ou will remember that the people who will soon be your family were taken to an area away from the other animals to get to know you a little and speak to the adoption counselors about you. They were allowed to handle and pet you then. However, this is not permitted in the kennel or cattery area for your protection and the safety of the visitors. You see, if people reach in and pet each animal and accept it's greetings--sniffing and licking especially--they can easily spread any germs or viruses that one animal may be harboring to all of the other animals. Humans are careful not to share drinking glasses or utensils, cover their mouths when sneezing, wash their hands before eating, etc., for the very same reason. Your caretakers are just taking precautions to help maintain as healthy an environment as possible for you. In addition, many of the animals are feeling somewhat stressful in a strange place that they haven't quite gotten used to yet and may misinterpret a visitor's friendly gesture. Strangers reaching into their quarters may really frighten some and even cause some to nip or bite.

Visitors' snacks and special treats are also denied due to special concern for you. The first symptoms of several different kinds of illnesses are loose stools, diarrhea and/or vomiting. The shelter staff likes to keep you on a very controlled diet during your stay so that once you are settled in and used to it, they will be able to easily detect any change in your normal bodily functions. Since the staff hasn't known all of the animals very long, letting people give them these treats would make it difficult to know whether any changes in your bodily functions indicated an illness or were simply a result of changes in what you have eaten each day. Even if the treats wouldn't bother most of you at all, the staff knows that by scheduling when and what you eat, your bathroom habits will also follow a schedule and that will make it easier for you to remain housebroken or begin becoming housebroken during your stay. THAT will help to make you even more adoptable!

Please don't feel deprived--the shelter staff is working hard to find you a good home as quickly as possible and your new family will have plenty of good things in store for you.