Month: September, 2011

Rascal | Furkid of the Week

Our little fluffy Rascal came to us as a kitten in May of 2006 with his brother, Bonkers.  They were both feral and, therefore, not very warm to humans.  Rascal has weathered the domesticated storm quite well.  It may have taken quite a while, but he is no longer shy or wary of humans.  In fact, he is now the cat to welcome you into Room 10.  He sits by the door and when you come in he wants lots of attention.  He’s come such a long way.  Rascal was also ill for a little while, but he is fully recovered and is doing fantastic.

Please feel free to make an appointment to come by Room 10 at the main shelter to meet him.  Or apply to adopt him today.  Rascal is cat number 6426.

Lily | Furkid of the Week

Since we had such great fortune this month in having two all-white boys adopted together (Linus and Victor), we thought we’d highlight one of our absolutely gorgeous all-white girls, Lily.

Cala lilies, water lilies, lilies of the valley — they are all delicate and exquisite-looking white flowers. And so is this little girl. I mean, just look at her! She really embodies her name.

Lily is graceful, beautiful, and smart. She has been with us since 2009 and is 3-years-old. She is an all-white short hair and unique in the sense that her eyes are two different shades. She is very playful and vocal; loves attention and conversation. Lily will find her way next to you and she will make the other cats get out of her way to ensure she gets all your attention. She would love to find her forever home as an only cat.

Little Miss Lily is cat #9160. You can make an appointment to come meet her at the shelter, you can apply now to adopt her, or you can come meet her this weekend at our Open House!

“Less Adoptable” Adoption Story | Ansel

Sometimes, it’s not a medical condition, or a physical condition, or a behavior issue in a cat that keeps adopters at bay.  Sometimes it’s…well, we’re not quite sure.  Furkids currently has, and has had, many cats in our care that for some reason or another just don’t get adopted.   Everyone who works or volunteers at the shelter looks at these cats and roots for them — knowing how wonderful and sweet they are.  We are often stumped as to why no one picks them.

But when they do, it’s a whole different level of happiness!  To wit…

Meet Ansel.  This ambassador from the planet Adorable had never had a home when he came to Furkids.  He had been a stray.  He remained under the care of Furkids for…get ready for it…eight years.  Just this past March (2011), the stars aligned in Ansel’s favor and directed a very nice couple to find his picture on our website.  They adopted him so that their other cat, Snookums (aka Snookies), could have a companion.

His wonderful adopters send regular updates:

At first: Ansel is starting to let his guard down. He did not trust us after we had to give him medicine. But now he sleeps with us and even lets Edward pet him. His nickname is “Squeaky Rat Tail” because he squeaks instead of meows and he’s got a skinny long black tail. Ansel has so many different squeaky sounds when he walks around exploring. He is enjoying having a home very much!

Later: Ansel is making himself right at home. He certainly loves his red and white blanket. And he and Snookums are getting along great. The other day they spent a while zooming back and forth the apartment together. Ansel is very playful. Snookums snuggles with Ansel. Actually, he practically sits on Ansel.  Ansel is very affectionate with Snookums, always rubbing against him. They are really nice to each other. Yay!

Ansel is funny. He will be asleep in another room, but then starts meowing, walks across the living room to Snookies and starts biting at Snookies’ neck or romps on him.  It is strange.  Sometimes I have to intervene, but generally Snookies will swat at Ansel or jump up and walk away.  Snookies does not like it at all. Snookies is infinitely patient, but sometimes leans his weight into Ansel. That usually puts an end to Ansel’s antics. They aren’t aggressive with each other at all. They seem to like each other.  They groom each other and generally stick together when they are awake.  Ansel’s energy makes Snookies more playful.  Ansel is a very nice little kitty. He has a lot of personality. He is starting to get used to kisses. I think he is happy. He sleeps all day and plays all evening and at night goes to bed with his family. It is a happy home.

Most recent update: Ansel loves the sunshine. We have a strip of direct sunlight in our kitchen that’s a favorite of the cats. He also likes to sleep underneath blankets. He has qualities that are similar to our kitty that recently passed away. Last night Ansel came to snuggle against Snookums on the bed. It was so cute.

Ok, everyone.  Tag, you’re it!  Time to find a “less adoptable” cat and get over here and adopt them.  Our Open House is September 24 & 25.  A perfect time to come find your Ansel, or Scooter, or Moses, or Snoop…!

Mango | Furkid of the Week

Mango is always one of the first cats to greet you at the door of room 1-2-3. Just like her tropical fruit namesake, she is a brilliant rich orange color and full of sweetness. This very affectionate kitty absolutely adores attention and will sit by your side until your pet her or hold her. She will make someone a great lap cat!

