FURever Home Friday!

Holy Cat!  When we looked at the official PAWS adoption board the other day, we noticed LOTS of names written on it.  Which is pawsome, because lots of NAMES means that LOTS OF CATS found forever homes!  Members of the new graduating class include...

Ruby

Merritt 2

Snow White

Tinker Belle

Marilynn

Here's an alphabetical list of all the happy graduates.  ConCATulations to them all, and their families!

Atticus

Booth

Bridget

Brooklyn

Calliope

Dodger

Dona

Jinx

Jonquil

Juno

Letizia and Marlo (together)

Lily

Marilynn

Merritt 2

PB

Ruby

Snow White

Steve

Tempe

Tinker Belle

Xena

And as we always do, we'll leave you with a very happy tail (er, tale); this one's about our pal Kit-E, who has been renamed Tessa by her new family. Here's what they wrote:

Tessa (formerly Kit-E)

We have re-named "Kit-E" to "Tessa" and she definitely knows her name.  When we call her she comes running to us, unless she is bird watching from the living room window :).   And, yes, she has completely adapted to our home (eating and using her litter box appropriately).  She follows us around, loves to eat, play, and sleep.  She interacts in everything we do and loves being the "center of attention." We love her so much and so glad we have her!

Tessa (formerly Kit-E)

Have a great weekend, everybody! :)

Happy Birthday to Mom Tracey!

Happy birthday to our Mom!  We may be a teeny bit biased, but we think you are the best cat mom in the whole world.  And word on the street has it that Dad thinks you're the cat's meow, too. (Ed. note from meowmeowmans: Very, very true!)

Thank you for loving us all so much, and so well. And for your kind and compassionate heart, and for all you do for so many.

Now ... let's get this pawty started!  Bring on the catnip and snacks! :)

Love,

Moosey, Gracie and Zoe (and Dad meowmeowmans, too)

Easy Like Sunday - Tessa

Here's our sweet, petite and beautiful friend, Tessa, enjoying an extra-comfy easy on her favorite perch.  We bet she's dreaming about finding a loving forever home, with a lap of her very own.  Maybe you can make her dream come true?

Catching Up on Awards, Again

Shoot.  We're behind -- way behind -- on posting about the awards we've received from some of our beloved blogging friends.  THANK YOU to those who were thoughtful and kind enough to give us awards: we are grateful, honored and humbled, all rolled up into one!

Just as we did the (ahem) last time we fell behind, we've created a collage to display these beautiful awards, and written a little something about our pals who gave them to us.  If you aren't already familiar with the bloggers mentioned below, you should get to know them.  They're all terrific!

The Friends & Followers Award, from our friends at The Cat on My Head.  We love Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo, and their Mom Janet.  It's always a treat to read about their antics and adventures, and the photography at their blog is wonderful.  They also gave us these other pawsome awards:

Because You're Fantabulous Award

The Lighthouse Award

One Lovely Blog Award

The Shine On Award, from the J-Cats -- Trixie the Black Panther and her little brother Caspurr -- and their Mum, Shimona.  Their really great blog, Purr-sonally Speaking, was started by Angels Possum and Pixie.  Trixie, Caspurr and Mum Shimona live in Jerusalem, Israel.  We just teleported to their house this past weekend for a totally fun Purim party! :)

The Mouses Award, from our pals at Cat Tales.  Bujang, Rocket Tanaka (who is the most orange-y cat we have ever seen), and Ms. Akira live with san in Singapore.  They always have such interesting stories to tell, and it always gives us great joy to see pictures of beautiful Ms. Akira enjoying time by her favorite window.  We also really like seeing Bujang and Tanaka walking outside in their harnesses.

The Field of Flowers Award, from the gang at Life with Dogs and Cats.  These dogs (Lilah, Jasper and Tucker) and cats (Dawn, Athena, Calvin, and Elsa Clair) are creative, funny and multi-talented -- they write haiku, text, and (along with their human, Susan) are even finalists in the "Best Blog Post" category of the 2014 BlogPaws Nose to Nose Awards!  ConCATulations and good luck, friends!

