Humane Society

[Smare]

Hi,
Did you rescue your cat? I did. We rescued Boogie, my cat from the Humane Society when he was a tiny kitten. He was the one crying the most there. He had parasites, and almost didn't escape the jaws of death, but luckily, he is fine now. Did you rescue your cat? If you are thinking of getting a cat, I reccomend rescuing one from your local animal shelter (Humane Society, etc.) instead of buying one.
Thank you,
*Smare*

[Ben E Gas]

i would never buy one from a pet store. you did a good thing rescuing that cat. I got mine from a friend though.


I bought a box turtle a few months ago from a pet store. SHe's great but I wish i had the money and space to buy all of her friends that were left behind. They looked miserable in there. crowded, dirty water, no rocks to climb on or anything. not to mention its the worst time of year to sell a turtle up here in new england. they're all hibernating or supposed to be hibernating. My new turtle has done the same. I can't wait until spring so she becomes more active.

sorry to change the subject.

[wolflady]

Rescues are definitely the best! Although I didn't rescue Marius from a humane society, I did rescue him off the street as a stray. Poor guy! He was in such bad condition when I got him. He was all skin and bone. You could see his spinal backbone he was so thin...it felt like a string of pearls down his back when you pet him. He had a severe case of ear mites and ticks, and he was unneutered. I don't know where he came from or what irresponsible person dumped him, but he's my sweet heart!!! I've always wanted a lap cat, and that's my boy!! He's an indoor only cat, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems afraid of the outdoors. Maybe he associates it with his previous life as an outdoor stray. White cats are also more prone to skin disease if they are exposed to a lot of sun, so in any case...he's a very happy, healthy, and content house cat! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
Cats like him are why I've gotten involved in rescue at a local no-kill cat rescue shelter here in CA. I like to think that we've given each cat we rescue a second chance at life http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[Smare]

Hi,
Yes, I think everyone would agree that rescued pets are best. I'm not trying to brag, but I'm proud that I saved such a sweet kitty, like Boogie. I'm sure you are proud of saving your cats too. Cats are great pets to me, although I do like dogs, I have a personality like a cat, so I get along with cats better. Thanks for all the advice.

--------------------------------------------
In a cats eye, they are the one that rules
-Anonymous
--------------------------------------------

[Meow101]

SpencerTheLion,
I agree with you too. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif It is 100% better to rescue kittys, and other pets. (BTW-another one of my usernames is Smare)
-Meow101

[Gio]

All my cats (except from one that was given to me) have been rescues of some sort. I found my male cat Gigio starving in a middle of the street 18 years ago, also my female Maya was found, she was the only surviving kitten from that litter, all the others were killed by a dog. Prema was rescued from the local animal rescue shelter. She was run over when she was only 30 days old and due to the accident she lost the best part of her right front leg and her right is also crooked.

Sometimes looking at some breeds I think that I would really like one of those but then I think of all those having to live their life in a tiny cage at the shelter and I know that in the end I will always get them from the shelter, and more than likely they will be one-legged, one-eyed basically those who are difficult to place.

As Smare said I would also recommend to get them from the shelter and I would also say that pets with disabilities can also be an immense joy.

[aly]

My story is similar to wolflady's. I found Shiloh in a parking lot under a truck in bad condition. We got her all healthy though and it didn't take too long for her to become a spoiled princess. This also got me started working with rescue groups and volunteering many hours at the Humane Society. I was putting in more hours than staff, and they hired me http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[wolflady]

Isn't it such a great feeling to know that you saved one of god's creatures? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif All of our animals we have ever owned were rescued in one fashion or another http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
Aly, that's great that the humane society ended up hiring you! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif What is it like working in a humane society? I'm sure the no-kill cat rescue I do volunteer work for is quite different. There's also a animal shelter really close to home, and I thought about going there to see about volunteer activities, but I was afraid that if I started working there that I would be traumatized if I had to deal with people euthanizing an animal. Plus, much to my husband's dismay, I'd want to bring all the doggies and kitties home with me http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif It's a weakness...
Lots of hugs and kisses to everybody's rescued loved ones http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[thelmalu99]

Hi,
Charlie didn't come from a shelter or the street. He came from a friend of a friend who already had cats and could not keep Charlie. I was talking about visiting a shelter to adopt a kitty when I was told about Charlie. The girl who gave me Charlie loved him and took very good care of him (she e-mails periodically to ask how he's doing), but she was going to have to give him away anyway, so I took him. This way I could be sure that this kitty would have a good home with lots of love!

