When Kelly Czajka and her 10-year-old daughter Madie Czajka adopted a cat from the Humane Society of Huron Valley recently, they helped the organization mark the 1,500th adoption of the year.

Last year at this time, about 1,200 pet adoptions had been made from the HSHV.

After living much of her life outdoors in a trailer park scrounging for food, 8-month-old Alexandria was brought to the HSHV as a stray.

Scared and under-socialized, the cat quickly warmed to a HSHV volunteer who gave her a foster home.

The Czajka family, of Ann Arbor, had been debating whether they wanted to add a cat or dog to their home for some time.

Kelly Czajka said she didn’t want to pay a high price for a papered cat, but wanted to find one with a more distinctive breed.

As Alexandria is a Lynx-point mix, it was almost fate that Alexandria’s picture and profile were listed first on the HSHV website.

“Looking at the pictures, there’s so many cats. And everyone wants a cute little tiny kitten,” Kelly Czajka said. “The older cats are really the ones that have histories. You really feel like you’re rescuing an older cat.”

She said Alexandria is adapting well to life in their Ann Arbor home after she was brought home Friday, and has cautiously made friends with the Czajka’s other feline, a 3-year-old cat named Chris.

“Reaching the 1,500 adoption in June was particularly gratifying,” according to a statement from Renee Benell, HSHV Adoptions and Customer Service Manager. “…With our shelter being so full, it’s encouraging that people are making the choice to adopt a homeless pet from a shelter.”

HSHV has 155 animals available for adoption in the shelter, and 215 additional homeless pets living in foster homes.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.