Easy Like Sunday - Truffle

Pretty (and adoptable) Truffle is taking it easy this Memorial Day Weekend.

 How about you? :) 

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."

(Joseph Campbell)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Minnie

Beautiful and floofy Minnie is new at PAWS. Even though she's still getting used to the place, we can already tell that she's very, very sweet. I spent some time with her on Sunday afternoon, and learned that she likes when people talk with her, and loves being pet. She also gives head bonks. :)

Easy (and Thankful) Like Sunday

Kitten season has officially started, and as these little ones can attest...

... being adorable is tiring! :)

We also wanted to take the opportunity to thank our awesome pals over at Meezer Tails.  When they learned about Oui Oui's amazing birthday commentathon to benefit PAWS, they made a very generous offer.  Since Miles Meezer's birthday fell on the same weekend as Oui Oui's, they decided that they, too, would make a donation to PAWS for each comment they received!  To Miles, Sammy, Nicky, Billy SweetFeets, and Mom Mary ... THANK YOU.  We're deeply touched by your generosity and kindness, and proud to be your friends.  As we did with the donation from the Twinkletoe Tails Gang, the Meezers' money will be designated for the PAWS Cosmo Fund, which helps pay for medical expenses for very sick or injured pets in the shelter's care.

Have an easy Sunday, everyone! :)

FURever Home Friday

Oh, happy day!  We have some exciting adoption news to share!

We love ALL of the cats at PAWS, but every so often, one touches our hearts in a special way.  When Praline first came to the shelter, Tracey and I were reminded of our sweet Maggie, who went to the Bridge in March 2011. (We even nicknamed her “Little Maggie.”)  It made us sad that Praline had already been a mommy, even though she was less than two years old.  We were also sad that even though all her kittens had been adopted, this little cutie was still looking for her forever home. With her volunteer pals, she loved cuddles, nice warm laps, and playing.  When, we often wondered, would an adopter come and see what we saw, and fall in love with her (just as we had)?

Hooray! I've been adopted!

Well, “when” finally happened last week!  Yes, sweet Praline has officially been adopted!  We don’t yet have a lot of details, but will share any follow up information with you all. :)

Do you remember Pete, the super-sweet, 7-year old mancat who loves snuggles, petting and playing like a kitten?  Well, he’s been adopted by our fellow volunteer Maria and her family!  Maria recently shared this picture of Pete on his new favorite counter top perch. She says Pete “…is a real character, and we’re crazy about him already!” Yay, Pete! :)

Me, too!

Here’s the full list of the most recent PAWS graduates:

Carolina and Dakota (together)

Chickie and Peeps (together)
Connie and Yoli (together)
Freckles

Georgia

Hayley
Mandy

Morticia

Pete

Praline

And what adoption update would be complete without some “Happy Tails?”

Yummy!

You probably remember Pepper, the cat who won “Best Picture” in the 2010 Petfinder.com “Whisker Awards.”  She’s doing SO well in her forever home.  Here's a picture her mom shared with us.  As you can see, Pepper likes pancakes!  We’re told her mom and dad are utterly in love with her, and that she is pampered like the queen we always knew she was.  Pepper’s mom “combs her all the time, and rubs her belly, too.” She also says that Pepper wants nothing more than to be in her lap.

Maguire, adopted in October, is now named Wexler.  His family reports that he is “…doing really well, and that he sleeps in bed every night with mom and dad.  He is very sweet, and a real lap cat. He likes to play, and is good with our children.  If they get to be too much, Wexler just walks away.”

Let the happy dancing begin, and have a great weekend, everybody! :)

So Very Grateful

Most of you know that our friends over at Twinkletoe Tails celebrated sweet Oui Oui's sixth birthday over the weekend with a commentathon party to benefit PAWS.  Those of you who attended know the gathering was of the "party-of-the-century" variety!  What fun, and how exciting to see so many of you there.  And NOW, we've been informed by Oui Oui and her family that the commentathon raised a whopping $101 for PAWS!*  (*We're going to designate the money for the Cosmo Fund, which helps pay for medical expenses for very sick or injured pets in the shelter's care.)

We are so very grateful.  Grateful to Oui Oui, Mica Minnie Moo, Carlos, Julie, Angel Leia, Mom Paula, and "the Girl" for their kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity.  And grateful for all of you who took the time to comment and help Oui Oui celebrate her special day.  Big hugs and thanks to you all.

And while we're on the topic of things for which we're GRATEFUL ... please be sure to come back Friday for some very exciting adoption news!  Here are just a couple of hints to hold you over...

Have a great week, everybody! :)

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

 Wishing the happiest of weekends to all moms everywhere!

PLEASE be sure to stop by Twinkletoe Tails for our pal Oui Oui's birthday party, which lasts all day Saturday, May 12th and Sunday, May 13th (Mother's Day)!  To celebrate the special occasion, Oui Oui and her family are generously hosting a commentathon to benefit PAWS, the no-kill shelter whose cats are featured here at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life!  Isn't that amazing?  Thank you Oui Oui, Mica Minnie Moo, Carlos, Julie, Angel Leia and Mom Paula. We love you! :)

Happy Mother's Day weekend, everybody!