The Sunshine Award, from our friends at Life With Ragdolls, who just celebrated their 8-month blogoversary. The Ragdolls in the title -- Nico and Anya -- are gorgeous.  And Star and Saphira (the two other cats who live with them) may not be Ragdolls, but they, too, are absolutely beautiful.  The posts at this blog, written by Ragdoll Mommy, almost always make us smile. (Note: Anya has been feeling poorly the last couple of days, so please purr and pray for her to get better.)

Thank you again to all of our wonderfully thoughtful friends for these awards.  Please forgive us for taking so long to share about them (but thank COD we finally did)!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Happy St. CATrick's Day :)

Happy St. CATrick's Day from PAWS graduates Moosey, Gracie and Zoe, and all of the awesome, adoptable cats still waiting at the shelter to find their very own pots of gold (i.e. forever homes)!

Easy Like SUNday - Sparky and Shadow

Check out handsome and adoptable brothers Sparky (left) and Shadow, relaxing in a warm and brilliant sunpuddle.  How are you spending YOUR Sunday? :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Merritt 2

Gorgeous, friendly and sweet ... our friend Merritt 2 is the whole package! 
And she's waiting at PAWS to meet you. :)

Merritt 2 is about 8 years old, spayed, and up to date on all her vaccinations.  She'd do great in a quiet home, or a family with older children.  Merritt 2 has tested negative for FIV and FeLV.  

Easy Like Sunday - The Kitchen Cats

Here's hoping your Sunday is as easy as the one being enjoyed by the adorable and adoptable PAWS "Kitchen Cats."

Foreground: Sparky; Background, L to R: Shadow, Bridget, Freddie, Max (not pictured: Bjork)

Have a great day, everybody! :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Snickers

Do you remember beautiful Snickers, our tabby-tuxie friend with the luminous eyes? She's feeling a lot more confident these days, and her super-sweet personality is on display for all to see. All the PAWS volunteers love her... 

...and her adorable toesies. :) 

Now to help her find the forever home she so deserves.

Dr. Seuss Day - Jeremy-Style

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!  Today is Dr. Seuss Day, and pet bloggers all over the world are celebrating by taking part in the Dr. Seuss Challenge.  Our handsome and oh-so-friendly tabby pal Jeremy is still looking for a forever home, so here he is, extolling his awesomeness in Seuss-ian style...  

Jeremy and so many other amazing cats are available for adoption at PAWS.  Come find your new best friend today!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Brothers

Handsome and gentle brothers Roger and Brian are new to PAWS.  They are still getting used to things at the shelter, but it's pretty clear they're both very sweet mancats. :)

Mancat Moosey Monday

Hi everybuddy!  It's me, Moosey!

You are all such wonderful and thoughtful friends.  So many of you have been asking how I'm doing, and I wanted to let you know that I'm feeling pretty good and comfortable while we figure out how best to deal with my hyperaldosteronism.  Mom and Dad explained to us cats that this decision is one where things aren't exactly "black and white."  So we've all got our thinking caps on right now, and I promise to let you all know when we figure stuff out.

FANKS for all the continued purrs and prayers, good thoughts, and love you have been sending me.  I feel like the luckiest cat in the world. :)

Big hugs and headbonks, and much love,

Moosey (and Mom, Dad, Gracie and Zoe, too)

FURever Home Friday!

Want some great news to start your weekend?  Well, you've definitely come to the right place, because it's time for another edition of FURever Home Friday!  It actually hasn't been very long since our last adoption update, but some really special placements have taken place this week, and we just couldn't wait to share them. :)

Remember our beautiful, playful and super-sweet friend Tai?  She first came to us as a mommy in March 2012.  Her babies were all adopted pretty quickly, but Tai waited patiently at PAWS until Wednesday, when she went to her very own forever home.  It seems this was simply meant to be ... the adoption counselor said it was a mutual love-fest from the moment that Tai met her new family. :)

You might also recall our recent post about adorable siblings Jordan and Jordana.  Well, these cuties have been adopted together!

