Shooting the Breeze

By Tori Lyle

news@campcountynow.com

I love the simple things in life. One of those simple things is cats. I love them. Not like in a, ‘Oh, I think I’d like to have a cat as a pet,’ sort of way, either. More like the, ‘I would be a cat lady if it weren’t for my husband saying no all the time,’ kind of way.

And I wouldn’t be a well-kempt cat lady either – you know one of those women with diamonds dripping from the fingers with which she’s petting her $1,200 registered Persian feline. I’d have more of them than I could count – all colors, all sizes, all ages and all over the house and yard. I’d have so many kittens in my bed that I’d have to sleep on the couch.

Did I mention that I’m thankful my husband says no? I’m glad he has restraint, because when it comes to abandoned animals, I have none. We have three cats and four dogs as it is and every time I see those ‘found animal’ ads pop up on my Facebook feed, I feel like clicking and saying that I’ll take them. Seeing a need and not being able to fulfill it is a small torture for me.

The reason this has all been front-and-center in my thoughts lately came from a recent episode of the home improvement television show “Fixer Upper,” on the home and garden network. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, I recommend it. Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple the show is based on, are from Waco. They operate a retail business called Magnolia Market there, as well as home renovation business Magnolia Homes.

Chip is notorious for being the wild and silly contrast to Joanna’s all-business approach. He recently decided to get their kids a kitten. Only he came home with two kittens – and a dog. Chip is my spirit animal. I totally get how that could happen. In fact, it HAS happened to me.

I rarely adopt one animal at a time. I always figure they need a pal to hang out with while I’m at work and the kids are at school. Nevermind that there’s always an existing pet on site, new animals need NEW playmates. Or so my animal-addled brain tells me.

Adoption is such a necessary part of any community because until we all commit to spaying and neutering our pets, there will continue to be a surplus of animals. No-kill shelters are great, but all shelters can’t commit to that model. Some animals are sick. Some bite. Some have other issues that keep them from being candidates for adoption. Those animals don’t have a chance, but there are literally hundreds of thousands each year who do.

Find a shelter and adopt a cat or a dog or a guinea pig/lizard/horse/whatever you have your heart set on. In Pittsburg, you can call the Pittsburg Veterinary Clinic at (903) 856-6518 to see if they’ve had any animals dropped off. Longview, Mount Pleasant and Daingerfield all have active animal shelters and rescue groups with plenty of animals looking for a forever home.

Go adopt because it’s the right thing to do. Go adopt, so I don’t turn into a crazy cat lady. Help a girl out. Please, my husband is begging you.