New Felines & Friends space is the cat's meow

New adoption sapce at Santa Fe Petco allows furry friends to show off their personality

Ben Swan | The New Mexican

10/3/2009 - 10/4/09

Once a display area for the sale of exotic birds, Felines & Friends' new adoption space at the Santa Fe Petco on Cerrillos Road is filled with curious and thriving cats.

Now no longer exposed to the elements and distractions at the front entrance of the store, where the adoption space used to be, felines can show off their true personalities safely behind glass doors. Plenty of cat toys, cat trees and condos offer them the opportunity to get into happy trouble as only cats can.

That was the case for Cezanne, an über-curious orange tabby who on Thursday wouldn't give up on trying to scale the Mount Everest of cat trees that is prominently featured in the new space. Volunteer Liz Carp shrugged her shoulders as she watched the hapless cat tumble to the floor time and time again.

"Whoops," Carp said, as the cat did a spin to the floor. The lack of coordination didn't seem to bother the young cat, who always found his four paws on the rug. Carp stood by with a long stuffed toy tail, ready to attract his attention should he give up on his scaling efforts.

"This is wonderful," Carp said. "You can let the cats out to play, they are not confined and you don't have to worry about them escaping. And they can socialize."

The larger room allows the group to expand the number of kennels for adoptable felines from six to eight. The extra-large kennels hold two cats or three kittens, said Bobbi Heller, the group's executive director.

The enclosed room gives prospective adopters a chance to play with a feline companion in a safe environment. The spacious room has plenty of floor space and chairs where people can be more comfortable. There's also room for the sale of cat-related merchandise and feline care information.

Before, the group set up temporary camp near the store's front entrance, which was drafty and often troublesome for the cats and volunteers. Cats had to wear leashes if people wanted to socialize with a feline buddy.

"Now people can spend time with the cats, see how they interact and learn about their personalities," Heller said. "It's much better for the cats, volunteers and prospective adopters."

It's a great fit for the store as well, said Gino Penasa, who took over as manager about six months ago. The chain is "right-sizing" stores nationwide — matching the right type of pets with each community — and exotic birds are not a big seller in Santa Fe. The goal is to connect animals with families, so it's important that there's a need for them, he said. Lizards, for example, are very popular in Santa Fe. The store still sells parakeets and cockatiels, but they don't require as much room as the larger exotic avians.

"I thought, what are we going to do with that space?'" he said, "and it just hit me that it would be a great place for cats. It's enclosed, has its on ventilation system and is safe."

Response has been overwhelmingly positive from the customers, Penasa said, once the customers realized the group hadn't left. The store doesn't sell dogs or cats and relies on groups like Felines & Friends and special adoption events to fill the animal companion need. "They're still fine-tuning it and we need to get a better sign, but it's working out well," he said.

A grand opening to celebrate the new space will be held Oct. 24. It will coincide with the store's annual Halloween party, which includes treats, games, Halloween-themed pet photos and a costume contest. Judging will likely take place in the afternoon, depending on customer response.

The feline adoption center will have expanded hours for the event, Heller said, and offer special merchandise so people can get a jump on their holiday shopping. Normal adoption hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

While people can visit the cats during store hours, visitation times can be arranged beyond regular hours. Heller said she often receives e-mails from people who stop by to visit with the cats or are considering adopting one of them.

Volunteers check on the cats, interact with them and clean their kennels three times daily, Heller said. The cats at the store are rotated on a weekly basis from their foster homes.

The group, which is always looking for volunteers, has
more than 100 felines with about 50 foster families. Almost half of those homeless cats are "teen" felines, between 4 and 6 months old.

"Adoptions are slow," Heller said, "but it's happening."