January 20, 2026

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 "𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭"

I didn't write yesterday. Day 19 existed, but there wasn't anything new to report, and honestly, I just didn't have it in me. I took the day off for an additional day of rest, which didn't end up feeling restful at all.

Today brought its own particular flavor of frustration.

An adoption that should have been a celebration turned into a trip to isolation for ringworm. One moment you're watching a cat head toward their new life, the next you're redirecting them to medical quarantine instead.

We also had a cat come back for limping today who had recently gone out to the floor. We did x-rays of the leg he was limping on and found he had broken his leg. We have zero idea how that happened. Thankfully, it will heal with cage rest, but this cat had already been in medical for quite some time because he had diarrhea. Poor kid can't catch a break. I joked that only the broken cats come home with me and I really love this particular cat. I said maybe he did this so he could be just broken enough to become another one of my crew.

But what really got under my skin today was the anger. It built up through each interaction with potential adopters who come in with their checklists, searching for the "perfect" cat. They mean perfect for them, of course—cats that match their mental image based on appearance, cats with "no issues."

Here's what they don't understand: we only know what we know. And issues aren't an age thing. A three-year-old can develop kidney disease. A kitten can have a heart murmur. A "healthy" cat can show symptoms of something we never saw coming. Literally anything can change with a cat in a heartbeat.

There is no perfect cat. There are only cats who need homes, and people willing—or unwilling—to show up for them when life inevitably happens.

I'm also carrying frustration with other animal welfare agencies who don't assist other animal welfare agencies. Sometimes it feels like we're fighting against each other, and it's ridiculous. If I have to pull teeth to get someone to talk to me, how is the general public doing with them when they have questions? We should all be on one team to make sure all the local animals get proper treatment, homes, everything they need. Instead, we're operating in silos while the animals wait.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬:

We had three kitten adoptions today.

We also took in two more seniors—at the low end of the senior scale, but seniors nonetheless. The gentleman I mentioned recently who lost his wife of 53 years and was overwhelmed brought two of the five cats he needs to surrender. They are absolutely lovely. It's clear they were very well taken care of, and it shows in every way that matters.

I've been working on a cat recently who never really wanted us to pet her. Last week, I found her secret—though I assumed it was a fluke because she'd never been interested before. Today, she proved it wasn't a fluke. I actually had her purring, drooling, and headbutting me, and it was a huge win. I may have shared her secret with others to see if they get the same response.

I actually got to drive home as the sun was setting today. It's been over a year since I left before it was already dark. I will definitely take that win.

Some days the gap between what people want and what we do here feels impossibly wide. I'm holding onto a lot that I need to get rid of soon. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, but I'm out of shape and out of gas.