Readers who have been following the story of Lila, the injured kitty rescued by Thundering Paws in October, will be delighted to hear the happy news of her adoption. Lila was adopted by Melinda, a long-time friend of Thundering Paws. You may recall that Melinda adopted Fabio from Thundering Paws several years ago; he was also a special needs kitty. And Melinda has a three-legged cat already, so she is all set up with everything that Lila needs.
We are all so happy for Lila!
Skylar, a tiny orange tabby kitten, came to us last summer from a feral colony, along with his brother and three sisters. All five were newborns when they were rescued from under an abandoned house. Luckily, their mom was easy to trap and they all came to Thundering Paws together.
Fabion, the mom, was attentive to her kittens and raised them well in a large cage. Once the kittens were old enough to get along without her, Fabion (now spayed) went back to her home territory. The kittens were completely tame from all the love they got from the many Thundering Paws volunteers who helped with their care, and so they were available for adoption.
The cute calico girls found homes first, then Skylar's brother Garfield was adopted, leaving Skylar as the "last of the litter." He had several weeks to wait for his forever home, but it was worth it. Last month, on Valentine's Day, Skylar went to his forever home. He got a new name, Copper, and he got a big brother Winston to play with and snuggle with. Kathie, who adopted Copper, tells us that he's a great kitty and a joy to have. We can see from the photos she sent us that he is truly living happily ever after.
We are so glad that Kathie met Copper at our adoption event at Petsmart and added him to her family! And we're grateful for Petsmart's adoption program that gives us space to take our animals to meet the public. And of course, we could not do this without all the dedication and hard work from our volunteers who transport dogs, cats and kittens, cages and equipment, and spend countless hours helping match up sanctuary animals with potential adopters. Their greatest reward is knowing that rescued animals like Copper move on to happy lives in loving homes.
Dexter napping
Dreyfus, now called Dexter, came from a feral colony managed by Thundering Paws. He let us know that he thought he might want to be a tame kitty, so he was brought to the Sanctuary. We guessed he was less than 2 years old.
At first he was skittish, but over several weeks became more and more tame, and approached volunteers to rub against their legs and to be petted. He had an inquisitive personality, and was sometimes playful as a kitten when not lounging with a satisfied look on his face. He was one of our most charismatic residents, but still easily startled by people.
Thankfully, he was adopted by a patient woman. He spent many days under her couch, accepting food and affection, but not venturing out. She named him Dexter.
Dexter under the couch
Today he's out and about all the time, and greets everyone who comes to the apartment, and they all love him. He really enjoys looking out the window to see what's going on outside, and he's still a huge flirt and mooch for pets and belly rubs.
Dexter exploring the closet
Charlotte has used up several of her lives. She lived with a woman and her little boy until they had to move into a motel that wouldn't take cats. She had just had five kittens and the woman, over the little boy's protests, took her and the kittens to a high kill shelter. Sometimes that is the best a person can do. I appreciate that she did not leave her on the streets. The shelter contacted Thundering Paws and we took them out. All the kittens got adopted, and Charlotte was spayed. She grew into a large, healthy, black cat with a lot of energy. She had successfully gotten pregnant and had kittens without developing feline leukemia or FIV. That's one life. Then she was rescued from a kill shelter. That's two lives.
Sometimes I think about what a cat would be like if he or she were a member of our species. Charlotte would have been an athlete: on the softball team, the swimming team, running track, playing volleyball. Most of our cats sleep away the day. Not Charlotte, she was always on the move.
A family with a young son came over and fell in love with Charlotte, and adopted her. Unfortunately, they didn't realize what trouble Charlotte was getting into before it was almost too late. She stopped eating. I believe that the son, while not mean, was too young for her and too loud. She pined away and, before they knew it, Charlotte was very ill.
If a cat quits eating, she can, depending on her bulk, quite rapidly develop a condition called hepatic lipidosis, also knows as fatty liver disease. When the liver is not working on food, it produces fat cells, an abundance of which cause nausea in the cat. The main symptom of hepatic lipidosis: cat refuses to eat. The cure: eating. This means that we have to force feed the cat until she wants to eat on her own. I have used Charlotte as an example, so I used female pronouns, but males can develop this condition also. Without treatment it is always fatal. Usually treatment is successful if begun early enough.
