More Proud Alumni...
BEGIN-AGAIN-FINNIGAN
Finnigan came to us in early February 2003 and was soon adopted. He went
from being just another homeless tabby to being a treasured member of his
new family. They sent us a recent photo of him enjoying his new life (right).
It's a nice contrast to the face of a cat who has just found himself in
a shelter (left).
ARTHUR
Arthur
as a blind German Shepherd who needed to have one of his useless eyes removed.
He was anxious in new situations, especially when he was around other animals.
Being unable to see made him vulnerable, and his anxiety drove him to eat
a wall in his foster mom's home and also eat part of a volunteer's car.
We thought we may never find a good home for him. We were wrong. Here's
an update sent by his new family at Christmas '04: "I would like to thank
you so much for Arthur. We adopted him October 19 and have never looked
back. We love him dearly and he has fit right in with us and our home.
Our other shepherd and he get along very well. He is an amazing dog! He
gets around the house with ease, doing stairs like they were nothing at
all. We take him on daily walks which he absolutely loves and he heels
so nicely. He also plays fetch very well with a ball we bought him that
has a bell in it. Loves the beach too. He is so loving and gentle."
Arthur's family sent us a note at Easter '05 and
said "he has made himself right at home. He has fit right in with our family
and Lady [pictured on the left] and we love him to bits. He is just such
a happy, playful and loving dog who is so well behaved. It astounds me
how he has been through so much and has retained such a beautiful disposition.
We've only had him 5 1/2 months, but it feels like he has been with us
forever."
SPARKY AND KATHERINE
Sparky and Katherine were adopted from us in early December 2004 and took
on their new forever names of Carl and Daisy. Carl's story is especially
poignant because he came to us as a grubby, hissing, starving street cat
who had lived by his wits for quite a while. We weren't sure at first whether
he'd ever be adoptable. Now he's been adopted into a four-cat home. Read
his new family's report on him (below) for an idea of how things can turn
out for an abandoned cat who's lost faith in humankind.
Carl is very playful, loves mousies (the catnip filled kind) as well
as the laser pointer, string, paper, balls...you name it, he will play
with it! He is a most amazing boy...considering his past, he is so loving
and easy going. He loves attention too! He was sleeping on his back last
night on the bed, all fours spread out, head back, purring....bliss. Daisy
is very playful also, and other than the occasional hiss, is very happy
and content. Yesterday morning as I was sitting at the computer, I heard
the happy sounds of galloping cats...and then past the office did Claire
and Daisy go....then a few moments later, Daisy chased Claire down the
hall back to the living room, then, a few moments later, Carl chasing Daisy,
chasing Claire! Then, Carl being chased by Daisy, then Claire ran after
them, then Cooper chased Daisy back down the hall, and it was a wonderful
five minutes of cat bliss!!!
The far left photo was taken shortly after Sparky/Carl
arrived at the shelter. The second photo shows that Carl truly loves what
he got for Christmas: a home.
Little Daisy (the grey tabby in the two righthand
photos) had a less deprived past.
GUS
Gus came to us in Mid April 2001 and was adopted in mid June 2001. We were
grateful to see him go home since he never got along with the gang at the
shelter. But he was a wonderful fellow on his own, as his new family can
verify. This is the update they sent us:
Poor old Gus (who has been re-christened "Laddie") was kept in a cage
because he always attacked the other male cats. Now he has the run of a
large house and 7 acres of land. He's one tough cat, having survived being
hit by a car in 2003 with nothing more than a cracked tooth. I don't know
if it's because of his confinement, but he will suddenly go from a standing
start to top speed and race around a corner, up a tree or up/down some
stairs. He thinks this is great fun. He is very energetic (when it suits
him!) and can run around outside for hours. Sometimes he will stay out
overnight, which we've learned to stop worrying about. He seems to be able
to take care of himself just fine.
Despite the fact that we built him a custom-made, floor to ceiling cat
tree, Laddie's favourite spot to sleep is a person's lap, where he will
purr contentedly for hours. He has no second favourite spot, but instead
randomly chooses any of a number of bizarre locations that I can't imagine
would be comfortable (see photo for an example).
