Salon's Larry Smith creates an anthropological classification system for the volunteers at the KittyKind cat shelter in the Union Square Petco:
Alpha: "They rescue and name the cats (though some alphas find naming the cats sort of wrong because it pre-assigns a name, look, feel, and, naturally, personality to the cats)...They are all women."
Beta: "They do some of the above, but with somewhat less intensity...They receive birthday cards in the shape of a cat."
Zeta: "They get nervous when you ask them a question, like, "Can I hold this cat," and direct you to an alpha or beta...These are exclusively gay men."
Dorothy: "The lady adorned with a pair of fake cat ears who sits in a chair and yelps, 'Pennies, nickels, dimes for the kitties! Pennies, nickels, dimes for the kitties!'"
I survived the terror of New York's kitty gatekeepers! [Salon]