Mom and two Daughters need home!

Twas about a month before Christmas, and who did appear? A trio of scraggly kitties of ten or twelve years. A mom and two daughters from a shelter outstate, their human was too sick to care for them – but wait! What to their wonderous eyes did appear, but FFGW, saying – kitties, have no fear! Sure, you’re thin and scruffy and scared, but we’ll fix that, and when you’re repaired, come on Sissy, on Frick and on Frack, no longer bedraggled, you’re now super laidback. A home for Christmas, or at least the New Year, that’s what we’ll find, because listen here – your adoption fees are waived (thanks, Santa!) for a qualified home, no longer hungry, you’ll nevermore roam. We need you to write the last verse – all Sissy, Frick and Frack want is a home for the holidays. Can you open your heart and help us close the chapter on their new lives?

It’s Almost Black Cat Friday…

With all the shopping activity that takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving, the day became one of the most profitable days of the year for retailers and businesses. Because accountants use black to signify profit when recording each day’s book entries (and red to indicate a loss), the day became known as Black Friday—or the day when retailers see positive earnings and profits “in the black.”  As more and more shopping has moved online in the past decade, the Monday after Thanksgiving has also become known as “Cyber Monday” – and effort by virtual stores (and brick and mortar stores with an online presence) to further increase profit by promoting online sales as well.

Continue reading “It’s Almost Black Cat Friday…”

Miracles! Nick's Story

Sometimes, Christmas Miracles Take a Little Longer

We will never know how long the lanky orange tom cat was wandering on his own, perhaps long enough to develop calloused paw pads… or then again, he might have been an indoor/outdoor cat, and just have escaped someone’s house a few days before, as Thanksgiving guests came in and out. Perhaps he was even traveling with his family and escaped the car. However long he was out before Rachel’s family found him, it was long enough to colonize a family of fleas, but not so long that he had forgotten that he wanted to live with people. Well, at least, he could be convinced that he still wanted to live with people. It was a few days after Rachel’s neighbors heard the cat crying in the brush, and lured him to Rachel’s house, and Rachel’s family coaxed him into their garage, that he met Rachel’s dad and decided he wanted to move in. Luring the tomcat to Rachel’s house was a no-brainer on the neighbors’ part – Rachel’s family volunteered with a local cat rescue, had 5 cats of their own, and it took one look at their mailbox – shaped like a cat – for anyone to know that they were suckers for a friendly stray.

At first, they called him “Morris” since he was orange and striped, though he was far leaner than his TV namesake. “No way we’re going to keep him,” her parents told her. “Not with 5 cats already. This is not going to be a six cat house. He’ll have to go into the rescue, and we’ll find him a home.” We’ll market him for Christmas – get him a red plaid collar, and give him a holiday biography, and a Christmassy name.

Nick

Breed: DSH
Sex: Male
Age: Approx. 1 year
Color: Orange
Size: Approx. 14 lbs.
Status: Available with foster
Good With Kids: Yes
Good With Cats: Not Yet Determined
Good With Dogs: Not Yet Determined

Could he be Saint Nick? We’re not sure, but this Nick would love to bring his friendly good cheer to your house this holiday. Nick must have been someone’s well loved big boy, because this lap cat loves people, including his foster’s 8 and 13 year old kids. He trots over for a head rub when you call him, and purrs all the while. Nick showed up at a Volunteer’s front door (hmmm… do you think he knew something?) and announced quite plaintively that he was lost. We told him that he was wrong – he had just been found, and we would find him a good forever home. Nick’s been making a list, and checking it twice – we peeked over his shoulder and it says “Home for the Holidays.” You’ve been good, right? Shouldn’t Nick come to your house this season? For more information on Nick, please contact his foster …

But Christmas came, went, and Nick stayed. And Rachel began to wonder, as she saw Nick pace around, antsy until her father would come home… call him, and Nick bound into his lap, whether a few more weeks without an adoption and they would be, indeed, a six cat household.

The other five cats feigned indifference to the guest – Victoria, the queen, a “recovering barn cat” according to her father, made sure Nick knew he was not deserving of her attention. Brooke, the tortie, seemed to refuse to acknowledge there was even another cat in the house. May – the bottom of the ladder – seemed resigned to having yet another rung above her. But it was when Nick started paying attention to fluffy white Pearl, that Henry, the long, lean panther of the group – and the only other boy – decided that it while might not be a 5 cat house, it was a one male cat house. It had been a four cat house, before Pearl came in as a foster. But Henry had taken one look at her, and claimed her as his. The two slept together, groomed each other, and her dad sometimes referred tothem as “the married couple.” (Both neutered, of course. This is a rescue story, after all.)

“How am I going to explain to our family, two weeks before Rachel’s bat mitzvah, that we don’t have a middle couch cushion because Henry uses poop as communicative speech?” her mother wailed? Even Rachel’s father – who had quietly given Nick a tag with his name on it, admitted that it wasn’t going to work out. Henry left another message on the kitchen mat, just to be sure. It was early February.

