(Almost) Wordless Nutmeg

Meet our sweet and silly pal Nutmeg. You'd never know it from this post, but she's really difficult to get good photos of. That's because she loves people so much that she kept running straight at me, as if to say, "less picture-taking and more petting, please!" Fortunately, she finally agreed to pose for a few frames ... and did a great job of it. 💖

Nutmeg came to PAWS from a very dangerous situation, in which she was living next to a highly trafficked street with lots of cars. We're grateful that she's safe here while she waits to find her forever home, where she can get all pets and attention her little heart desires. She is spayed, current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. With winter fast approaching, Nutmeg is going to make a great snuggle buddy for whoever is lucky enough to adopt her!

Selfies by Misty

Did you know October is Black Cat Awareness Month? We're big fans of black cats, and that most definitely includes our gorgeous, sleek, and sweet friend Misty. As you can see, she has a super shiny coat and is extremely photogenic.

Misty came to PAWS as a very young mother (she's only a little more than one year old herself). We are thankful she and her babies found their way to this safe place until they find their forever homes. Misty is a little bit shy with new people, but give her a chance and you will see she is SO sweet and loves being pet and getting attention. She is spayed, current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. Misty is all ready to find her happily ever after. Is it with you?

We're participating today in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by our wonderful friends at The Cat on My Head. Be sure to check out who's hopping along and/or join in on the fun!

(Almost) Wordless Flutterby

Check out our beautiful and gentle friend Flutterby. Isn't she lovely?

Flutterby was pretty much a baby herself when she had her three kittens -- Hopper, Dragonfly, and Ladybug. The little family wound up on the streets after being abandoned by their former humans. Thankfully Flutterby and her kittens found their way to the safe haven of PAWS. Her babies have all been adopted, and Flutterby is ready to find a forever loving home where she can be some lucky human's baby. She can be a little shy with strangers, but give her a minute and you'll see she loves being pet and curling up on laps! She also happens to do well with other nice kitties. Flutterby is spayed, microchipped, current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. Come meet her today, and fall in love!

Selfies by Moonbeam

In a case of "one of these things is not like the other," our buddy Moonbeam found himself dumped by his former people in a feral cat colony. We can straight up tell you that this sweet and friendly boy is most definitely not feral, and we're glad he is now safe and loved at PAWS. As for these photos, they were taken during a time out from playing and snuggling - two of Moonbeam's favorite activities.💖

Ten month-old Moonbeam is a really nice dude. He loves people, is good with other cats, and has even had some exposure to dogs. Moonbeam is neutered, microchipped, current on his vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. He's so ready to find his forever loving home. Could it be with you?

 

We're participating today in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by our wonderful friends at The Cat on My Head. Be sure to check out who's hopping along and/or join in on the fun!

(Almost) Wordless Raya

If you're looking for a new best friend, you should definitely meet our buddy Raya. That's because this adorable kitty has one of those happy purrsonalities that make her everybody's best friend!

Raya, who is about 6 months old, loves playing and also adores being pet and getting attention from her human pals. She gets along well with other nice cats, and is good with kids, too. See what we mean by "everybody's best friend?" Rays is spayed, current on her vaccinations, and negative for FIV and FeLV. Come meet this cutey at PAWS today!

Selfies by Honeydew

Our beautiful pal Honeydew has the biggest, roundest eyes. As you can see from her selfies, they kind of give her a look of perpetual surprise!

Or maybe that's a "What do you mean I just volunteered to take this week's Sunday Selfie?!" look. We're not really sure, but we do know Honeydew is a real sweet and gentle kitty who is ready to find a true forever home. She's about one year old, spayed, and current on her vaccinations. She enjoys her human buddies, and gets along with the other nice cats in her open room. Come meet her today, and fall in love!

Honeydew has tested positive for FIV, but it's important to remember this does not mean she can't live a long and happy life! According to Best Friends Animal Society, "FIV-positive cats can live normal lives, both in quality and duration. They just need to be monitored for infections and dental issues. But if they’re well cared for, they can be healthy, happy, wonderful pets." FIV cannot be passed to other cats through casual contact, or by sharing food, water, or a litter box. Nor can it be passed to people or other pet species.

 

 

We're participating today in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by our wonderful friends at The Cat on My Head. Be sure to check out who's hopping along and/or join in on the fun!

How Ava Found Her Loving Family / #RememberMeThursday

Thursday, September 28, is Remember Me Thursday, a worldwide event that shines a light on orphan pets, and the beauty and life-saving importance of pet adoption. To commemorate this special day, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane to an event that changed our lives forever.

Those who’ve been reading our blog for a while know we’re longtime cat volunteers at PAWS. We’ve been volunteering so long, in fact, that through the years, we’ve had the honor of helping literally thousands of kitties find their forever homes. It never gets old for us, because it's something that is near and dear to our hearts. Sometimes, though, that something runs even deeper. With that said, here’s how our sweet housepanther Ava found her forever home – with us!

Ava (who was formerly named “Theta”) was first adopted as a kitten. As it turns out, the family who adopted her did not teach their dog to be respectful of its new feline sibling. Ava was terrified, and from what we have been told, ran into the family’s semi-finished attic and hid there for NINE MONTHS. Oh, they would put food and water up there, but did not spend much quality time with her. They eventually managed to catch her, and returned her to PAWS. As you can imagine, Ava was confused, nervous, and shy when she came back. We can only imagine what she was thinking in the midst of all the unfamiliar sights, smells, and sounds she was experiencing. She was surely wondering where she was, why she was there, and what would end up happening to her. Of course, all that meant she wasn't exactly "showing well" to potential adopters. This beautiful kitty would cower and try to make herself small and invisible in the back of her cage, unsure if humans could be trusted.

This is where us volunteering comes in. We have the privilege of getting to know the cats in PAWS’s care, and as we got to know Ava, we started thinking this really sweet but very scared girl might just fit into our family, and be a great little sister for Gracie, who had lost her littermate of 17 years (Zoe) a few months prior.

(Now angel) Gracie and Ava

It's hard to believe Ava has been a part of our family for more than five years. She was, in fact, a great sister for Gracie (who made her journey to the Bridge in December 2020, at age of 20). She has also absolutely and positively blossomed. No longer is she the cat who lacked confidence, was nervous about sleeping on our bed, always deferred to her older sister, and did not even know how to meow. Her transformation has brought us so much joy. That formerly shy cat who hid in her cage is now confident, SO happy, and very good at enforcing feeding, sleeping, and lap time schedules for her mom and dad. She has found her voice, with a variety of vocalizations that make us smile each and every day. And she is loved so very much.

Ava’s happily-ever-after tale shows the importance of pet adoption for all of us. Did we save her? Yes. Did she save us? Also, yes. Did adopting her help save more lives by opening up space at the shelter for another adoptable kitty? Yes again. In our eyes, adopting Ava was a win in every way.

There are still lots of cats (and dogs) still waiting to find loving homes. If you’re in a position to adopt, and happen to live in the Norwalk, CT area, be sure to check out all the adoptable PAWS cats and dogs here. If you live too far to do that, we know there are so many wonderful and adoptable cats and other pet animals at your local shelter/rescue (many of which are listed on Petfinder and/or Adopt a Pet)! Who knows? Maybe today's the day you'll find your new best friend.