[Meow101]

Hi everyone!
I'm glad most of you rescued your cats, I think it is much better to rescue cats in need, than get a perfectly healthy cat (although I don't have anything against bought cats) It is just more helpful to rescue them. Aly, I would love working at a no-kill Humane Society, but unfortunetly, I'm not quite old enough! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif (9) Wolflady, how did you order Softpaws?
Thanks,
-Meow101

[Pam]

I have an 8 year old orange tabby named Trevor. He was bought at a pet shop by my son's friend as a replacement kitty for his grandmother's cat who just died. Fortunately for me, she didn't want another cat so my son smuggled him into my house one night. He's been here ever since and I love him to pieces! I think he was about $10 but my son's friend worked at the pet shop so he was free.

My other cat, Andy, a snowy white cat, will be 5 years old on 4/4. His owner was carrying him and his brother in her arms while visiting a yard sale. Again, fortunately for me my mom happened to be at that yard sale and asked her to hold him for me. She knew I would love him and I did and still do!!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif Price for Andy - $0.

[wolflady]

meow101, the first time I ordered softpaws was through a Dr. Foster & Smith catalog, but when I found them on the internet, I just placed my order there and it works great (and saved a couple of bucks too! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif )

More hugs for everyone's kitties!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[Meow101]

Hi Wolflady,
I have gotten Dr. Foster & Smith catalogs too, and have seen them in there. (Or at least I saw some blue nail covers on a cat!)
-Meow101

[Meow101]

Aly,
Boogie is also spoiled! He is a spoiled prince! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif Boogie was in really really bad conditon, but is fine now. (Except for being chased by the dog, pestered by me http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif, and all the other bad things that cats have to go through http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif) He is really an outside cat, but I can't stand having him outside all the time. I'm so glad I rescued him! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif He is really sweet.
-Meow101

[aly]

wolflady: Its really fun working there and I've learned a lot. I really wish I had the stomach do be a vet but I tend to get light headed at the sight of blood. I do see some sad stories at the shelter but the good really outweighs the bad. Its a great feeling to see a dog or cat you've been training/socializing/taking care of walk out the door with its new mommy or daddy. I always get so happy when someone gets adopted. We end up having to euthanize about 10-15 animals a year though (mainly due to health problems but a couple extremely bad temperment cases that cannot be corrected). Those are low numbers but each time it happens, it devastates me. The way I get over it, is I pick out a dog or cat and hold them and realize that there are a lot of animals who are going to good homes and who I need to help feel more comfortable in the shelter environment. The first time one of the dogs at the shelter died (parvo), I never wanted to go back. But I realized there were so many others that needed my help and I had to be strong. I could never work at a shelter that euthanized on a regular basis though. That would rip me apart emotionally and I'd been sent to the mental hospital.

Meow101: Yay. I'm glad Boogie has a good home and a caring mommy. His story sounds like Shiloh's. Give him a kiss from Shiloh (she doesnt like cats actually so she'd probably smack him, but we don't have to tell him that http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif )

[4 feline house]

I rescued one that turned into four within a month - Peaches was on the overhead bridge that connected my apartment building to the one across the parking lot. Our apartment was strictly no pets, so I knew it was unlikely that she belonged to any of my neighbors. There was a feral colony behind our building, and the night maanager said she had seen her amongst them. She was clearly not feral, though, as she had no fear of me and came right in my apartment with little coaxing. I let her stay and hid her from the property managers, but within a week she was back outside. Two months later, a few weeks before we were to move into our new house, she showed up again. We let her in again, and this time realized she was pregnant. So we made her stay inside and got caught and may have been evicted if it weren't for the fact that we had already given notice (I think, too, the owner's wife loved cats). Two days before we were to move, amidst all the packing boxes, Peaches gave birth to three wee ones, a boy tuxedo, a girl tuxedo, and a girl brown tabby. Of course, by the time they were old enough to leave their mom we were way too attached, so we still have all of them - Big Mac, Cookie and Pepper, as well as Peaches!

[Vi Co Bi]

The three cats we have now were all owner give-ups of one sort or another. Jackson and Rosie were adopted from a local rescue group and Fluffy was a foster initially, but I think she's all ours now.