Such Amazing Friends

Holy Cat!  Our dear friends at Twinkletoe Tails have made an incredible announcement!  To celebrate sweet Oui Oui's 6th birthday (which along with Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 13th), they're holding a commentathon to benefit PAWS, the no-kill animal shelter whose cats are featured here at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life!

Birthday Girl Oui Oui

Oui Oui, Mica Minnie Moo, Carlos, Julie, Angel Leia, and Mom Paula will generously be making a donation to PAWS for every comment they receive at their blog on Saturday, May 12th and Sunday, May 13th.  We are so honored by their ongoing friendship, and sincerely moved by their decision to help us on Oui Oui's special weekend. :)

We hope you'll visit Twinkletoe Tails to wish our pal Oui Oui the happiest of birthdays this coming weekend (while helping PAWS at the same time).  We have a feeling it will be quite the party!

Thanks for visiting, and have a great day! :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo :)

On behalf of all of us here at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life,

here are Moosey and Sammy, wishing everybody a festive Cinco de Mayo! :)

Words with Jazmin :)

Sometimes we find something fun among the donated towels used at PAWS.  Last week, for instance, we came across this whimsical Scrabble-themed towel... 

As you can see, our super sweet buddy Jazmin had a good time playing on it! 

Hey Jazmin, what's that you've spelled with your tiles? 

"A-D-O-P-T    M-E    P-L-E-A-S-E" :)

May Day is Tongue Tuesday

Last week, our pal Katie (from the wonderful blog Glogirly: Tails of a Cat and Her Girl) gave a wonderful lesson on how to create simple animations known as .GIF files. Under Katie's excellent tutelage, we thought we'd have some fun with two pictures of our own Moosey in his crown bed. :)

Happy May Day, everybody!

A Rupert in the Sun

Here's sleek and handsome mancat Rupert, soaking up some sunbeams in the totally shredded well-loved Room 8 cat tree.  Although he can be cautious with new people, Rupert comes right out and seeks affection from his volunteer and shelter staff friends.  This one-and-a-half year-old loves other cats, but would definitely do best in a home without dogs or small children.  Rupert is neutered, current on all his vaccinations, micro-chipped and has tested negative for FIV and FeLV.   Come meet him at PAWS today! :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Bella

We love sweet and gorgeous (and adoptable!) Bella. 

FURever Home Weekend

Ringo

Exciting news! Ringo, one of the handsome mancats in this week's Wordless Wednesday post, has been adopted! We're so happy for our sweet and gentle tabby pal (and his new family).

And the good news doesn't stop there...

Claire

Beautiful Claire, who had been waiting for THREE WHOLE YEARS (here's her original post from April 2009), found her very own person, too!

Also joining the recent graduation march were Bella 2, Jelly Bean and Mac. :)

Speaking of happily ever afters, here are a couple of follow up tails (uh, we mean tales):

"Almost 2 years ago, I adopted a kitten from you. You called him Francesco. I adopted him to help my older cat, Nori, who seemed bored. Renamed Scherzo (which means fun and playful), he and Nori are best friends. I delighted watching Scherzo teach Nori how to play (he had not been around other cats since he was 8 weeks old). Despite being smaller, Scherzo holds his own in the wrestling matches."

"...(Sophie) is one happy cat."

"Here is Sophie enjoying the sun. As you can see she is one happy cat. She is also one chubby cat. My vet has me feeding her only wet food which she loves. She has become a big part of our family and we are very happy with her." 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - Room 8 Boys :)

Here are (front to back) Jet, Ringo and Jack.  They're all super nice mancats, and all are available for adoption!

Easy Like Sunday - Goldie

Sweet and handsome Goldie has found himself a great spot for an easy Sunday. How about you?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Margot

Hi, I'm Margot! Before I came to PAWS, I lived in a home where the people weren't very nice to me. It was very scary. Fortunately, with help and love from the PAWS staff and volunteers, I'm starting to overcome my fears. As you can see from these pictures, I even show my belly on my most confident days. :)

I'm about two years old. I get along with some other cats. I'm micro-chipped, spayed, and current on my vaccinations. I've also tested negative for FIV and FeLV. Most of all, I'm looking for a forever home with people who will be patient as I continue learning to love again. Could it be yours?

Happy Easter! :)

Hugs and nosetaps,

Sammy, Moosey, Mom Tracey and Dad Kevin, and all the PAWS cats

FURever Home Friday :)

Hip hip hooray!  Today's the purrfect day for a FURever Friday!  A whole bunch of PAWS cats have found their forever homes since our last adoption update, including:

Cecil

Celeste

Rounding out the recent graduating class are:

Angel and Angelo (together)
Bynx and Jynx (together)

Gypsy
Joe Martin
Kringle

Lindsay

Liza
Luke

Ophelia
Pauline

Roamer

Ronald
Salem
Steffie and Kristy (together)

And if you want even more reasons to smile, check out these follow ups from the families of former PAWS cats...

