Cat Adoption Stories Contest! Prizes for You AND Your Favorite Shelter!

Hi everyone! 5 of my 6 cats are rescues from my backyard, so they don't count for the contest. But, we did adopt 1 at the Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City, NJ. The shelter knew nothing about her previous life. We never had a cat, but my parents friend often asked me to cat sit during their vacations. So when they moved, we adopted her. Unfortunately, she only likes men! True story. So she wouldn't come near me. I was about 15 & my parents felt bad, so we went to adopt a kitty for me. I was convinced that getting a male was the right choice. I thought he'd command our female cat & put her in line! Well, then came my Shizu. She was a female black & white tuxedo and she chose us. None of the other cats, male or female, would even look my way. But Shizu looked at me through the metal cage with these eyes I'll never forget. Rubbing her body all over the door. That was it. We took her home!

Her full name is Shizukesa. It is a Japanese word that I found that means calm or tranquil. That was truly her personality. She was the sweetest most loving cat I've ever had. She always slept with me, nestled in the crook of my knees or on top of me! She loved to hide under the covers & whenever I felt bad, she'd sit on me to heal me. She got along with all of the other cats. Never started fights, but she'd fight back if she was picked on! I love her with all my heart and know she was truly special. 

Sadly, she passed in Jan 2014 from jaw cancer. We had her for >10 years. We had to let her cross the rainbow bridge. It was the hardest decision I've ever made, but I know I did what was best for her, not me. I keep her pawprint & collar in my china cabinet & her photo on my desk at work. She was a special cat & can never be replaced. I don't have photos of it, but she had 3 perfect black circles on her white belly! Here she is. My sweet baby girl.

View media item 276840

Hello!

About 6 months ago, I moved into a lovely 3rd floor apartment in a new area. I chose this specific complex because it was dog friendly, but after signing my lease found out otherwise. This was devastating for me, as my dog of 14 years had just passed and I was in the market for an emotional support animal to help me with my clinical anxiety.

This is where my story begins.

Ever since moving into my new apartment, I had noticed a little grey cat hanging around my neighbor's on the first floor. I had always assumed it was their outdoor cat, as they would leave food out for her and even set up a cardboard shelter for her on their porch to shelter her in the winter. I saw her every morning as I left for work, and always said hello. One afternoon last month, she tried to follow me inside the apartment complex. I knew I could not let her inside, but decided to sit down and play with her for a while. About an hour passed and my boyfriend arrived home from a work function. I asked him if we could bring her in, and he refused as he thought we'd be stealing our neighbor's cat. I decided to knock on their door and simply inquire about the situation.

I spoke with the neighbor, and found out that the cat was not theirs and that they had even tried to let her inside once, and she scratched up the furniture so they put her back out. I put on my best puppy dog eyes and begged my boyfriend to let me keep her. He eventually caved, and I began the process of gaining the cat's trust. After only two days, I was able to trap her in a crate and took her to the vet to be checked out. I paid for all of the necessary tests and booster shots, and waited around to find out my sweet new friend tested positive for the feline leukemia virus. She is less than a year old. With those results, I had more blood taken to be sent out for the second test to determine how far along she was.

I waited a week before receiving the results. Over this week, I fell in love. I consumed all of my time researching the possible outcomes of FeLV and praying for hopeful results.As devastating as the news was, I decided to keep her and give her a wonderful home no matter how short or long that may turn out to be for. I needed her as much, or even more, than she needed me. Ella is the perfect cat. She immediately knew to use the litter box, she doesn't scratch on anything, and she desperately wants to cuddle and lay with me 24/7. The vet called, and I received the new I had been hoping for! Ella had tested negative for the second test which meant she still may have a chance to fight off the virus as it had not reached her bone marrow yet. 

You'd think this would make for a great happy ending. Well, now that I have had Ella for almost a month, I have observed unusual growth in her belly area. I have read articles on articles, and have realized that my kitty is pregnant. This adds so much more stress onto her medical situation as the babies would most likely be felv positive and the prgnancy would be so hard on her immune system it could affect her ability to fight off the FeLV. 

This is where we are at now.

Ella has her next appointment at the end of the week and I am hoping for more clarification on how to make the right decisions for my new best friend. 

It has been a wild adventure this past month, and it is so hard to imagine my life if I wouldn't have befriended her. No matter what happens, I will love her unconditionally, and I wil try my hardest to give her the best medical attention that I possibly can.