Aly ---
Working in a shelter is very difficult work and so emotionally draining, but I know what you mean about staying strong and going back. My first foster was a kitten found tied to the doorknob of the shelter on a Monday morning (no telling how long she'd been there, she wasn't there when Sunday's volunteer went to feed and check on the animals at noon and we didn't get to the shelter till around 9AM). I can still remember the puppies with their collars embedded in their necks (the pup grew, the collar didn't), litters of kittens with distemper, litters of puppies with parvo, the Mama cats with their litter dumped in a pillow case, the owner whose dog jumped out of the back of his truck and was injured so he brought it to us to put to sleep rather than take it to his vet (that's what he pays taxes for!!)...

It has to be much easier in a no-kill shelter; my experience comes from working in a shelter that worked in conjunction with local animal control, but it's still difficult. I know vet techs who were amazed to hear how many vaccinations I'd give in an average "shot" day. After a while, you can pick up the pups or just look at the dogs and "know" how much strongid to give them.

Honey, it'll never get easy, but you'll get stronger. Remember the Serenity Prayer...

[Logan]

I have a terrible admission...I have never stepped foot in a pound or humane society, and it is completely out of fear of my emotions and nothing else. I send money to rescue people, donate supplies, but I can not bring myself to see these needy babies. All of you who work so hard with these animals are to be commended.

But I have always had those needy animals find me somehow. Mimi came from a "surprise" litter. Her parents were brother and sister http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif and one of my employees needed to place them quickly. I've had her since she was six weeks old and she is now almost 12 years old!

Shrimp Boat, Mimi's predecessor(I can't spell, sorry) was found at about 4 mths of age at a seafood market in Holden Beach, NC, having been abandoned there. Of course I had to bring her home. I had her about 6 years, I think, before losing her.

And of course, Butter, the biting wonder cat, found us about 3 months ago. Since that time, we found his owners, but he is very content here and thinks he'll stay! I'm so glad!

All of these wonderful creatures were neutered as soon as possible. I try to do my part in stopping these unwanted pregnancies.

These are great stories that all of you have shared.
Logan

[This message has been edited by Logan (edited March 28, 2001).]

[aly]

Logan, I know exactly how you feel. I grew up scared to death of shelters because I couldn't tolerate thinking of the poor helpless animals. Occasionally when the news would cover a story on shelter animals, and they'd show some footage of the shelter, I'd cover my ears and eyes and talk really loud so I didn't hear anything. I thought evil, evil, evil people must work there too. I was 21 when I finally FORCED myself to go into the city shelter. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I cried for a couple weeks after that. I just really wanted to get a dog from there so I could save his life. Anyway, the humane society is a much better, cleaner atmosphere so I am able to go there daily without the trauma. But I still go back to the city shelter whenever I need to help a poor little dog or cat.

[Genia]

My first cat, Suzy, was found in a parking lot of the apartment building I lived in. My next cat, Mike, was from a pet store. Not a pure bred purchase but one of the programs similar to those Spencer has mentioned. Foster famillies or shelters bring the cats to a store and for a fee of 10-15$ you get the cat, and start off supplies such as litter box, litter, food, and a couple of toys, plus a discount certificate for spay or neutering. I visited a shelter for the first time when I adopted my dog, Dusty. It is so hard to enter a shelter, knowing that a lot of these animals will end of euthanised. I wanted to take them all home with me. Even after I chose Dusty I was still near tears at the thought of the ones that wouldn't find homes. I'm thinking about volunteering at our local shelter but I try to choose activities that my 11 yr old can particpate in. I'm not sure she will be able to handle knowing that some of the animals she has helped care for will be put to sleep. I think that with the horrible past that some of these animals have had to endure, I would be giving them at least a little happiness before they die. I'm just not sure my daughter will be able to handle it.

[Vi Co Bi]

Genia,
My older son worked with me when I helped out at the shelter; he was 8 or 9 at the time. I never tried to pull any punches with him so he always knew that some of the animals would be put to sleep. This gave me an opportunity to explain all the reasons why being a responsible pet owner was extremely important and what the responsibilites of a good pet owner are. It was a very hard lesson to learn, but I am proud that he loves animals and understands what it means to care for a pet over the course of its life.

