FURever Home Friday - Bootz Edition :)

Hi, I’m Bootz. My volunteer pals Tracey and Kevin said it would be okay if I wrote today’s post. Those of you who’ve been following Animal Shelter Volunteer Life for a while probably remember me for my nice long furs, floofy belly, and my fondness for watching TV. You might also recall I WAS one of the longest-tenured cats at the shelter, and that I HAD BEEN waiting for my forever home for more than two years. Hey, did you notice how I made that last sentence PAST tense? That's because I’VE BEEN ADOPTED, and am doing really well in my new forever home! (I hid under the bureau the first night, but decided pretty quickly that my new home is awesome. I love my new people, and even get along well with my new siblings (a dog and a cat))! :)

Oh, and guess what else? Lots of other PAWS kitties also found their forever homes since Tracey and Kevin's last adoption update! Check out this list of other recent PAWS graduates:

Beans, Beignet and Dumonde (together), Bubble and Squash (together), Bufo, Carmen, Cary, Cutie Pie and Faith, Duncan, Jade and Pearl (together), Kiet, Louie, Marbles, Oliver, Onyx and Topaz (together), Paula, Sammi, Sandy and Shirley (together), Soda and Farrow (together), Squeak, Vincent, and Zircon.

Well, I've gotta go now. Have a great weekend, everybuddy!

(Note from Tracey and Kevin: We love you, Bootz! Thank you for trusting us and your other friends at PAWS, and bringing so much joy to our lives. We’ll miss you -- and all the other graduates -- but are overjoyed that you’ve found your very own forever families.)

Tuxedo Tuesday

The five beautiful tuxies pictured above are among the more than 100 cats currently living at PAWS. Noelle is sweet and playful. Bootz loves watching television. Libra, a kitten, is shy, but loves to play. Sasha and her cow cat brother Reeses are very friendly. Betsy loves being held and pet.

PAWS Contest: Best Cat to Watch TV With

It's PAWS kitty contest time again! This month's CATegory is "Best Cat to Watch TV With." :)

There are actually quite a few PAWS kitties who show some interest with the what goes on inside "the box with the moving pictures," which made it difficult to whittle the list down to just three finalists. But by selecting the cats who are TRUE TV ADDICTS, we were able to do it. So without further adieu, here are your finalists:

Bootz: this master of floof and whiskers -- and avid watcher of "Cat TV" -- has made tremendous strides since coming to PAWS. Though he's still a little wary of strangers, he'll plop right down on the couch next to people he knows for snuggles and pets. Here he is demonstrating the proper technique for whapping a bird on TV...

Sheila is another cat who has come out of her shell with the love and care she's received from the volunteers and staff at PAWS. She's even learned that it's possible for multiple kitties to live together in relative harmony in one of the shelter's "open" rooms. Throughout it all, one thing's been clear ... this girl lives for watching (and interacting with the) TV. And as seen in the her screen capture (below, right), she isn't afraid to take on a bird that appears to be bigger than her!

Sasha and Reeses: TV-watching is just one of the things these relative newcomers enjoy. Besides stalking birds and squirrels on the television screen, they also show great affinity for their volunteer friends offering pets, laps, belly rubs and toys.

It's always tough picking a winner, but the judges were swayed by Sheila's unbridled enthusiasm and the fact that she has her own workout video. So the winner of "Best Cat to Watch TV With" is Sheila!

ConCATulations, Sheila! And kudos to the other finalists, too. You are ALL stars to us, and we're working hard to find your PURRfect forever homes (with televisions, of course!). :)

Four on Friday

Here are four PAWS residents, captured in one click of the camera...

Sweet Ishma (farthest from the camera) was adopted last week, but our buddies Eden (up top, in the front, performing the tail hangover maneuver), Bootz (profiling, with his paw hanging off of the chair) and Max (curled up, and getting the full sun spa treatment) are all still waiting for their forever homes. Of course, until they find them, we'll be sure to give these boys lots and lots of love. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Here's Bootz -- one of PAWS' most avid fans of "Cat TV" -- making himself comfortable. As you can see, this guy has continued to make tremendous strides since we last wrote about him. (Note: he looks pretty pudgy in this picture, but in actuality a lot of it is fluffy fur...).

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

Houdini Update!

