Psst...

Kev and I have a "best kept secret" we need to share with you, straight from the cats' mouths at PAWS...

"The Scratch Lounge is awesome ... I chase other cats off of it just so that I can have it all to myself."

- Houdini the Cat, PAWS

"From what I can tell, the Scratch Lounge is really nice ... if only Houdini would give me more than 10 seconds on it."

- Reggie the Cat, PAWS

The Scratch Lounge is what we feel is the best cat scratcher on the market today. It's the first 3-sided scratcher- a "one-of-a-kind design" that allows cats to satisfy their instinctual need to nest. It can even help prevent cats from damaging furniture!

You might want to check it out ... I did a Google search and found their Website ... it's located at http://scratchlounge.com/index.html. And when surfing their site I found out that portion of the proceeds of each sale goes to animal rescue and spay/neuter programs ... (:

Come (Adopt) Mr. Tally Man!

If Tally could talk, I'm pretty sure he'd say that nothing beats spending some nice, quiet time with friends and family. Although this handsome guy gets along well with the other cats in his "open" room at PAWS, he generally stays out of the thick of things. At times when the room's more active residents are running around and playing, Tally can usually be found curled up in a zen-like state (with the other more placid kitties) on a couch or futon. It's like he knows it's only a matter of time before one of his human friends comes along to give him the love and attention he deserves. And he's right ... this mellow fellow has a certain something we just can't resist! Tally is truly a gentle giant, and we're confident that he would do especially well in a quieter home (one with comfy furniture, of course).

Update On Pepper (aka Peppy)...

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give you all an update on Pepper - the sweet, chubby grey and white kitty mentioned many moons ago in our blog.

This weekend I visited her as she was lying down in her cage and I began to cradle her head. Based on her response (i.e. purring like a MAC truck), I would have to say she enjoyed it very much!

And while I don't truly know for sure, I think I may have enjoyed it even more...(:

Great News from Tump and His Peeps!

We LOVE hearing "happily ever after" stories from PAWS grads and their humans. Those of you who've been following our Blog for a while may remember Tump, the handsome, solid grey kitty adopted in June. We recently received the following message from his owners:

"I just wanted to give you a quick update on Tump, who I adopted from PAWS. He settled in very quickly, and is such a Zen kitty. He loves to sit on the windowsills and watch the birds, and he's constantly purring. During the 4th of July, when a lot of fireworks went off in the neighborhood, he wasn't fazed in the least! Visitors aren't a problem either; he just sits on the sofa next to them, and rolls around. I'd say he's one happy cat.”

Now that's what we call a happy home!

Previous posts about Tump:

Great News About Tump the Cat

Oh Snap! It's Ginger and Tump!

Our Younger Boy, Moose (a PAWS graduate)

When people learn that Tracey and I volunteer regularly at an animal shelter, they often ask how we can do so without wanting to "take all of the animals home." Sometimes we ask ourselves the exact same thing. : )

As volunteers, we have the chance to really get to know the cats at PAWS. Through regular interactions, we get first-hand knowledge of the personalities, temperaments and quirks of these kitties. It's been our experience that each cat has something that makes it special and unique. And while we love all of them, every once in a while a cat will come along who completely and utterly touches our hearts. Those are the ones we've ended up adopting.

We've already written about our cat Sammy, who is a PAWS alum. He shares our house (and our affections) with his younger brother Moose, who was adopted from PAWS a little over a year ago. (Moose, by the way, is the silly boy pictured on his back at the top of our blog.)

At PAWS, Moosey was a calm cat who got along well with cats and humans alike. In our home, he's become increasingly snuggly (he sleeps with us every night), confident and vocal (in a nice way). While not exactly best buddies, he and Sammy seem, for the most part, to like each other's company (as you can see from the second picture, we've even caught them sleeping on the couch together).

We love you, Moosey!

Prince Update...

Hey all!

I have some great news to share with you ... Prince is coming out of his shell AND has lost a good amount of weight. That's correct. This boy is adjusting to shelter life just fine. Don't get me wrong, though ... I'm sure he'd do a lot better in one of your homes... (:

I've attached some really great snapshots of our boy Prince that Kevin took this weekend. I like to refer to them as his "after" pictures. Doesn't he look great?!

