It looks like Halloween in the cat room at the animal shelter. Black cats everywhere! One of them has white markings so is properly known as a tuxedo, but the rest are undiluted black. They are all males. Oliver is an old guy who was surrendered to us. He is affectionate and friendly with humans and responds to affection with a loud rumbling purr. Since he is 12 years old he falls under the “free to a good home” shelter provision. On the other end of the temperament scale is Big Baby. He is standoffish and spends his time on top of the renaissance tower observing the youngsters below. He was surrendered to us because he did not get along with the other cat in the household. So he would prefer to have his new owner all to himself.

We do gather the celebrity-named pets. Our three-year-old black cats, Forrest and Bubba, will be familiar to all who saw the movie Forrest Gump. These two brothers had to give up pride of place in their last home to two human babies. They can be adopted either singly or together.

You are probably staring at all the blank spaces in your new calendar. Here are some dates to fill in. Offshore Ale is having a food for fundraising event on Feb. 19. Keep checking this column for details as we receive them. The rabies clinic, usually held in April at the animal shelter, will be moved up a little this year. It will be held on March 28, the last Saturday in March. This annual event allows the shelter to offer low cost rabies shots to cats and dogs. Again, more details will follow.

Shelter hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The telephone number is 508-627-8662. Contributions are always gratefully accepted; the shelter is funded solely by donations. Please make checks out to The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539.