Happy New Year, Indeed ... FURever Homes Edition

With the new year now nearly upon us, we're pretty sure most of us are raring to ring in 2021. But wait! Before you get to ringing, we wanted to give everyone a bit of sunshine from what has been a largely tumultuous year. Yes, something good happened in 2020. At PAWS, in fact, more than 750 764 good somethings happened.

In a year when the news cycle was dominated by the pandemic, politics, and social upheaval, the cat adoption team continued their mission to find homes for every kitty in their care. At the time of this post, more than 750 PAWS cats and kittens had found their happily ever afters in 2020 (an increase over the previous record of 689, set in 2019). And each time a kitty was adopted, a spot opened up for another cat in need. So the number of cat lives saved by PAWS this year is actually in excess of 1,500. 💕

Congratulations to all the graduates, and their new families! We wish them, and all of you, a new year that's filled with an abundance of joy, good health, and love.

😺

 

Since we can't document every adoption story in this post, we chose one follow up per month of 2020. You'll find them below ... we hope they give you some smiles.

 

JANUARY

"The boys have adjusted well to their new home and moms. Simba is just a spark of energy in the house, loves to play with every toy, loves to be our shadow and loves to play with his big brother Leon. Leon is coming out of his shell more and showing us more of his great personality every day. Leon is so sweet and shy yet he loves to “supervise” us and loves to play with his little brother. We’re still trying to get a picture of the two of them together ! We just wanted to say thank you so much for our boys!"

FEBRUARY

 

"Noni was shy at first with us but I think she finally settled in and feels comfortable living with us. We are thankful to PAWS for bringing such a sweet girl into our family!"

 

MARCH

 

"Mason is doing well with the college kids home! Coming out of his shell, and enjoying the best spot in the house - in front of the heat of the wood stove, and every where else he wants to be!"

 






APRIL

"Blessing (formerly Panda) is very laid back and gentle and never gets tired of cuddles. She follows me around the house while I’m doing chores and lays on my desk while I work. She’s very social and often meows at the window to the neighborhood children playing outside. The frst few nights she slept downstairs but now she spends her nights at the top of my pillow. It’s okay, I don’t mind sharing. Sometimes she wakes me up kneading my head. She is amazing!"

MAY

"Milo (formerly Tommy) is the sweetest cat I have ever met - he has a little heart of gold, loves snuggling (especially at night - right on my chest), and Charles (our other cat) has taught him all about the best bird-watching spots in our house. He would probably be a great therapy cat candidate! Charles was a little bit unsure of Milo at first but Milo was completely unfazed by any of Charles' yelling or wrestling maneuvers. Once Charles realized that all Milo wanted was snuggles, he gave in. He now lets Milo follow him around like a good big brother-little brother dynamic. Milo wants to be just like Charles! Charles probably doesn't give him as much attention as he wants, but Milo won't give up on that. They nap together, sprint around the house together, have baths together, and overall seem to have formed a really great relationship."

JUNE

"Sassy and I are doing really well together. When I first brought her home she instantly started to explore and appears to have adjusted well. She can be a bit skittish at some sounds but nothing I wouldn't expect from someone moving to a new home. While Sassy doesn't sit on my lap yet, she doesn't like to leave my side. She is always sitting or sleeping somewhere near me and has a habit of keeping at least one paw on my leg when we sit on the couch together. She has made me quite happy and I hope I've done the same for her."

JULY

"Things are going so well. Barney is getting more confident each day. All of a sudden at day 8, he not only came to be petted but allowed me to brush him, which he loves! We have a great cat house—open stairs that he tears up & down and perches from above to watch us. He loves the window with bees in the bushes and an occasional walker. We’re so pleased. He’s a great little fellow."

AUGUST

"Nero is a sweet and super calm boy. He didn't hide at all when he got home. I am currently working at home, and when I am on the computer he just squeezes on my desk to help."

 

SEPTEMBER

"I wanted to give you an update on Spirit (formerly Lucy). She just had her wellness exam. She's healthy and doing well. We've found she loves feathers so we pick them up for her while we're out and about. We tell her she's pretty and a lovely cat every day. She's begun rubbing our legs and likes to have us watch her eat. She sometimes gets possessive of things like the bed or the yoga mat and will swipe at me, but those are few and far between. We absolutely adore her and are very happy we connected with PAWS!"

OCTOBER

 

"By day 3, Marian (formerly Nanar) didn't hide in the bathroom any more. She now roams free and has enjoyed being petted, fed treats, getting brushed, playing, and basking in the sun. She sometimes curls up next to me on the bed to say goodnight. I have decided to call her Marian, as in Maid Marian from Robin Hood."

