I am missing Dickens, but he appears to have left on his own volition. I do not NEED another cat…Do any of us? But… I want a lap cat, and neither of my current crop of malcontents is a lap-type cat. The two I have hate each other. The relatively new dog really likes Bug. Bug adores the dog. Puddin, who hates everyone and everything, will take a swing at Sam the dog which he rebuffs. I hate to scold him for it, she deserves it but I cannot allow any mischief from dog to cat. Too many terrible memories.
Well, I usually do NOT go trolling thru the website, but sort of looking for maybe Dickens… but there are two large male grey tabbies. My weakness. I can’t go today, but I might stroll over there tomorrow and have a look.
sigh, so many reasons not to, but I know all you good enablers are with me on this. The plan is to encourage him to stay in the house. Puddin has never in 3 and 1/2 years figured out the doggy door. Maybe the new cat won’t either? And btw, I will NOT bring back two. One will be stretching it.
If you want a lap cat, focus on ones that are described that way, rather than the color.
But, yes, go to look.
I will enable you. 
I’ll third it. Go get a kitty.
Most shelters have the rooms where you can interact with the cat. Sit on the floor and find the one who wants to crawl all over you.
Good luck! Can hardly wait to see photos of the new family member.
Go find a lap kitty! You’re saving a life—that automatically puts you on the side of the angels!
And since we’re enabling, BUY A PONY! 
Okay I told her that I would come Tuesday but I forgot that we have an election Tuesday and I’m an election judge so I’ll have to call back and leave a message that I won’t be there Tuesday it’ll have to be Wednesday .curses
Of course you need a lap kitty. We went to the shelter years ago and Peaches got on my husband’s lap and it was love at first sight. She was a gem and yours will be too. Please do share a picture and your story when you get home!
I’m Team Enabler!
One worry is the doggy door you mentioned.
You may have a dimwit (sorry, Puddin 
) don’t count on another.
My Story:
Friend just brought home a barncat she’d cared for nearly all of it’s 12yrs at the barn.
She had no horses there, just the 2 cats.
She’d known BO, but lasted through 2 new owners after that.
Make that: Obsessively cared for = fans in the cat/tackroom in Summer, blankets stapled to walls + heater in Winter, fed twice a day (she lives 12mi from the barn), kept up to date with at least annual vet visits… 
When one barncat died she brought this one to her house.
Where (surprising me) it got along decently with her 2 In/Out(just her backyard) cats.
Then not quite 2mos later, new cat got out.
MIA now for almost 3mos.
She’s plastered shelters, vets’ offices, stores with Missing posters. Used local SM to post Missing Cat. Goes daily to where a caller thought cat was sighted, leaving food.
Refuses my suggestion of a live trap.
Sorry, I digress.
My point is, your new cat may very well figure out that doggy door & adios, lapcat disposition or not.
you may remember I ‘lost’ my darling to him wandering away. He came back and disappeared again, this time seemingly for good. I see a lot of missing kitties on the local FB page but they are mostly indoor cats that ‘someone let out accidentally’. Those cats likely don’t know where they live. Dickens lived here for 8 years. I miss him terribly but he seems to be really gone. Please no scolding, I feel bad enough about this. I really want a lap cat. When scrolling thru the adoptable cats, THERE WERE KITTENS!!! OHH SOO CUTE! Must not look at kittens. The older cat needs a home. The woman at the intake told me he was dropped off by a man who was moving out of state, but he was taking the dog. 
The photo is him looking really perplexed, ‘How did I get in this hand basket and where are we going’? It is only $50 so not a bad deal. I may spring for a little more just because it is a nice shelter.
DO IT! I’ve rescued 4 cats from the pound over the years. Pound cats are the best! IMO, they’re all lovey b/c they’re so dang happy to be out of there!
This is the cat, his name is Bear, but if I get him, he will become Tater
Ruh-Roh, love me some tigercats 
& He’s a beauty.
His backstory only adds to his appeal.
Some People! 
I’m kinda in the same boat.
Lost my sweet orange boy less than a month ago.
Waaaaaay too soon to FIC.
I went to one of the shelters with my friend (who wanted to leave flyers) & made the “mistake” of walking through their rooms of adoptable cats with her.
Separated by glass, they broke my heart.
Kittens are cute, but you know they’re going home with someone soon.
The older ones, with that air of WTF am I doing here? got to me 
In particular one who put paws up to the door, but even more, the big tiger who sat up making Begging Paws 
This shelter has a Seniors for Seniors program with FREE adoptions of Sr cats to Sr citizens.
I am eminently qualified 
I didn’t mean to scold, but a doggy door is an Exit to Outside that could be irresistible to Cat Formerly Known as Bear.
And, as you mentioned, he won’t know you’re his new Home immediately.
That said:
Go get him.
Inspire me to go back.
I can’t go till Wednesday. I asked for tomorrow, but they only do appointments, but said anytime Tuesday? Well, I now remember I can’t go on Tuesday, and I wouldn’t want to leave him here alone for 15 hours or so. I am going to keep the doggy door closed for a while. My cats have always had access to the outside, except for the time I was in a 3rd-floor apartment. We had a balcony, and I came home one day to him being 3 balconies over. I had to remember after that to keep that door closed.
I want to DoubleDogDare you 
You go Wednesday, report back & maybe I’ll steel myself to go for another look Thursday
Bounce - gray tuxedo - needs another pal*
*My rationale
(both came from the same shelter 8yrs ago, but not from the same home. Cheeto was a feral kitten, Bounce from a hoarder)
My mother once said “there is no such thing as LOOKING at a cat/kitten/dog/puppy/horse.” Go get Bear.
Let the cat pick you. Every lap cat I have picked up from the shelter has reached out throught the bars to be petted.
YOUR cat will pick you.
Purrrhaps look for an older/ +4 yrs old cat too. I have always had luck with 4-6yrs old being great lap cats.
No • ^ for all the reasons you have listed •
zuzu, are you saying I SHOULD or SHOULD not go get him!?!?
Look on your shelter webpage for cats that are up for adoption, but currently at a foster home. The foster moms know a lot about those cats. They are fostered because they are either recovering from something, or simply not doing well in a normal shelter environment.
I was looking for an older cat, but just adopted a kitten with a bit of a parasite problem. He doesn’t know he has it, though, and is overwhelmingly a rambunctious kitten AND lapcat. Hopefully drugs and his improved immune system will conquer the parasite.
He was fostered, and gets along with my other cat and dogs. Foster mom was very helfpful.
You can get an electronic dog door that works off a tag on the dogs collar to stop a cat from going through.
