As you read a couple of weeks ago I lost my little Miranda kitten that I'd adopted from a shelter group. I found out she had Feline Leukemia 10 days after adopting her. Soon after that she started to get very sick - and I lost her on February 6th. Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to the Seattle Animal shelter to see if I could find a new kitten. I asked, there weren't any. Not kitten season - try back in a few months. I was set on a kitten as I wanted a cat that would grow up knowing the ferrets, like I'd intended with Miranda. We decided we'd look at all the cats anyway. Suddenly I'm face-to-face with this set of huge yellow owl-eyes. This big thick paw is reaching through the bars towards me. I lean closer and the paw gently taps my nose. It's a PERSIAN! I'd never even SEEN a Persian in real life - only pictures. Surely he's one of the found pets that someone just hasn't come to claim yet. I find out he was a stray but it's been a couple of weeks. Wasn't microchipped, no tag, no collar. And no one came looking for him. They're thinking he's about two or three years old. There's a "1st Choice" note on his card. I ask if someone is holding him. They check the computer - their hold expired a couple of days ago. We head to the front and fill out an adoption form. I'm approved. I can now have one of the shelter workers get him out so I can hold him and play with him in a room. Of course he's completely snuggable and sweet. He's purring like mad and swatting at a toy they gave me to play with him with. I pick him up and he shoves his head into my hand and starts treading on my arm - and drooling - just like my Tuffycat used to do!! Now the next part blows me away. I'm thinking he's gonna be about $80-$100 to adopt which I would have totally understood and happily paid. Nope. He's TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS since he's already neutered. AND we get a coupon for a free vet visit at a participating vet (and I find out mine IS!) AND he gets microchipped AND we get a coupon for a free bag of schmantsy food at the nicest pet boutique in town!!! We "round" the $25 up to $100 - giving the rest as a donation towards their spay and neuter program. We gave him a bath when we got him home. His coat was a mess. I spent about a half hour brushing and trimming out a ton of mats on the backs of his legs The whole time I was brushing him he just sat in my lap quietly grooming himself. Jake pup is already smitten. The cat gave him a hiss at first but quickly learned how sweet Jake is - he's definitely not a threat. Even when he did hiss Jake moved closer and looked at him like "Can't we be friends?" The ferrets have been crawling all over him and he hasn't even hissed at them. Andy, who ADORED Miranda even got him purring! Here's link to some pics. Name is pending - I'm leaning towards Angus or Finnegan. http://community.webshots.com/album/547775072jgvSgi Last night as we were watching TV with the cat curled up purring in my lap I said to Neil "How is it no one came looking for him? And someone else didn t adopt him?" "Why would they?" he replied. "He's obviously your cat." Laura and The Seattle Seven at www.ferretocious.com [Posted in FML issue 5159]