Hooray for Minnie!

Kevin and I are ecstatic about some wonderful breakthroughs that Minnie is now making!

I mentioned in my previous blog entry that this demure little kitty is a bit on the timid side. And even though she's still somewhat shy, she has recently taken a liking to coming out of her cage. Once Minnie's out, she revels in the attention lavished upon her by the volunteers. She loves being pet, and really enjoys it when Kevin and I sit on the floor with her. It's quite clear that she'd do really well in a quiet home, with people who understand her gentle nature.

These remarkable changes in Minnie can be directly attributed to the consistent attention she receives from some volunteers who chose to work with kitties who need some extra special tender loving care. We can't wait until we see those folks at the shelter, so that we can give them a great big "thanks!” from Minnie (and us, too!).

Feral Cat Day Friday

Today is National Feral Cat Day! Now in its ninth year, National Feral Cat Day was launched in 2001 by Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for feral and stray cats and a recognized authority on Trap/Neuter/Return (T/N/R) — the program wherein cats who live outdoors are humanely trapped and brought to a veterinarian to be evaluated, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Friendly cats and kittens are put up for adoption. Feral cats that have undergone the procedure are released back into the areas from which they came, with volunteer caregivers providing a managed food source and monitoring the colony to aid sick or injured cats.

PAWS has been -- and continues to be -- a strong proponent of T/N/R programs. Once a month, the shelter donates sections of its facility to FeralCare -- a local, all-volunteer group dedicated to T/N/R as the most effective way to help control cat overpopulation. FeralCare volunteers capture these outdoor kitties and bring them to PAWS, where veterinarians volunteer their time to perform the spays, neuters and vaccinations.

According to the FeralCare Website, T/N/R is the most humane and nationally accepted way to handle feral cat colonies. Once neutered, unwanted yowling, spraying, cat fights and aggressive behavior toward neighborhood 'social' cats is reduced significantly. Undesirable behavior is averted, and no more kittens will be born. As the method is implemented, the feral cat numbers will gradually decline.

Update on Eden the Cat

Eden continues to delight us with his progress. Since my last posting about him, I've discovered this sweet boy likes to play (as you can see from the above picture) and LOVES being brushed. When I sit on the floor in Eden's room, he's now comfortable enough to lay right next to me, leaning against my legs as I pet him. :)

Funny Photo Friday

Here's a silly photo of sweet Valerie. She always puts a smile on our faces! :)

Some New Happy Tails!

It's been a while since we last did an adoption update, and we're happy to report some fantastic news about some of the kitties who have been covered here on our blog. :)

Joining the ranks of those who've found their forever homes (and people of their very own!) are:

- Raisin and Reggie (together)

- Socks

- Sparky

- Madeline

- Cherry (pictured below)

When Cherry's new mommy came to take her home, she told the PAWS adoption counselor a really neat story. Here it is:

The woman explained that she came to PAWS in search of a cat to replace her kitty who had passed away earlier this year. When she met Cherry, she absolutely fell in love with this sweet girl. The woman's adoption application was still being processed, and as such, she couldn't take Cherry home that day. But she resolved to call the shelter in a few days to find out if she had been approved. Over the next few days ... try as she might ... the woman just couldn’t get Cherry out of her mind. And then, while eating at a Chinese restaurant, she was surprised to read her fortune, which said: “He who seeks shall find.” You can imagine her amazement when the flip side of the fortune was a "Chinese word to learn" that translated into ... “CHERRY!" Was it destiny? Perhaps. Is it a truly happy ending?" Definitely!

Cherry's new mommy called PAWS about an hour after taking her home to share that Cherry was purring away in her lap. She said they both couldn’t be happier. :)

We love all of you, feline friends. Be well in your forever homes!

(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...).

Hail Pharaoh...

Hail to one of the sweetest cats to ever set foot in PAWS!

Pharaoh -- a gentle cat who came to PAWS when his owner passed away -- is the type of cat who blends in with the crowd. Blending in isn't a bad thing, but in this case it means Pharaoh doesn't have the kind of personality that stands out when you first meet him. It's times like these that the work of the volunteers is even more important. We get to know the subtle nuances of a cat through regular interaction and can offer up this information when called upon by an adoption counselor. It can make all the difference in the world, and help to create the "perfect match" between adopter and pet.

So what, you may be asking, is Pharaoh's personality like? Well, as mentioned above, he's a gentle soul AND he loves the company of people. Regular petting is definitely on his menu of favorites. He's also really easy-going, which makes the task of getting him back in his cage after some time out a breeze...(:

Kev and I are continuing to get to know Pharaoh, and can't wait to share our updates about this wonderful boy.