The colorful mural above the windows says it all: Kitty condos. And from the outside looking in, one can glimpse a happy feline world — cat towers, cat toys and a comfortable bench for the human-type creatures.

Inside the artfully framed "suites," cats of all sizes and ages stare back at observers, or yawn, or do their best to strike a mournful meow, asking simply in feline language to hold me, pet me, take me home.

On this particular Sunday, Renee Edwards is watching the curious cats from the front desk of Z Pet Hotel. Behind her and another windowed wall lies the larger kennels of the boarding facility's canine world. It's a quiet day, with few whimpering pups begging for attention.

An optimal day for Felines & Friends adoptions, it seems, but few souls appear willing to risk the icy roads for a chance to connect with a lifetime pal. Edwards, who along with husband, Mark, owns and operates Z Pet, is philosophical about the lack of traffic.

"We see volunteers come in, and they really want to find good homes for the cats," Renee Edwards says. "They come in and clean and spend time with the cats. I admire them. Today, they are just here waiting for someone to come in and look at the cats."

It's been about a month since Felines & Friends has offered Sunday cat adoptions at Z Pet, but cats have found a safe refuge at the Harrison Road facility off and on for almost a year, said Bobbi Heller, the nonprofit's executive director. What began as a somewhat crisis situation has turned into a great relationship, one that Heller also has nurtured at other pet-related businesses, including Santa Fe Cats Luxury Boarding on Tano Road.

"Last year, adoptions started to slow down and foster homes were in short supply," she said. "Then suddenly, we lost a foster home with a lot of cats when the people moved, and we were in a panic. That's when I called Renee and Mark."

Mark Edwards pledged to make space available for foster cats, Heller said, even if it meant bringing in a couple of playpen cages into the kitty condo. The weekly open adoptions came about when the all-volunteer group moved out of its temporary Eldorado space at La Tienda at the end of January.

The group's operation is independent from Z Pet Hotel, Mark Edwards said, but the arrangement has been smooth and mutually beneficial.

"I just open my door to them," Mark Edwards said. "We're open on Sundays, so why not have adoptions?"

While adoption counselors are available during the Sunday adoptions, which run 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the foster cats are always available for viewing at the facility, much like at Petco, the group's main adoption center. The hours at the Cerrillos Road pet store are 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Many adopters first search the group's Web site to narrow down the choices and follow up with one-on-one visits with a furry feline or two.

The specially designed room at Z Pet is a wonderful place for felines, said Renee Edwards. Offering some of the 24 cat suites up for fosters along with regular boarding customers helps the community and gives the business more exposure.

"The word is spreading, and we have had several adoptions," she said. "We do have more kitties here now that they've moved out of La Tienda and started utilizing our space. There is an ebb and flow, but there does seem to be a larger inventory."

It's not a feline illusion that there are more kitties this year in foster care, said Barbara Schubert, the nonprofit's foster-home coordinator. The group has 68 cats in foster care, about 42 more than at this time last year, she said.

"We're in desperate need of foster homes," she said. "And we're coming into kitten season."

That's why creating alliances with area businesses is critical, said Heller. Dawn and Paul Blick, Santa Fe Cats owners, provide foster space for felines that don't do well at Petco. While not an adoption center, the Blicks have helped place cats to both clients and people who get to meet potential feline companions in a relaxed environment. The Blicks themselves recently adopted a 16-year-old cat that found refuge through Felines & Friends.

Deciding where adoptable cats will spend their time until a permanent home is found really depends on the cat, Heller said. A particular cat might spend a week or so at Petco, then to move to Z Pet, or take a break with a foster family.

"Some of them do better simply living at Z Pet until they get adopted," Heller said. "A lot of them settle into a routine and prefer not to be moved around."

The enclosed kitty condo as Z Pet gives foster felines a chance to room around in a safe environment. The cats love the openness of the place, Heller said, and, depending on the number of boarding guests, usually can have free run of the room 24/7. The suites also open up for larger or smaller living spaces, depending on the cat's preferences.

The freedom is a boon for undersocialized felines as well as the volunteers. Anne Richardson, an acupuncturist whose family shares its home with five cats and a Great Dane, has been a volunteer since July. Two family cats were adopted from Felines & Friends.

"It's really nice in here," Richardson said about Z Pet's cattery. "With different volunteers coming in, they get used to people, to being petted and to different environments."

There are no adoption counselors at Petco on Sundays, a big family day, Richardson said. The hope is that the group's cleaners on Sunday will direct prospective adopters to Z Pet, only a short distance across Cerrillos Road from the pet store.

Finding homes for foster felines, and exposing the homeless cats to potential adopters is paramount, said David Schultz, the nonprofit's operations manager. The group is bracing for another full kitten season.

"We had more kittens in our system last year than ever before, and I know the shelter is just as full," he said. "They've never known so many kittens to be born so late in the year."

FELINES & FRIENDS

Learn more about how you can help the nonprofit through its Web site, www.petfinder.com/shelters/NM38.html, send an e-mail at askfelinesandfriends@yahoo.com or leave a message at 316-CAT1.

Sunday adoptions at Z Pet Hotel, 1196 Harrison Road, are from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Adoptions at Petco on Cerrillos Road are from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Cats are always available for viewing.