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Forgotten Cats News Journal Ad (07/27/2011)
20
Jul
Samantha, a rescued kitty
Published in Animals, Charity
Samantha
This is Samantha, a kitty I rescued on Sunday. Her mommy, an elderly lady, lived in a trailer park with three kitties, Samantha, her sister and a little black and white guy. Unfortunately, after being checked into a hospital for health reasons, it was determined that she would no longer be able to go home, she was moved into a nursing home.
Little Samantha and her kitty family were left behind, with a nice gentleman who knew their mommy coming in just to feel them and clean their boxes. This wonderful gentleman, who works providing elderly with transportation to and from hospitals, didn’t know what to do, so he stopped by the Forgotten Cats adoption center where I volunteer to see if we could help.
Since Forgotten Cats is not a shelter and handles mostly just the trapping, spaying/neutering, basic care and release of feral colonies, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I gave him the numbers to local shelters from a list we have at the center, and also gave him my number, saying that if no one else was able to help, he could call me and I would try to figure something out.
Well, a month later, he called me and said he had called all shelters from the list I gave him and they were all full. One of the rescue places said they would help, but then never got back to him. He was at a loss and worried about what would happen to these kitties. I tried once again to find an answer, but no one could help. That was when I thought I might be able to help. I could get the kitties, bring them to our clinic to get shots, be tested, etc., then foster them until they were ready to come to the center. Once a cat has been treated at one of our clinics, they get a Forgotten Cats ID # and can be adopted through the system. So, that was the solution!
I have big crates at my place and could keep the kitties there until they were checked and made sure they were ok, then work on socializing them. You see, after being all alone in the trailer for about 3 months, these kitties had become very shy and scared. They now need to get used to being around people again, and being in a different environment where they don’t know you doesn’t make it any easier for them to get comfortable and relax.
Sunday was the big day! Armed with carriers and the help of another volunteers, under a killing heat of 105 (!!), we went to get the kitties. It was an adventure, all right. Some people had broken into the place and completely trashed it. It was a huge mess of stuff thrown all over and it made me feel so bad for the poor kitties. At first, we couldn’t find any of them. Then, two ran past me and into the bedroom. I was able to corner Samantha inside the bathroom and, once she found herself with no place to go and hide from me, she ran right into the carrier I had left open on the floor. That was fantastic!
Shortly after I got her, we saw the third kitty, the black and white one, run into the bedroom as well. The other volunteer and I went into the room to look for the two kitties and found the black and white one inside the closet. When we went towards him, he ran under the bed and the other volunteer saw him move a lamp that was on the floor out of the way and run out through a hole on the floor. :(
And that was it, the black and white kitty was gone, and we couldn’t find Samantha’s sister anywhere, so we assume she ran out through the hole too. We called another volunteer who lives close by and stopped by her house to borrow a couple of traps, which we brought back to the trailer and set up. We made sure the hole wasn’t covered so the kitties could come back in once things settled down.
I’ve been going there once a day to check on the traps, and the gentleman who’s helping Samantha’s mommy stops by a couple of times a day too, but the traps remain empty. He said he saw one of the two kitties yesterday, but I guess he’s too smart for his own good and won’t go into the trap to eat.
Please make a chain of positive thinking and wishing for these two guys to go into the trap soon. Samantha misses her sister and her little friend. I have my fingers crossed and hope tomorrow will be the day when I will stop by and find the two traps containing my two new guests. :)
17
Jul
This Weekend’s Adoption Event
Published in Animals, Charity, Events
The event is going on through 6 pm today, Sunday! I took a few pictures yesterday, but the battery died and I didn’t have any with me, so very few pictures. I already loaded the camera with fresh ones and packed a few extra so I can take more pictures tomorrow.
I didn’t check, but believe we adopted out about 3 kittens during the first 24 hours of the event and had a couple of applications. I could be wrong, though, maybe the numbers are higher.
It just seems like summer is really a dismal time for the center. Since I only started volunteering a couple of weeks before last Christmas, this is my first summer at the center, so I can’t be sure it’s always like this.
But the adoption numbers are much lower than what I saw during my first 3 or 4 months working at the center. Even more shocking is to see kittens and kitties who would never have lasted more than a week or a couple of days at the center, and who now spend weeks there, looking for a home.
- Victorino, a super-cute boy kitten!
