New York natives and newlyweds Aileen and Bobby just adopted their first cat Marty. Aileen shares with us their journey through the process of adoption and transitioning Marty from the shelter to her house.
Q: Tell me about your journey finding Marty and your experience at the shelter
A: Funnily enough, I’ve always considered myself a dog person, but last winter my husband became determined to adopt a cat from our local shelter. At first I wasn’t keen on the idea. I’d never thought of myself as a cat owner and wasn’t sure if I was ready to bring a pet into our apartment (I had visions of a kitten clawing our new furniture, hair sticking to my clothes, and a messy litter box). After a few weeks of him sending me every cute cat meme he could find on instagram, he convinced me to go with him “just to look”.
The closest shelter to us is the North Shore Animal League, and it’s a beautiful facility. They have rooms where cats can freely roam, and with the assistance of a volunteer, you can go in to meet them. On our first visit we met a few cute cats, but none that we really connected with. The visit did help me to warm up to the idea of bringing a cat into our home, there were so many cuties, having one around could be fun.
After that first visit, my husband went to the shelter so often that he was on a first name basis with all the volunteers there (remember, I started off saying he was determined). Finally after weeks of looking on their website and going in person, we found a cat who we thought would be a good fit for us BUT we did not have our paperwork and references ready, and lost the cat to someone else that same day. We learned an important lesson – have everything you need ready. At shelters, they are looking to give an animal a new home as quickly as possible. Eventually, we met Marty, a cute little one eyed guy who we loved from the minute we met him. We took him home the next day, and he’s been with us ever since!
Q: How did you transition Marty into your house?
A: The first few days we left him in one room to get used to his new environment – we didn’t want to overwhelm him. Eventually, he wanted to get out and explore, so we let him. He was so nervous at first! Now the apartment is his kingdom, and we’re lucky enough to live there with him.
We also made sure he had his litter box in that room, dry food out all day so he could snack, and we tried to stick with a routine on wet food feedings and play time. We also had some toys that he had been given at the shelter so he had something familiar around.
Q: What did you learn, what would you do differently?
A: I would have had our references and paperwork complete. We did not realize how quickly the process would move once we found a cat we wanted to adopt.
Q: What would you do the same?
A: I’m glad it took us a little while to find Marty. We looked on and off for about three months. We had fun meeting so many cats and kittens with different personalities and it helped us learn what kind of cat would fit into our lives. The shelter will also let you know if they think a cat should go to a home with kids (very active and playful), without kids, if they need to be adopted in a pair, or if the cat needs to be a solo pet.
Q: What would be your tips on adoption after going through the process
A: Ask the volunteers or people who work there a lot of questions! Cats live a while, so you want to be prepared to take an animal into your home who will fit your lifestyle now, and in 10 years (or more!). The volunteers at the shelters really love the animals, so pick their brains on a cat you’re interested in or even just general questions you might have. Don’t give up quickly, the process may take a while but it’s worth it.
Q: What tips do you have for first-time cat owners?
A: We watched a lot of YouTube videos by Jackson Galaxy, he is a really great resource and helped us feel prepared to bring a cat into our home for the first time. It also was an easier process than I thought it would be. My parents had adopted a border collie puppy during the pandemic, and it was a lot of work for them to train him – cats are very self-reliant. They learn where the litter box is quick and will let you know when they want something.
Q: What would be your must items for first-time cat owners?
A: We love the litter genie – it makes cleaning up the litter box easy, and we found Pretty Litter to be the best litter option for us. Arm and Hammer make good pet clean-up products that we use when he makes a mess (fun fact, cats throw up pretty frequently). A good vacuum cleaner is also important to get rid of some of that hair.
Q: What you learned about/from marty?
A: I learned that owning your own pet is a fulfilling experience. I did not think I could love a cat so much (especially because I started this journey not wanting a cat), but he makes my days happier.
Q: Best life tip and pet tip?
Ooh life tips I’m not sure I’m qualified to give! Pet tip – spend time with your pet! They want and need your attention, even if it’s watching them chase after a squeaky mouse for half an hour a day.
Fun Fact:
We got married this past November, and although Marty could not be at the wedding with us, we incorporated him into our wedding favors – a koozie with an illustration of him on it! We use a vendor from Etsy who makes great pet portraits – our guests loved them.