Just One More

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a long-haired black cat and I am approximately nine years old. My real name is Sheba, but everyone here just calls me Mama. That's because when I first arrived at Purr-Angels, I brought six other little ones with me! Since I have been poor most of my life and have had to search so hard for food and shelter, I have become quite a little numbers-cruncher. That is, I worry a lot about every little thing. It doesn't help my cat-itude any that I have had so many litters (prior to coming here) and have always had a lot of mouths to feed. So I have spent most of my life trying to figure out how many times a half-eaten slice of bologna can be divided by seven.

What has really been worrying me lately ... and keeping me awake nights ... is all of the phone messages we have recently been receiving. I see Annie slumped over her desk, her fingers flying over the calculator, and I know that she is numbers-crunching, too. Which, I must admit, alarms me.

Most of the messages would break your heart. Here are just a few:

"We have the MOST BEAUTIFUL cat in all the world! But sadly we are moving to a new apartment which doesn't allow pets..We are absolutely certain that people will be standing in line to offer her a good home! Could you possibly make room for just one more??"

Or....

"Hello! We just had a a baby a few weeks ago and our Siamese is looking cross-eyed at him! We thought we even heard him hiss when our two-year old pulled his tail the other day!...What he needs is a home without children! Could you possibly take just one more??"

And then there's my purr-sonal favorite:

"We have a Hummer, and because of rising gas prices, we were unable to afford to spay our little Muffin. Unfortunately, she has just given birth to a litter of eight which we are unable to keep. We will have to take them to the pound unless you can help us! Being as cute and adorable as they are, we are sure they will easily be adopted! Could you please make room for just eight
more??"

Now, being the numbers-cruncher that I am, it's not hard for me to figure out that just one more isn't really just one more. It's more like just TEN more ... per day! And that's something like just 300 more ... per month!

I really don't mean to sound selfish, but I just can't help lying awake nights, my heart hammering with dread. I find myself staring at the food shelves and wondering how many times they can be divided by 300? 500? 800? Yikes!

So today, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to ask you to please do a few things LESS.

Please take one less trip to the mall, and spay or neuter your pets.

Teach your children to love us more and tease us less.

And before moving, think of us no less than you would your Traveler's Checks ... and don't leave home without us!

Many of you may already have a pet. Nevertheless, please consider adopting just one more.

Be part of the solution! ADOPT a shelter animal!