Mango came to Furkids in 2008 with her sisters, Peachy and Tangerine. Peachy has since been adopted but Mango and Tangerine are still seeking their forever homes. It would be nice to have them adopted together, but it is not necessary.

If you would like to meet Mango, please make an appointment to come in to the shelter to meet her. Or, you can apply to adopt her today!

“Less Adoptable” Adoption Story | Scooter

Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week is September 17-25.  This “less adoptable” adoption story comes to us from Paige J.

I adopted my handicapped cat Scooter from Furkids 5½ years ago. I was a volunteer there, and I saw this new little intake kitten that was appropriately named Scooter. She was born with a hip and knee on her back left leg but no ankle or foot. On her back right leg she has a hip, knee, and ankle, but no foot or toes. Even her tail isn’t fully formed.

She has always been able to get around like a “normal” cat.  She jumps off of furniture and can even jump up onto low surfaces. She needs a low-opening cat box and low scratching surfaces and has to be put on the bed at night, but other than that she is the most loving of the 3 cats I have. She licks my nose and wags her tail like a dog.  She even will reach up with both front paws and put them on my face and licks my chin.

I love my Scooter and am so glad that I adopted her.  Even though I have to do a little extra for her, she returns the favor with lots of extra love for me.

Thank you, Paige, for adopting a special needs kitty from Furkids and for sharing your story leading up to Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week.  We appreciate it!  Your little Scooter is a very beautiful girl.

“Less Adoptable” Adoption Story | Buddy, Snoop, Moses

Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week is September 17-25.  This “less adoptable” adoption story comes to us from Susie G.

FIV???? Are you kidding me?

I had already picked out my adorable, healthy kitty that I wanted to adopt.  I’m not sure when it was that Barbara (my Furkids volunteer) and I started talking about FIV cats. I didn’t know much about it but being a nurse, it didn’t scare me. I learned that it is the Feline equivalent of HIV. These cats need a little extra attention if they get sick, but otherwise they are just like all other cats – ready to give and receive love. So, I picked out a cat with FIV off the website who had a good history with dogs (a must for my two-dog family) and off I went to meet her.

Little did I know that Furkids runs a whole houseful of beautiful kitties with FIV just waiting patiently for a home. There was Butter Bean who rolled on his back like a dog for attention. And there was Moses – a four year old solid white beauty with soulful green eyes who desperately wanted a home! But it was Snoop Doggy that caught my eye that day. There he was, sitting in the sink looking at the faucet – then us – then the faucet – then us – until we finally got the message that he wanted to play in the water. I fell in love – with his crooked little smile (ok, he is missing some teeth), his sad little ear (ok, clearly he has had a few significant ear infections) and his funny little walk (ok, he has a little arthritis) – but most of all I fell in love with Snoop’s love of life. He has character to spare. He is 10-years-old and has a lot of living to do yet. All he wants is love and lap time from me. That – I can do!

And then there was Moses. He wanted a home so badly. I just couldn’t leave him. So one by one my kitties came home to meet my two unsuspecting dogs. And now I am the mom of five loving animals. All rescues, all unique, and all loved for rest of their lives.

So I got what I wanted and more. I got my adorable healthy kitty, Buddy. He is great and I sure do love him. But I got so much more – I got Snoop Doggy and Moses…two kitties with FIV who also deserved a good warm lap and their own home. And I am grateful for them, each and every day.

And we are grateful for people like Susie who adopt special needs cats!  Check-in tomorrow for another “less adoptable” adoption story…

A Good Good Day at Furkids

Ladies and gentlemen, this is just what we needed.  On Saturday, September 10, nearly everyone at Furkids was crying…tears of happiness.

I (your humble blog post volunteer Ida) once overheard Carol Purdy (Furkids’ Medical Records & Surgery Manager), say something like, “Our dream is to have someone come in and ask to see cats that have been here the longest — and then adopt them.”  Well, something very close happened.  A very nice gentleman, Richard B., came into the shelter and asked specifically for a cat that had never had a home.  Our adoption counselor Julia introduced him to Linus.

Indeed, Linus has never had a home.  He was rescued from a feral colony in Buckhead.  He was in very poor condition and Samantha Shelton, our Executive Director, nursed him back to health.  Linus has waited patiently for five years for this moment.  We, on the other hand, have waited anxiously.

Now, anyone and everyone who has been to Furkids KNOWS LINUS.  He is (was!) our resident fitness feline.  Linus LOVED the cat wheel in his room (Room 11).  He was in and out of that cat wheel every few minutes while he was awake.  While he entertained the crowds with his physical prowess, he also kept himself lean and healthy and happy.  Alas, everyone would ooh and ahh, but he never got adopted.

