MEDICINE HAT, AB — Bubbas stretches out his front paws as he yawns, settling in for his afternoon cat nap at the Medicine Hat SPCA.
The eight-year-old feline knows Santa sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake.
He’s hoping Christmas comes early.
“Bubbas desperately needs to get out of the shelter,” said kennel attendant Joe Schafer, adding the cat has been at the shelter for almost a year.
He’s not asking Santa for much, other than a home to call his own.
“Basically, what we’re asking, is lets give Bubbas a forever home for the rest of his life, [where] he’s comfortable and safe,” Schafer said.
Boots isn’t quite ready for a nap, himself.
The three year old has also been at the shelter for nearly a year.
“He can be a bit intense with other cats but he’s really, really a good soul and he would love a forever home,” Schafer said.
Boots made Santa’s ‘nice’ list, until cameraman Colton caught him sneaking into the CHAT TV camera bag.
Schafer said cats don’t normally stay at the shelter for this long. She added that a shelter environment isn’t good for animals.
“This is a very stressful environment for cats,” she said.
Kaylyn Genio, general manager with APARC knows the holidays are a busy time and encourages anyone thinking about adopting to make sure they know what they’re signing up for.
“There’s a lot to consider when getting a pet,” she said “One of the biggest things that people don’t necessarily think about is the cost and the time that it’s going to take.”
Cloud, an albino bunny, has also been at the SPCA for a year. He doesn’t need much when it comes to care.
“He’s trained in a kennel, he’s trained to go in the litter, he drinks out of a bowl,” Schafer said.
But, like any animal, still need love and attention. And someone to change his litter box.
“A lot of people just, they don’t think outside of the gift giving part of it,” Genio added. “They don’t think of the responsibility. They think of the ‘wow factor’, which, it definitely has that. It’s very cute and cuddly, but it’s a living creature. It’s something to look after.”
“It’s not necessarily for a kid,” she added. “It’s something that’s for the whole family to look after together.”
