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!
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