Wordy Wednesday Challenge 2011 - Kessa is READY

After more than two years at PAWS, our pal Kessa is READY. Ready to be adopted into a loving, forever home. Ready to give you kitty kisses on your hand (or your arm, face or head) like there's no tomorrow. Ready to curl up in your lap and claim it as hers alone.

This sweet girl was found outside in a feral cat colony by a dedicated PAWS volunteer. She's got tons of personality, and she's come really close to being adopted a few times. But it's never quite worked out for our buddy. And while the shelter may be nice, it's not a real forever home. And though Kessa's a patient girl, she's definitely READY to be adopted.

Kessa is 4 years old, spayed, up-to-date on vaccinations and has tested negative for FIV and FeLV. Won't you please consider giving this wonderful kitty the forever home she so deserves?

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Thank you to Sammy, Andy, Shelly and Mom Judi from SAS; Maggy, Zoey and Mom Ann from Zoolatry; and the Cat Blogosphere for putting on the Wordy Wednesday Challenge 2011. And special thanks to Judi for making the awesome graphic above for Kessa! :)

Doing the Happy Dance :)

Do you remember our pal Kessa? This sweet girl, who was our entry for this year's Wordy Wednesday Challenge, first came to PAWS more than 2 1/2 years ago (making her one of our longest term residents). Well, we received a text message late today from a fellow volunteer that Kessa has finally found her very own forever home!

We don't have a lot of details yet, but we do know that Kessa now has a loving home, a lap to curl up on, and a human to whom she can give kitty kisses like there's no tomorrow. We're going to miss this sweet girl SO much, but this what we've ALL been waiting for. Be well in your forever home, Kessa ... we love you!

Okay, back to doing the happy dance. Anyone care to join in? :)

Annie and Kessa

There were a couple of things I was shocked to learn about Annie: 1) That she was an approximately 12-year old domesticated "stray" who was found outside in the elements and 2) That despite her age, she still plays like a kitten (from her little bed, of course)! She loves wand and string toys, and a good stuffed mouse. Annie is super sweet, loves to be pet, has a great appetite, and couldn't be bothered by the other kitties ... she's content to just do her own thing.

My husband and I nicknamed Kessa "Teefa," because she has the cutest little fangs. Found outside in a feral cat colony by one of PAWS' dedicated volunteers, Kessa really stood out. And she continues to do so ... she's got lots of personality, loves a good lap, and enjoys hanging out high in the cat tree in her room at PAWS. Kessa's a talker, and she isn't shy about voicing her opinion when it's time for us to put her back into her cage at the end of day. This girl likes her out time and we have to say that we can't blame her!

Happy Halloween from Kessa!

With tomorrow being Halloween, we asked Kessa (pronounced "Key-sah") to show us her costume. As you can see from the second picture, she told us she's already set with the fangs for her vampire costume. :)

By the way, our pal Kessa (aka "Teefa," because of those cute fangs) now lives in one of the "open" cat rooms at PAWS. She much happier now that she's not confined to a cage (and who wouldn't be?). Kessa always makes Tracey and I feel quite welcome when we visit the room ... she's quite fond of jumping into our laps and licking our hands (she'll also settle for an arm or even a head in a pinch...).

FURever Home Friday :)

Carter: (A) Home for the Holidays! :)

Even though some PAWS cats are still waiting for their forever homes, it warms our hearts to think of some of our "graduates" enjoying their first holiday seasons with their new families. Check out this list of recent adoptions that's sure to provide you with some holiday cheer...

Blanche and Moorehouse (together)

Cali

Carter

Coraleigh

Goldie

Grier and Sol (together)

Harrison

Loomis

Rhyme and Reason (together)

Sugar Ray

Sabrina

Sam and Tiger (to foster)

Thicket

Tinker
 

Remember our pal Kessa, who in October, finally found her very own forever home after waiting for 2 1/2 years? Well, her new mommy wrote us to say:

Cassie (formerly Kessa) is "a wonderful addition to (our) family."

"I just wanted to let you know that Kessa (now known as Cassie) is doing great. She enjoys naps in a variety of places and enjoys a spirited game of tag every morning with the other girls. Zoom, zoom up and down the stairs. She also likes to surprise me by getting on top on the refrigerator. She is very cuddly and has a tongue like a wire brush, which she loves to use on my face. Thank you for taking such good care of her. She is a wonderful addition to our family."

Now that's what we call a happily ever after!

Have a great weekend, everybody! :)

FURever Home Friday

Let the happy dance begin! The list of graduates since our last adoption update is peppered with long-timers and cats we've previously featured here on our blog:

Sweet Jasmine has been adopted!

So have Concha and Julio (together)!

And sisters Tiger and Shadow were adopted together, too!

Rounding out the graduating class are:

Mocha

Felicia

Phoebe and Mac (together)

Io and Luke (together)

Katie

Need another reason to smile? Here's a fabulously happy tail from Cassie's (formerly Kessa) new family:

I just wanted to let you know that Cassie had her vet appointment, physical, shots, etc. She is down to 13 pounds!!!!! The vet would like to see her lose 2 more pounds, which she should as she is quite active. She is very fast on the stairs. She is very sweet with the other girls and spends a lot of quality lap time with her dad. I will send photos next update. Thank you again for letting us adopt our precious girl!

Cassie loves her forever home! :)

 Congratulations to all of the adoptees and their new families.

Have a great weekend, everybody! :)

A dose of kitty therapy...

Okay ... I probably haven't announced the following yet in my blog, but as of March 31st I have joined the ranks of the unemployed. Although I firmly believe everything happens for a reason, there are times during my search for a job when I feel the need for little "kitty therapy." I recently had one of those days.

With my copy of the job search book What Color is Your Parachute in hand, I visited each of the cat rooms, sat on the floor with various cats, and got to know some interesting things about their behavior when a human is quiet and "just reading." For example, Kessa (mentioned in a previous blog entry) hopped up on my lap and started to lick my face. Boy, her tongue feels just like sandpaper! But she's just so lovable with those cute little fangs! Some of the more shy cats like Mercedes (see picture, taken immediately after she finished rolling around on the floor during a really fun play session), sat just a few feet away looking very pleased to have human companionship.

This is the life!

If you've ever considered doing something like volunteer work, and like animals, you may want to consider giving your time at a local animal shelter. Words cannot express how much Kevin and I get from it. And to see how much of an impact we make on these animals' lives is so worth the time we dedicate to it.