Almost two weeks ago a woman in our area was found to be hoarding about 50 cats in her home. The woman was ill and taken to a hospital. And we had a big reshuffling of cat cages at the Bloomfield Shelter.
All the cats we had for adoption were moved into the smaller cat room, usually reserved for those not yet ready for adoption, so the larger room could house some of those rescued cats. The staff told me that cats in really bad shape were collected by a vet. But they brought 29 others to the shelter. At least I think that’s how many. I have yet to see them. Most of the cats came in with respiratory infections. The room is in isolation; only staff allowed.
That small cat room went from four cats—Tiger, Peanut, Bubba and Abigail, a young mom with her tiny kitten, Preston— to 12 cats. Surprisingly, within days, two cats I thought unlikely to be adopted because they were older and had less than winning personalities, (Mo, 
who had arrived in Dec. with Larry and Curly—both adopted ages ago—being one of them) suddenly found permanent homes. As did the lovely Aria.
Then a gray lady was brought in. With no name given her, I called her Smokey. But today she had a name added to her cage, “NiKita.” 
At least someone on staff thinks she’s a Russian Blue. A description of the breed on the Internet says that the Russian Blues “develop close bonds with their owners and are sought out as pets due to their personalities, beauty and coat.” Nikita certainly has a winning personality. She acknowledges people as they enter the room; she’s very gentle and cannot get enough petting. I will be surprised if she’s not adopted within a short time.
Meanwhile, the shelter is awaiting the official turning over of ownership of the rescued cats. And I am looking forward to meeting a room full of new-to-me felines.
NancyTaiani 