Our Proud Alumni

We've heard from several of our adoptive families and their new family members. It's always been a highlight for the volunteers to get news and see photos. Some stories, like Parsley and Daisy's and Hank and Houdini's seem to be quite an odyssey. Others are just part of the ongoing miracle of scared, bedraggled animals becoming treasured friends. We thought it's time we shared some happy endings.

FELIX

This photo was taken when Felix arrived.

 

Felix came to us in March '03, a street cat that neighbours wanted gone. They threw things at him and turned hoses on him to drive him off, but still he stayed. So they live-trapped him and left him with a vet saying, "do whatever you want, as long as we don't see him again." He came to us and was so unprepared to be treated lovingly that he needed a long time to adjust. He was adopted in January '04.
 
 
 

Felix sent us a letter from his new home. He's delighted with how things worked out for him. He loves his new family and sleeps with them at night. He says, "The people here like to play games with me. My favorite one is 'catch the leg'. When someone walks by me I love to pounce on their leg. Any leg will do but I especially like the woman's leg. She lets out a great sound when I grab her, so that tells me she is having as much fun as me! They put lots of newspapers down on the floor for me to attack, lie on and just generally chew up. I have my own little toy squirrel and he likes for me to toss him around in the air. String is a big time favorite here."


Now Felix has a last name and a family and a whole home of his own.

WYATT

Wyatt was a wonderful dog but she was nine years old and was a little set in her ways (she didn't like being left by herself or left outside, and she didn't always see eye to eye with cats or even all dogs). We worried that this lovely girl would be hard to find a home for, considering her age particularly. But fate smiled on Wyatt and someone came along for whom she was a perfect match. Below is a photo of Wyatt when we met her in April '02, and a photo sent to us in February '04 of Wyatt enjoying what she loves best: a game while out with her friend.

MISTY MOMENT

Misty came to us in June '03. She was an unhappy little cat who would lash out at anyone who got too close. Whatever her loss in life had been, we could see the sadness in her eyes (the two left shots). Misty had to work through her grief and was unadoptable for quite a while. Eventually she began to mellow and in February '04 she finally found a home where she could belong and be loved. This was the answer to her dreams. We're told she's coming along nicely. She now calls herself Willow and can be seen enjoying some lap time in her photos from home.

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ELSIE

Elsie was devastated to find herself living at a shelter and she lashed out at any volunteer who went near her at first. She settled down and became quite affectionate eventually. But she was a very sensitive cat and we worried that there may never be the right home for her. Someone came along though who was absolutely committed to adopting and caring for Elsie. Elsie seemed to warm up to them right away and appeared to enjoy being in her new home, even cadging some taco meat on her first night home. Elsie has had her ups and downs in life but she has an angel on her shoulder because caring people have always come into her life to save her in the end.

Elsie was new to the shelter in the photo at left. She hid with her face in the corner and peeked around only to glower at us.
In the photo at right Elsie is happy in her friend's arms in her very own home at last.

RIVER AND EDDY

River and Eddy were both found as orphaned tiny kittens. River was found alone with his sister in a flooded area. Eddy was found under a bush awaiting the return of his mom who would never come back. His homeless mom had died. Their lives had a happier ending than many such homeless kittens. They became best friends in foster care and were adopted together. Their adopter says they still enjoy nothing better than wrestling with each other. Eddy doesn't seek attention as much as River, but this is just fine with River who just can't get enough attention.


Eddy     and     River
at home.

COMFORT AND SHOOTER

Comfort and Shooter were left behind when their family moved, and they didn't comprehend their status change from "family members" to "unwanted street cats". They allowed themselves to be picked up by someone who intended to dump these 'nuisance strays' far away. Luckily an observer grabbed them. Now they are valued family members. Their new people say, "Our new furry family members are doing great. We renamed them Riley and Darla. Riley, because within an hour of getting home, he was "living the life of Riley," sitting on our laps, mooching for food and generally making himself at home. We chose Darla because it means "dear, or loved one". It seems to fit her quiet, gentle personality. By the end of the evening she was out having some food and sitting in our laps.


Riley, the tabby, and Darla, the calico, now have a new home where they're pictured relaxing contentedly.

THEO

Theo was a very sensitive cat who came to Katie's Place in January '04 from another shelter when his inability to trust made him unadoptable and they were unable to keep him any longer. At our shelter he stayed in his hidey hole for several weeks, refusing to come out and mingle. Eventually he came out, but even then he was a somber fellow who didn't invite friendship. One day in April people came looking for a cat to adopt, and before we knew it, Theo was at their feet and they were patting him. They liked him. He liked them. They just clicked. We crossed our fingers that this adoption would work. Within a couple of weeks we received photos of Theo playing, exploring and snuggling. We hardly recognized him. Theo, who now likes to be called Rupert, was happy at last.

We had to photograph Theo in his box at the shelter (below left) because he wouldn't come out. Now, in his own home, he's just a big kitten.

ASHLEY

Ashley, now Mika, gained not only a new home of her own when she was adopted, she gained a brand new best friend. Ashley, almost a year old, hit it off with 3-yr-old Kiki. Her new family says, "They even groom each other.  It is so touching to see them together all the time." They sent us the photos below and told us how delighted they are with her.