 

NOVEMBER

 

"Buddy (formerly Duncan) has been a joy, my family loves him. He is such a love. Thank you so much for showing him to me. I changed his name to Buddy, and it suits him because he is my Buddy. He is happy in his new home and he is so gentle with my grandchildren when they come to visit ...  I'm so happy to have him, he is perfect."

 

 

DECEMBER

"Merry Christmas to everyone at PAWS. Just wanted to share a photo and to let everyone know Mio is doing beautifully ... we love him so much and he has become such a sweet and very lovey kitty!

He’s a big boy at 18.7 lbs but the vet says he’s perfectly healthy just a little “chubby” :) Thank you all for the care and love you give to the animals in your care."

Happy New Year, Everybuddy!

💖😸💖

(Almost) Wordless Fruitcake

When you hear "fruitcake," maybe your mind conjures up visions of that wacky relative almost everyone seems to have. Or, with Christmas 2020 now in the books, maybe that oft-dreaded holiday "gift" comes to mind? Get ready to change how you think of that word (and to fall in love), because here comes our beautiful and adoptable friend, Fruitcake.

Fruitcake, who ended up at PAWS after being found as a stray, is sweet and friendly. She adores being pet and brushed, and hanging out with her human friends. This one year-old seems interested in being pals with the other cats in her room, but would definitely be okay as your one and only kitty. Fruitcake is current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. She can't be adopted until after her spay surgery, but can be put on hold. So what are you waiting for? Come meet Fruitcake today!

Salem's Sunday Selfie

The PAWS cat representative in the final Sunday Selfie Blog Hop of 2020 is our lovely little tuxedo pal, Salem. Isn't she a cutie pie?

Salem, who is just two years old, is a little bit shy with new people, but warms up quickly. She's a super sweet girl, who loves to be petted and have attention once she knows you. All she needs is a chance! Salem is current on her vaccinations and negative for FIV and FeLV. She is awaiting her spay surgery, which is scheduled for December 31. Although she can't be adopted until after that happens, she is ready and able to meet her forever family, and can be put on hold. Hey, good things are worth waiting for, right? 💖

Happy Meowlidays!

Happy Meowlidays to You!

Thank you all for your love, support, and friendship. More than ever, we are so very grateful for each and every one of you. Our holiday wish for you, and for all beings everywhere, is for peace, love and  joy everlasting.

💖

Ava, Angel Gracie, Tracey, and Kevin (meowmeowmans)

(Almost) Wordless Dolly

Happy Wednesday from beautiful and adoptable Dolly. As you can see, she's all dressed up in her finery and ready to find her forever home!

Two year-old Dolly is playful and friendly, but still getting used to being at PAWS. She enjoys being petted and getting attention once she knows you, and we know she will be a great best friend to some lucky adopter! Dolly is not a fan of other animals, so her forever home should be one where she is the only pet. She's spayed, microchipped, current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. Dolly is so ready to be discovered by her new BFF.  Could it be you?

Banner's Selfie

Our sweet and gentle pal Banner may be a little shy, but we totally get it. It's gotta be tough getting used to the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells at the shelter. Even one as nice as PAWS. In spite of all that, Banner stepped right up for his selfie, and knocked it out of the park. SO handsome!

Banner is about one year old. He lived in a foster home for a few months, and did really well. He was very friendly with his foster mom, but as we mentioned, being at the shelter has been a bit overwhelming for him. We can attest to the fact that he loves being pet on the head and getting chin scritches. Banner is starting to come out his shell, and we know he will positively blossom once he is in his forever home. Could it be with you?

You can read more about (and/or apply to adopt) Banner here.

It's Sunday, which means we're hopping along in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by our pals at The Cat On My Head. Be sure to check it out to see who else is hopping along (or to join in on the fun)!

(Almost) Wordless Cisco

Check out our awesome new pal, Cisco. This mancat is the whole package -- not only is he devastatingly handsome, he also happens to be super sweet and friendly. We hung out with him last weekend, and a great time was had by all.

Cisco is about 8 years old, and was found as a stray. He adores people, and gets along fine with other nice cats. But he'd also be fine as an only kitty. He's neutered, microchipped, current on his vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. Looking for love for the holidays? Come meet Cisco today!

Thank you, and Sunday Selfie

We are so grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and kindness we have received about the passing of our sweet housepanther Gracie. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all. Gracie was a beautiful and amazing cat, inside and out. We miss her so, so much, and look forward to the day we see her again. Until then, she will live always and forever in our hearts. 

