Black and White and Sweet All Over

From my hubby Kevin (the writer):

Even though he’s a very confident kitty, Tay (the all-white guy) can be be startled if he doesn’t see us coming. What's up with the seeming contradiction, you ask? Well, as it turns out, this handsome, sweet and playful boy just happens to be totally deaf. But Mighty Tay doesn’t let such a minor thing stop him from climbing the cat tree in his room with speed and agility, chasing a ball with reckless abandon or telling Tracey and me that he wants to be let out of his cage to stretch his legs! He loves people and seems fine with other (non-aggressive) cats.

Gentle sisters Jezebel and Neko (at right in their picture) are two of our favorite feline pals. These sweet girls look an awful lot alike, but now that we’ve spent a lot of time with them, we’ve learned that it’s actually pretty easy to tell them apart. The first difference is the color of their eyes. Neko -- who is a little more outgoing than her sister -- has beautiful yellow eyes, while Jezebel has amazing orange eyes. Both girls really enjoy being pet, and both (especially Neko) LOVE to play with string toys, which they swat at and leap after with kitten-like energy. Our visits with them are never complete without a session with the long, fleecy string-on-a-stick toy. Their other highly developed skills include keeping each other warm and lounging (see picture). Like all good sisters, Jezebel and Neko are extremely attached to each other, and as such are “a package deal” for any potential adopters. In our opinion, that’s not a bad thing … whoever adopts this pair is getting quite a bargain!

Alexis and Jasper

Today Kevin enjoyed some quality time with Alexis (see left pic) and Jasper (see right pic). He reported that Alexis loves to play with little stuffed mouse toys and her roommate Jasper's tail (through the bars of his cage). She especially likes being held and walked around the room.

Jasper loves people, is very sweet and purrs up a storm. All this boy lives for is someone to give him a warm place to stay with food, water and lots of love. He is such an amazing, gentle soul.

Sadly, both these kitties have Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). In addition to FeLV, Jasper has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

These are the sad cases for volunteers ... when an animal comes into the shelter after being on the street for many years, only to be vet-checked and diagnosed with an illness. There is that one ray of hope, however: that a kind and compassionate person (or people) will be searching for just this special type of kitty, to give it a nice home and the love that it's been searching for.

Until next time...

All the PAWS creatures...Big and Small

Two of our favorite kitties are Mr. Big and Michelle.

Mr. Big (left pic) is a really big boy with a really big heart. Kevin spent much time today with this easy-going, mild mannered boy who sat in his lap for almost a half an hour. What made him leave the comfort of Kevin's lap? Why food of course! (:

Michelle (pic on right) is an absolutely adorable tuxedo cat with little white cheeks and beautiful green eyes. She's content to just relax and observe what's going on around the playroom. She likes to lay by people and is really gentle.

That's it for now...

Welcome to PAWS Buddy and Hassie!

Two beautiful cats arrived at PAWS not too long ago, but have made big impressions on the shelter staff and volunteers.

Buddy (picture on left) is a handsome long-haired gray and white cat. He has a gentle personality but seems a little nervous around other cats. That could be because he's pretty new. He likes to sit on laps and be petted, is very photogenic and plays with fleece string toys.

Hassie (two right pictures) is a gorgeous long-haired, dilute calico cat. She has a very confident way about her and she's a total mush...Loves to be held and carried around as if she was your child. She's super sweet and craves attention.

We look forward to continuing to work with them, but most of all, for that day when they and all the other wonderful animals at PAWS leave to live in their forever homes.

Rays of Sunshine During a Tough Time...

I don't know about you all but this economy and the resulting layoffs can really bum a person out. It's so nice to be able to take my mind off things and visit my little buddies at the shelter. It feels so rewarding to dedicate time to these animals - and they really show us in their own little ways just how much they appreciate it.

Yesterday Kevin and I had breakthroughs with both Dylan and Ari.

Dylan (left photo) has been at the shelter for a little while, yet every time Kevin and I would go into his room, he would pretty much keep to himself. Well, yesterday, Kevin was laying on this huge bean bag-like seat and Dylan came up, laid near Kevin and proceeded to inch closer and closer and closer...Eventually he put his paw on Kevin's chest and just laid there...It was so cute.

When Ari (Orange tabby in top right photo) came into the shelter with his brother Artie, they were both very standoffish. In the short time that Ari's been at the shelter he no longer feels the need to run away from people, and now enjoys the petting that both Kevin and I give him. Question...What are Dylan and Ari looking at in this photo?

...Why it's CAT TV! (bottom right) This picture shows how much Dylan and Ari enjoy a little CAT TV time...(:

Thank goodness for the things that make us happy.

Welcome new additions to PAWS...

There have been some recent kitty additions to PAWS that I'd like to write about tonight:

Vine (mentioned in my last post and in left pic above) is an adorable, petite kitty who loves the company of people. Kevin and I are just getting to know her so we can't speak too much about her personality but plan to give you more details as we do (unless she gets adopted really quickly which would not be a surprise).

Her brother Raisin (in right pic) is a little more reserved and less confident, but very nice and people-oriented. Although his personality isn't as outgoing as Vine's, he does share the same body type.

It would be awesome for this pair if someone was looking to adopt two kitties instead of one. Maintenance for two cats is not all that much more than one and it's nice for kitties to have companionship ... it helps keep them stimulated so that they don't get too bored when not in the company of their owners/family members.

Until next time...Thanks!

Like he knew what he was talking about...

A funny thing happened to Kevin and me today. We were sitting in a restaurant and wouldn't you know we were sitting right next to a family of "cat experts." Well ... at least the younger man in the group thought he was an expert. We couldn't help but overhear his monologue about how cats are very independent and do only what they want to do and how they don't like attention, etc. After this family left, I mentioned how great it would be if tonight's posting was about dispelling folks' misconceptions of cats. So, here it goes ... time to dispel myth #1.

Myth #1: Cats are aloof
Fact: Although there are a small percentage of cats that are aloof, our experiences at the shelter (and, combined, we've been volunteering for over 16 years) have proved otherwise. When we enter each room, 99.9% of the cats can't wait to interact. The other .1% are mostly asleep...(:

I've attached two photos of cats at the shelter who love loving (and laps):
Ilona (top photo) is such a cute kitty who loves a good lap. Once I let her out of her cage, and I sit down, she comes over and jumps on my lap.

Vine (bottom photo) is fairly new to PAWS but is warming up very quickly to her surroundings. She jumps on the couch next to me and wants me to cradle and pet her.

Some thing most folks who aren't as familiar with cats don't know is that cats give clues (like dogs) that indicate when they're happy to see you (come up to you excitedly or rub their faces against the cages). When they want you to pet them (rub up against you or their tails twitch). When they're mad or anxious (tail swishes side to side). Insecure (often fold their legs under their bodies). You just have to be receptive and responsive to the cues they're sending. One thing I'd like to stress is that they can often be subtle with some of these cues so it's important to watch their behavior carefully. It's often difficult to pick up on when they're not feeling well so it's important to make a mental note of their routines. If there's a break their routine (i.e. eliminating outside the litterbox, etc.,) that's often a sign that their surroundings may have been disturbed (such as new furniture, a new person or animal in the household) or they may not be feeling well.

Until tomorrow night...(: