a new house cat named Roxie.

The Russian Blue now lives in the little green bungalow with royal treatment but with no name.

The history of the breed is fascinating and the characteristics include being friendly, intelligent, and hypoallergenic. They are related to the Siamese breed.

The royal treatment she is receiving in her new home is appropriate. The first Russian Blues were from the Archangel Isles in Russia and were property of the Czars. History also tells us that Prince Albert of England held the first European cat show and featured Russian Blues.

Thanks to the Paws and Whiskers shelter, I know about the cat’s history and that she has had her shots, has a chip, is 4 years old and weighs 8 pounds.

I wanted to bring home more than one cat, but the shelter warned me she does not like other cats and she is a loner.

In many cases, the shelter knows where a surrender kitten or cat came from. But I will never know where my cat lived because the shelter staff found her wandering in the driveway.

I doubt that the cat ran away from home and went to the shelter for lunch and to stay all night. Either the owner didn’t want to pay the surrender fee or the shelter was filled to capacity and they left it anyway.

Tawny Arnold, director of the shelter, says their capacity is 135 cats and kittens. A cat person who loves all animals, Tawny explains that the shelter does not receive state, federal, or local aid but is dependent on surrender and adoption fees and private donations.

The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and walk-ins are welcome with no appointment needed. In the rare case that someone is disappointed with the cat or kitten they adopted, Tawny says they can return it and no questions will be asked.

“We don’t want our kitties to ever be homeless again,” said Tawny.

Following are the adoption fees: Kittens up to 6 months are $110; 6 months to 1 year are $90; adult cats are $80; and senior cats are $50.

The exception to the fee schedule was the $180 cat that I chose because of her breed.

It was just like when I go to Dillard’s and the clothing I want is not on sale.