Oh so many kitties needing homes.

So this was Bitsy Blue Eyes while she was in a kennel for a whole week at Petsmart. She was still purring and reaching out for love each time we visited her there while we made up our minds about which cats to adopt.

Frenchie purred and offered to touch noses with us. (I love how her coral colored nose is outlined in black.)

We looked hard and long before we made our choices. It really was fun, interesting, and sad at the same time.

We dropped by the Utah Adoption Center, where cats are never euthanized. We had no idea when we came to look that there was a whole room of cats wanting to see us!

There were well over fifty cats in that room. The cats that are unable to socialize well with other cats are in cages.

The cats on the floor were all about being LOVED. Here nine cats woo Bernie. Notice the orange guy with his paw on Bernie's shoe. And check out how deep orange that middle cat on the ground is.

Oh it was kitty love everywhere!

They even had two Maine coon cats and a cat with a tail that would corkscrew uptight to his body until he was petted, then his tail would unfurl like a banner.

There was a lot of cat hair on every horizontal surface.

I should have known better than to sit down there wearing black pants!

Then there was this big guy named Chester. He is still at the Utah Humane Society.

He does have a wonderful foster family for now; his foster mom was my kind of lady.

He was a really big Flame point Siamese. Check out the size of his paws!

What a face. I was really tempted to adopt him. Those big blue eyes and big mitts...but introducing another adult male to Hart was an iffy proposition.

There were lots of sleeping kittens, and playing kittens...

A seal point Siamese baby boy...who hissed.

And a longer haired flame point...it was interesting how many flame point Siamese were at the shelters.

A big old orange cat....a stray...and he had been shaved to fix the mats in his long fur.

Oh was he a lover! We held hands together for awhile while he purred and asked for a forever home....

This beautiful girl with magnificent whiskers and purr....

Given up because her owner was allergic (????) Her name was Ziva. She is good with other cats and kids. I hope she finds a family who understands her.

Then this goth gal. A cat for all wants: orange stripes, white, black, patches and pink nose. Can you guess her name?

Abby of course.

Poor Abby... why couldn't her owners teach their children to be gentle with cats?

Her foster family must really love her: look at all the hearts they drew on her information sheet.

There were other kinds of animals looking for a home too.

A cage full of cockatiels; this one with such a delicate yellow crest and vibrant cheek rouge that I couldn't imagine why its owners let it go.

Bunnies, guinea pigs, rats...

and dogs.

Lots and lots of dogs of every size and color.

Reading why they all were at the shelter was heart breaking.

In some cases their owners had died, or were medically unable to care for their pet any more.

A lot of people gave up their pets because they were relocating.

Others said too many cats, couldn't afford, a divorce...

The kittens...so many kittens, especially black ones.

Feral kittens being fostered...

I would have happily given them all forever homes if I could

Since I can't do that, I stop by shelters and give them love and cuddles and remind them that they really are wonderful creatures.

And that it wasn't their fault that they were given up.