I guess with kids on vacation and most people traveling, people aren’t really looking to adopt new pets right now. Another factor is probably that the location of our center is sort of on the way to the shore, so many people who stop by the center these days are from other states and just stopped by to get food for their pets as they head to the shore, so it’s not really a time to be picking up a new kitty or kitten.
Still, these events are always fun for us, volunteers. We get to socialize with each other, something we rarely do, since we only see each other briefly as we arrive to or leave from our shifts. It’s nice to be able to hang out and shoot the breeze! :)
- Stewart, one of our event guests
It’s also nice to get to see other kitties who might not come to the center otherwise. With the limited number of cages at the center, we never get to see so many kitties around!
During events, besides the kitties inside the center, we get a whole aisle full of these large cages, so we have room for an additional 13 or 15 kitties. And, since it’s kitten season and you can have a whole litter (usually somewhere between 2 and 6 kittens) inside one of the larger cages, a full event can mean something close to 20 additional little guys around, and that’s super-cute! :)
- Gracie, an old guest who came back for the event. :)
And then, all of a sudden, you find an old friend sitting among the new people you dont’ know. Gracie was there, all cute and sweet as she always was! This girl was at the center for a few weeks a couple of months ago and, strangely enough, the other day I was thinking about her and wondering if she had been adopted or returned to her foster.
It was nice to get to say hello to her and spend some time petting her super-soft fur. It’s great when we run into an old friend like this. :)
NOTE: You can click on the pictures to see them bigger. ;)
16
Jul
Forgotten Cats Adoption Event This Weekend!
Published in Animals, Charity, EventsCome one, come all!
The Forgotten Cats Adoption Center inside the PetSmart Christiana, DE store is holding a wonderful adoption event this weekend! We have lots of really cute kittens and lovely cats. Mr. Handsome, I mean, Patch, is there too! :)
Patch, the handsome
This is Patch, he is 5 years old and a very cute and fluffy sweetheart! He doesn’t like to be held/picked up, but will sit right next to you and purr as you pet him.
Patch has gorgeous eyes, one blue and one yellow! And those pink ears, nose and paws are to die for!!
Come meet this handsome guy and let him steal your heart. Meow! =D
Wanna come by? The event will be held throughout the weekend, during store hours: Saturday – 9 am to 9 pm; Sunday – 10 am to 6 pm.
Here’s the address:
PetSmart Christiana
1291 Churchmans Rd
Newark, DE 19713
302-266-6170
1291 Churchmans Rd
Newark, DE 19713
302-266-6170
Come meet your next best friend!! :)
16
Jul
My Squirrel is back! :)
Published in Animals, Charity
My girl exploring the water fountain for the first time.
Wow, after 44 birthdays, I just experienced my worst birthday ever! Naomi, my squitty, was adopted that day, a week ago. For two days I cried missing her. Then I was just depressed. I felt like I had betrayed her love and trust by giving her away. And there was a huge gap in my heart. I wanted her to be happy, but I just felt she wasn’t. Although she went to a great home, she wasn’t adjusting, and I guess she missed me just as much as I missed her. You see, while I prayed and hoped that she would be happy where she was, the couple of times when I spoke with the adopters, I learned that she wasn’t happy. People kept saying that it takes time for them to adjust to new homes. I know that, I have cats, I volunteer with cats, I foster cats. I know cats! And I also know my girl’s personality, she’s outgoing, she’s funny, she adapts quickly. And she loves me.
The thought of her missing me as much as I miss her, but in a new environment, with people she doesn’t know, and wondering what she had done to deserve being taken away from me (or, even worse, being rejected by me) was eating me inside.
Well, what do you know? Yesterday, her adopters called Forgotten Cats to say they wanted to return her! I was supposed to meet with them today at the Brandywine, DE adoption center inside PetSmart and pick her up at 1. I was about 10 minutes away from the store when they called and said they couldn’t get her in the carrier, so I offered to go to their home and pick her up. After driving for another 45 minutes, I was there.
When I went into the room where she was, they let me in and closed the door, leaving me in the room with her. She seemed a bit scared, but let me approach her. I quickly grabbed her and put her inside the smaller carrier (looks like a purse) that I had brought. As I closed the zipper, she squeezed out of it. So I decided to use the larger carrier, the type you see more commonly, made of hard plastic. I walked back to her, she jumped onto the window and I got her tight in my arms, brought her to the carrier and she hardly resisted getting inside.
