Yeah ... everybody is really coming up with some fabulous work and posting some extremely helpful links.
We got our cat from "All Creatures Matter," a no-kill place shelter. She was only 3 months old, somebody was moving and had to give her away. She's gorgeous, a real sweetie, and looks to be full-blood Maine Coon of the truly lovely type, and somebody had to let her go. They couldn't have had her for very long because she was only 3 months old when I gave her to myself for Christmas. (Hey ... if you really, really want it ... just go get it for yourself and don't wait about for someone to use their crystal ball to figure it out.
) I always kind of wondered about her 1st family - she had obviously been well loved in her life to that point.
I'm glad these places exist ... I can remember times when it was a very close thing as a poor, divorced single mom (at least 100 years ago!) that I was very close to having to move back with my parents and ... lucky me ... they loved/tolerated my Dobie and my chatty Siamese, but not everyone is so fortunate.