So, without further ado, meet my little Ella!

Mazy cat's Gotcha Day story, February 19, 2005:

I wanted a kitten for Tolly. Tolly ( 11/11) was raised by Bibbs ( 3/05) and Ootay ( 5/09), but they were already over 8 years old when he came, so by the time Tolly was going on 6, they were old ladies and didn't want to run and tumble with him as much, and he said I was "too big".

So the kitten search began. I actually filled out my application at the shelter in the fall, was approved and started visiting the shelter about once a month. There were many lovely cats and I usually left in tears, wanting to take them all home, but I really needed a younger playmate for Tolly.

One day at the end of January when I walked in the shelter manager met me at the door so happy, because she said a couple of litters of kittens had been brought in. She brought me into the room, and sure enough, there were all these little kittens, of all colors (including a couple of red ones!) running around. Babies. Like I wanted.

As I stood there watching them I heard a "prrt?". I turned to see a half grown brown tabby cat sitting in a cage staring at me. Our eyes met and I said "Oh! You're Mazy!" and she said "PRRT!"

The shelter manager came in just then and saw me communing with "Trinity" (her shelter name). I said I want HER! She opened the cage and put her hands in to show me how "Trinity" would wave claws and teeth, and said sadly, even though she's so pretty no one wants her because she's not socialized. I said don't worry I can socialize her.

So for the next three weekends I went back to the shelter to play with Mazy cat. I brought a towel that had been rubbed on Bibbs, Ootay and Tolly. Mazy did not allow me to touch her, so I could only make quick swipes with the towel to get her smell on it (to exchange smells between all the cats). I could tell Mazy was very smart, every time the shelter manager walked by the closed door Mazy would stop and look at the door, or if she heard the manager's voice she would stop and listen. The manager really loved Mazy and had bonded with her a little, obviously.

Finally the big day came. I built a hide-away cubby-hole downstairs where the litter boxes are, so if Mazy was scared she would have a place to hide out, by the litter boxes. Mazy heard my voice when I walked into the shelter, I know, because when I walked into the room she was in, she was sitting in her cage and her eyes were already fastened on mine, she KNEW I was there to take her home that day.

I talked to her all the way home, telling her all about the other cats and how I hoped she would be a playmate for Tolly. She only said one thing, and that was when we were standing at my door, she said "mew". .

Once inside I set down the carrier and put out the new litter box I'd gotten for her, and put fresh litter in it, then added it to the corner where the other boxes are. Then I opened the carrier door right in front of the litter boxes. Mazy walked out of the carrier, stepped into and out of each litter box,(and The Litter Box Police was born) then headed for the stairs, as I followed.

She walked the entire perimeter of the apartment while I and the other cats watched. Eventually she came out of the bedroom, FLOPPED down in the middle of the living room floor and sighed deeply. I knew that sigh said "I'm home".

She was playing with Tolly by the very next day. (though it took her almost 2 years to learn to live with me) From the very beginning Mazy has taken all her Jobs seriously.

Hard to believe she's 11 now, and has been with me over 10 years.

First day here


Now:
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Oh my, what an adorable cat! I just want to reach through the computer screen and pet her. She looks like a sweetheart!

Well my case isn't from a shelter or animal store, I adopted my cats Junebug, Yuki, and Kykio from my friend. If I didn't, they would've been shot.

I'm not an adult just (turning 18 in a month) so my brother was the one who had to do the adopting! 

My three babies are siblings. They were born to a feral mother in my back yard. I knew a TNR group who worked with the Humane Society. I put Mama and all of her kittens in a spare room. I worked with the shelter as as a foster intending to put all of the kittens at PetSmart for adoption as long as they were socialized. Nine weeks later after I had worked with them from birth, it was time to put them up for adoption. I packed them up with a blanket for each and a box full of baby cat food that they liked. I cried when they went in a cage. My husband told me I could adopt one. I picked Dante who was my runt. Cimba, Dutchess and Cleo went to PetSmart. My daughter was away at college, but had an apartment. She fell in love with Cleo (now Zoey) and adopted her right away. I went to PetSmart and played with Cimba and Dutchess every day after work. Two weeks went by and they were not adopted. On a friday night my husband went with me for my nightly visit. Saturday morning he brought me back with a cat carrier and cash to make my little family whole again.
View media item 276907Dante
View media item 276908Dutchess
View media item 276909Cimba
View media item 276911Zoey (my grandkitten as dracula)
That is my adoption story and how all my friends and coworkers came to call me a crazy cat lady!