Whether or not your child can handle understanding depends on the child's level of maturity and how much real life they've already been exposed to. My younger son was helping trap kittens at age 10, my older son started helping me load vaccines at age 11. They are 11 and 18 now.

[wolflady]

Lots of hugs to you working in the shelters! Aly, that's great that you don't work in a shelter that euthanizes on a regualar basis. I know I would be traumatized like you would about that! What a wonderful thing to do all you can to help the babies in need!! What a strong person you are! I wanted to be a vet too, but like you said...I would get lightheaded seeing blood and organs and...what not. It makes me a little queasy. I wouldn't be able to handle that!
I'm with Logan about the fear about stepping inside a humane society. There is one closeby, and when I decide the time is right to rescue a canine fur baby, I want to do it from a rescue, or a humane society or shelter. Unfortunately, I know the one near me euthanizes on a regular basis so I am hesitant to see about volunteer activities. I know that is bad of me. It takes such a strong person to deal with that. Town Cats is no kill, so it's great to see the kitties day in and day out and know that even if they aren't adopted, they'll live their lives out at Town Cats instead of the alternative. It's hard financially, on organizations like this, but it's the love of the animals that keeps them going.

Whether you have rescued from the shelter or the street, or from a person who could no longer take care of the pet, I commend you all. Each one is a form of rescue and a second chance at life in a forever home. My rescue boys send many purrs and head rubs to you all!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[4 feline house]

Spencer - I heard the same proposal not too long ago, but don't remember where - I think it might even have been an old post here with a link to a story of someone's visit to the local shelter - can anyone help me out?

[Gio]

By reading your post I realise more and more how lucky I am to live in a country where kill shelter have been abolished. It also saddens me so much that it is usually the eldest or disabled that don't find a home (as I said before I have a disabled cat and also a "niece" in the same conditions). THey need love just as much as all the others.

I wish I was brave enough to help in one of the rescue shelters but I don't think I would be of much help, I go to pieces only to think of all those cats and dogs who will leave most of their life in a cage. I also could not cope with some of the stories my sister (who does some volontary work)tells me, I could either end up with a nervous breakdown or turn into a terminator and go after some people.

[Meow101]

I thought this would be helpful to people looking for pets. It is a website a brother and sister have made for people that want pets, have a lost pet they are looking for, or need to report a lost pet.
Here it is: http://www.purplepets.com
Hope that can be some help.
-Meow101

[pam_pesto]

I read in the local newspaper for my city (The Ottawa Citizen) that our Humane Society in this city puts down THOUSANDS of cats each year. THOUSANDS every year. Just in Ottawa. I find that many people in this city are terribly uncompassionate, and stats like that don't even register in their minds. In fact, a recent series of Letters to the Editors have involved people arguing in favour of BANNING pets in the city. Another bunch of letters is about the need to kill feral cats because they "cause so many problems." Nobody stops to think about who the actual cause of the problems are: the stupid ignorant owners.
A while back the federal government made what I thought was a great proposal-- tightening up laws relating to animal abuse; making harsher sentences etc. I can't stand our government, but that was a good idea! However, "the public" became angered because they felt such legislation was a "waste of time" and that the government should focus on our "ailing health care system" and tax cuts.
There just seems to be a general apathy among people here. Canada likes to boast about how wonderful it is, but it is totally people-centric here, and animal welfare is extremely low on people's priority lists. I am anxious to get through university, get a decent job (hard to come by up here) and eventually have my own no-kill cat shelter. Most people want wealth and possessions, but I want a building full of kitties!

------------------
Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[pam_pesto]

Oh yes-- Pesto is a kitty who was saved from the death row of the Ottawa Carleton Humane Society. I hate to think of what would have become of her had we not fallen in love with her.

------------------
Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[Jasper's Mom]

I look almost every other day at the local Humane Society here in Hawaii for my 5 yr old kitty, Jasper. He is lost...and I desperately want to rescue him again. I found him lost and injured in a parking lot, an itty bitty black ball of fur, sick and starving. He now has a 1" stub tail due to his injury. His only other color is white markings on his tummy. He is precious, he is loved. He has an ID chip, and hopefully, some day soon, some kind person or a feral cat rescue person will help him pass through the Humane Society system so he can be rescued again. By them and again by me. My dog Sandy (rescued from the same Hum Soc) searches for him when I say my kitty's name. My pup Moses does too. When I search the many cages of kitties and the cat house where they are up for adoption, I realize how many sweet and precious, beautiful and loving cats there are, waiting for a forever home. I will never give up looking for Jasper. If my memory is correct, in June the Hawaiian Humane Society has a 2 for 1 special for all kitties, for the $55 fee. A bargain with the services provided. Lots of kittens there already. Some day I will be ready to rescue another.