PADDY O'MALLEY
Paddy O'Malley was an older cat who lost his home when his elderly guardian
died. Often that's the end of the road for an old animal. People rarely
want to adopt older pets. But Paddy was lucky and got a new home. His adopters
sent us this message in January '05:
I thought I would just drop you an email and up date after 15 months
of owning O'Malley. He is a good cat and fits very well into our family.
People don't know what they missed out on by not adopting an older cat
like O'Malley. It was a very good choice on our part. O'Malley
and our 130 lb. Greater Swiss mountain dog / Rottie cross have formed an
inseparable bond. They play in the yard together and you can catch
the two of them curled up together having a nap.
O'Malley poses proudly in his own home.
ELVIS
Elvis was among some feral cats we trapped. But something about Elvis was
different. Though he was scared of us, we suspected this grubby little
cat wasn't feral. He suddenly decided we were his friends one day and he
was soon adopted. His family sent us an update and photo:
I just want to drop you a line to let you know how well Elvis is doing.
We adopted him at the end of July last year. After a scared day under the
living room couch he ventured out into his new home and has quickly become
a happy house cat. He's filled out into a hefty 15 pounds (his full size
the vet says) and spends his days playing and lazing about. He's turned
into a very vocal kitty that's not shy about letting you know if he wants
some attention. Thanks again for saving our "wee guy".
The left photo was taken when Elvis was new at the
shelter. We had to shoot it from a distance since he was scared of
us. The right photo was sent by his adoptive family.
VERDA
Verda was a stray living in someone's shed for about six months. She came
to us thin and anemic, and she was ecstatically grateful to be finally
looked after. But she was about 8 years old so we thought we'd have trouble
finding a home for her. Nobody seems to want older animals. But Verda had
an angel on her shoulder. She got a wonderful home. She now calls herself
Maya and she sent us this note: "Thanks for saving my life. Now I am in
a good home with three other cats, lots of love, food, treats, toys and
fun. I am healthy and happy and I am staying here for eternity." One of
the photos she sent us shows her enjoying the kind of life that all homeless
pets dream about.
VINNIE
We don't often get to send bunnies home. Few people seem to want them.
So when someone came looking for a friend for their current bunny, we could
hardly believe it. They chose one of the group of identical brown siblings
who all go by the name "Vinnie". Vinnie was accustomed to life outdoors
with the other bunnies and little human company, so we worried about how
he'd adjust. It seems our fears were groundless. Vinnie's new family sent
this report:
"Vinnie is lovely. He's very gentle with my children
and Ollie, my mini lop, seems quite delighted to have him as a pet. Ollie
is more dominant I think and she groomed him right away. He made no effort
to get away from Ollie and they've been snuggling ever since.
We must have one of the tamer Vinnies from the "mob"
I chuckle when I think the group is all named Vinnie! My only complaint
is our Vinnie doesn't seem to be litter trained (not surprising since he
had so much space outside there), so I'm hoping he'll get that concept
in time.
He seems to have settled in nicely. We love him."
Vinnie seems to have taken to his new friend and to
life as a house bunny like a duck to water.
JACOB AND PRUDENCE
Jacob and Prudence met at Katie's Place and became inseparable -- so much
so that we decided they needed to be adopted together. Luckily someone
came along who was willing to take them together and so they began their
new life with the new names, Max and Amy. Their adoption
day is depicted on the page where we talk about the role of adopters
in rescue work. Jacob was doing his best to win over the adopter and his
efforts won him and his pal Prudence a wonderful home of their own. Both
cats had come to us scared and ragged looking. Jacob cowered in a corner
in such fear that it was two weeks before we were sure he wasn't feral.
Now they're both pampered pets.
The photos at left were taken when Jacob (black) and
Prudence arrived at the shelter and huddled in a corner or inside the litter
pan.
In the photo at right, they pose happily in their
own home.
FLUFFY AND BOOMER
Fluffy (black and white) and Boomer (orange and white) went home together.
They hadn't met before they came to Katie's Place but they're doing fine
together in their new home. Their family reports that they were doing beautifully
as of the first day. This was a particularly lucky break for them because
Boomer is seven years old and Fluffy is eight. They were reaching an age
when it's hard to find new homes for cats.
BLACK JACK
Black Jack came to us from another shelter where they could no longer keep
him since he wasn't adoptable. To all appearances, Black Jack was feral.