Aww, I love 'em! Black cats have a bad rep. My 'nephew', Nightmare is all black and he is a darling. His brother Little Man (who isn't so little) is the bully...one minute he can be sweet, next he wants to (and has) draw blood (mine, ouch!). Mean cat, yet my in-laws see nothing wrong with this behavior.

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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Number 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Number 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Number 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Number 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Closing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Continue"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Continue 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Continue 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Continue 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="List Continue 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Message Header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Salutation"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Date"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text First Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Note Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Body Text Indent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Block Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Hyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="FollowedHyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Document Map"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Plain Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="E-mail Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Top of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Normal (Web)"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Acronym"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Cite"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Code"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Definition"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Keyboard"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Preformatted"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Sample"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Typewriter"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="HTML Variable"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Normal Table"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="annotation subject"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="No List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Outline List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Outline List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Outline List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Simple 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Simple 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Simple 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Classic 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Classic 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Classic 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Classic 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Colorful 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Colorful 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Colorful 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Columns 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Columns 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Columns 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Columns 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Columns 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Grid 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table List 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table 3D effects 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table 3D effects 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table 3D effects 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Contemporary"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Elegant"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Professional"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Subtle 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Subtle 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Web 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Web 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Web 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Balloon Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Table Theme"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 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I had just lost my cat Misty at the age of close to 16 years old, had her since she was about 8 weeks old, I had adopted her from a shelter

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As heartbroken as I was I needed and wanted another kitty to love so two weeks later I went to a no-kill shelter after checking their website.

I had planned on looking at this one cat but then I saw this beautiful dark tortie with the greenest eyes staring at me from a high cage.  I played with her through the cage and then turned to look at the other cats in cages and those who were  walking on the floor…but I kept looking back at that high cage.

I went back to the cage and the woman asked would I like to hold her and I said yes, she opened the cage and that cat jumped right on me with her front paws around my neck and wouldn’t let go.  People say cats choose us and I really believe we chose each other, needless to say I took her home a week later and named her Autumn.

She was almost three years old when I adopted her.  Autumn has now taken over the house.

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My rescue cat is Waffles! We adopted her In October of 2013, and she will turn 2 years old this July! We already had one cat, Pancake, who was 2 years old at the time and we didn't plan on getting another cat. But a new pet supply store had just opened in our town so we went to check it out. When we went in, we saw a wall full of kittens in their cages. Our local humane society had so many kittens that they sent some to this store to hopefully get adopted by customers. Being an animal lover, I had to go look at the kittens. They were all so cute and playful! I wanted to take them all home! But a little grey tabby stuck out to me, she was the friendliest of them all, and she had a short curled tail. The store employees said we could take her out of her cage and play with her, and my husband and I both fell in love! We ended up adopting that cute little kitten that very day! We were worried that Pancake wouldn't like her, but we did a gradual introduction with them and shortly they became best friends! We named our new kitten Waffles, so that our two cats are named Pancake and Waffles! She is still such a love bug, and her cute little tail give her such personality!

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About 9 months ago my master of 14 years suddenly died.  Having lived alone with her for 11 of those years, I often chatted aloud with (to?) her.  When she was gone, I found myself continuing to talk aloud, which I thought was fine, but became a bit concerned when I began answering myself. I knew I would eventually get another cat, but after 2.5 weeks I found myself getting the carpets cleaned one morning and deciding to head out to a cat show in town that was going to have several local rescues in attendance.  I figured I’d talk to some people and find one that I wanted to work with when I was ready.  I guess I should have expected they would not only have volunteers with materials, but also kittens and cats of all ages. I walked up to a cage with two wee little kittens and do what I always do when I see cats and dogs – put my hand out for them to smell. This little kitten ambles over, starts licking my finger and next thing I know is in my arms. The volunteer tells me about her and then exchanges her for her sister after a few minutes, sadly for the first. I say my thank yous and continue to walk around meeting other cats and kittens but thinking of those two little 2.5 month old kittens who seemed so unaffected by the chaos around them while all the older cats I saw were so skittish.  Yep, you know what’s next…I went back and they were still available. Told the volunteers I wanted to adopt both, they thought I just wanted the first one I saw since everyone loved her and had been bypassing her sister, and I told them there was no way I was splitting up sisters and was taking them both home. As I hadn’t planned on doing this, I left with them in a cardboard carrier and headed immediately to the pet store for kitten food and litter, bringing my cardboard carrier with me. I played with them in their “litter room” for about an hour and then left them alone for a bit to go put my furniture back in order from the morning’s carpet cleaning and opened the doors for them to their home. One developed a terrible eye infection a few days later while the other got a terrible URI, pneumonia and eye infection that took several months of medication, but they’re all better and now I talk to them aloud… and they answer me.

