PET OF THE WEEK: Birthday Bash on Saturday for Aging Dog House Cat

Phoebe the miracle cat may or may not be 20 years old, but she has seen a lot in her many years on planet Earth, and that’s reason enough to throw a birthday party, say the owners of the Kirkland pet food store .

“We’re pretty sure she’s probably over 20,” says Chuck Bartlett, the affable owner of the shop on Market Street. “We got her six years ago and they said she was around 15 then.

“She’s telling us she’s 20," he adds with a grin. “She wanted to make it 19 for the next three years.”

Phoebe is now the resident shop cat, and whether she’s 12 or 20, she’s having a bash this Saturday, Feb. 19, 5-7 p.m. in the store at 1242 Market St. The event will be a benefit for Purfect Pals, a nonprofit shelter for homeless cats in Arlington, where Chuck and his wife and shop co-owner, Marti Bartlett, found Phoebe.

“Phoebe is a miracle,” says Marti. “She could barely walk when she got here. She was put on a raw food diet and she gets acupuncture every six weeks. Look at her now.”

Well, let's say she carries herself a bit slowly -- but surely.

Phoebe’s trusted companion – OK, she does seem to regard him with typical kitty indifference – is Dooley, the shop’s resident 12-year-old basset hound and namesake. And he doesn’t mind letting out a little howl – repeatedly -- to let you know he’s not entirely happy with all the attention little miss prissy is receiving.

Be that as it may, such as it is and in any event, the feline festivities include cake, coffee, participation in a gift basket raffle for donations to Purfect Pal’s, wine by the glass for a $5 donation and specially labeled bottles of "Phoebe" merlot for $20.

Oh yeah, Purrfect Pals will be there as well with cats in need of a home. They might be 5, 10, 12 – but certainly none that are 20.