Check out Prince's "before" picture, taken not long after he arrived at PAWS.

A Memory of Little Mommy, Courtesy of Sheila...

Once upon a time, back in 2004, a large number of cats (30+) came to PAWS when their owners, who were hoarders, lost their residence. All black and white, and many of them especially friendly, we found that these kitties really took care of each other. One of these cats was named Little Mommy. Although we weren't sure of her age, or exactly whose mommy she was, her gentle and nurturing way really shone through, so we just had to name her as such.

As time passed by, many of these cats were adopted, including Little Mommy (who was adopted by Maureen, a fellow PAWS volunteer).

From time to time, we would get little notes, pictures, and holiday cards from "Little Mommy" and we happily recalled the times we shared with the group we named "the eviction cats." It was a sad day when Maureen informed us recently that Little Mommy was not in good health, and undergoing a series of tests at the vet. Not long thereafter we were informed of the grim news that Little Mommy had cancer and was quickly and steadily declining. Maureen had to make the most difficult and unselfish decision she could for her little girl ... to make sure she no longer had to suffer by having her put to sleep. We were all heartbroken to hear about Little Mommy and for Maureen, who loves her animals like we do, as if they are our children.

At about the same time Maureen was dealing with all of this, a cat was brought into the shelter that bore a striking resemblance to Little Mommy. Her name is Sheila. Going into the playroom -- where she lives with a number of other cats -- I took one look at her and said to my husband, "Boy, does she remind me of Little Mommy." While she may look just like Little Mommy, Sheila is very different personality-wise. She is very cautious around the other kitties and can take somewhat of a defensive stance when she feels cornered. I think she might be feeling a little insecure in a room with so many other kitties.

Don't get me wrong ... this doesn't mean Sheila doesn't know how to have a good time. In addition to playing and jumping up and trying to pop catnip-infused soap bubbles, Sheila really enjoys watching "Cat TV." I've attached a video of her chasing some on-screen fishies. I bet you're going to love it!

Every time we look at Sheila, we will think of Little Mommy ... just as we will with every cat who comes to PAWS that reminds us of a kitty who passed on and stole a little part of our hearts.

The Belly Rub Club

Whenever he's feeling especially relaxed, our own cat Sammy will lay on his back with his feet in the air and his belly exposed. We love it when he does this, and not just because it makes us laugh. It also makes us feel pretty certain that Sammy is happy here, because such behavior in cats is most often an expression of trust and contentment.

So it's really no surprise that most cats in a shelter environment don't expose their bellies. With so many unfamiliar animals, people, sights, sounds and smells, it must be difficult to feel comfortable enough to "let it all hang out." And that's why we're so amazed that there are presently multiple cats at PAWS who not only show their bellies, but who like to have them rubbed. We've written about two of them -- Neko and Socks -- before.

The third member of the club is Sherwood (pictured above). This handsome, black kitty (with small splashes of white on his chest and tummy) is about three years old. He is incredibly sweet, and that he trusts people and cats enough to expose his belly is astounding in light of his recent history. This poor little guy was found abandoned in the public bathroom (with a litter box) at Sherwood Island State Park. When he first came to PAWS, he was extremely frightened and rarely strayed from his hiding place under the desk of one of the shelter staff members. It wasn't long, though, before Sherwood's loving personality was on full display. Now he loves people, gets along well with the other cats in his "open" room and of course ... he loves his belly rubbed. :)

Perhaps Sherwood, Neko and Socks are a little more easygoing than most felines, or maybe they're just unfazed by life at the shelter. Or maybe ... they just like having their bellies rubbed. In any case, their behavior illustrates well something we've written about in past blog entries ... that all cats have different temperaments, behaviors and personalities. It's great fun to discover them all.

Houdini Continues Casting His Spell

Considering his official status as a "fraidy cat" when he first came to PAWS, Houdini's transformation has been nothing short of magical. Check out our little buddy striking a pose!

Previous posts about Houdini:

Houdini Update

Abracadabra! Another Houdini Update

Houdini and Bootz ... More Amazing Progress!

Update on Bootz and Houdini...

Bootz and Houdini