Here’s a picture of their first night in the house.

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And a few months ago, when they were sitting still for a change:

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They are so beautiful!

My wife and I took our 3 year old daughter, Kristin,  to the local pet adoption day to look around, but not intending to adopt any pets that day. We came to the kittens and my daughter was drawn to a small, solitary kitten who was sitting by himself and was obviously the runt of the litter. He was tiny and an orange color. My daughter carried him around for a while then decided other things were possibly more interesting and put the kitten in my hands. The little fuzzball wasn't in my hands for more than a minute when he fell asleep. I'm not a small guy and have a beard and longish hair...I must have been quite a sight being big and burly, holding a tiny kitten in my hand, being careful not to wake him up. My daughter returned and said she liked the kitten because nobody was paying any attention to him and she felt bad that he wasn't getting fussed over, like the others. She said she knew how he felt being alone and my heart broke, as she is an only child with no other children in the area to play with. It seems that the little lonely orange kitten was coming home with us, much to the delight of my daughter (and me too, although I won't admit to it!).

    The little kitten was named Thor. We named him Thor because he was fearless, especially when it came to eating...don't get between Thor and the food bowl! Even though Thor was fearless, he was also pretty small and he seemed to have trouble keeping on weight and seemed sickly. The Vet didn't know if the little kitten would make it, but my daughter took wonderful care of him. Thor wasn't real friendly with anyone except my daughter, who could do anything with him without a whimper of a complaint. Thor and my daughter grew up together and were best friends. Years went by with Thor and Kristin becoming inseperable. Thor never got too big, but he was fuzzy and loved my daughter dearly...and vice versa. My daughter grew up and went away to high school. Not too long after she left, Thor, now 12 or 13 years old, developed an autoimmune blood disease. We treated his blood disease but he succumbed to the disease on the way back from the Vets. I held my little buddy while he took his last breath and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

    Life without an orange cat became unbearable and we eventually found another orange cat who took on some of Thor's duties, but he will never be replaced. Thor's replacement, Archie, was found at the same place that we found Thor a decade earlier. The story of Archie's adoption was another great tale, but this is a story for another day.

This isn't a shelter story, and so not fodder for the competition, but I wanted to share anyway how Rose, also known to those who follow my threads as Momma Cat, came to live in out house.

To explain why there was such trouble with her entering the house, I have to go back. Way back before she was born, back when I was kid spending weekends with my dad and the step-monster. The step-monster had a cat. His name was Garfield. He was an orange tabby and he hated me. He would hide and attack me, attack me randomly and without warning, and no. I do not mean "play instigation." Only luck and my ability to dodge kept me from getting stitches. I spent weekends in terror of the cat for three years, until a neighbor hit him with a car (and I'm not certain it was an accident).

I brought the fact that it seemed the cat was trying to kill me (his favorite thing to attack were my eyes and I got very good at covering them very fast) to my dad and the step-monster. The step-monster laughed and said the aggression was something that happened to all cats when they matured. While I never actually developed a fear of cats, I certainly had a period of time where I didn't like them and didn't even want to think about them coming into the house. (My dad eventually divorced the step-monster, something that was good for all of us.)

Fast forward years into the future. My family was at the shelter looking at cats. We were thinking of getting one, and they let anyone open and play with the cats as long as they rubbed alcohol gel on their hands between cats. One of the cats they had was a Russian Blue, and he looked like Tom from Tom and Jerry. I had to pet him, and the people who ran the shelter certainly wouldn't allow a violent cat to interact with the public, right? Wrong. The cat leaned into my hand as I stroked him--gently--and chomped down on it mid-purr. That's right. There was no warning. His tail didn't start twitching, his ears didn't go back, his eyes were still half-closed and languid, and he was still purring. Naturally I had to get a tetnus shot--and I had a reaction to it that swelled my arm three times its normal size for almost a week. The cat idea was scrapped.