ALLIE McBINKY

Allie McBinky is a diminutive Netherland Dwarf bunny who dropped the 'timid bunny' routine soon after arriving at Katie's Place in October '02. She didn't like anyone touching her stuff and would rush at the volunteers grunting and boxing if they dared try to clean her cage. She was adopted once and promptly returned for beating up on the resident rabbit. We feared that we would have Allie for life. But the right home came along in June '03. Allie now lives happily with her new family. She has asserted her authority (the family Rottweiler flees from her in fear), and she has a best friend (the white bunny with brown ears pictured beside her in the photos her family sent).

VIOLET AND SHADY

Violet and Shady came to us in December 2001 as mostly-feral cats. We could touch them but they didn't like it. So they lived at Katie's Place until, in Autumn 2003, one of our volunteers adopted them. Since then, their development as family members has been amazing. They joined an existing family of pets and settled in beautifully. Our volunteers writes, "Violet has claimed Shady's pal Louis as her beau. When Louis lies down, Violet plunks herself down on top of him. She has also decided that she LOVES visitors. The second anyone sits down on the sofa Violet and her little claws are poking your lap while she purrs like mad. As for Shady, from the first time he saw it, Shady has been mesmerized by the TV. He probably watches an hour or two a day. He is very different from Violet, he's quiet and serious. But he really enjoys a good chin scratch."
The two top photos are Violet and Shady when they were new to the shelter. The photos at bottom show how they've opened up in their own home. They are happy little house cats now.

LUKE SKYWALKER AND EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

Luke came to us first and was soon adopted. He's the orange fellow, and he was a sweet, affectionate cat from the start. Then Eddie came to us. He was only a tiny kitten at the time and he was a badly freaked-out kitten. How freaked-out was he? Well he unsheathed his tiny claws and earned the name "Edward Scissorhands". Eddie was adopted by Luke's family. Luke now calls himself Tommy. And the former "Edward Scissorhands" is now a mellow fellow who calls himself Stich. They both look pretty happy in the photo their family sent us.

In a Christmas '04 greeting to Katie's Place from Tommy and Stich's family, we were delighted to hear that both are very happy and settled. "Tommy still is an attention hog! and loves to be fussed over, Stich is a little cuddle bug.  They are happy brothers and play endlessly together. We love them very much."

SABRINA AND CLEO

When we posted these photos on the web we didn't count on the cats being adopted any time soon. They were just plain, quiet little black and white cats. But they were lucky.

We recently received a note from their adopter...

 
I adopted Sabrina and Cleo in March, 2002. They are sisters with completely opposite personalities. Sabrina is outgoing and Cleo is shy. Both are beautiful and well behaved cats. It took Cleo about a year before she would come and sit in my lap. Now she crawls up on my chest and purrs profusely! Sabrina is a high spirited cat who still looks and behaves like a kitten. She is curious as all get out and quick to purr.


Yes, they have their own bassinet. Hey, I got it second hand and it was cheaper than a cat bed in the pet store! Sabrina loves to help me work in my home office. Printers and copiers are her favourite. I love my girls, and I think they are pretty happy with me too. They are wonderful pets.

SCOOBY DOO

Scooby Doo was not happy to find herself at a shelter as you can see from the smaller photo on the left, taken when she was new to us. She stayed aloof and withdrawn for quite awhile before adjusting to shelter life. But she eventually became affectionate and was adopted. A month after her adoption, her new family sent us the photo on the right. Clearly Scooby didn't need much time at all to adjust to her new home. Her family reported that she's "a real softie."

CINDERELLIE

When Cinderellie arrived at the shelter she was hungry and badly matted. She was so badly matted that she had to be shaved. That was in March 2003 and, because the shelter could get pretty chilly, we gave her a little sweater to wear. This was not a high point in life for her. But she was good natured about it until her fur grew back enough to get rid of her sweater. By the end of that year she was adopted and took the name Cinda. Her family sent us the photo on the right. It looks like Cinda is an utterly contented cat these days, slumbering peacefully in her very own home.

BLUE

We recently received this note from an adopter about another little cat who got a shave. Blue wasn't happy being a shelter cat.
"I adopted Blue. When I was at the shelter I was warned about how jumpy and untrusting he would be, as well as his medical problem and his matted fur (he was half shaved at the time). It made no difference, he was the one I wanted. I wanted to write and send along a picture to you to let you kow how wonderfully he is doing, and how lucky I am to have him. His fur has grown back and he does quite well around people now, hardly ever jumps at things, and he has amazing character. I just thought you might want to know that he is well."
The photo on the left is Blue, shaved and unhappy, at the shelter. The photo on the right is Blue snoozing in the sun at his own home.


CHEYENNE AND BRONX

These two arrived at our shelter separately but were adopted together, and they have clearly become best friends enjoying the soft life in their own home. Bronx had been with us for a while and had been just a bit shy. But Cheyenne was named Cuddles at the shelter and he lived up to his name.


INDIANA JONES

Another handsome orange boy who's enjoying 'la dolce vita' now is Indiana Jones. He loves his family, particularly their son. Indiana runs to meet him when he hears him arrive.



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