As I walked out of the room, just about 5 minutes or less after going in, all I could hear was the couple saying “You’ve got to be kidding! What did you do? I can’t believe you already got her into the carrier. We tried for an hour before we gave up!”
Well, what can I say? My baby was ready to come back home and be with her mommy and friends. :)
Mr. Dribbles (aka Stockings) was the one who missed her the most and has been following her around the place since she got back.
Gosh, I missed my girl. And I am going to sleep with a smile on my face tonight.
Welcome back, my squirrel girl!
15
Jul
Here’s the Mid-July issue, hot off the press!! :)
Forgotten Cats' Christiana, DE Adoption Center
15
Jul
Zac has found a home!! :)
Published in Animals, Charity
Our lovely and sweet giant is going home today, Friday! :)
After almost 3 months at the adoption center, we were starting to feel sad, thinking Zac would have to return to his foster home for a break. We were all praying so hard for him to find a good home!
Well, our prayers were answered by the great Kitty God!! He had two applications come in within the last week, and the first one was approved! His new family is picking him up this Friday and he will soon be exploring his new home.
Thanks to all who sent their positive thoughts and prayers to help this great guy find the loving home he needed and deserved.
You go, Zac! We’ll always have you in our hearts! ♥
9
Jul
Naomi went home…
Published in CharityWell, my baby squirrel girl went to her new home today. Needless to say, I cried all the way back home and spent the rest of the day missing her and hoping she’s happy with her new family.
They seem like very nice people, and I am sure they will do their best to make her feel at home and happy with them. I just hope she doesn’t miss me as much as I miss her. :)
My little squirrel girl :)
8
Jul
Bittersweet…
Published in Animals, Charity
Naomi, the Squitty
Fostering is a wonderful and terrible thing, two in one. Naomi was at our adoption center for about a month. It was a great surprise to everyone because she was such a cute, adorable and spunky kitten! Then, after a month, she got an application. We all missed her, but not for long.
A week after being adopted, she was returned to us. The woman who brought her back pretty much described her as a boring monster who did nothing but coward inside a bathroom and scratch everyone who tried to touch her. As it turned out, this woman lived in a house with 5 out of control children and poor Naomi was only lucky to be brought back!
Since there were no open cages at the center, I brought this wonderful little girl home, where she became the sweetest and most loving kitty of the house. She has been here since May and the only thing she hates is the thought of leaving, she will fight and scratch me if I try to get her in a carrier, probably terrified of being brought back to another mad house.
I got used to having her here, always craving my love and attention, looking for a way to get on my lap, curl up and start purring, as she is doing right now.
Well, earlier this week, I got an email from our applications processor saying Naomi had received an application online at http://PetFinder.com. Wow, it was a bit of a shock. I had kind of thought she would be here longer, or that she might never leave. I know, you must be a crazy cat lady if kitties are that important in your life, but I never said I wasn’t one…
My Squitty (because she looks like she could be 1/2 Squirrel and 1/2 Kitty) actually got a wonderful application from a couple. They have one boy cat at home who is very friendly and sweet, and decided my little girl would be a good addition to their household. And, on Saturday, my birthday, I will take her to meet with them and possibly head home with them, to her new home and life.
So, it is a bittersweet moment and I can only hope and pray that she goes to a home very different from the first place she was adopted to, where she will be happy and loved the way she deserves and needs to be.
As I sit here with her purring on my lap, a smile is on my lips, while my eyes are filled with water. I love you, my spunky little squirrel!
Naomi's first time drinking from a fountain. Can you see how much she loves it?
8
Jul
Just too cute!
Published in Charity
Toby & Wally
When you do volunteer work with kittens, there are some moments that are just way too cute. Having a camera handy just makes it impossible to pass getting a super-cute shot! They were actually hugging and napping together, but by the time I got the camera ready, they moved. Still cute, though!
These two cuties are Wally & Toby, two little brothers who are currently at the Forgotten Cats adoption center inside the PetSmart Christiana store in DE. Toby has an application, but Wally doesn’t. It would be great to see these two boys go home together, and the only way to get ahead of an application placed before yours is to adopt siblings together. “wink, wink*
My Name Is Lu (kitty!!)
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