Fast forward just a bit more. My younger brother was at his friend's house, admiring the kittens. (They were about three months old, I think.) One of the kittens was getting bullied by everyone; her siblings were hiding and jumping out at her, her mother was smacking her around, and she didn't even get sympathy from the humans. Now, my younger brother might be reckless, feckless, and thick as two short planks, but he does have a good heart. He couldn't leave the poor kitten there--so he brought her home.

I was not mean to the kitten. I did teach her that she's not allowed in the kitchen, but she had the run of the rest of the house and this was no hardship for her. I fed the kitten, I cleaned the litterbox, and when she got fleas I bathed her with Dawn. I didn't expect her to like me, and I certainly never expected to like her. (The first thing my brother told me when I saw the kitten was that I'd never know she was here. Five minutes later I was cleaning crap off the carpet.)

So that's it. That's the story of how Rose, a.k.a. Momma Cat, came to live with us. As to how she became Momma Cat, well, that's another story. (And not one I can tell without long rants.)

Tallyollyopia said:

 
This isn't a shelter story, and so not fodder for the competition, but I wanted to share anyway how Rose, also known to those who follow my threads as Momma Cat, came to live in out house.

To explain why there was such trouble with her entering the house, I have to go back. Way back before she was born, back when I was kid spending weekends with my dad and the step-monster. The step-monster had a cat. His name was Garfield. He was an orange tabby and he hated me. He would hide and attack me, attack me randomly and without warning, and no. I do not mean "play instigation." Only luck and my ability to dodge kept me from getting stitches. I spent weekends in terror of the cat for three years, until a neighbor hit him with a car (and I'm not certain it was an accident).

I brought the fact that it seemed the cat was trying to kill me (his favorite thing to attack were my eyes and I got very good at covering them very fast) to my dad and the step-monster. The step-monster laughed and said the aggression was something that happened to all cats when they matured. While I never actually developed a fear of cats, I certainly had a period of time where I didn't like them and didn't even want to think about them coming into the house. (My dad eventually divorced the step-monster, something that was good for all of us.)

Fast forward years into the future. My family was at the shelter looking at cats. We were thinking of getting one, and they let anyone open and play with the cats as long as they rubbed alcohol gel on their hands between cats. One of the cats they had was a Russian Blue, and he looked like Tom from Tom and Jerry. I had to pet him, and the people who ran the shelter certainly wouldn't allow a violent cat to interact with the public, right? Wrong. The cat leaned into my hand as I stroked him--gently--and chomped down on it mid-purr. That's right. There was no warning. His tail didn't start twitching, his ears didn't go back, his eyes were still half-closed and languid, and he was still purring. Naturally I had to get a tetnus shot--and I had a reaction to it that swelled my arm three times its normal size for almost a week. The cat idea was scrapped.

Fast forward just a bit more. My younger brother was at his friend's house, admiring the kittens. (They were about three months old, I think.) One of the kittens was getting bullied by everyone; her siblings were hiding and jumping out at her, her mother was smacking her around, and she didn't even get sympathy from the humans. Now, my younger brother might be reckless, feckless, and thick as two short planks, but he does have a good heart. He couldn't leave the poor kitten there--so he brought her home.

I was not mean to the kitten. I did teach her that she's not allowed in the kitchen, but she had the run of the rest of the house and this was no hardship for her. I fed the kitten, I cleaned the litterbox, and when she got fleas I bathed her with Dawn. I didn't expect her to like me, and I certainly never expected to like her. (The first thing my brother told me when I saw the kitten was that I'd never know she was here. Five minutes later I was cleaning crap off the carpet.)

So that's it. That's the story of how Rose, a.k.a. Momma Cat, came to live with us. As to how she became Momma Cat, well, that's another story. (And not one I can tell without long rants.)

Click to expand...

Here's a link to Mom playing with Rose, back when she was younger. (The file of pictures from when she was new to the house were accidentally deleted.)

I've had three kittens to date but one of them passed away. I'll be writing here about the third since in my mind his rescue went far beyond the call of duty.

When I found him on PetFinder I was becoming jaded after first losing one of my kittens after less than four months to FIP and having problems adopting from a shelter (was approved, got a hold on a kitten than told the next week I couldn't adopt and had to wait a month eventually got sick of being told one thing than another I respect the work but still). But I went to the first shelter the night I applied for this little guy who at the time was named Piglet and was called back the next day and they left a message on my machine i debated whether to call back but decided to and was told I was approved. They explained the procedure for putting a hold on a kitten and I told them I wanted to meet him before placing any holds to make sure it was a good fit and they said ok and contacted his foster.