The woman who adopted Charlotte called me and told me that she stopped eating. I said, "Bring her back," which they did. I took one look at her and rushed her to the vet. They put a feeding tube into her and force fed her for a week. It cost over a thousand dollars but was successful and it was well worth it! Charlotte returned to her healthy self. Three lives down.Because I didn't know if she would be happy anywhere else, I told Charlotte that she could stay at Thundering Paws the rest of her life if she wanted to, and that I wouldn't adopt her out again until I was absolutely sure she wanted to go.
Charlotte stayed at Thundering Paws for two more years after her escape from hepatic lipidosis, galloping all over, racing other kitties around, in constant motion. Thundering Paws is not small, but it is also divided up so some cats can stay in a quiet room and others can go out of the screened porch. She did the best she could, but I knew she needed more space.
Tom and Kristen e-mailed us that they wanted to adopt Camille. They had seen her on a website other than ours and didn't realize that she could not be separated from her mother, Felicidad. They only wanted one cat. But they came over to Thundering Paws anyway, just to see who was here. They went to every room and talked to the adoptable kitties. There were a few that they considered but no one stood out. Finally -- duh -- I figured out that they were most interested in black or mostly black cats. On a whim, I said, "Come meet Charlotte." It was love for all three of them.
I told them her story and they agreed to work with us to be sure she was eating. The best part, besides that they loved her so much, was that they have a 2600 sq. ft., two story house and she gets the run of the entire place! When we delivered her to her new home, I remarked that this house would make a fine "gym" for this particular kitty.
She's home, she's eating, she's happy, she's loved. Her new name is "Nabi," which means "butterfly" in Korean, a perfect fit for her!
Nabi at home
Jackie, a black-and-white cat, was homeless for at least 5 years. She lived outside, with a group of cats not socialized to humans. At Thundering Paws, we often assist in caring for feral cats, helping with trapping, spaying and neutering.
Jackie acted like she wanted to be friendly, coming near to us and "talking," but was just a little too afraid to be petted. Being afraid is not always a bad thing -- it kept Jackie out of trouble all those years!
Enter Tomás and D'andra, two Thundering Paws volunteers who found us online (at volunteermatch.org). Over time, they befriended Jackie, and wanted to adopt her. And it worked! We took Jackie to the vet, to have her re-tested for feline leukemia and FIV (both negative), and she went home.
Jackie and Tomás
D'andra sent this note a few days later: "Jackie is doing great. At first she was a little skeptical about us. She lived in the sink for 2 1/2 days. When we went into the bathroom, she would hiss at us. I felt like a mom with a sullen teenage daughter. Now she follows me where ever I go. We love her!!"
Jackie, very comfortable in her new home
Milenko came to Thundering Paws from Town Lake Animal Center, as detailed in our September 2008 newsletter. She was a delight to us during her stay at Thundering Paws. Milenko was adopted in November 2008, and we received this update in January 2009:
"I adopted Milenko a couple of months ago, and have since re-named her Jade because of her pretty green eyes. She is doing wonderfully and has gone from being shy and hiding under the bed to following me around the apartment! She is very playful and I can tell she is a people lover. I hope the other kitties are doing well. Thanks for everything."
A short period of adjustment is fairly typical for a newly adopted cat. Generally all it takes is a little bit of time and patience while the cat becomes accustomed to their new home. Keep that in mind if you plan to adopt. And please contact us if you would like to add a kitty to your family! We would love to introduce you to our adoptable pets. We are glad that Jade is happy in her new home!
Jade (Milenko) napping at Thundering Paws
In the summer of 2006, a boat arrived for delivery in Austin with a surprise inside: a litter of seven kittens -- all tabbies. We took them to the vet, and one of the kittens was fostered by an employee of the vet clinic and quickly adopted. The other six were fostered by Thundering Paws volunteers and lived together for several weeks.
