Open Door Policy

I could have sworn that I closed the door to the laundry room last night, but when I returned to begin a new load of wash, I found some unexpected little helpers. Alvar (left) and L.B. (inside the dryer) like the smell of Downey fabric softener, and they enjoy even more the feel of warm blankets fresh from tumbling in the dryer.

Of all our ten cats, Alvar and L.B. are the most intrepid explorers. They both like to open doors and cabinets at all hours of the day: Alvar gravitates to those in the bathrooms, and L.B. likes especially the cabinets in the kitchen because he knows he can find bags of kibbles and packets of treats lining the shelves. By the way, L.B. seems to have put himself on a weight-loss program and is experiencing moderate success. At his last weigh-in, he tipped the scale at 20 lbs.

I am so glad that the door to our home was open (figuratively speaking) when my husband and I first saw Alvar and L.B more than six years ago. There was still room for another two cats, as we had not yet achieved our current full-house status.

Unlike in my office environment, which has an open door policy, we do not have an official policy in place in our personal living space. Suffice it to say that our hearts remain open to helping cats, and that the door will never shut tight on them.

Query of the Day: Are your cats “Cat Lady’s Helpers”?