I had my first shift volunteering for the Ohio Alleycat Rescue this morning, and it was super. First off, everyone there are crazy cat people. In other words, I was surrounded by my people. Secondly, there were cats everywhere. Which delights me on its own.

I cleaned litter boxes, floors, and surfaces. And after an hour and a half of that, I got to spend the last half hour in the kitten room. And I got to fulfill a dream of being in a kitten puddle. I had a ginger licking and purring at my ear while one of the six black kittens flopped down in my lap to ravage my hoodie strings. It was basically 30 minutes of pure joy.

I’ve avoided doing this sort volunteer work. I thought it would make me either adopt far too many cats, or make me sad. But I wasn’t pulled in either of those directions today. I am sure it helps that this rescue is not only no kill, but also one of the main reasons Hamilton County has a no-kill status. It left me thinking that I should have done this sooner.

I would be lying though if I didn’t admit that the little ginger was trying very hard to make me his human. He and a sweet tabby just put themselves as close to me as they could the entire time I was in there. But I have been without a black cat for entirely too long, so my resolve is pretty strong.