Also "graduating" were Oliver and Delilah (together), and Bugsy!

And just when we thought it couldn't get any better ... we learned tonight that snuggly senior tabby Sparkle is being permanently fostered by our friend and PAWS volunteer Ginny.  Sparkle is a gentle lap cat who was found as a stray, and who happens to be blind with a number of age-related issues.  We hear through the grapevine that within two hours of being home, she settled in quite comfortably to her new room. :)

Finally, check out this picture of Sandy, who is in permanent foster with another fellow volunteer, Sian.  According to Sian, "Sandy is doing great.  She's enjoying three solid meals a day, bird watching out the window and loving her new office job!"

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Tuxedo (Ruby) Tuesday :)

We'd like to introduce you to our adorable and adoptable tuxie friend Ruby.

It made us very sad to learn that Ruby came to PAWS because her beloved human passed away.  It's clear from her sweet and trusting nature that she has been loved very much, and very well.  And despite the sad circumstances surrounding her arrival here, it's also abundantly clear that this petite beauty is still all about giving and receiving love (she adores snuggles).  And everybody could use some more love in their lives, right? :)

Ruby is about 10 1/2 years young. She's spayed, up-to-date on all of her vaccinations, and has tested negative for FIV and FeLV.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Gracie, Moosey and Zoe

Sending hugs, headbonks and much love to our friends near, far and everywhere in between.

Thank you for making us feel so loved.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Moosey, Gracie, Zoe, Mom Tracey and Dad Kevin

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Creamsicle

This is our pal Creamsicle.  Not only is he super handsome, he also has the loudest purr ever!  And he may not always be snuggly, but he always loves human company.  We can actually hear him turn up the volume on his purring when he knows we're going to hang out with him.  :)

"Creamie" would do best in a quiet home with no children or other pets.  He's about nine years-old, neutered, microchipped, and up to date on all his vaccinations.  He's also tested negative for FIV and FeLV.

FURever Home Weekend

Darn ... we missed FURever Home Friday.  We had every good intention of sharing some great adoption news this week, but just couldn't get everything together.  And with Friday rapidly coming to a close, we found ourselves needing to make an "executive decision."  And so we did.  Without further ado, we present ... FURever Home WEEKEND! :)  Check out who's been adopted since our most recent adoption update!

Morse, Maya and Marcy

Also finding homes of their very own were:

Belle

Esme

Hal

Kiki and Non Non (together)
Lola

Mia

Waveny

And that's not all!  Also in PAWS' latest "graduating class" is our sweet TV-watching friend Sandy.  This amazing and active 16 year-old is now in a permanent foster home!  We bet Sandy gets to watch LIVE Squirrel and Bird TV to her heart's content now.

Sandy

We'll love you always, kitty pals.  But now your much-deserved happily-ever-afters begin.  ConCATulations to you and your new families! :)

Have a great weekend, everybody!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Little Cuties

Pretty Jordana and her handsome polydactyl brother Jordan are about five months old, and super sweet.  And as you can see, they are flat out ADORABLE. :)

An Update on Moosey

We received the special blood test results last night, and they confirmed what the veterinarians had believed.  Moosey has an aldosterone-secreting mass on his adrenal gland, which is causing his body to overproduce sodium and causing his potassium levels to be very low.  This condition is known as hyperaldosteronism, or Conn’s Syndrome.  Possible courses of action are: 1. surgical removal of the mass, or 2. daily medication to suppress the production of aldosterone, and supplements to raise his potassium levels.  There are important considerations with both of these, and we are now working to learn as much as possible so that we can make the most informed decision for Moosey.  I am trying to set up a consultation with the surgeon for this week, and intend to ask LOTS of questions.

Interestingly enough, the doctor said that the symptoms (lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, and dehydration) that caused us to first bring Moosey in are NOT caused by Conn’s.  Most likely, Moosey just “had a bug.” And it was only because they performed an abdominal ultrasound that the mass was even discovered.  Otherwise, we would not have known.  The silver lining is that they’ve caught this early enough that many of the complications associated with Conn’s Syndrome are not yet in play.