He was so "wild" that nobody wanted to try to get him into a carrier from
his cage when he was signed over to us. At Katie's Place, he recoiled from
human contact and he hid from us in his cubby hole. But within a few weeks
at Katie's Place, he warmed up to us quite suddenly. He became a total
love sponge and has been adopted. His photo shows him in his new home,
his paw resting proudly on his very own toy.
MARGARAT
Margarat was adopted in January '05. She was renamed Pinky but has been
re-renamed Houdini since it was discovered that she could slip in and out
of her cage through an impossibly narrow space. Apparently, living in the
cage was entirely voluntary for Houdini. She happens to love her cage,
which is lucky since she shares her new home with two cats. Houdini was
immediately transferred to an aquarium but her ultimate home will be a
huge cage specially for her. Her new person says, "She's a great
friend and I'm really enjoying her. Thanks for the lovely pet."
Houdini at her new home, and meeting a new friend.
FELIX
Felix had been waiting for a home for a very long time. She was just another
black and white cat, and she never 'put herself out there' to attract visitors'
attention. She was always content to sit quietly in the background and
watch. But one day someone noticed her and felt drawn to her. Lucky Felix!
Her photos below, given to us by her new family, show that Felix is truly
a happy cat these days, rolling and playing around her own scratching post
like a kitten. She's found her happily-ever-after.
MCDOOGLE AND CREAMSICLE
These two six month old cats came to us from a farm when the property was
sold. They'd had only limited contact with people and were very skittish.
We worried that these beautiful cats may never have a proper home. But
they gradually warmed up and were adopted. Their new person sent us photos
and the following report: "Both cats have adapted quite well to their new
surroundings. They have discovered TV and will spend a fair amount of time
sitting quietly watching. "Wheel of Fortune" is one of their favorites.
The top of the forced air heat vent is Doogle's favorite place to sleep,
while Monty prefers his person's favorite chair. [Creamsicle has a new
name: Monty.] They remind me dutifully that it is 9pm and time for their
soft food treat for the day and they proceed to redecorate the house while
we sleep."
Monty is on the left and McDoogle is on the right.
Photos taken when they arrived at Katie's Place are
on the top.
Photos of them in their new home are on the bottom.
NANOOK
Nanook was one of a litter affected by Cerebellar
Hypoplasia though Nanook's case was milder than his brother's. His
new family sent news about him.
"The funniest thing about him is his tail. It is huge! It's really
fluffy and long, it wraps around him completely and then some. He also
has these little curly hairs on his belly. So cute! His mobility is great,
he is still a little awkward (that will never go away) but he can leap
up the stairs four at a time (albeit a little crookedly) and can jump right
to the third level of our cat tree from the ground. He has become
addicted to the little furry mice that shake. Every couple of days he'll
lead us to the couch and start to reach under it. So we lift up the couch
and lo and behold, all nine mice are under there. We go through this ritual
every couple of days lately!"
Clearly Nanook is a happy guy who gives his family a lot of joy.
The picture of Nanook at the right was sent to us
later when he turned three years old.
We received an update on Nanook on his third birthday:
"When he jumps onto the bed, he jumps about a foot
higher than necessary, (I imagine because of his lack of depth perception).
It still cracks me up after almost three years.
He also plays catch with my husband. Every night
when we go downstairs to watch TV, we hear him go into the cat toy box,
grab a piece of string or a mouse, walk down the stairs, and then he goes
to my husband, drops his toy in front of him and meows. My husband throws
it across the room and Nanook runs after it (usually crashes into the wall).
He picks it up in his mouth and brings it back. And then repeat. He tires
out after about 10 minutes and then falls asleep on me. I can't even begin
to tell you how cute it is.
He is for all practical purposes a pretty normal
kitty. A couple of my friends call him the drunk cat because he still walks
a little crooked and really lifts his front two paws when he walks, sort
of like a horse."
ALLIE McBINKY
Allie was a tiny, innocent looking bunny who was found
in a park and who proceeded to terrorize the volunteers at the shelter.
She was mentioned on our first alumni page, but the update below was too
funny to not share. Apparently Allie McBinky, the Tiny Terror, hasn't changed.
Her family gleefully reports, "That Allie is just pure evil."
"[In the photo] Allie is gathering hay in her mouth
and getting ready to throw it all over Linus, our other bunny. She likes
to do that to Linus just for the fun of it." (We've been told that Allie
and Linus actually have a good relationship.)
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