Until this weekend!  We cannot express how incredibly happy/overjoyed/thrilled/excited/comforted  we are knowing that he is getting his first chance at exploring a house with exciting things like sofas, and beds, and closets, and countertops, and sinks, and windowsills, and curtains, and all those other household treasures that just FASCINATE kitties.  You go, Linus!  We love you.

But, wait, the story does not end there.  Richard had to get a companion for Linus.  So, he also adopted another white beauty — Victor from Room 6!  Victor, as well, came to us as a feral.  He has never had a home, either.  I think this is where all the waterworks in the place really turned on full-force.  Linus adopted…along with another Furkid buddy…and a very nice owner/human.  A trifecta of happiness!

And how sweet is this…the shelter staff felt it necessary that Linus not be deprived of his favorite activity, so they sent a cat wheel home with Richard!  Ok, if you’re not crying by now, you’re made of stone. 

9/11 Service Groups at Furkids

When times are rough at Furkids, as is currently the case with the seven cats that are gravely ill, our beacons of hope and pride are the volunteers and service groups that come to the shelter to help buoy our spirits with their smiles, enthusiasm, generosity, and assistance in keeping the shelter’s day-to-day operations running smoothly.

Especially in light of 9/11, we’d like to highlight three dedicated groups that were here last year at this time as well.  We are warmed by the fact that they again chose to help Furkids during this solemn and reflective weekend.  We enjoyed their company.

We sincerely thank:

We would also like to thank the Waldorf School Green Team (below)
for helping us on 9/7. They are a great group of youth volunteers
who help at the shelter regularly.

Immediate Help Needed for Seven Cats

Remember Sangria, a Furkid of the Week in July? She was a shelter favorite with a reputation for her lively, spunky personality. We are heartbroken to tell you that Sangria died last week after a sudden illness.

Sangria’s story is a sad one indeed. She was rescued from a filthy, cockroach-infested trailer in Gray, Georgia, where her owners used her as a kitten mill, pumping out litters of kittens. Furkids rescued her just in time, rushing her to emergency, where she almost died from labor complications and infection.

Life changed for Sangria when she was adopted into a loving home. Then her owner was deployed with the U.S. Army to Afghanistan for 12 months. She asked Furkids to foster Sangria while she served our country. Tragically, her owner never returned. Sangria spent the last two years longing for a forever home. She never got that second chance.

Shortly after Sangria got sick, seven other cats in our shelter – Belle, Beau, Carmen, Deliah, Fairy, Thea and Tiki — developed the same symptoms and now are fighting for their lives.

The Furkids staff, volunteers and veterinarians have devoted themselves to isolating the source of the problem, and while we’re not yet certain, initial test results point to certain food as a suspect. As a precaution, we have discontinued the suspected contaminated food, notified the supplier, and are following strict measures to identify other cats that could possibly be affected.

During the past three weeks, Furkids has incurred about $12,000 in emergency room and urgent care, medications, lab tests and other costs related to treating sick cats and uncovering the source of the problem. Our emergency costs will increase because these little guys aren’t out of the woods yet.

This is an emergency for Furkids! These costs fall far outside our operating budget, and we urgently need your help in meeting our mission.

Please make a donation now and spread the word to your animal-loving friends, those in the Army or anyone who can help us remember Sangria and help the seven other cats recover.

Thank you!

GO HERE TO CONTRIBUTE

Tyler | Furkid of the Week

This week’s Furkid is Tyler — a beautiful,  gentle, low-key, affectionate Flame Point (aka Color Point) Siamese cat.  Tyler lives in Room 9 with some pretty heavy-pawed alpha cats, but he wanders around the room softly and quietly — seeking out the humans in the room who might be cleaning or visiting — and just wants to be noticed and lavished with affection.  He will sneak up on you, find your hand, and start rubbing his head against it wanting you to pet him.  If you turn your back to clean another section of the room, before you know it, there’s Tyler right in front of you…following your hands.  He’s such a sweetheart.

It’s nice that Tyler gets the spotlight so close to Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week, because he has a brother, Riley, with whom he must be adopted.  Riley is a great catch, too!  His personality is more characteristic of the Color Point breed than Tyler’s, and you can watch this short video from Animal Planet to learn more about Color Points (the video is preceded by a brief ad).  Tyler and Riley are a classic example of two brothers who have much in common but remain individuals.  Tyler is quiet and subtle while Riley is talkative and direct, and both just want attention and affection.

We know its challenging adopting one cat, let alone two, but these two are worth it.  They are really great cats!  These bonded brothers were adopted for a brief period within the last year, but were returned to Furkids.  They would do best in a house with no other cats, but if you think Tyler and Riley would make a great addition to your family and you already have cats, then we simply recommend you follow the guidelines for properly introducing new cats into a home with other cats.

Tyler is cat #8100 (and Riley is #8101).  Please consider making an appointment to come by the shelter to meet them.  Or apply to adopt them today!