Isabel, a beautiful classic tabby, was the next one adopted, in January 2007. Two years later, we received this update:
"Isabel is amazing and I can not believe that it's already been 2 years. We have since moved from my very small apartment to a nice roomy house. My other cat, Moxie, is her best friend and I have never seen 2 cats get along so well! I have attached a couple of recent pictures of the two because they are inseparable cuddlers and it's too cute not to share! Isabel also has grown quite a bit. Weighing just under 16 pounds she is tall, long, and skinny. She is a weird little cat as well- she plays fetch like a dog!! We're not sure how it started, but it's her favorite thing to do! We love her!!!!"
Moxie and Isabel
Next to be adopted were Raul (in February 2007), Solange (in March 2007), and Raya (August 2007). We would love to hear how they are doing.
Victor and Solace were the last two "boat kittens" to be adopted, in May 2008. Their new "mom" sent this message in December 2008:
Victor and Solace
"I am attaching some recent photos of Victor & Solace. I took them with my camera phone so they are not the best quality.
These two kitties are so close to each other. I can't imagine not having gotten them together!! I'm so glad we got both!
Victor is just the biggest love bug ever. It's so funny because Victor is totally momma's boy and Solace is totally Daddy's girl. Solace loooooves her Daddy... truly a love affair I tell ya!
They are still loving the country life. Mostly they love napping in the loft of the log home we're living in. Both are sacked out as I type.
Victor still continues the "morning and nightly ritual" since we've had him. Every single night when we tuck our son into bed... Victor always immediately drops what he's doing to come in and walks all over him while we tuck him in .. and every single night I have to pick him up and escort him out... and every single night as I help him exit he puts his ears back as if to say, "Hey, I was enjoying that!"
Then every single morning when I wake my son up for school... Victor always beats me to his door... we open the door and Victor walks all over him again until he gets out of bed.
He hasn't missed a night or morning yet.
I know I've said this before but none of us can imagine our family without these two kitties. They are the most loving, affectionate, sweet, caring, funny pair ever. In my lifetime of cats I have said, "There will never be a cat better than this one."... that's one reason why we haven't had a cat in such a long time... but these two totally win the prize.
I'm still just singing my praises that we got both.. and to think we were only going to get Victor! I can't even bear the thought!
Anyway.. just wanted to say thank you again and thank you for who you are in life for all the kitties that are fortunate enough to come your way. You are truly angels in human form."
Solace
Victor
Thanks to these families for sharing these pictures and stories with us! We love to hear about our kitties who have found a happy home.
This past year, I gave myself a remarkable gift: the gift of feline companionship. In late August, I adopted Peter from Thundering Paws -- by far the best decision I've made in a long time.
Peter enjoying a warm spot at home
I was looking for a cat because my previous cat, Homer, died of cancer at 18. I had been "catless" for quite a while and realized that I needed to be "re-catted." I began searching and looked at various rescue agencies in Austin.
I was very impressed with the dedication, passion and compassion shown by everyone at Thundering Paws. Everyone took the time to find out what type of cat I wanted and to see if I would be a suitable cat parent. Melissa and Jane went out of their way to ensure that the adoption was successful. They wanted to make sure that Peter and I both would be happy. And we are.
A few months ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (highly unusual for me; my blood pressure is usually quite low).
Well, I have worked on managing my stress better, and Peter has helped with that. I am happy to report that my blood pressure is nice and low again. And, I like to think that Peter is part of the reason for that.
He has added such joy to my life. From the very first day, he slept at the end of my bed. He likes to be cuddled frequently, and I am all too happy to oblige.
He is a very sweet, loving cat.
As you can see from his picture, Peter is handsome and healthy.
Thank you, Thundering Paws, for rescuing all of these lovely cats and caring for them. Thank you for bringing Peter to me.
Rasputin, a long-haired black kitten, was dumped last night, Monday, at the site where we feed feral cats in Dripping Springs.
