Happy Tails: Monkey

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adopiton Manager

At HSSV we all know cats are individuals, some will curl up on any vacant lap while others could play for hours. Our adoption counselor David had to smile when he looked through Lisa and Jeff’s adoption survey and saw “from quiet to gregarious” any personality of cat is “fine with us”. A whole range of possibilities for potential matches came to mind and he knew they would be leaving that day with one of our adoptable cats.

The couple already had a HSSV alumnus at home. Razzleberry, a 13-year-old ginger tabby had recently lost his cat companion of eight years, Indy. Indy had helped Razzleberry adjust to his new home and turned the scared little orange cat into a confident kitty. Lisa and Jeff wanted to bring another cat into their home for Razzleberry to continue Indy’s legacy of feline friendship.

David remembered a group of shy cats who had recently been surrendered to HSSV that needed some extra TLC. One of them would be a perfect match for a gentle cat like Razzleberry to coax out of their shell. Monkey, a one year old black cat, who had been described as affectionate and playful by his last home had become a little withdrawn. All the unfamiliar sights and sounds made him shy with new people. Lisa and Jeff slowly met Monkey, talking softly to him and letting him sniff their hands. Just this little bit of kindness allowed him to let down his guard enough to warm his way into their hearts. They took him home that day.

It’s been about a month since their adoption and the couple tell us they it’s “hard to imagine life without him”. While Razzleberry has been underwhelmed by their new addition, every once and awhile they catch the two boys rubbing up against each other. They know they will be friends very soon.

Are you looking for a feline friend? Join us this Saturday for PurrFest and take advantage of “PawFurred” pricing all April for cats and dogs (6 months or older).

Happy Tails: Julius

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Manager

When people enter our Saratoga Satellite Adoption Center in PETCO, and we ask if they are looking for a new addition, we often hear that they are “just looking” because they have reached their cat limit. Each person has a different number in mind before they put on the “no vacancy” sign. For some it’s that one special feline who fills their life and for others it takes many more paddling paws to feel complete.

It was Julius’s lucky day when Sean arrived looking to fill an opening in his cat-friendly home. Julius looked massive and tipped the scales at 12 pounds, but the gentle orange tabby was more fluff than substance. He may have looked like a tiger, but he had the heart of a pussycat and preferred a good chin rub to chasing toy mice.

Sean and his partner Gale had a four-cat household and were recently down to three. He had seen the striking longhaired cat online and felt he would be the perfect fit. After talking about how best to set Julius up for success in his new home, we gave Sean and Gale time to prepare a room for their new companion. As we told Sean, it’s best to start out a new cat in his own space, even if that space is a small bathroom, and then gradually begin introductions to the whole feline family. The next day Julius’s adoption was finalized and he was on his way to start his new life.

Julius’s new parents accepted that he needed to adjust on his own time. He is currently splitting his time between a guest bathroom and a back bedroom. He must be getting more comfortable as Sean tells us they found a quirky behavior we did not see at HSSV: Julius chirps as he purrs! Sean and Gale also took the next step in family ties by renaming Julius, Barry. Four is the magic number of cats for Sean and Gale, but it only took one home to make Barry’s story a happy one.

Are you looking for a new addition? Check out this PDF from our online cat behavior library about cat introductions and bring Fluffy home a friend the easy way.