Happy Valentine’s Day, Friends of Faye!

I recall recently reading that a zoo advertised that, for the price of a modest donation, they would name one of their resident roaches (zoos have “resident roaches?”) after your significant other as a non-traditional Valentine’s Day gift. In response, another zoo followed up by offering to name one of their roaches after your ex-significant other for free, and then feed it to their reptiles!

While I appreciate both well-intentioned attempts to generate a mid-winter chuckle, I started thinking more about how much our romance culture has changed — for better or worse — in this modern era. We would be led to believe that the best way to meet someone is by sitting home, behind a computer screen or on our phone, swiping left or right, as if a single photo and some witty commentary is enough to launch a “meaningful” connection. Basing one’s potential on a brief image and accompanying blurb seems ridiculous, right? And yet, this is also how we hope to connect animals with potential adopters.

What would it take, then, for someone to “swipe right” for Faye? Let’s break it down. Her image? Perfection. Let’s face it: Faye is absolutely stunning. She looks like she was hand-drawn by a Disney animator. Her accompanying blurb? Cautiously optimistic. She’s friendly. She has no major health issues. She gets along reasonably well with other cats. She enjoys human company, especially if you have a comfy lap and are willing to brush her. She loves food. And sunshine. This seems like an easy match.

The one issue, though, is that somewhere, at some point, quite a while ago, Faye didn’t always use her litter box. The technical term for this is that Faye has “a history of inappropriate elimination.” Has she exhibited this behavior at Tabby’s Place? Nope. Has she been at Tabby’s Place for years? Yup. Is it reasonable to connect her unfortunate “history” with a past issue or situation-specific problem? Probably. Is this “history” the one, recurring black spot on Faye’s otherwise winning profile that prevents her from being adopted? Yes.

I can’t help but wonder how many of us have just one past issue, or current problem, or personality defect, or annoying habit that just might stop someone from swiping right for us. Should that one thing really be THE only thing?

At Tabby’s Place, we specialize in broken hearts. We champion the misfits. We remember the forgotten. You might say all our kitties are those for whom the world at large “swiped left.” This Valentine’s Day, Faye asked me to ask you to spend more time with the broken-hearted, the misfits, and the forgotten, to love without conditions or expectations, and to be a world-Valentine. Because you will change the world, one extraordinary Valentine at a time.

Thank you, Valentine, for doing your part to make the world, and Tabby’s Place, even better. Through your kindness and generosity, kitties like beautiful Faye are cared for and loved every day of their lives. We couldn’t do it without you, and so we thank you for being OUR Valentine.

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