Thank you, Ann at Zoolatry, for this lovely badge. 💖

As for this week's selfie participant, the shelter cats all thought we should share this selfie taken by Angel Gracie back in the day.  She sure was lovely, wasn't she?

Thank you to our sweet and thoughtful friends (and hosts of the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop) at The Cat on My Head for remembering Angel Gracie today. We also offer our condolences to our blogging pals, Mom Ellen at 15 and Meowing and Mom Audra at Dezi's World on the passings of Jinx and Dezi, respectively.  We are so very sorry.

Fly Free, Sweet Gracie 💔

"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” – Mahatma Gandhi

 

Our hearts are broken beyond belief. On Tuesday afternoon, our beloved Gracie made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge. She was 20 years old.

 

Adopted at the robust age of 13 (along with her sister/littermate Zoe) in September 2013, beautiful and gentle Gracie packed a whole life’s worth of love into her seven years here with us. The pawprints she left on our hearts will remain forever, and we know there will come a day when her memory brings more smiles than tears. But for now, there is only deep sadness.

 

Gracie Grace, we will love and miss you forever, darling girl. There were so many things that made you uniquely special. Like how you helped Mom Tracey put on her makeup every day, resting your paws on her thigh as she applied it while sitting on the couch. We will miss your funny, old ladycat meow, and the way you sang the song of your people with such gusto (especially when you had a vet visit). And how you would steal Mom’s spot on the couch whenever she got up. And the way you were still playful when the mood struck you. How you loved chasing the red dot, and playing with your favorite toys, like the mouse-on-a-string, fleecy wands, and especially the collar stays from Dad meowmeowmans’ dress shirts. And how you headed upstairs each night to drop the hint to everyone that it was time for bed.

 

While we’re remembering, can you remember how, when you were younger, you would instigate tussles with Zoe, you little rascal? Or how you were such a speedster, especially when it was time to eat?

Gracie and Zoe

 

In November of this year, Gracie was feeling really good, and had reclaimed a little of that youthful pep in her step. Check out this video of her (taken about three weeks ago) trotting from the kitchen to join us for some family time on the couch. Not bad for a 20 year-old with arthritis and advanced kidney disease, huh? 💕

 

Earlier in life, Gracie loved lounging in sunpuddles, but in her twilight years, she was partial to her heated cat bed on the couch. Her culinary palate also evolved with age: once a fan of turkey and giblets, she graduated a few years ago to a more refined chicken and lobster pâté. She did retain her lifelong love of tuna fish; it remained one of the things that had the power to wake her up from a solid sleep.

 

Ava is a little confused by Gracie’s sudden disappearance. Although she and Gracie were 17 years apart in age, they had a very respectful relationship, and we even caught them snuggling on a few occasions. Gracie was very good with her much younger sister; as an older cat, she didn’t often concern herself with Ava’s silliness, effectively defusing any shenanigans by walking right past.

 

Gracie and Ava

One last thing: Gracie loved her Christmas tree, and we were glad we got it set up over Thanksgiving weekend, so she was able to lay under it for one last season.


Gracie under her tree (November 27, 2020)

Fly free, sweet Gracie. We love you always with all of our hearts, and will see you again. Wait for us, okay?

XOXO

Mom Tracey, Dad Kevin, and Sister Ava

(Almost) Wordless Stormy

Okay, everybody. Gather around for a Christmas Stormy. No, that's not a typo. It's just our silly way of sharing our awesome and adoptable friend, Stormy, in the hopes he'll find his forever home in time for the holidays!

Stormy came to PAWS after being discovered as a stray. He was obviously someone's cat at one time, because he is as gentle and sweet as they come. He's a little shy at first, but once he knows you're a friend, he loves hanging out, getting pets, and sitting on laps. Oh, and making biscuits!

Stormy is about 5 years old. He is neutered, microchipped, and current on his vaccinations. He has tested postive for FIV, but it's important to remember this does not mean he can't live a long and happy life! According to Best Friends Animal Society, "FIV-positive cats can live normal lives, both in quality and duration. They just need to be monitored for infections and dental issues. But if they’re well cared for, they can be healthy, happy, wonderful pets." FIV cannot be passed to other cats through casual contact, or by sharing food, water, or a litter box. Nor can it be passed to people or other pet species.

Stormy is such a good boy. He's ready to be the bestest best friend ever to whoever is lucky enough to adopt him. Come meet Stormy today!