Go Go Gadget!

Gadget came to PAWS when his owners were no longer able to take care of him. Life at the shelter has been a pretty big adjustment for this handsome guy, but he's making great strides. Fearful when he first arrived here, Gadget has gotten used to the sights, sounds and smells of PAWS, and we've been able to watch his true personality emerge. And what a personality he has! This five-year old fellow loves to be let out of his cage for socialization time, and can often be found laying on his back. Gadget's also a real chatterbox ... he's always sure to give us a "talking to" if he thinks we're not paying him enough attention. :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Just some random photos of some of the PAWS kitties. We'll be sharing their stories in upcoming posts. :)

Ishma is a purr-monster!

I'm constantly amazed by the ability of some animals to adapt to difficult situations. Take Ishma, for instance ... this 9-year old sweetheart ended up at PAWS after she was abandoned by her owner (who had been evicted). Going from having free reign of an apartment to being housed in a cage at a shelter must have been quite a shock for Ishma, but this pretty girl never let on! I remember clearly the first time we met her ... we were petting some of the other cats in room 3, and noticed some REALLY loud purring. And while the kitties being pet *were* purring ... it wasn't them we were hearing so clearly. It was Ishma, who was three cages away! This happy girl LOVES people, and she always heralds our entrance to the room with steady purring. When we open her cage, she purrs even louder. Mix in a few of her adorable meows and some head butts, and the message she's sending is quite clear: Ishma loves people! She'll definitely be a true and steadfast companion (not to mention a steady source of soothing purrs) for whoever is lucky enough to adopt her. :)

Update on "Snowball" the Cat

Snowball, the adorable all-white, short-haired, mellow cat that we wrote about back in January 2008 has made some great progress that we'd like to share with you all!

She still prefers to hang out in the cat tree where she feels most comfortable, but has been venturing down more frequently. Don't get us wrong -- she still isn't very fond of her furry

roommates, but I think the draw of the Scratch Lounge was more than she could take ... (:

Oh, by the way ... the kitty standing near Snowball in the first picture is Reggie, who must be wondering, "Great ... I finally got Houdini off the Scratch Lounge and now I have to deal with Snowball hogging it ... what's a sweet boy like me to do?!"

Some furry friends find forever homes

We have great news, and we're practically bursting at the seams to share it! A number of our feline pals at PAWS -- including some previously mentioned here in our blog -- have recently been adopted! And although we'll miss seeing them, it's wonderful to know they've finally found "forever" homes, with places and humans they can call their very own!

So, without further ado, we present a list of some recent PAWS graduates...

Bijoux, the adorable tortie (photo) with a penchant for "Cat TV," rolling around on the floor and licking noses. We are told she charmed the socks off of her new owner, who was described to us as a "big, burly" gentleman. Word has it that Bijoux sealed the deal by licking his face! :)

Morgan and Chandler, the sweet brothers who were returned to PAWS when their owner was no longer able to take care of them. It was clear these two gentle boys were very fond of each other, which makes us incredibly happy they were adopted together.

And Nixie, a totally sweet, all-black kitty who LOVES people. His new people sent a short e-mail to tell us about how well he's managed to transition into his new home. Here's what they wrote:

“We love Nixie! He fits in perfectly. In less than 24 hours in our house, Mr. Nixon has decided he has to explore (it's a large home, so there is a lot to see), he talks nicely to Maximus and ... this morning I came downstairs to the kitchen and he's already caught me a mouse! (Max has no claws - he was another rescue.) And he gave it to Max as a present! Max was pretty pleased, although he's still making Nixie jump through the new-cat-on-the-block hoops. But I know Max is relieved to have company after losing his pal Samuel. Nixie's working out better than fine ... he sends his love!”

Be well in your new homes, kitty friends. We love you!

Garth and Valerie ... a Love Story

Well maybe not a love story but certainly a "really like" story!

