PORT ANGELES — OK, everybody, on the count of three: One, two, three —

Awwwww!

There’s not much else you can say when a wee waif of a homeless kitten snuggles against its new owner and takes possession of the woman’s heart.

Crystal Parker of Sequim and her husband, Richard, had driven to the Port Angeles Wal-Mart after reading of Sunday’s adopt-a-thon for kittens and dogs. They had one purpose in mind:

“We decided we needed a kitty to take care of,” she said as she watched the tiny creature bat a felt toy around its cage.

Actually, the Parkers adopted two kittens, both born May 6 in the Clallam County Humane Society shelter. She’ll name her gray kitten Buzz and the black kitten Bobby.

The scene was repeated frequently in front of the discount store, where the Humane Society brought a small passel of cats and dogs who needed humans.

Bree and Alan Richardson of Port Angeles also adopted a feline pair.

“Can we have both these kittens?” Bree Richardson asked Paula Creasey, Humane Society director. “We can’t separate them.”

They certainly could, Creasey said, especially due to an overpopulation of 45 adult cats and 47 kittens sharing shelter space built for 30 animals.

“We’ve been hit by an overwhelming number of cats this week,” said Humane Society volunteer Sue Miles.

Creasey said the kittens had arrived at the shelter at the rate of one per hour.

Some of the adoptive owners learned of the adopt-a-thon in Sunday’s Peninsula Daily News. Others stopped by on their way in or out of the store.

Many couldn’t resist the animals’ pull at their heartstrings.