When Charlotte Craig called more than a week ago, I could tell right away she had something important on her mind.

Charlotte was calling on behalf of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, of which she is the current board president. The humane society operates Cape Girardeau's animal shelter. It also places hundreds of pets in adoptive homes where cats and dogs find years and years of love and companionship.

Plans are afoot for a building project at the current shelter on Boutin Drive. Animal shelters, like anything else worth having, aren't cheap. The humane society has saved money for the project, but it is still in full-blown fundraising mode.

Here's a boost for would-be donors: Any donations to the humane society's building project before the end of the year will be matched by a generous donor -- up to $50,000. That would mean another critical $100,000 on hand for the shelter's plans.

Folks, as Charlotte would say, there are only 12 days, counting today, before December ends. If you ever thought about helping the humane society, do it now.

Please.

I know that one of the things planned for the animal shelter is an adoption room. A couple of years ago our younger son, who lives near Seattle, went with my wife and me to the Humane Society of Seattle shelter. That weekend the shelter had all kinds of special incentives for adopting cats. Our son was looking for a cat.

The Seattle shelter has several adoption rooms furnished with rocking chairs for humans and all kinds of special climbing gear for cats. Looking through a large picture window, we could see four or five cats in each room. Whenever we saw a cat that appealed to us, we could go in the room, sit in the rocking chair and check a cat's lapability. I don't know if "lapability" is in the dictionary, but is it absolutely, positively the No. 1 attribute to look for in a cat.

Our son found a cat, a beautiful, large gray and black tiger-striped tomcat that has learned to rule his townhouse much the same way our small gray and black tiger-striped queen with white paws -- yes, I mean Missy Kitty -- oversees the Sullivan household in Cape Girardeau.

Now, I know about as much as the next person about animal shelters and how they operate. I know that, because of the ever-growing pet population that not every cat or dog will find a nice home. The hope is that the expanded facility planned on Boutin Drive will boost the odds for cats and dogs and that more of them will be adopted and fewer will be euthanized.

But I happen to know someone who is something of an expert on animal shelters, having been a guest at one. That's right. Our Missy Kitty was adopted from a shelter. I thought she might act as a consultant for this column and provide a bit of insight about what it's like to be a shelter resident.

Missy Kitty doesn't like to talk about her days in a cage, but she thought if it could do some good for other animals she would certainly do her best.

For starters, Missy Kitty is quick to praise the shelter staffers and volunteers who work every day with cats and dogs.

"All in all, there is so much good to be said about a well-run shelter," Missy Kitty explained. "When you're under the care of the humane society, you get plenty of food and fresh water every day. A lot of stray animals scrounge for food. Not those in the shelter."

Missy Kitty recalled her shelter days. "You get good medical care too when you're in a shelter. And love. You get lots of love, even if you have to share it with all the other animals."

Then Missy Kitty was quiet. She didn't say anything for a while. She began licking her perfectly clean paws, which is something she does when she's nervous or upset.

Finally, Missy Kitty began to tell about the down side of being in a shelter. "The day comes when you look in the next cage, and all your new friends are gone. Some of them were adopted, but some of them were Â… well, you know."

She licked her paws again. "They're gone. Huffy, the Siamese. Fluffcake, the Persian. Toby, the tomcat with a coat of many hues. Barnaby, who was bigger than any two cats, and twice as sweet as well. Oh, and Yum-Yum, who had every volunteer twisted around one paw."

More licks on her paws. "And tiny Puff, who was no more than a little ball of fur. All the odds seemed to be against him."

More quiet. Then: "He was mine, you know."

Yes, it all came back. Before Missy Kitty went to the shelter she had had a litter of kittens. Only one survived. Tiny Puff.

Missy Kitty isn't sure the improvements being made at the animal shelter would have saved them all: Huffy, Toby, Barnaby, Yum-Yum. And tiny Puff. But she would like to think they would have better odds for making it to homes where they would be loved and cared for. Just the way Missy Kitty is loved and cared for.

I know most of you may be in the throes of last-minute Christmas preparations. I know you may not have a lot of money left over. But please don't forget our friends at the animal shelter.

Please send whatever you can to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, 2536 Boutin Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Or go to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri's website (semopets.org) or Facebook page and click on the "Donate now" button.

I thank you. Charlotte thanks you. And Missy Kitty thanks you.

Merry Christmas.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missouri.