Accent

Playful Misty's the one

Misty was a wee kitten with a big personality when she caught the attention of Pat and Gordon Burgess. The white-and-black tuxedo cat with bright-green eyes and long, white whiskers was the first animal adopted from The Animal League of Green Valley's shelter when it opened two years ago. Before that, the no-kill rescue group housed cats and dogs in foster homes. "We just thought she was so cute right away," Pat Burgess said. "She jumped up . . . on a cat tree and looked out the screen at us. My husband just fell for her." Their elderly cat had died, and the couple, both retired teachers, went to the shelter just to look around the new building. Misty was part of the first litter brought to the facility, and she proved irresistible. "She's the third member of the family," Gordon Burgess said. "She'll hold still when Pat kisses her on the top of the head, but that's the only time she'll hold still." Rambunctious Misty spends her time darting and leaping through the house and trying to engage her owners in games. Misty brings Gordon Burgess toys when she wants to play. "These legs have a lot of spring," he said, petting his 2-year-old feline. "She plays all the time," Pat Burgess said. "I think she'd rather play than eat." Misty makes up games to play with her owner, too. A favorite is hide-and-seek. "That hide-and-seek is quite a game," Pat Burgess said. "I'm always the one who has to hide. She's the smartest cat we've ever had." Though Misty is "independent as the dickens," Gordon Burgess said, the couple learned their cat doesn't like solitude. Last year, Gordon Burgess was hospitalized for a week, and his wife spent a lot of time away from home to be with him. "It was hard on her when he was recovering from his surgery," Pat Burgess said. "When we both leave, she's unhappy." Now the Burgesses are considering adopting another cat from The Animal League of Green Valley, where Pat Burgess volunteers in the thrift store, which raises funds for the shelter.