I Was Adopted in the Cat Community Room

Bridget Keenan
Director of Development




Our Cat Community Room is certainly a crowd-pleaser. Visitors ask if our cats are revolved from the individual condominiums into this room and back so they all benefit from this fabulous space, but that is not the case. You may wonder how certain cats are lucky enough to live in this room and the adjoining “Sun Porch”, and there’s quite a science to it, dependent on the proper mix of age, health, personality, and activity level. Appropriate cats for this room have been at HSSV for at least 2 weeks so the team can ensure they are healthy (think daycare where “little kids = germ bombs”).

They must be at least 6 months of age, but because they’re mellow and get along with everyone, they’re often “Golden Pets” (age 6 or older). But there may be a few rowdy cats thrown into the mix…the ones who get “The Zoomies”…because they have lots of room to expend their energy, and plenty of space for other less-active cats to get out of their way! These cats must be comfortable being introduced to new cats, and aren’t the type to hide (no fun going into the cat room and everyone is in a crawlspace!). So Cat Community Room residents are often the extroverts, although our cats in the condos can be extroverted, too! It adds up to a diverse room of interesting adoptables (or adopters, I should say, since everyone knows that cats adopt us!).

I myself got “adopted” in the Cat Community Room a few weeks ago, and it was a magical moment. I went into the room for a little kitty-therapy one Monday. I was jetlagged from a European flight the night before, and grieving the recent loss of my sister. I sat down on the wicker couch in HSSV’s Cat Community Room and this cute gray-and-cream muted tabby with green eyes immediately took one look at me, jumped off his perch, and hopped up into my lap. He put his paws on my shoulder and nuzzled my face. Hiya, fella!



But I was told there was a bonded pair, Alex and Rocky, in the room that I should check out, so after a few minutes I put him down and wandered over to see them. They had zero interest in me – it just wasn’t a love match. But ol’ Green Eyes kept following me around, putting his paws on my thighs to get picked up and held like a baby being burped. I finally asked “what’s your name, love?” and went outside to see his card and info. I my jaw dropped when I read his name was “Keenan”! (My last name being Keenan, talk about having a cat with my name written all over him!) After five straight days of similar visits, it was clear that Keenan was the one for me, and WE'RE now the bonded pair. (He had it all figured out on Day 1, and to this day wonders what took me so long.)

That’s why I love the Cat Community Room and condos…you can have your eye on one cat, but another will adopt you instead. Stop by and see who picks you out next time you’re at the Animal Community Center.

In Anticipation of Our New HSSV

by Bridget Keenan, Director of Development

Humane Society Silicon Valley held an open party on Saturday, March 28th, where 6,000 of our close friends came! And it was about 5,000 more than we expected…the response to our new Animal Community Center from the community far and wide was outstanding and overwhelming. People wept as they came through our doors, clearly understanding just what our friendly, inviting new home will mean to the “homeless” animals that will be in our care.

Because we’re still finishing up construction here, and the noises, fumes, and movement would be too stressful to our animals, we made the decision to still go forward with this party even without the animals — that we’d simply introduce the facility and its potential….and honestly, I don’t think anyone noticed! There were too many great dogs walking around with their guardians, checking out the digs. Even a cat or two made their way here. Many of these pets were alumni of our old Lafayette location, their guardians proudly showing off what a wonderful companion and part of their life they have become.

It was go-go-go the whole day. I was meeting our friends and donors who have supported us through this capital campaign…you can imagine how meaningful it was for THEM! Seeing their support come to fruition. They had given a gift to HSSV to help build our dream, based on a 2-dimensional map of the building and a few artist’s renderings. And now, here they were, walking the beautiful stained concrete “boulevards”, knowing they are forever a part of this game-changing effort….a model for animal welfare organizations across the country.

Even though the animals haven’t moved yet, our administrative offices have. Several colleagues and I are working in our incredible new home, waiting patiently for our co-workers and our sweet animals to join us. As I walk the quiet halls today, I envision the animals soon living relaxed in their quiet habitats, the small children with their noses pressed against the glass watching the frolicking dogs in the Socialization Area, the elderly woman therapeutically stroking a purring older cat in her lap in our Cat Community room, the dog sitting under the café table munching on his biscuit while his owner enjoys her latte in the afternoon sun, the rabbits hopping down the ramp of the Rabbitat to greet their new visitors, the children filling our Education Center to learn how to understand and be compassionate toward animals.

Even now, while our facility is quiet, in anticipation of HSSV’s new life…before our animals settle in and their future adopters come for a visit…before the dog-lovers fill our dog park…before all of the activity begins, I see what it will be like. And it will be incredibly exciting to be a part of it.