I started looking at animal shelter cats online a few weeks ago. How would I find the right one? A week ago the Mercury News ran an article about how the shelter is overcrowded and having problems since Covid. It's a no-kill shelter, so they now have to turn away animals.

I was feeling sad anyway, missing Jett, who died 6 months ago. We decided to adopt an older cat. Yesterday we went to the shelter with a list of possible. #1 was blind and deaf, not a good match for our house. #2 was just being adopted as we arrived. So we looked at #3.
Charlotte, a sweet scrawny little thing, really wanted pets. Found on the street about 6 weeks ago, not chipped. Shelter estimated she is 9 years old. Didn't take long to decide.

End of month so no adoption fee, and because we are 65+, no fee anyway.

We put her in our guest room. A couple of years ago my D-I-L sent us kitty beds for the cats, but they wouldn't go near them. I got one out, and Charlotte walked right over to it, got in, and started purring.

Her name is now Cocoa, after a cup of hot cocoa, until my friend asked if she is named after Coco Chanel. Well of course! She is now Cocoa Chanel! Very affectionate, eating and drinking a lot. Long petting session and today a long brushing session. She is a "short-hair" tabby, but has long, long fur. I brushed and brushed and got a lot of hair off. She purred the whole time.

She spotted Sharkie a couple of times but made it clear she doesn't want to meet him yet. He's our 15-yr old male who misses his pal Jett.

Meet Cocoa Chanel! And her bed, where she spends most of her time. (That's not her, just the Amazon stock photo.)