Annabelle's family says: "We love her and that she is doing great. She hid for a few hours under the stereo cabinet but after we went to bed, jumped up and made herself comfortable. That was all it took. She is a great cat ... She loves her people, especially our daughter. Annabelle is very fond of running through the house, and seems to really like the room to do so."

"Mr. Friendly is now known as Mr. T (aka Mr. DuCATi). He is a great cat, friendly and affectionate. A couple of months ago he started to lose weight. After the veterinary visit and blood work he was diagnosed as pre diabetic. He is taking medication and his vet says he should live a normal life."

"About a month ago, my family and I adopted 2 adorable cats named Adele and Bruno. We renamed them to Minty and Storm. They are so very happy and they brighten up every moment of the day!  Storm loves to lay on my stomach and Minty loves to play with catnip and toys! She has the sweetest little meow I've ever heard. They are the best thing to ever happen to my family and I and we thank you very much for helping us and helping them find a great home!"

Tri-level Tuesday :)

Cat Room 8 residents (top to bottom) Jasmine, Rupert and Ringo are passing the time in this nifty cat tree while waiting to be discovered by their forever families.

Sweet and Funny Elmer

Our pal Elmer never fails to put a smile on our faces.  Although he's not a lap cat, he loves playing and hanging out with the volunteers and staff at the shelter.

Elmer is available for adoption at PAWS.  He's about two years old, neutered, microchipped, and up to date on all his vaccinations.  He has tested negative for FIV and FeLV.  Come meet Elmer today. Come on ... don't you need a little sunshine in your life? :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - ESS Edition

As you can see, sweet sisters Krystal and Loreen both love the ESS. :)

Krystal

Loreen

"Hey, what do you think you're doing with that camera?"

Love and thanks to our wonderful friends Ann, Maggy and Zoey at Zoolatry

for Easter-izing our blog header.  Isn't it pawsome? :)

A Super Special Sunday

Today is an extra special day around here. First and foremost, it's Mom Tracey's birthday! We sure do love her, and we hope you'll all join us (Sammy, Moosey and Dad Kevin) in wishing her the best day and year ever. :)

Today also marks the first ever PAWS Senior Cat Sunday event, from 12 noon to 4 pm. If you live around Norwalk, CT, be sure to visit PAWS to meet all of their adoptable senior cats (aged seven+). You might just find your new best friend! :)

Three on Thursday - Snoozus Interruptus

Sweet Yankee (who is available for adoption together with his sister Doodle) WAS enjoying a nice, quiet snooze.  Darn that pawparazzi! :)

Reminder: Please remember to spread the news ... this Sunday (03/25) is "Senior Cat Sunday" at PAWS! The special adoption event, which runs from NOON to 4:00 pm, will serve to showcase the many wonderful older (7+ years old) PAWS cats looking for loving forever homes.

PAWS "Senior Cat Sunday" Event

Sammy

Hi! It's me, Sammy, and I'm here to tell you about a great event being held at PAWS this Sunday, March 25th. That's when the shelter will be hosting "Senior Cat Sunday," from NOON to 4:00 pm to showcase the many wonderful older adult cats looking for loving forever homes. Would you all please help me spread the word by sharing this post?

Sure, kittens are cute and all, but older cats like me (I was already an older cat when my mom and dad gotcha'd me) offer benefits kittens can't compete with. Us mature cats have personalities that are more fully developed, so you can select a cat that fits in with your lifestyle. And mature cats are mellower and often enjoy cuddling and lap time more than kittens. I know I do! :)

On to the particulars about Senior Cat Sunday. This Sunday, anyone who adopts a PAWS cat who is 7-years old or older will receive a reduced adoption fee of $75, a cat bed AND a "Kitty Swag Bag" filled with supplies to help your new best friend feel at home. And your new kitteh will already be spayed or neutered, current on his/her vaccines, microchipped and tested for FIV and FeLV!

I sure hope you'll visit PAWS on Sunday to meet all the pawsome, happy 7+ year old cats currently looking for new homes. They may no longer be kittens, but since indoor cats can live up to 20 years or more, they still have lots of love to give. Oh, and there are also several bonded pairs of mature cats (like Derek and Andy and Krystal and Loreen) there who are looking for a home together. If you adopt a pair of mature kittehs, you'll receive an even BIGGER reduction on the adoption fee!

Thanks for reading! :)

Hugs and headbonks,

Sammy

Happy St. Patrick's Day! :)

Sammy and Moosey

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks

May your heart be as light as a song

May each day bring you bright, happy hours

That stay with you all the year long.

- Irish blessing

Happy St. CATrick's Day, everybody! :)

Hugs and headbonks,

Sammy, Moosey, Mom Tracey, Dad Kevin, and the cats at PAWS

Late-breaking news flash: We've been informed that Moosey and Sammy have been voted the 3rd place winners in the St. Patrick's Day Photo Contest in Memory of Nimbus.  You can check out all the winning entries here, and ALL of the amazing entries here.  Thank you to our pals at Brian's Home for their constant work to help animals everywhere, and for sponsoring such a fun contest. :)