It takes a very special person to become a "Crazy Cat Woman". Read Valerie Conforti's story:

I had no intention of getting two more cats since I had four already. But Fate had something else in store for me - two sweet, beautiful, glossy black cats named Pippin and Marbles!

About 8 pm one Friday evening I got a desperate call from one of the volunteers: Would I pick up two Casa cats who had been adopted out but who had to be returned to Casa immediately due to severe and unexpected illness in the owner's family? Since I lived close by, I agreed. I rushed over, picked the cats up and got them home safely, fully intending to take them back to the Chapel Avenue shelter the next morning.

Ring Ring! Ring Ring! No answer. Throughout the day, I kept calling. Still no answer. Sheryl, who runs the Chapel shelter, must be sick I thought. Okay, I'll try again tomorrow.

On Sunday, again the phone rang and rang and rang. The shelter must still be closed I decided. Maybe Sheryl will be back at work on Monday.

Sure enough, everything was in working order on Monday morning. In fact, the shelter had been open as usual over the weekend. But, by a stroke of Fate, Sheryl had dropped her cell phone into the mop bucket on Friday and had been incommunicado ever since! Of course, by Monday, I had completely fallen in love with these two adorable kitties! Pippin would curl up on the back of my neck and purr loudly in my ear. Marbles would gaze at me affectionately and give a lion-sized purr whenever I walked into the room. How could I possibly return these two bewitching black cats to the shelter? I was under their spell.

After I signed their adoption papers, I went to the Post Office. Two women behind me in line were discussing cats. "Well," said one, "the Humane Society wouldn't let me take the cat I wanted without taking her sister too. No way was I going to do that since I have four already. If I took both of them then that would make six and that would turn me into a crazy cat woman." So, there you are, I thought to myself, it's official - I can now join the ranks of Crazy Cat Women everywhere. I consider it to be quite an honor!

Pippin and Marbles have been with me for many months now. Pippin is an angel but Marbles loves to knock things off shelves. So far, he has broken a lamp, two Indian pots and knick-knacks galore. All in good fun, of course!