Nick Valentino

Breed: DSH
Sex: Male
Age: Approx. 1 year
Color: Orange
Size: Approx. 14 lbs.
Status: Available with foster
Good With Kids: Yes
Good With Cats: Not Yet Determined
Good With Dogs: Not Yet Determined

It was a dark and stormy night. Hard boiled cat detective Nick Valentino was familiar with the streets. It might be the season of love, but Nick was cold, wet, hungry and loved by no one (well, except his foster family, but that happens later in the story). Sniffing out clues, Nick showed up at his foster’s front door demanding answers – how could a nice guy like him be prowling the harsh city with no one to watch his back, much less stroke it? Nick might be street savvy, but inside, he was a big softie. He loved people, including his foster’s 8 and 13 year old kids. He would trot over for a head rub when you call him, and purr all the while. You’ve read the Nick Valentino adventures, haven’t you? Our favorite is the one where he finds a warm heart and good home forever. For more information on Nick, please contact his foster…

“We’d really like to meet Nick Valentino”, the email said. “We have a 16-year old cat who just lost her buddy.” It’s common wisdom in rescue that an active young cat and an old cat likely won’t get along. “What should I do?” Rachel’s father asked an adoption counselor. “Think of it as a two-week vacation,” the counselor replied. “If it doesn’t work out, you take him back, he’s been gone for a while, and maybe Henry will forget he didn’t like him.”

And so the family with the 16-year old cat came to meet Nick, who was his most charming self. To the extent that it’s charming to hide under the couch, and only to be seen when the couch is turned on end and you’re dragged out by your hind paws. As Rachel’s dad explained that Nick was really very friendly, that he was a guy’s cat, and hoped for a miracle – a miracle happened. Nick sized up the family’s 11 year old son – and walked over into his lap and purred. Adoption forms were filled out, and Rachel’s family hoped for a second miracle.

Nick and Ezzie are getting along just fine- we even caught them sharing the food bowl this morning. Nick is becoming a regular spoiled member of the family and behaves as if he has lived here his entire life. He enjoys running up and down our multiple flights of stairs, sliding across the floor, and chasing his tail (that seems to be one of his favorite activities!). He also chases Ezzie around the house and pounces playfully on her when she is unaware. She’s an old lady that is readjusting slowly but surely to having a “baby” around. That is something we are having fun adjusting to as well- it’s been a long time since we had a young cat in the house; the energy! 🙂 Nick “sings” to us regularly and makes this funny “cooing” sounding noise that makes us all laugh. We are all getting along just fine! Nick sprawls out and takes up an equal share of the bed every night- the things we do for our pets 🙂

Sometimes, the season of miracles isn’t limited to December.

The Kind of Miracle that You Make Happen

We called them Chip and Dale, the cats from our Year End Letter, the bonded brothers found clinging to each other in an apartment stairwell. They broke the heart of the kind soul who found them, and they called to us as well – we knew that we had to step up and rescue them. The story of rescue doesn’t end when we take in a cat, though, in fact that’s just the beginning. It’s at that point that we spend the money you have generously donated to us, making sure the cats are healthy, receive their needed vaccines, spaying or neutering if necessary, and of course any needed treatments if they are not healthy – for once with FFGW, we use your donations to make sure a cat receives the medical care he or she needs, even when that care is expensive.

And then – we wait for the “real” rescue – the point where a cat finds a forever home. We were very glad that, despite our financial condition, we had enough funds to take in Chip and Dale, and we did so despite expecting that they’d be with us a while, since we wouldn’t split them up, and finding a home for two cats at the same time, black cats at that, requires patience.

It’s the season of miracles, though, and Chip and Dale – were adopted within a week, to a loving home that was all that we could ask for.

This morning I brought them some breakfast, fully expecting to set the plates down and leave so they could eat in peace. But Jake came out! He gave me head butts and purred and wanted pets. After a few minutes he ate his food and came back to SIT IN MY LAP! I couldn’t believe it!

We got the boys home safe and sound last night. They are so good, even in the car! They seemed ok with their new room, but neither wanted to come out of the carrier while we were there, which is fine. They did come out a little while we were downstairs, which was encouraging.

Elwood watched all of this and seemed like he was thinking of coming out, but couldn’t quite get up the nerve before Jake had eaten both breakfasts. Oops. He did end up eating a treat out of my hand though. Will try to get him some lunch in a few hours.

Obviously – it all worked out in this wonderful, patient home. Here’s the evidence:

We couldn’t have done this, without your support – you made this miracle happen. It’s not too late to donate, and get us started on miracles for next year!

Donate Here

Holiday Safety

It’s not for nothing that the phrase “curiosity killed the cat” has stuck around for so long. Inquisitive, independent, sometimes timid, and small… it’s a dangerous combination, especially around the holidays. Cats are also more fragile than dogs – you probably know that chocolate is toxic to both species, but in view of most cats’ smaller size, a lot less chocolate can have fatal effect. Cats are also more easily disrupted by changes in routine, new guests, and even moving furniture to accommodate holiday decorations or a tree. Not only that, but cats are easily startled and frightened (did you ever hear of the fire department being called to rescue a dog afraid to come down from a tree?).

If you have a live Christmas tree, make sure it is well-watered so that the pine leaves do not dry out and fall. These sharp leaves can puncture the internal organs if ingested and they are also poisonous. Avoid placing the tree close to furniture and shelves so that it is less accessible to your cat, and consider anchoring it to a wall so that it does not topple over should your cat decide to explore it closely.

Loose and detachable decorative items are also a danger. Confetti, tinsel, ribbons, wraps, and other such decorative stuff should be securely anchored to the Christmas tree, preferably at the top. Electric wiring is a hazard; keep lights on only when attended. Apply a cat repellant to prevent your curious feline from getting too close to the lights. Check decorative stuff for their potential toxicity if ingested by your cat. For example, artificial snow is toxic, just don’t use it.

Have you heard that poinsettias are toxic to cats? Check out that myth and see a list of the five things that present more of a danger to your cat here at The Conscious Cat