Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Petco in Sunnyvale (160 E El Camino Real) hosts an adoption event featuring 20-plus kittens and adult cats looking for their forever homes. The events are run in partnership with Bay Area cat rescue organizations, and all available cats can be previewed at bayareacats.org/adopt before you show up and inevitably fall in love with the scrappiest one in the room.

Here's the thing — and yes, we're going to make this about policy for exactly one paragraph — private rescue organizations and volunteer-driven adoption events like these are a textbook example of community problems getting solved without a government line item. No six-figure "animal wellness coordinator" on the city payroll. No $4 million feasibility study. Just people who care about cats, a pet store willing to donate floor space, and adopters willing to open their homes. It's beautiful, efficient, and nobody had to convene a task force.

Bay Area rents being what they are, a cat is also arguably the most financially responsible pet you can adopt. They're low-maintenance, they don't need a dog walker charging $30 a pop, and they will absolutely judge you for impulse-buying that $8 oat milk latte — which, honestly, we all need.

If you're in the South Bay this Saturday and have been thinking about adopting, swing by. The kittens won't solve the housing crisis or fix Muni, but they will sit on your keyboard while you read about both. And sometimes that's enough.