Opinion: I Went to the SPCA and Came Home With 24 Toes

In 2023, I adopted my cat, Beans, from the Wellington SPCA.

I had moved to Wellington from the United States the year before, and adopting her felt like a way to mark my first anniversary in the city. Wellington was beginning to feel less like somewhere I was temporarily living and more like somewhere I could build a future.

With all my family still in the United States, I wanted a companion. A pet seemed like the closest thing to having family here.  

I was drawn to cats because they are relatively easy to care for, especially compared with dogs. You have to feed them twice a day, clean the litter box, and endure the occasional 3 a.m. zoomies, but at least you do not have to take them outside every few hours to go to the toilet.

Then I saw Beans’ profile on the SPCA website.

She has six toes on each paw: 24 in total. Obviously, I had to meet her.

Beans was one year and three months old when I adopted her. While many people go to shelters looking for kittens, I specifically wanted an adult cat. I had helped raise a kitten while living with my parents, and although kittens are undeniably adorable, they are also agents of destruction. They climb curtains, attack furniture and dismantle everything within reach.

I applied through the SPCA website and arranged an appointment to visit the shelter. The application asked about my living situation and whether I could commit the necessary time and money to caring for an animal. 

When I arrived, I met Beans, the cat I had applied for, as well as every other cat available for adoption. There were kittens, elderly cats, and every age in between.

But Beans was the one. 

After meeting the others, I returned to her room. She had a room to herself because she had tried to fight the other cats. I told her she was coming home with me.

An SPCA worker helped me complete the paperwork. The adoption fee was about $120 in 2023.

During the process, I learned more about Beans’ history. I was told she had lived in Whanganui before being abandoned by her previous owner. She spent some time at the Whanganui SPCA and was later transferred to Wellington after nobody adopted her. She was apparently close to being transferred again when I met her.

I still do not understand why nobody wanted her. She is perfect, provided there are no other cats nearby. 

Of course, adopting an animal involves more than falling in love with a strange, six-toed creature. It is a serious financial commitment, although I have found the costs manageable as a student.

I spend approximately $60 a month on food and another $50 on litter. Annual vaccines cost roughly $120. I also have pet insurance through the SPCA, which costs about $19 a fortnight.  Discounted insurance may be available to people who adopt through the organisation.

There are less predictable costs too, including vet appointments, medications, toys, scratching posts, and replacing anything your cat decides no longer belongs to you.

Even so, adopting Beans has transformed my life in Wellington. She greets me when I come home, sleeps beside me, and offers the kind of steady companionship that can be particularly meaningful when your family lives on the other side of the world.

I cannot imagine my life here without her.

For anyone with the time, money, and living situation needed to care for an animal, adopting from the SPCA is worth considering. You may go in looking for a companion and come home with a new member of the family—possibly one with 24 toes.