------------------

[Gio]

Jasperìs Mum,

I really hope you are going to find your kitten soon. Keep us posted.
Gio

[wolflady]

Jasper's mom,

Oh! I certainly hope you find your kitty baby soon! I would be in a frenzy if one of my babies was missing. We'll pray for his safe return.

Hugs,
Karen

[Jasper's Mom]

Jasper, my precious kitty, has been missing for three weeks now. Vanished...no sign of him. Even followed tips from Sherlock Bones, for finding your lost pet. Had to stop checking the Humane Society...so many black kitties looking like him. One rushed to me when I called my kitty's name, but alas, a long tail, and Jasper's tail was injured and gone as a kitten. The sadness that filled me made me stop going there. He has an ID chip and they scan all animals four times in their processing. If he was able to come home, he would have...tomorrow I call the city d--- animal pick up again. I miss him. My two dogs give me lots of hugs and licking kisses.

[margaret]

Jasper's Mom:

I'm so, so sorry that your beloved Jasper is lost!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif I know you must be feeling so desperate and sad. I will pray that you find him or that he'll come home soon. I'm glad your dogs are comforting you.



------------------
]Margaret

[Gracy]

I'm really sorry that your cat Jasper is missing too. I know how it must feel. At home in Germany my father died. He was the closest to my cat. The day he died my cat Blacky took off. He didn't return for 5 weeks. My Mom looked everywhere for him. It was in such a hard time (having lost her husband that she had loved for 37 years) and now Blacky was gone. She looked everywhere, at the shelter, the neighbors..., she posted signes. Than after 5 weeks he was found skinny likes bones in the bushes of a neighbors' yard. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif Mom took him to he vet and he got a shot to give him some energie. She fed him well and gave him lots of love and he got all better again.
Lots of love and luck to your little one!!
Gabi

Originally posted by Smare:
Hi,
Did you rescue your cat? I did. We rescued Boogie, my cat from the Humane Society when he was a tiny kitten. He was the one crying the most there. He had parasites, and almost didn't escape the jaws of death, but luckily, he is fine now. Did you rescue your cat? If you are thinking of getting a cat, I reccomend rescuing one from your local animal shelter (Humane Society, etc.) instead of buying one.
Thank you,
*Smare*

I got both of my cats from rescue groups. Henry, (or Tank as he is known) was a from private group of people that rescued animals. He was very young (4 weeks) and almost did not make it. George was from a local privately funded no kill shelter. They are the best cats and I would always rescue! Cathy

[alexnell]

Hi. I'm a cat foster mom for my local humane society. We're having a cat adoption event this Saturday. I'd like to ask a favor. Can all you wonderful people keep the following kitties in your thoughts and prayers? Toby and Tubbs are striped tabby brothers. Smokey is a small gray guy. There are five kittens ready to leave their mother. I'm currently fostering a mom and 4 3-week-old kittens who will be ready in a little over a month. Any positive energy and luck you can send their way is greatly appreciated. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[Karen]

We will! We will hope they all get good homes, and grow up big and strong and safe. Warm purrrrrrs to all!

[wolflady]

alexnell, hugs to your foster babies! All of us will send good vibes and warm thoughts your way for the adoption of all the kitties! Let us know how it goes!
Karen

[4 feline house]

Alexnell-

My prayers have been said for all your little guys (and gals) - especially for Tubbs since that is one of the nicknames of my 20 lb tuxedo, Big Mac!

