“Good afternoon, or evening, or morning – I just hope it’s good. I am Santino. I am striped and quiet, also mellow with white feet and a rather lopsided blaze on my nose. Tell you what, I am a nice guy, a nice young guy. I don’t believe in fuss and dither. I see we have some cats around here who do. Not me.”

“I am Santino, not Santini. I am Great but not like Santini. Like Me – straightforward, solid, soft-spoken guy cat. If I were a human, which I’m very pleased I’m not, I would likely be an accountant or an engineer. Not into flourishes and frills, just into facts – what matters, what doesn’t – what is, what isn’t.”

“Notice that I have slightly curved ears – could be wings. I tried to fly once, didn’t get very far. Actually, it was kind of embarrassing. I do very well when I sit here all fine and dignified. I think a lot. About a lot of things. I meditate a lot. About a lot of things.”

“I like people who pet me. I like people who scratch my head. I like people who gently rub my round boy cheeks. I lean into you when you show me your love; I want to show you my love back. Santino is an excellent cat who somehow ended up at animal control. I said, ‘No! No! I don’t want to be here!’ They said, ‘Well, OK, then, how about if you go with this lady from Feline Rescue?’”

“So I am here – morning, noon, or night. I am Santino, and I would like to go home with you, be your forever cat. If you have some engineering or accounting that needs doing, I could do it. I could also just sit on your lap and purr. Or lie on your kitchen floor and wait for dinner. If you have $120 with you, we could just do that. Remember Santino – I am great – I am a guy.”