Oh Lordy.....

[Randi]

I had a look at the video from the shelter you go to, Slick. What a bunch of sweeties you have there! I'd love to visit that place. The guy called Noel seems nice, too - have you met him?

http://www.vancouverfoundationstorie...hp?recordID=65

[Catty1]

What a great sanctuary! From the video it sounds like cats can be adopted there, but they are very fussy about who adopts.

I think the black kitty found on Main Street who doesn't like other cats might be an option for you in the future. He looks adorable and very loving!

Oh gosh...I wish I could win a huge lottery. There are so many places I would like to help!

[Randi]

I think it's great they are so fussy about who adopts... I know we all agree about that.

I noticed an orange with a white chest and a big grey boy, who I fell in love with. Oh, there are so many. Hope they all find loving homes.

[slick]

That video was made quite some time ago. Sadly, some of the furbabies have passed on now. The sanctuary is just that, a sanctuary, not a shelter. You can't adopt from the sanctuary because the 600+ kitties are there to spend the rest of their lives. Most of them are elderly or very feral. The sanctuary was started up to provide a home for all unwanted or abused cats. It never ceases to amaze me that they all cohabitate with very little feuding. They all know their place in the pecking order. It's a very calming place to sit, especially when you have several kitties circling your feet and wanting to sit on your lap.

The sanctuary is run by the Richmond Animal Protection Society (RAPS) and their office and shelter is about a 10 min drive from the sanctuary. You can adopt from this shelter. I was there on Sunday and almost came home with a beautiful 17 yr old grey girl. Granted, she could come with issues, but she's in a cage because she doesn't like other cats. Just can't stand thinking about her spending the rest of her precious life in a cage when I can provide a loving home for her, even if it's for a short time. For me, it's worth it. I try and try to explain this to my friends up here but they just don't get it. It's very frustrating.

My head still says "wait" while my heart says "go for it". Who would you listen to?

[shais_mom]

That video was made quite some time ago. Sadly, some of the furbabies have passed on now. The sanctuary is just that, a sanctuary, not a shelter. You can't adopt from the sanctuary because the 600+ kitties are there to spend the rest of their lives. Most of them are elderly or very feral. The sanctuary was started up to provide a home for all unwanted or abused cats. It never ceases to amaze me that they all cohabitate with very little feuding. They all know their place in the pecking order. It's a very calming place to sit, especially when you have several kitties circling your feet and wanting to sit on your lap.

The sanctuary is run by the Richmond Animal Protection Society (RAPS) and their office and shelter is about a 10 min drive from the sanctuary. You can adopt from this shelter. I was there on Sunday and almost came home with a beautiful 17 yr old grey girl. Granted, she could come with issues, but she's in a cage because she doesn't like other cats. Just can't stand thinking about her spending the rest of her precious life in a cage when I can provide a loving home for her, even if it's for a short time. For me, it's worth it. I try and try to explain this to my friends up here but they just don't get it. It's very frustrating.

My head still says "wait" while my heart says "go for it". Who would you listen to?

Slick, when I lost Kylie and Keegan so close together last year, I said "no more pets!" My mom said
"now Stace, you will get a dog again" and I said "NO, it hurts too much." that took me about a week of feeling that way. Someone asked me if I had looked at petfinder and I said no b/c I had been looking at it in the few weeks before Keegan's death, to help my sister find a dog, and I already felt guilty b/c of that. So she pulled it up and we started looking at work one night, well then it was like the search was on! I am surprised it wasn't blocked at work! I still was on the fence about when. I thought maybe I'd get one by the end of 2012, then I thought maybe by fall. I thought maybe I wanted an older puppy. Then I started hearing about my sister's new dog's sheningans, and decided nope don't want a puppy!
There really is no right time for another pet. One of my neighbors waited 3 days, another 6 YEARS!!! I saw several dogs on petfinder and Craigslist ( ) I emailed about and nothing came out of it. I met 3 at a local rescue but none had the connection. Then I saw Brodie's picture on Facebook. I thought "oh he has to be someone's dog" a week or so later I was looking thru that shelter's pics again. And somone mentioned he was still available. I made the trip and as soon as I saw him I thought I would like him. My friend that went with me said she thought as soon as she saw us together "that is her dog". I stood around awhile with him kind of on the fence of what to do. Then as I was standing by their desk I looked down at their huge desk calender and at the bottom corner of the calender was one word. When I saw it my eyes widened, I got a tear in my eye and knew at that moment it was meant to be. The word? KEEGAN

Within a minute or too they looked at me and asked what I thought and I took a deep breath and said "I'll take him."


I always have thought you would enjoy a small dog. I can say without a doubt that the love of a dog is different than a cat. I can also say that having both is very rewarding, seeing their relationship grow and change is wonderful. Being curled up with a dog's head on your leg and a cat on your chest is wonderful. Puppy is just wonderful. He is gorgeous but if something is telling you still No then you aren't quite ready. You will know. Without a doubt.

[Bengalz]

Slick,

I so agree with Shais Mom - you will know!! We hesitated for years to get another cat (or dog) after our precious August passed. That all changed in what seemed like a second when Eve walked into the garden - she belonged to someone else and yet, she made it well known that she had "come home".

For now, all you need to do is heal your heart and stay open to possibilities. The best surprises are the ones you don't expect. There is a baby out there looking for you, just not sure where or when.

Hugs, Betty

[kuhio98]

Our hearts were shattered when Kuhio died at 17. A month later, Bobcat found the strength to go to the same shelter that mistakenly put Kuhio to sleep. He rescued Halo.
She was weak and sick from just giving birth.

Over the next months, her silvery fur soaked up a lot of our tears as she helped heal our broken hearts. I would like to think that we helped heal hers as well.
Our hearts were broken again when we lost her in 2010. But, we would do it all over again. Because the only thing worse than losing a baby, is never loving another one.

Any kitty would be lucky to have you as the purrson.