Houdini's progress continues to astound us! Yesterday, he greeted me at the door to his room, weaving in and out between my ankles. As I reached down to pet him, he "popped a wheelie" to rub his face on my hand. Then he accompanied me around the room as I checked on the other kitties, filled food and water dishes and cleaned the litter boxes ... it was like he was my little helper. :)

It took Houdini less than 24 hours to unveil his next trick.

I sat down in a chair in the room today, and was delighted when the little guy jumped onto my lap for a session of petting. I guess we shouldn't be surprised anymore by anything Houdini does. In any case, it's extremely fun and rewarding to watch him grow each week.

Past posts about Houdini:

Abracadabra! Another Houdini Update

Houdini and Bootz ... More Amazing Progress!

Update on Bootz and Houdini...

Bootz and Houdini

Abracadabra! Another Houdini Update

And now, for my next trick, I'll require a shoelace...

Houdini continues to astound us with his amazing progress. It gives us great pleasure to report that this magical guy has now decided he likes being pet. Yes, you read that correctly ... the cat who used to hide behind the safety of the cat tree now comes right up for his share of pets! Houdini's confidence level is growing by the day, and it's a joy to watch his true personality emerge. As you can see from these photos, he's intrigued by shoelaces ... he and I had a great time playing together this afternoon. :)

Past posts about Houdini:

Houdini and Bootz ... More Amazing Progress!

Update on Bootz and Houdini...

Bootz and Houdini

Houdini and Bootz ... More Amazing Progress!

One of our favorite things about volunteering every weekend is being able to witness first-hand the transformative powers of consistency and love on the animals. Watching kitties who formerly avoided human contact learn to trust people is incredibly rewarding. Especially because it makes them that much more adoptable. :)

We've written before about Houdini (the orange and white guy) and Bootz, and continue to be amazed by their incredible progress. It's almost as if a light has gone on for both of them as they've watched the other cats in the room bask in the love and attention lavished upon them by the volunteers. As you can see by these photos, both of these kitties are becoming more at-ease with their surroundings with every passing day.

Houdini, who once refused to budge from his safe spot behind the big cat tree, can now be found lounging on the sofa or in the middle of the floor. Yesterday, as I sat on the floor of the room, Houdini got up off the couch, sauntered over, and laid down about two feet away from me. And today, Tracey was actually able to pet him (twice!).

Bootz -- not to be outdone by his buddy Houdini -- now enjoys laying next to us on the couch. He's also decided he loves being pet and brushed. Bootz is also fond of laying on his back with his belly exposed. Talk about feeling comfortable! Who would've ever guessed?

Stay tuned ... we'll do our best to keep you posted about these guys' continued growth.

Previous posts about Bootz and Houdini:

Update on Bootz and Houdini

Bootz and Houdini

Update on Bootz and Houdini...

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to give you an update on two kitties previously mentioned in my blog - Bootz and Houdini:

Kevin and I visited the room of Bootz and Houdini today and were delighted to see they are making further strides in getting acclimated to shelter life. Kevin sat on the couch and Bootz hopped up next to him and laid down to be petted and scratched under his chin! Talk about a huge breakthrough ... Bootz is learning to trust the volunteers enough put himself out there in a vulnerable way. You go, Bootz!

And through the window of the room, we've observed Houdini lounging on various pieces of furniture. This is a big step for this little guy. When he first came to PAWS, Houdini wouldn't come out from behind the cat condo in his room. Then, one day he mustered up the courage to sniff some dry cat food in Kevin's hand. His next breakthrough was to reach out from behind the cat condo to touch my hand with his paw. And NOW he is coming out *even when people are present* and laying down in the center of the room. Way to go, Houdini!

In no time, both of you will be placed into very loving homes...(:

Previous post about Bootz and Houdini:

Bootz and Houdini

Bootz and Houdini

These two boys (Bootz is the black and white kitty, and Houdini is the handsome boy bedecked in orange and white) are perfect examples of cats who find the shelter to be a scary place ... at first. We're happy to report that both of these guys are making big strides and gaining courage with each passing day. It's said that "slow but steady sometimes wins the race," and despite being in a room with lots of other cats and many people coming in and out, these guys are really starting to come out of their shells. It's a testimony to the dedication of the volunteers who work with these shy cats day in and day out. It's amazing how many cats blossom with patient, gentle love and attention. In our years volunteering at PAWS, we've seen many cats who came in utterly afraid metamorphose into loving kitties whose stories have the happiest of endings -- adoptions and homes to call their very own.