I met with Debbie (Tubby & Peanut's Mom) today.

[Uabassoon]

Debbie was in town for an RV convention so we met up at the Hermitage Cat Shelter so she could meet Scooter the cat that she sponsers. I took some pictures, but I was so busy petting the cats that I forgot to have one taken of me!

This is Debbie with a sweet kitty named Homer. He had some neurolgical damage because his mother had distemper.



Here is Debbie with Scooter, she was so sweet and would scoot up to me, Alexa and Debbie for attention.




I don't remember this guys name, but he really loved Alexa. They said that he was almost 100% blind.


This is the outdoor area for the special needs cats.


This big guy seemed pretty happy!


Then we left the area with the special needs cats and went to see those in the adoptable area.

Alexa was quick to make a friend!


Does anyone need a black kitty?


This girl was so beautiful, but very shy. I wanted to pet her but she didn't want anyone getting too close to her.


Out of their 400 cats in the shelter half of them are special needs and will most likely live there for their entire lives. At first I was sad to see all of those with special needs, but then I realized that they were happy and had a place to live where they would be loved and cared for.

[lbaker]

Oh WOW! Beautiful cats and sounds like a beautiful time. So happy to hear you all were able to meet up again! Debbie, I swear you get prettier every day. Special cats and special people

[Karen]

It looks like a very special place, and such pretty kitties! Hmmmm - did the staff check Alexa's satchel on the way out? That looks big enough to fit at least one stowaway!

[slick]

**waves** Hi Debbie!!!! Hi Alexa!!! Hi Laura!!!
Debbie, I emailed you yesterday. Was worried because you hadn't checked in with PT. Now I see why! How sad to see so many special needs kitties....but it's nice that they have a warm place to live out their lives. Still, wouldn't it be nice if each and every one of them found a loving home of their very own???

Laura, I'd like to know more about this sponsoring thing. How can I get involved?? I'm going to PM you my email address so we can discuss. Is there a website I can check out??

[Uabassoon]

Slick here is their website.

the hermitage cat shelter

The cat on the main page right now Thumper was the cutest little thing ever! He had such a great personality, we all fell in love with him.

[slick]

Thanks.

[CalliesMom]

I lived in Tucson a couple of years ago (I graduated from UA 2003) and I wanted to volunteer at the Hermitage. They never called me back but I fell in love with the place! Such a wonderful environment for kitties in need. Thanks for the pics!

[jenluckenbach]

It is great that you all got to meet. Now when is Debbie driving that motor home THIS way?

That shelter looks so nice. And the kitties!!!! I would not have been able to walk away from them all.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

What a great shelter!!! I love that shy calico girl!! She wouldn't be shy much longer if she would get the chance to join my crew
Thanks for all these pics!!

btw, GREAT legs, Debbie

[Barbara]

What a great meeting at a wonderful place!
I fell in love with that little meezer boy who is nearly blind.
I think the picture with the black kitty shelf is very special too

[Laura's Babies]

IF I ever win the lottery, I am doing that with the money. Making a shelter for cats. Me and Mike talk about it all the time and he has laid down the law to me on that too. He told me I can only add 4 more to the ones I already have and the rest we have to find homes for... Problem with that is.. would ANY home ever be able to meet MY standards? I wish they had one of those here, that is where I would be every day!

Yea, Debbie, when you coming back down this way? I haven't met CJ yet ya know, and would love to see that lovely Peanut again.

[catmandu]

What a Pleasure to see you Debbie with All These Cats.
I have that excat same Plastic Toer in the Found Cat Hotel.
Was that a Black Angel that I saw over your Shoulder?

[Randi]

A perfect meeting place! What a bunch a sweet kitties! It's good to see they have lots of space and are taken such good care of. Wish I could work in a place like that! I hope the ones who need a home will find one soon!

Love the pictures - Debbie and Alexa, you haven't changed one bit since I last saw you. What a great day you had!

Shame on you for not posing, Laura!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Great pictures, Laura! I couldn't believe I forgot my camera.

It really is sad to see so many kitties with various "handicaps" but they really don't seem to notice.

Homer (the kitty in the first pic with me) was such a little love bug! Twice he came over and just crawled right into my lap! In the first picture with Scooter, you can see Homer is still in my lap. He was such a small skinny thing that I didn't realize he was a senior until I read his profile.

The orangie in the picture where I'm giving Scooter skritchies is Festus. If you go here http://www.charityadvantage.com/herm...ctuaryCats.asp and scroll down, you can see him. The lady said he was born with a curved spine, so I don't think it's that his back legs didn't work, it's just that his spine curled them under in an odd way. He actually was able to jump up on a small ledge to get to a big food bowl that was there.

Scooter was a little sweetie, but she sure didn't mind letting you know when she had enough! The good news is she just nipped, not clamped down.

The almost blind meezer is Antwon. Stuart reminded me of Slick's Max. He was fast asleep and didn't even wake up when I petted him. Harley has an absolutely adorable face. He had to come see what was going on, but he kept his distance and even went zooming away when I reached out to pet him. There were so many that these are the only ones I really remember of the disabled kitties, except for Thumper who is featured on the shelter's home page. Thumper is an absolute DOLL! I think they said he was about 7 months old and he was in a very playful mood! He was chasing a ball around and playing in a little tent thingy they had. He had no tail and it's as if his hips don't swivel. He could use his back legs, they just didn't move much and it really did look like he was hopping around like a bunny, but he was just too adorable!

I don't remember who it was, but as soon as I sat down somebody climbed up my back and wanted to sit on my shoulders. I was perfectly fine with that, but the shelter lady took him down.

I really didn't want to leave, and it's a good thing I didn't go there to actually adopt a cat because there is NO way I could have picked just one to bring home. But at least I got to meet my little feisty Scooter girl.....but now I want to foster Homer.....and Antwon.....and....well.....ALL of them!

Slick, I did get your email, but I won't have a chance to check it out until I get home tomorrow. These rallies are really work! Up at the crack of dawn and going like gang busters until we collapse in bed at night, just to get up the next morning and do it all over again! We're have a great time though, and I really dread going home tomorrow, but soon.....soon.....

[Edwina's Secretary]

So that is where you have been!