[alexnell]

Thanks for your support and encouragement. You brought up important points, Spencer. Our Humane Society has a fairly detailed adoption form. We've been told that getting a home loan or adopting a child would be easier. (It's really not THAT bad.) We also ask and reask the same questions verbally to make sure we don't get answers that don't jibe. When people call they are questioned by the person answering the phone, and then also by the foster parent. Part of our job as foster parents is to observe the potential adopters' interaction with the cats to see if their behavior is appropriate. We ask extensive questions about the type of cat personality the people are looking for and also try to guess what type of human the cats would like best. If the adopters have children, we will make sure we know how they interact with the cat. By having the cats in our homes, we get to their personalities well and can give a fairly accurate(I hope)picture of them to their new humans. Toby was almost adopted a few weeks ago, but the elderly couple wanted a cat who wouldn't jump on counters. Toby loooves jumping on anything. So, since he would drive them nuts counter-hopping and they would drive him nuts trying to stop him, we(they and I) decided to nix the deal. The right fit is vital. And we are very careful in placing kittens. The high-demand you mentioned enables us to be very choosy about who gets a little ball of fluff. Anytime adopters have questions or concerns they can call us. Most of the problems are easily fixed. Only a few aren't. Oftentimes we get calls from new "parents" who just want to let us know how great their cat is and brag about how much the cat likes them. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

[4 feline house]

Alexnell-

Isn't it great that some of the adoptive parents call you to let you know how their babies are doing? My mom used to foster for N. Tx. Humane Society, and one of the adopters turned out to live a block away from her. They kept in such close touch that anytime he needed a pet sitter, he brought them to my mom's!

[alexnell]

The cat adoption went well. Three of the kittens who were weaned were adopted during the week. The other two were adopted today. One of my 24-day-old foster babies is on reserve. That leaves three mother cats, 3 24-day-olds, 6 17-day-olds, and 3 adult males.

Some people wanted to adopt Toby, but they were refused. If people let their child go for a week (my guess) without a bath, smelling like urine, covered in layers of dirt, we certainly aren't giving them a cat. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/mad.gif Wish we could take the kid away. They seemed spaced out (like they were on drugs?).

Other people looked, but balked at our adoption fee, or they wanted a kitten to take home today. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/rolleyes.gif

Thanks for all the good wishes. I'll update later.

[4 feline house]

Congratulations on a good day!

[nsweezie]

It really is great to see the number of cats that have been rescued.
My current two were both "saved" from owners that didn't want them or weren't looking after them properly.
My cat Scooter was given to me at age 8 weeks. He was underweight because his mother had run out of milk, and his owner wasn't giving him or his brothers anything else to eat. It was very hard picking him knowing that his 3 brothers weren't coming with him, but I was only able to take 1 cat. 2 of his brothers went to good homes not long after, but sadly one had to go to the pound, and was eventually euthanized because no home could be found for him.
Scooter's mother had already had numerous litters, and was soon pregnant again. I actually offered to pay for her to get fixed, but the owner refused, which made me very angry. Last I had heard she has had 4 litters since Scooter, a tragedy, because no doubt many wound up like Scooter's unwanted brother.

[4 feline house]

I can't get inside these peoples' heads! My upstairs neighbors have two beautiful boys, almost a year old. Neither are neutered yet. I gave them SNYP coupons several months ago. In the meantime, she has received a hefty inheritance, has bought two $40,000 trucks, is about to close on a new home, and still the cats are running around, outside, loose, and unneutered (and I'm sure unvaccinated, too). I'm tempted to take them in my house and hide them until the neighbors are packed and gone, then have them neutered and adopt them out to a family who will put their cats' and society's interests ahead of new trucks.

[Jasper's Mom]

Today is day #39 that my kitty Jasper has been missing. Other than calls from other people missing their own cats, there has been no news. I hope I helped them in suggestions for searching, although it hasn't worked for me. He is missed.

[margaret]

I am still praying that Jasper will come home or will be found. I do hope that you won't have to wait much longer and that he will be home safe with you soon.

------------------
~Margaret

[I_love_cats]

I got all of my cats from my shelter, two of them I adopted were kittens, 2mos and 3 mos. I would never buy from a pet store, at least with the shelter you know they are healthy. My first cat I got was from my shelter, he came up to the cage and started sticking his paw through the cage, he's a black and white. I would recommend everyon should adopt from their local shelter.

[moosmom]

It's 7:30 a.m. and I just got through reading all the posts in this thread. I am so proud to be a member of this site with such wonderful, caring people.

Jasper's Mom, any news on Jasper?? I hope and pray he comes home soon.

Vi Co Bi, you are very wise to teach your children early the importance of pet care and responsibility. I truly believe that children are products of their environment. Parents should be role models for their children. You are one heck of a role model.

