Sheila Finch wants people to know that Shadow, the cat who traveled all the way from California last week, is settling nicely into her Wilkinsburg home.

"Oh! She is loved," said Mrs. Finch, who appreciates the efforts of the many people who helped the cat get to Pittsburgh last Friday.

Her son, Derrick R. Finch, 37, had lived since 2002 in Los Angeles, where he earned a doctoral degree in music from the University of Southern California. On Feb. 17, Shadow was riding with Dr. Finch in his car, on Interstate 10 in Riverside County.

There was a terrible crash and Dr. Finch, an educator and jazz musician, was killed. Sheriff's deputies found the 6-pound cat at the scene and took her to a shelter, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus. Her only injury was two broken teeth.

"For her to have survived is a miracle," Mrs. Finch said.

Jazz and animal lovers in the Los Angeles area called Mrs. Finch to ask if she wanted to adopt Shadow.

"Yes," she replied, because "my son so loved that cat."

Friends then collected donations to buy a travel crate and a cross-country ticket from Continental Airlines, which gave them a discount. Shadow was picked up at the Pittsburgh International Airport and chauffeured to Wilkinsburg by Gretchen J. Fieser, director of public relations at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.

Shadow now lives in the house where Dr. Finch grew up. Shadow shares the home with a 15-pound, 6-year-old black cat named Kemmit.

"You should see Shadow's crate," Mrs. Finch said. "It's really sweet."

California shelter workers and volunteers decorated it with cat paws, cat faces and good luck messages, including, "Enjoy your new life" and "Go Steelers!"

Shadow is less than a year old, according to Mrs. Finch. Her short fur is black, white, gray, brown and tan.

Shadow is a "calby. Her markings are part tabby and part calico," according to Emily Vialpando, one of the California vet techs who cared for her.

"Shadow is adorable and has a unique personality," Ms. Vialpando said. "She is playful and entertaining to watch. She really needed to get out of the shelter, where she was getting bored."

Mrs. Finch agrees and adds that the cat "really likes to be talked to. My son and Shadow -- it was just the two of them, and he did a lot of talking to that cat, obviously."

And so she talks to Shadow, and finds her to be the one small, comforting thing to come out of the terrible tragedy that is difficult for her to come to terms with.

Want to help homeless animals while helping the environment?

The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society is collecting worn-out computers and other electronics. For every 100,000 pounds of electronic items, the shelter will get $10,000. The equipment will be recycled by EarthEcycle, a Tulsa, Okla.-based company that will process the items at a warehouse in Homewood.

Items to be collected include stereos, copiers, camcorders, circuit boards, electric pianos, video cameras, printers, monitors, CD and DVD players, projectors, cameras, radios, game consoles, telephones, PDAs, typewriters, cell phones, VCRs, all batteries, generators, speakers, microwaves, radios, fax machines, CB radios, cables and wiring, electric lawnmowers, electric wheelchairs and calculators.

Flat screen and plasma televisions will be collected for free, but there is a $15 fee for other televisions.

Drop-off points are the North Side parking lot of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, the duck pond parking lot at Round Hill Park, and the swimming pool parking lots at three county parks: North, South and Settlers Cabin.

Drop-off times are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends through next Saturday.

Companies that have many items to donate can call the shelter at 412-321-4625, ext. 248, to arrange for free pickup. Three Rivers Trucking is donating use of trucks and drivers.