Tango: Love is a Good Lap and a Big Bowl of Water

One of the new "feline" loves of my life is adorable PAWS resident Tango. He's a gorgeous orange tabby who is always eager to escape the confines of his cage for some good, snuggly lap time. Let's just say that he has all of us volunteers -- who have discovered his loving and sweet nature, and his desire to be held like a baby -- wrapped around his cute little paws... (:

Kevin was holding him on Sunday afternoon, and Tango just couldn't get enough ... so he gently reached out to Kevin's hand and pulled it towards him so that he could rub his face against it. It was a sweet and amazingly tender gesture, and we felt so lucky to have experienced it together!

We have a hard time believing Tango hasn't been adopted yet, and think the main reason potential adopters aren't taking that final step is the fear of the word "diabetes." But while Tango DOES have a FORM of diabetes, it is NOT the one that involves sugar levels, insulin, and the like. The form Tango has, called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus* (see note below), will NOT negatively affect his lifespan or quality of life, and requires only that he always have access to plenty of water to drink. That's all. :)

If we didn't already have the number of kitties we have at our modest home, we'd take Tango in a heartbeat! Now, if we can only convince someone to open their heart and home to this sweet boy...

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* Here's a note from the vet who diagnosed Tango:

"Tango has nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This means his kidneys do not respond to ADH (anti-diuretic hormone), which is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and for which receptors are found on the kidneys. The function of ADH is to tell the kidneys to re-absorb water, but for whatever reason, the receptors on Tango's kidneys are not functioning. As a result, he loses quite a bit of water through his urine (this is why he drinks and urinates a lot). There is no medication for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, and no way for us to get his kidneys to respond to ADH. But the bottom line is that as long as Tango has free access to water he will do just fine. He will always drink and urinate excessively, but this should not impact his lifespan or quality of life."

People Aren't So Scary After All. :)

Check out this adorable picture of our little buddy Jasmine. Isn't she cute?

When Jasmine first arrived at our shelter as a kitten, it was clear she felt comfortable around other cats. But when it came to people, she wasn't so sure. Whenever we came into the room, she'd dash away to hide behind the safety of a cat tree, a piece of furniture, or anything else that served as a protective shield. But even though Jasmine was terrified of us, she never hissed or growled, and we never got the sense that she'd lash out if we tried to "push the envelope" with her.

And so it was that we began working to socialize her each time we visited the shelter. And we're happy to report those efforts have been fruitful. The breakthroughs that have occurred over a span of months, while incremental, have been significant. At first, we were excited at just being able to sit three feet from Jasmine without her running away. We felt the same excitement the first time we were able to pet her on the head, and then again when we pet her all the way down her back. And now? Well, even though she's still one of the shyer kitties at PAWS, when with people she knows, Jasmine enjoys being pet and even (gasp!) having her belly rubbed! :)

We're confident that this sweet girl will continue to blossom, and will do especially well in a quieter forever home.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sweet Roxy (above) and all of the other cats at PAWS (oh, and Tracey and Kevin, too) wish a Happy Valentine's Day to all of our furiends!

We Won an Award :)

Our friend Diamond has given us our very first award for blogging. Thank you, Diamond (and Lynettea, too)! We're really glad you like reading about the cats at PAWS, because we certainly enjoy sharing their stories. :)

According to the rules* for this award, we have to pass it on to five of our blogging friends. There are so many blogs we enjoy that it's difficult to choose just five! But rules are rules, so we'll give it a shot. In a VERY tough field, here are our five selections (they really are terrific blogs, so please be sure to check them out):

Cats of Wildcat Woods

The Monkeys

One girl, too many animals

It's all good.

Alley Cats and Angels of North Carolina

* Rules for Superior Scribbler Award:

1. Each superior scribbler must pass on the AWARD to 5 friends who are also SS.

2. Each SS must link the author and name of the blog from whom he receives the award.

3. Each SS must display the award on his/her blog and link to the post which explains the award. (we couldn't find this post or the one where you have to add your name to the Mr Linky List.

4. Each SS is asked to visit the post which explains the award and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List.
5. Each SS must post these rules on his/her blog.

Our 100th Post!

Meow, how time flies! It's been so much fun blogging about our kitty friends at PAWS that it surprised us when we realized this is our 100th blog posting. :)

On behalf of our own PAWS graduates Moosey and Sammy (whose handsome faces appear in the zeroes of the awesome graphic* above), Tracey and me, and all of the animals at PAWS...

THANK YOU for being our friends, visiting our blog, and for all of your kind and encouraging comments. We appreciate you all, and look forward to sharing even more "tails" with you moving forward.

* Artwork courtesy of Nancy Corbo, NC Graphics (Norwalk, CT). In addition to being an amazing graphic designer, our dear friend Nancy is a fellow PAWS volunteer and an animal lover extraordinaire!C Graphics (Norwalk, CT) ... in addition to being a great graphic designer, our dear friend Nancy is also a fellow PAWS volunteer and an animal lover extraordinaire. :)

FURever Home Friday!

It was just a matter of time before Chyna found her FURever home. And this is the story as to how it all came about...

Once upon a time, a nice young couple came to PAWS to find an adult cat of their very own. As they were escorted through the shelter's cat rooms, they met a myriad of adult kitties, including Chyna. The couple really liked our sweet Chyna, but ultimately decided to adopt Cyrus (another great adult kitty).

It was a bittersweet moment ... we were certainly happy that an older cat was adopted, but a little sad it wasn't our dear, sweet Chyna. Especially because she had been at PAWS quite a bit longer than Cyrus. Could it be, we wondered, that Chyna was passed over because of her more reserved nature? We sort of decided then and there that we would try even harder to get this wonderful girl adopted as soon as possible, before she got too used to the shelter.

Well, Chyna's luck took a turn for the better the very next day when a family came to the shelter looking for an adult cat who loved laps and quiet surroundings, but who would also do well with children. Who could possibly meet such a diverse set of criteria? Why, our Miss Chyna, of course! The rest, as they say, is history.

We love you Chyna, and wish you many hugs from the kids and lots of lap time in your new FURever home. :)

Sunday was "I Love a Good Lap" Day!

As always, we had a great time at PAWS on Sunday!

Here are some shots of three of the kitties who love nothing more than a good lap.

From top to bottom: Sweetheart (top two photos), Gadget and Minnie. :)