Moosey is acting fairly normally, and is definitely happy and comfortable here at home.  He is such a good boy about taking the potassium supplement (thank COD).  We still have a ways to go, but at least we know what it is we’re dealing with now.  Thank you all for your love, purrs, prayers, and positive thoughts and energy.  Please keep them coming, because we know they are truly powerful.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Cinnamon Raspberries :)

We're not sure why sweet and adoptable Cinnamon's tongue was out when we visited...

...but it sure did make us smile. :)

========

P.S. - No news yet about Moosey's blood test results, but he still seems comfortable and happy here at home.  In fact, he's eating some wet food with gusto as I type this.

Quick Moosey Update, and Snoozing Holly

Whew!  What an exhausting week it's been around here.  We're still waiting for the blood test results that will (hopefully) bring us closer to figuring out what's going on with Moosey, but he IS home, and that makes us all happy.  He's been terrific when it comes to taking his meds (especially when his dad administers them), and seems to be feeling a lot better. And his appetite and sunny personality are (mostly) back, too.   Please keep those purrs, prayers and good thoughts coming ... they are such great encouragements!

Anyway ... with the weekend upon us, we're going to volunteer at the shelter, and attempt to catch up on a few things.  We'll also try to follow our adoptable friend Holly's example by doing some serious "relaxamicating":

We hope you all have a wonderful and restful weekend.

Home, Sweet Home (Update on Moosey)

We're happy to report that Moosey said goodbye to his fans at the veterinary clinic this afternoon, and that he is resting comfortably here at home.  It's been a pretty taxing few days for our sweet boy, and he's understandably exhausted.  He's definitely glad to be home, and we're overjoyed to have him here where he belongs. :)

We appreciate you all so very much, and are so grateful for your continued love, support, purrs and prayers, and positive energy.  Please keep all those things coming, as we must now wait for the results of the specialized blood tests (which take 7-10 days) to help confirm or rule out diagnoses for what's ailing Moosey.

Hugs and headbonks,

Dad Kevin, Mom Tracey, Moosey, Gracie, and Zoe

An Update on Moosey

Hi everyone.  Thank you all so much for your thoughts, purrs, prayers, energy, and love for our sweet boy Moosey.  They are all greatly appreciated, and they are helping!

Tracey and I got to visit Moosey twice today, and he was really happy to see us.  He is noticeably stronger and more himself.  The clinic staff have fallen in love with Moosey, and they told us he already has "lots of fans" there.  His doctor said the clinic sometimes gets sexy cats and dogs as patients. But only sometimes.  "Moosey," he said, "is definitely a sexy cat." MOL!

Moosey looking sexy!

Moosey's still at the clinic for now. The specialized blood test results won't come back for at least a week, but IF his potassium levels come up a little and stabilize, he can come home tomorrow! So that is what we are hoping, purring and praying for.

It's still too early to know what is going on with Moosey, but they believe it may be an issue with his adrenal gland.  We'll have some decisions to make at some point, but we will ALWAYS make them with Moosey's best interests and quality of life in mind.  We love our little guy so much.

As Moosey would say ... hugs and headbonks to you all.

Dad Kevin, Mom Tracey, Gracie and Zoe

Purrs and Prayers for Moosey, Please

Hi, everybody. We wanted to let you know that we're going to be a bit scarce for a while...

Will you please purr and pray for our sweet Moosey?

Our beloved boy was admitted to the emergency veterinary/specialty clinic this afternoon, and he will be there through at least Sunday. The tests they've run so far have shown some anomalies that have the specialists closer to figuring out what's going on with Moosey. They have some suspicions, but further testing will be required to confirm those, and to determine next steps. For now, Moosey's alert, getting fluid therapy and antibiotics, and being closely monitored.  We (Tracey and Kevin) will be visiting him tomorrow, but as you can imagine, we feel horrible about having to leave him there. :(

Tracey and I (and sisfurs Gracie and Zoe) are very sad, and very worried. We love our Moosey SO much.

