CINCO DE "MAYA"

By Daniel Quagliozzi

We devote today's blog to an extraordinary little lady that needs your help. Maya, an older, more reserved brown tabby female is an equisite creature with a dynamic personality that has warmed the hearts of so many people, yet no one has made the decision to take her home. Like many homeless cats, you might say the odds have not been in her favor. Today we roll the dice for Maya!

You may remember Maya from several blogs ago. She has made many transitions since she first arrived as a surrender to Animal Care and Control of San Francisco. Maya spent weeks living in the Cat Behavior Office as our Shelter vets worked to get a handle on her arthritis, which was causing her to limp when she attempted to walk. In our opinion, the slight limp and smirky look on her face only made her that much cuter. I am not embarrassed to say, Maya really touched me and actually made me "do the math" about bringing her home to my resident cat. It just wasn't realistic and I'm sure my Matilda would have been mad at me for doing so.

Now, after a few months of maintenance on her joints, Maya is walking a lot better but still has a rough time getting up after she has been sleeping off another one of her victorious play sessions. Despite her aches and pains, she remains to be the most awesome cat anyone could ask for. The question is, who's asking?

Beautifully mature cats like Maya are often over-looked when shelters are bracing for the storm of young and vibrant kittens that arrive when the weather gets warm and the rain subsides. While it's still an admirable thing to adopt a kitten from your local shelter, please do not forget the older cats that need your home as well. They have a prior life and a story to tell, a quality that no kitten can relate to.

Older cats are deeply effected by the change of losing everything that they once held close in exchange for a strange and unfamiliar kennel space and the company of one stranger after another. Kittens adapt a lot faster and stay in shelters for as little as two days to a week before they find a home. An adult cat may spend anywhere from one week to five months living in a shelter environment.

At the age of 10, Maya is the perfect example. She ended up in a shelter due to circumstances beyond her control. Her life and well being are now under the watchful eye of many caring individuals at the SF/SPCA. What's missing in her life is the love of one or many people who will wake up everyday and include her in their lives. Maya craves a day that she can predict and a human guardian that she can call her own. She needs a home with guardians that will keep her on top of her game and watch over her health. An environment with steps or high levels to climb may be too much for her stubby little legs. However an inventive person might create a place for her that makes getting up high an easier task to accomplish. Maya prefers to be a people's cat and not a cat friendly cat. She was actually adopted once but was unfortunately returned to the shelter because she did'nt appreciate the company of other cats.

Today is MAYA MONDAY and tomorrow is CINCO DE MAYA ...but the reality is that every day of the year is dedicated to those cats who do not have the voice to ask for help. Will you be there for Maya?

Make the month of May the month for Maya!

If you are interested in adopting this amazing feline friend, please contact the SF/SPCA by calling 415 522-3500 or come to Maddies Adoption Center at 250 Florida Street, SF, Ca 94103