Garth, who is new to this blog, is a 2 1/2 year-old domestic long-haired black & white kitty. He's quite handsome, but is a little shy and would do really well in a quieter home with dogs or other cats. Found as a stray and brought to PAWS in early May 2009, Garth has quickly made friends with Valerie, a kitty previously covered in our blog. Kev and I often find them sleeping together on the stuffed chair in their room, sitting and rubbing their heads together, or walking side by side.

It would be a wonderful story if they could be adopted together ... or maybe they can be adopted together with Cherry, who also gets along with other kitties - especially Garth and Valerie...(:

Hanging With the Room 5 Cats

Today was another great day at PAWS. As always, we had a terrific time hanging out with all of our kitty friends. Here's a video of Tracey with some of the cats in one of the shelter's "open" rooms. Oh ... in case you're wondering, that's Beauty who jumps onto my lap to let me know she's ready for her close up! :)

Oh, Happy (World Cat) Day!

Happy World Cat Day to kitties and their friends everywhere!

For you humans with cats ... please be sure to give them some extra love and attention today. :)

If by chance you don't have a cat, but are thinking of getting one ... please consider adopting one from your local animal shelter or rescue organization.

You (and the kitty you save) will be glad you did.

... and Thurman lived happily ever after

PAWS recently received an e-mail from the folks who adopted Thurman. From his humans' report, it seems that Thurman loves his new family and has made himself right at home. Here's what they wrote:

"Thurman is a great cat, enjoying the larger house and is running around. He gets along very well with his new brother—it only took them two days! Thurman sleeps on his dad's bed and both kitties sleep on the couch together."

Good for you, Thurman! We love you, buddy!

It Was Spay & Neuter Day Today!

Approximately one day a month, PAWS donates areas of its facility to a local organization by the name of FeralCare - an all-volunteer group dedicated to spay and neuter efforts to help control cat overpopulation. Volunteers capture these kitties and bring them to PAWS, where veterinarians volunteer their time to spay and neuter them.

Today a total of 49 cats were spayed/neutered. FeralCare had planned to do a lot more, but a caravan carrying 20+ cats had car trouble and did not make it to the event.

This month's event was not without its scary moment ... one of the kittens spayed at the clinic was not waking up, even several hours after her surgery. Our shelter director brought her to an emergency clinic where she received IV fluids and supportive care. Happily, though, she was up and about the very next day. And what, you may be asking, happened to the kitten? Well ... she's now a PAWS kitty, and has been newly named "Miracle." (:

Thank you, FeralCare, for all of the wonderful work you do!

If you or anyone else would like more info on FeralCare please visit www.feralcare.com.

Hey ... is that cat winking at me?

It's pretty safe to say Sammy has already used up at least a few of his nine lives. But there have also been times that he's qualified for the title of "luckiest cat in town."

Sammy, who is 12 years young, was abandoned some years ago by his owners. A compassionate neighbor noticed this super-friendly (and hungry) fellow wandering around and began feeding him on a regular basis. She would even let him in the house when the weather turned foul. Everything seemed to be going well, but over time, the woman noticed Sammy's eye was severely swollen and rapidly getting worse. She couldn't stand the thought of him suffering, but not having much money, the well-meaning woman took Sammy to a vet to be euthanized. As luck would have it, a local animal rescuer just happened to be at the vet office when Sammy came in, and to make a long story short ... our lucky boy ended up at PAWS.

Sammy was diagnosed with severe glaucoma, and it became clear that his right eye would need to be removed. This resilient feline came through the operation with flying colors. But his road to recovery was interrupted by repeated gastrointestinal upset and frequent vomiting. The folks at PAWS had him examined by a vet, and numerous tests determined that Sammy had an esophageal stricture (a narrowing of the esophagus that makes swallowing difficult). A procedure was performed to correct this, and we're happy to report that he's doing well.

If you're wondering how life's trials and travails have affected Sammy, just take a look at his photo (taken as he purred and snuggled up in the lap of yours truly!). It almost looks as if he's winking at the camera, which I think is a pretty good summation of this kitty's wonderful disposition. It's amazing, but this cat who has been through so much is still the embodiment of sweetness and love. I have no doubt that Sammy is going to be an incredible friend and companion to the person (or people) lucky enough to adopt him. :)