“Squeaker” has a broken heart. A beautiful, jet-black spayed female with big yellow eyes, this 6-year-old just lost her lifelong home when her feline friend and protector died. She has been well-cared for, with fur professionally groomed into a dramatic lion haircut — cut short except for her “mane” and tail. She looks like a gorgeous little inky-black lion. She’s small for her age, and would do best as either an only cat, or as the older cat with a kitten. She loves, and has lived with dogs, and would also do well with gentle children; she really loves being brushed. She is an indoor cat. Squeaker needs a kindhearted human to bring happiness back to her life — she’ll definitely return the favor. The shelter also has loving big and little dogs, other deserving cats — including Big Ben, a brawny Siamese male — and lots of sweet kittens. The shelter is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on alternate Fridays. This Friday, the shelter will hold the “Walmart Loves Pets Adopt-a-thon” from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Cortez Walmart. The pets at the adopt-a-thon are all fixed, vaccinated, microchipped, and will be all ready to go to their new homes, and Walmart will have deals on pet food that day and a bin for donations to the shelter. The shelter needs donations of non-clumping cat litter, Iams or Purina kitten chow, and cleaning supplies such as plain bleach, dry dishwasher soap, liquid laundry soap, and liquid dish soap. They also could really use some new hard dog toys for the shelter dogs to chew on. For more information, call the shelter at 565-4910. To view more animals, visit www.petfinder.com or www.petango.com (enter 81321 zip code for each) or www.cityofcortez.com/government/animal_shelter.