Hugs, headbonks and abundant gratitude,

Dad Kevin (aka "meowmeowmans"), Mom Tracey, Gracie and Zoe

P.S. - We will try to provide updates on how Moosey is doing as we get more information.

FURever Home Friday! :)

We're always happy whenever Friday rolls around.  But we're even happier when it's a FURever Home Friday (and today just happens to be one of those ... yippee)!  Since our last adoption update, PAWS kitties of all shapes and sizes have found their very own forever families.  Check out this latest list of graduates!

BIG: Handsome gentle giant Kipper

MEDIUM: Sweet and beautiful Skylar

SMALL-MEDIUM: Super snuggly special needs teenager Nubbins

AND LITTLE:

Kittens Jingle Bell and Rudolph (together); Ricki and Roo (together); Bart; and Bernie and Barry (together)

Congratulations and much love to all the adoptees and their new families.  Enjoy your happily ever afters!

Oh, and speaking of happily ever afters, here's a "happy tail" from Finn and Piper's (formerly Fry and Scruffy) new family:

"Fry and Scruffy (now Finn and Piper, respectively) are doing great! (Here's) a recent picture. Finn is a champion purrer who loves to play fetch with his toys, and Piper is the queen of giving loving "headbutts" and adores any toy with feathers on it. They are both good little eaters and have been using the litter box as they should.  We are happy to have been able to give them a good home!"

Have a great weekend, everybody!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Jeremy

Tiger tabby Jeremy is one of the official "greeters" in PAWS Cat Room 5.  This handsome and friendly guy loves people and other cats, and is always sure to welcome volunteers, staff and visitors alike as they come through the door.  Jeremy is very bonded with his sister, Julia, so they must be adopted together.  Come meet them today!

Sisters on Sunday (and every other day)

Morticia and Elvira ended up at the shelter after being abandoned by their former owners. As sad as we are that someone would just abandon their animals, we're glad Morticia and Elvira are safe and loved at PAWS until they find a forever home of their own.

Gorgeous tuxie Morticia is about 2 years old, while her beautiful ginger tabby sister Elvira is about 6.

These ladycats are sweet, playful and friendly. We'd all love for them to be adopted together. They'd do best in a quieter home, without other animals or small children. Elvira and Morticia are spayed, microchipped, up to date on their vaccinations, and have tested negative for FIV and FeLV.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Sandy

Here's beautiful and adoptable Sandy, watching her favorite video in Cat Room 3.

And here she is, waiting for some playing and lap time. We're always happy to oblige her. :)

Mancat Monday - Noel

Super handsome Noel is still pretty new around here. But with his sweet and gentle nature, he's already become a favorite of the shelter volunteers and staff. And what a great model he is!

Noel is about 11 years old, neutered, microchipped, and current on his vaccinations. He has tested negative for FIV and FeLV. He also has lots of love and affection for whoever is lucky enough to adopt him. So ... do YOU feel lucky? :)

A New Year, New Homes, and a New Look!

The New Year is such a time of hope, promise and optimism, and we all got a little extra jolt of those things when some lucky PAWS kitties found forever homes this week - right before the end of 2013!  Joining the ranks of PAWS graduates mentioned in our earlier December adoption reports (here and here) were Angel and Yule (together), Belanna and Goblin (together), Cisco, Kojak, Raven, and Yancy.  Happy New Year, indeed! :)

Speaking of NEW, you may have noticed our blog has a beautiful new look, courtesy of our dear and talented friend Ann Adamus at Zoolatry.  (Thank you, Ann!)  We hope you all like it as much as we do!  The new header has so much meaning for us.  In addition to Moosey, Gracie, Zoe, Angel Sammy and Angel Maggie, the header features kitties who are currently waiting at PAWS for their own happily ever afters.

From all of us here at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life ... Happy New Year, and thank you for being our friends.  May your 2014 be filled with love, peace, joy and all good things!

Hugs and headbonks,

Kevin, Tracey, Moosey, Gracie and Zoe (and the PAWS Cats)