Whoever dumped him there knows we come there every day. He is four to five weeks old and was left in a box that a blender came in, along with a tiny empty nursing bottle. With a cold front with rain threatening on the horizon, he was awaiting the night, when coyotes and other predators could easily kill a tiny kitten like him.
Fortunately for "Razz," D'Andra, our volunteer who feeds the feral kitties on Monday evenings, hadn't come yet. When she got there, he, not being the least bit feral, ran up to her, meowing his sad tale. She scooped him up and called me, and I asked her to bring him to the sanctuary, which she did.
I put him in a cage in the laundry room, one closed door away from the bathroom where there is a family of four who were all -- unbeknownst to me -- coming down with a cold (they'll be put on Amoxycillin this evening). When I discovered their condition this morning, I started calling volunteers to see who could raise this baby away from a possible source of infection. Melinda, a vet tech, said she could. I told her I would bring him to her this morning.
In the meantime, I fed him an entire Fancy Feast-sized can of kitten food. He gobbled that up, ate some Science Diet kitten kibbles, drank a lot of water, and crashed like a ton of bricks. Poor, hungry, thirsty, tired, frazzled kitten! When I picked him up to check his sex (he's definitely a boy), he purred like a motorboat, smiled, and snuggled into my chest.
This morning, I had a meeting at 9:15 and an appointment at 11 in South Austin. Melinda lives in North Austin, so I planned on driving from Dripping Springs to South Austin, which is closer, going to my two prior commitments, and then taking Razz to Melinda. It was warm Monday and I was afraid that it might be too warm for him to be in the car (in a cage with food, water, bed, litter box), so last night I asked Michele, with whom I could rendezvous before my meeting, if she could drive him to Melinda's while I went to my appointment. She said she could. However, Michele was in a traffic jam on the way to the planned kitten transfer. When she called to tell me this, I told her not to worry, that it wasn't hot or cold and he could stay in the car while I went to my appointment.
My appointment was for Jin Shin Jitysu, a wonderful acupressure technique, by a woman named Lisa. I have been seeing Lisa for years for Jin Shin Jitysu. Until last year, she had two dogs and two cats. Her cats, 22 year old brother and sister, died within a few months of each other, leaving her without feline companionship. Since she knows what I do, I just told her to let me know when she was ready for a kitty.
When I drove up to Lisa's, she was in her yard, or I would never have called her over to the car. But she was, and I did, and she oo'ed and ah'ed, asked if he had a home and, when I said no, she surprised the heck out of me by saying, "I'll take him." Since I see Lisa every week, I can watch him grow, get documentation of his tests, vaccinations and neuter surgery.
When I left after my appointment, Lisa was wearing him in her t-shirt, he was purring like crazy and reaching his tiny front paw up to touch her face. I wish I had had a camera.
We had him approximately 18 hours, which is a darn good turn around time!
The story of Fabio, our FIV positive kitty, was chronicled on our website before.
We wanted to find him a home where he could be out of the cage, so we took him to many adoption events. Several times we ALMOST got him adopted. But we would still have to keep him caged, and take him out when we could. It was sad.
Turns out, he was waiting for Melinda.
A friend of mine, Melinda had just finished veterinary technician school and had the time now to devote to a cat of her own. I asked her if she would foster Fabio because it would give him time out of the cage and a person of his own to love on him. As you can see from the picture, they fell madly in love. Melinda gets up two hours before she has to get ready to be at work, because she has to cuddle Fabio. This is fine with him.
And it's a very good thing that a veterinary technician adopted Fabio. He has other health problems besides FIV. Without going into indelicate details, Melinda noticed a few other issues he has and alerted us. When examined by the vet, Fabio was discovered to have old injuries, probably from being hit by a car, including healed pelvic fractures that give him intestinal problems. Without Melinda's knowledge, we might not have discovered these things, and gotten him on medication to help him.
He is the best cat in the world, according to Melinda. Melinda is the best mommy in the world, according to Fabio.
He still greets me when I visit, because he knows me well, having lived at Thundering Paws for many months. But I know to whom he has given his dear sweet kitty heart. It is one of the best adoptions we have ever had.
