I don’t usually blog about personal matters, but I just had to introduce you to my new cat Cosmos, who came to live with us this past weekend. First, a little bit about her background. If you read animals news, you may have heard of her case. She lived at Haven Acres. Haven Acres was a local cat sanctuary that turned into one of the largest animal hoarding cases ever seen.

I believe that the founders of this sanctuary started with good intentions, but they got way over their heads. Between people dumping cats there without talking to them beforehand and their inability to say no to anyone, they ended up with far more felines than they could manage. I believe that they were only supposed to have 200 cats, but nearly 700 were removed by animal control, working with both the local and national Humane Society. While I certainly understand the desire to save them all, you should never adopt more pets than you can care for. This includes caring for them financially as well as cleaning up after them, feeding them, loving them, and playing with them.

Many of these cats were in poor condition. Not all of them were spayed or neutered. Upper respiratory infections and fleas were common, and FeLV and FIV cats weren’t kept separate. Cats had deformed ears and some had gone blind from breathing ammonia. This happened because the litter boxes weren’t cleaned regularly.

Of the nearly 700 rescued from this place, around 50 had to be euthanized due to the severity of their illnesses. Others had to be held for evidence in the animal cruelty case against the owners of Haven Acres, and some would require special attention before being adoptable.

But 550 of these kitties were ready for new homes two and a half months after being removed. The Humane Society had a big event to celebrate the occasion. Adoptions were only $5 and the cats had all their vaccines and came with a free follow up appointment at a vet. My husband and I had been talking about getting another cat, and we decided that now was the time. These kitties were being held in an air conditioned warehouse since there wasn’t enough room at the Humane Society for all of them. They had been given vet care and love thanks to many volunteers.

We got to the event, filled out some paperwork and had a quick interview to make sure that we were good people. Then we went to the warehouse and walked into one of the three buildings where the kitties were being held. It was overwhelming. There were so many felines and lots of people as well. I saw a lot of cuties, but none of them jumped out at me as my next cat.

We went into the next building. It was less crowded, so an adoption counselor was able to talk to us and help us narrow it down. We didn’t have any rigid requirements, but we didn’t want any kittens. The main thing we were looking for was someone we felt could integrate into our home and get along with our cat Luna. We decided a 1-5 year-old female would work the best (Luna is six so we thought a younger cat would be less threatening). Luna is on the small size and when she weighed 9 1/2 pounds the vet told us she should lose that 1/2 pound.

So when I saw Cosmos (her name then was Minnie), I knew that she was right for our home. She is one-year-old and weighs just six pounds. She had a friend in the cage who was adopted the day before, so I know she liked other kitties. I think she is a beautiful mostly black tuxedo, with just some white on her chest and her paws. She didn’t want to be petted (and I couldn’t blame her), so I adopted a kitty without even touching her.

We took her home where she was set up in the bedroom with her own food, water, and litter. We’re currently in a small, one-bedroom apartment, so we decided to sleep in the living room for the night so she would have some time to adjust. She stayed mostly under the bed, but I did get her out for a quick play session with the cat dancer (seriously, these are great and I talk about them on my cat lovers gifts page). But she was still too shy to be petted.

The next day, she was still skittish, but I managed to pet her. And how she purred! She loves to play with the cat dancer, with balls, with kitty-safe strings, and with stuffed toys. She enjoys being petted, though she hasn’t turned into a lap cat (but it’s been less than a week, so I’m hopeful). Cosmos wants to be best friends with her sister Luna. Luna tolerates her, but isn’t completely sure about this bundle of energy we brought home.

She has been to the vet and was given a clean bill of health. My other cat has many health problems, such as a heart murmur, so I was happy and surprised that this kitty has nothing wrong with her. She didn’t spend much of her life at Havens Acres, but I was afraid that it might lead to long-term health problems.

We’ve been feeding her quality food, both wet and dry and her coat is now sleek and soft instead of dry and slightly brittle like it was when we first got her.

Right now she is hanging out on the bed with me as I write about her on my laptop. She might have had a sad beginning, but she has a long life of luxury ahead of her. I hope that all of her fellow Have Acres kitties find their perfect homes. And if you are thinking that now might be the right time to add another feline friend to your home, I encourage you to do so as long as you can provide the care necessary. There are plenty of kitties who need homes, so stop by your local Humane Society, shelter, or rescue and find the one that is just right for you.