"Hi.  Welcome to the condo,” the small voice in the corner says.

"Don't you want to adopt one of our nice cats, that are ready to go?” Fleur de Lys Healy asks.

When a visitor to the Orange County Animal Services adoption center says she’s only looking for a kitten, the 80-something turns relentless.

"But madam, these are ready to go today!” she exclaims of the older cats.

Fleur de Lys’ mission: find forever homes.

"You know you need two!” she suggests.

Twice a week, Fleur de Lys Healy still drives her big truck to peddle those that purr.

"I kiss you," she says quietly holding a big tom cat that needs some affection.

Born in Louisiana, and named after an yellow iris growing along a river in France, Fleur de Lys explains her background is like one of the cats looking for a good home.

"Part of my family is French, also Swiss, Italian, Austrian... I'm a mixed bag,” she said holding her head and snow-white hair.

Wearing her trademark “Snap Cat” kitty shirt, caring is part of Fleur de Lys (pronounced “Flure Da Lee”) nature.

"I was so lucky. I taught special education at Apopka High School. I had the greatest kids,” she said, recalling how a past student embraced her at a gas station while she was filling her tank, following his college graduation.

She also had one of the greatest cats, until one day eight years ago when he got spooked and left her yard.

"I had a cat named Motor Meticulous Magnifi-cat. He was a flame-point, Siamese with no tail."

When Motor didn't come home, Fleur de Lys came looking for him at Orange County Animal Services and fell in love with something else.

"It fills a void,” she said while holding a black and white cat, that she calls “a tuxedo” breed.

“You know, the nice thing about cats? I put my four kids through college, and I help with grands [grandchildren], but I don't have to put them [cats] through college!" Fleur de Lys said with a smile.

Today she has two new cats at home.

"If I am in a good mood, I will cook for them,” she admitted, while back at the shelter, she cooks up deals.

"You like that one? Well, take it out,” Fleur de Lys instructs a young lady wearing yoga pants and a tank top.

Through a little coaching, something begins to happen.

"Grandma is persuasive, as we call her.  She knows her cats and she knows how to sell them,” said Alyssa Duross with Orange County Animal Services.

"Look at that!  Look at that,” Fleur de Lys says as the workout-clad lady looks into the eyes of her new love.

Kristen Rego fell under Fleur de Lys' spell.

"I don't know how. She just did,” Kristen said of how Fleur de Lys walked her through cuddling with the little ball of fluff.

"I saw it [the cat] was happy. And she was happy. And it was like they were meant to be,” Fleur de Lys said after Kristen agreed to the adoption.

While Kristen was excited, it’s Fleur de Lys who gets just as much out of the experience.

"They make me feel necessary,” she said of her cat volunteer duty. "I go home and I feel like I have a reason to be."

Being a champion of the voiceless means never resting. Fleur de Lys will visit the Animal Services web page when at home to keep an eye on the cats coming and going in her absence.

"Even you. Even if you don't take two kitties home,” she worked on Scott Fais.

"You're really working aren't you?” Fais chucked with a laugh.

"I wish I could have them all,” she admits.

Be Your Own Hero:
Orange County Animal Services routinely offers special discounts on adoptions. In August, those who adopted one cat, got a second cat for free. See the discounts here.