Over the next week or so I was in contact multiple times with his foster who eventually said she would bring him up to Dekalb/Sycamore and asked about what day would be ok being off most days I told her any and we met soon after that in a McDonaldsa parking lot. I held the little guy for around a half hour and in that time he tried to crawl up my shoulder and buried his head in my chest purring as I pet him. Eventually he stuck his head in my jacket and went to sleep at the time he was only five weeks old still had his blue eyes and was so cute. I made the decision to adopt him and contacted the feline coordinator Linda who was happy to hear it as was his foster Brittany. Linda instructed me on the steps to take again and I sent in the deposit.

About 5 or so weeks passed and Linda called me to ask what I wanted to do my options were to take hold of Piglet (as he was named than) that weekend and take him to his neuter appointment when it was made or wait two weeks and take him once he was neutered.  I opted to take him to his appointment myself and did so yesterday but brought him home on May 16th.

He's a sweet little guy that's so happy when I come home he even licks me lol. He quickly adapted himself to my home and the very first night he was here he was sleeping in my bed and has slept close every night either on my bed or on the floor of my bedroom nearby (I suspect he moves from place to place). But is no doubt happy and I love him deeply he really helped me after I lost Tsuki. Sera is also happy to have a new friend to play with and they've bonded well overall

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http://vid1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah239/tsukiyomi/MVI_4003_zpsyzdfmb8t.mp4

His original name was Piglet and I had another name in mind initially but seeing no one could pronounce Izayoi I made the decision to name him Vincent because it felt fitting when he wouldn't back down from Sera when she hissed and growled just kept pushing forward.

These were from the day I brought him home.

I have adopted (or been adopted) by so many strays over the years, how can I pick any one story?  Suggestions????

This is Frodo I adopted him from the Cat house on the kings, awesome no cage no kill shelter for cats.  I adopted him after my buddy gangstalicous passed away. cancer took him from me.  I had 3 kitties still but I needed a baby to help the pain go away.  Hes tripled in size and is a wonderful kid.  he is helping me foster a kitten I saved the other day from 2 evil human larvae.  I caught them tossing something against a wall turned out to be this dirty little kitten no bigger than my hand.  I assumed it had passed due to abuse.  I snatched it away from them and chastised them and there feral father. he was mad at me for yelling at his two serial killers.  I felt the kitten wiggle and dashed off to get it help.  got him cleaned up (millions of fleas  ugh).  wish I had a pic of him to add to this story.  well I named him Kosh hes a cute little thing. I think im just gonna keep him instead of giving him to the cat house on the kings.  thanks to my little Frodo this abused kitten is getting to have a kittens life of romping and crashing into things.  Cats Rule.

This is Robin. He adopted me, although I didn't come with papers. [emoji]128570[/emoji][emoji]128570[/emoji]

I did not come from a shelter, but my new owner loves me anyway. [emoji]128522[/emoji] although he keeps me in line with his tough love. It's all an act lol

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Um. Or not, lol.

The cat that my ex had passed away at 23 years of age, and we were feeling fairly miserable in a catless house (that's no way to live I tell you!) I suggested that we go to the RSPCA "just to have a look" but nevertheless with cat cage in tow. Chomsky was a stand-out amongst the other kittens, and clearly posessed a certain je ne sais quoi! The staff at the shelter said he was taken off his owner along with some other cats. Thankfully though his behaviour didn't indicate that he had suffered from abuse.

Since then my ex and I have parted ways, and I have taken Chomsky with me (He's all mine - you're not having him!). Luckily for my ex I have allowed him to continue to have visiting rights to Chomsky. It's a privilege, not a right.

Fast forward to now and Chomsky and I have a new addition to our happy household - Pip! I adopted her from a local shelter that I didn't even know existed until tooling around on the internet for cat adoptions. I toyed around with the idea of going back to the RSPCA again but then I thought, "Hang on, there must be a reason why I discovered that nearby shelter", and it seems the reason is that Pip was waiting there for us to pick her up! The shelter staff told me that the local council had picked her up off the streets all on her lonesome - no Mum, no Dad, no siblings. 

But now look at her with her new big bro Chomsky!!!

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