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Chapter 53. "No Success like Failure"
"She knows there's no success like failure
And failure's no success at all." -- She Belongs to Me - Bob Dylan
"Starting Monday, you will have to do cat adoptions upstairs," the Petco manager told me. "Corporate is not happy with the congestion in this area. It needs to be clear."
Despite my protests and pleas, there was no more convincing of management that I could control the throngs of people -- particularly on weekends -- that gathered around our cat adoption displays and to management's mind, blocked customer access to kitty litter.
"You see what people like Karen W. do to us, Judy? Now, we have lost our store location thanks to time wasters and bullshitters like that!"
Karen W. was a Yuppie woman from the neighborhood, who, for many weeks had been coming to Petco every Saturday afternoon on the pretense of seeking a cat for adoption. But, instead of showing any serious interest in any of our cats, she would grab one of our chairs, sit down and chew the fat with Judy or other volunteers. We knew Karen's life story and every dream, wish or disappointment she ever had. What we didn't know was what in the hell, Karen was supposedly seeking in a cat.
I had long lost patience with Karen and sensed she would never adopt a cat from us. I admonished Judy and others for spending time with her and allowing Karen (and others like her) to take up valuable space. "Management is after me about keeping this area clear!l" I complained to Judy continually. "We can't allow people to use us for their own ends. We're not therapists or bartenders!"
But, Judy had faith that Karen would eventually adopt. "She is going to adopt, Patty. You have to be patient. She just hasn't found the right cat yet. I'm working on her."
Karen did eventually get a cat. But, not from us.
One evening, while buying cat food, I met Karen on the checkout line at Petco. "Guess what, Patty. I just bought a Siamese kitten!" Karen had a stupid smile on her face as if expecting me to congratulate her.
"What's the matter? None of our cats were good enough for you?" I smiled back to her. My smile was not congratulatory.
Without waiting for Karen's excuses or reply, I got off the line, put the cat food back and angrily left the store.
Once again, my worst suspicious about a person had rung true. But, even I couldn't seem to believe it.
Karen didn't return to our adoptions after buying the kitten. But, the damage was done.
"How could you let people like that sabotage our efforts?" I asked and complained to Judy. "Look where we are now Up in no man's land!"
Judy was crestfallen when noting where Petco was now putting us. In a back corner on the second level of the store. The only people who came to this area were those buying bird seed and hamster supplies. Hardly, likely cat adopters. It was a disaster for us.
"There is no success like failure."
We had succeeded so well on the first floor, we were now relegated to an obscure and rarely visited part of the store. For me, that was failure waiting to happen.
Despite efforts to put adoption signs on the first floor indicating where we were, as well as 7-day adoption showings, our adoptions declined dramatically. Suddenly cat adoptions were no longer important or a goal of the store. A promotion and persuasion-oriented public now rarely came to see us.
What few adoptions we did, were mostly through the power of the Internet, primarily, Petfinder.com.
My biweekly visits to the CACC to pick up death-row cats were now cut back due to the difficulties of finding fosters and adopters.
"No success like failure
And failure is no success at all."
As I sat on many a lonely evening waiting for adopters who would not come, I could not help think of another line from a Bob Dylan song:
"You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you."
I indeed felt "like a Rolling Stone."