I have six cats. My first two, Mollie Rose and Casey were not rescues but came from friends who needed homes for their kittens.

Then there's Maya Linn (named after the woman who designed the Vietnam Wall. She is a seal lynx point torbie with white (:rolleyes: phew!!) who is a rescue from the San Juan Airport in Puerto Rico. She, her brother and mama were found in a box by the dumpster. She has been shown in the household pet category at cat shows and has done VERY well. She is now retired and enjoying her life as a mama's girl.

MooShoo...well, what can I say about the dude?? He's a Sphynx that was rescued from a breeder in NY. He and 7 other Sphyxes were found surrounded filth. They were very sick, having a herpes virus in their eyes. Moo is blind in his left eye and has limited vision in his right. But he is a 11 pound pistol with such energy and a wonderful purrsonality. He also won many awards in the household pet category.

Carly is an American Curl tiger that was also rescued from a breeder who lost her house. Carly is very petite and a little on the shy side.

And last, but certainly not least is....

Little Mews Faberge, a/k/a Shorty is my calico munchkin. Having spent the first year of her life in a cage, I saw her at a cat show. She was terrified of people. All she did was cower in her cage. She did not do well. I asked the breeder if I could take her home and "foster" her to get her used to being handled and let her be around other kitties. The breeder agreed providing I would keep showing her and allow her to have kittens after her third cycle. It took a while but she has come out of her shell. Unfortunately, she developed pyometria, a uterine infection that can be fatal to a cat and her babies. She had to be spayed. Since she was no longer of any use to the breeder :mad:, as she couldn't have kittens, the breeder allowed me to keep her providing I paid her vet bill of $350. There was no way I was going to let shorty go back to that Frankenstein and live her life in a cage. She is now a happy, healthy 2 year old with a kittenish personality. And yes, for all you folks who ask if they can jump on counters, they can and do. And no, they are not deformed, unlike the sick "twist kitties" a woman somewhere has produced to prevent them from scratching furniture and jumping on counters. UGH!! :mad:

Sorry this is so long. Hey, whattaya expect, I got six cats!!!

:D

Donna

[AmberLee]

Dear Donna,

The good news is Jasper came home!!! Unfortunately, Jasper's Mom has quit posting here. I miss her, she was one of my first P.T. friends. Her ex was giving her a lot of hassles and then she quit posting. Has anyone heard from her recently? I hope she's okay.

Your home sure sounds lively. I can't quite picture Maya Linn. Would you please post photos of all your babies? They sound very lovable and quite a handful. Lovely stories. (Oh, is Casey a male?)

[moosmom]

AmberLee,

Things are lively at my house. Especially with six cats in a 2 bedroom apartment

Here is a picture of Maya Linn that I took this morning.

[moosmom]

Here is another picture of Maya Linn that shows her markings a little better.

[moosmom]

And finally...Casey and me! This was taken yesterday. His nickname is Bubba. He weighs 18 pounds.

[moosmom]

One more (sorry!) it might show Casey a little better than the first one.

[AmberLee]

I bet it's lively! :D Maya Linn is precious -- her eyes are mesmerizing; but I think Casey's captured my heart! He looks like he likes cuddlies, does he?

[moosmom]

AmberLee,

Casey is a real cuddlebug! He was an orphan at the age of 2 weeks when his mother was killed by a car. He adopted me when he was 5 weeks old. He always stands on his hind legs for me to pick him up. I couldn't ask for a better, more loving cat.

On another note :D , I have a little boy named Dudley in my back bedroom. He was found wandering the streets of New Britain (known as the black hole for cats). A 13 year old boy found him and called to see if one of the rescue organizations could take him in. Unfortunately, because it's kitten season, there was no room. I offered to pick him up and foster him till a home could be found. I'm falling in love!! He is a real lovebug too.

He's 7 months old (unneutered, but not for long!) and has a coat anyone would be envious of. He's black with a little white locket on his chest. When he sits in the sun, his coat has a chocolate highlight to it.

Here's his picture.

[AmberLee]

I see what you mean, he's adorable!

[moosmom]

I let him out last night because he was meowing to come out. There's alot of hissing going on but no bloodshed. I'm hoping that he can stay out once all the cats get used to him so he won't have to be stay in the bedroom till he can be placed. I would LOVE to keep him but it's just not possible. :(