Catching Up Before Christmas!

I must apologize for falling behind in the blog!  Every once in a while things start to spiral out of control and time flies by!

The two cats below were brought to the store on Friday, December 11:

Sweet little Tess is about nine months old.  She came in as a stray in early November.

 

Tess

Robert is just over a year old.  This young man showed up at a managed colony and was bullying the other cats!  When he came into the Shelter staff saw that although he was a little scared and shy he was not feral and would domesticate.  After a couple weeks he showed us we were right!  He is playful and friendly and just may walk right onto your shoulders!

 Robert

George was brought back to the Shelter due to what appears to be an eye injury.  He is doing great and will be back at the store in a few days.

Gizmo was adopted and is headed for the Lone Star State!  That's right - he is Texas bound!  He was adopted by a young man who is just finishing a term in the Coast Guard and then headed home.  We called his mom in Texas to make sure she knew her son was not arriving home alone.  She was quite aware and stated she was excited to meet her grandcat!  

We have a couple of openings coming up to conclude 2020.  (I suspect most folks are ready to see this year end!!)  If you can cover any of the below dates let me know:

 

Saturday, December 26:    PM Cleaning 

Sunday, December 27:      AM & PM Cleaning

Tuesday, December 29:     PM Cleaning

Wednesday, December 30: PM Cleaning

 

I will be setting up the 2021 calendar! 

New Arrivals, Adoptions and Great News!

Great news, everybody!!  Mr. Skinny Bones was adopted!  He left the Shelter on Wednesday and has settled in and is doing well.  It is a perfect match - an elderly man who lives alone was looking for a companion.  They are now two bachelors keeping one another company!

Rebecca left from PetSmart yesterday!  She is joining a three generation household with a nine year old Labrador retriever named Sweetie.  There are two teenage kids in the house.  Rebecca is going to have very nice kitty cat life!

Three cats arrived at the store yesterday. 

George and Gizmo are brothers that came into the Shelter in late October of this year.  They are about six months old.  They came in as part of a local Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) location - however they were nice and adoptable so we kept them and now they are available for adoption!  They are not bonded with another so do not need to go together.  They are both sweet!  George will play shy however will warm up quickly.  He actually hugs!  Gizmo purrs like crazy and likes to be held.  

George

Gizmo

Pretty Jasmine came into the Shelter in early October through animal control wearing an old pink work collar.  We are not very sure on details.  We were told she bit her owner over food on the floor.  We have not seen any aggressive behavior from her and have had her for two months.   If we did she would not be at PetSmart!  We have seen a sweet cat that will tolerate living with other cats, however likes being a diva, too! She is about one year old now.

Please see the below dates and let me know if you can cover any of them:

 

Saturday, December 5: PM Cleaning

Friday, December 11: PM Cleaning

Saturday, December 12: PM Cleaning

Sunday, December 13: AM & PM Cleaning 

Tuesday, December 15: PM Cleaning

Wednesday, December 16: PM Cleaning

Friday, December 18: PM Cleaning

Saturday, December 19: PM Cleaning

Sunday, December 20: PM Cleaning

Tuesday, December 22: AM Cleaning

Wednesday, December 23: PM Cleaning

Saturday, December 26: PM Cleaning

Sunday, December 27: AM & PM Cleaning

Tuesday, December 29: AM & PM Cleaning

Wednesday, December 30: PM Cleaning

Happy tails, Chloe!!

Chloe left on Saturday! She is gaining two canine siblings, one feline sibling, two human siblings and a mom and dad!  She is going to make a teenage girl very happy!

Two new cats arrived over the Thanksgiving weekend - they are litter mates Belvedere and Tito. These two came into the Shelter over a year ago at ten weeks old.  They were trapped along with another sibling (who has since been adopted) and their mom. Sadly, they are growing up in a cage!

Belvedere, the female of the two, had surgery to fix a double entropion.  That's why her eyes look sore. (If you do not know what it is, Entropion is a condition in which the eyelid, usually the lower one, is turned inward and your eyelashes rub against your eyeball, causing discomfort.)  We would love to see these two stay together.  They are very sweet!  They will be shy at first but will do fine in a quiet, patient home.                                                                                                     

Belvedere

 

Tito

Mr. Skinny Bones was brought back to the Shelter right before Thanksgiving for an ear issue.  He had an ear infection, poor guy!  He has been treated and is all better.  Expect him back in a couple of days.

Below are some dates in the next few weeks that need coverage.  Please let me know if you are available for any of them:

Saturday, December 5, PM Cleaning

Friday, December 11, AM & PM Cleaning

Saturday, December 12, AM & PM Cleaning

Sunday, December 13, AM & PM Cleaning.

Feel free to look ahead later in the month and let me know if there are any dates you would like to cover beyond the above.  

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving with your families!  Thank you for all you do for this program!

Paul & Ringo Stay Together!

Paul & Ringo went home together on Sunday to an adult only household and no other pets.  They will have a nice life!

We plan to bring more cats to the store the day after Thanksgiving.

Help is needed for the remainder of the month and the first week of December on the below dates:

Saturday, November 28, PM Cleaning

Sunday, November 29, PM Cleaning

Tuesday, December 1, PM Cleaning

Saturday, December 5, PM Cleaning

Sunday, December 6, PM Cleaning

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and stay well!!

Happy Tails, Super Max!!

Super Max went home last week!  He will be joining an active household which is a purr-fect fit for him! His family is an adult couple, two adult children, a teenager and a three year old! They are so excited about him becoming a part of their family! 

Acer left as scheduled on Saturday, November 7. As mentioned in the last update - he joined a very nice couple with two teenagers.  He is going to get a ton of attention!!

I have an application on Yippy I am working through.  Sadly the first applicant had a change of heart.

Two lovely girls arrived on Friday - Rebecca and Chloe.  Finally some girls to join the boys!  Rebecca is a stray that came into the Shelter the end of October.  She is about six months old.  Are you a fan of the TV show This Is Us? This sweet little girl is named after one of the main characters.  Like that Rebecca this girl is pretty, sweet and very likeable!

Rebecca

Chloe came into the Shelter in mid-October.  She had been neglected and was so sick!  She was malnourished, had an upper respiratory infection, and an ear infection. She will probably remain small in stature for life.  She is a sweetheart and does not hold that against anyone and will make a wonderful and most thankful companion!

Chloe

Below are open dates for November.  Please let me know if you can cover.  We are losing Judy M for a month or so after November 21.  Please sign up for Saturday afternoons if you can!

Tuesday, November 24: AM Cleaning

Wednesday, November 25: PM Cleaning

Friday, November 27: PM Cleaning

Saturday, November 28: PM Cleaning

Sunday, November 29: AM and PM Cleanings

Volunteers are off on Thanksgiving!  PetSmart will take care of our cats when they go in to feed and clean their animals.  (That's Toni in the AM and Lisa & Sarah in the PM.  Please confirm you read this!)

Adoptions and New Arrivals!!

The boys are adopted!!  Aaron is leaving today (Wednesday) and is joining a young couple and a house full of pets!  He is gaining three canine siblings and two feline siblings.  Acer will be leaving the store on Saturday. He will be the only pet in the house and is joining mom and dad and two older teenagers.  Acer is going to be a prince in this house!

Tisha was brought back to the Shelter and may have an approved application.  We are working through it.

That leaves old man Skinny Bones to greet the new arrivals.  I must admit I am surprised he has not been adopted.  His time will come though!

Meet Paul and Ringo! These two precious boys really need to be adopted together!  They came into the Shelter as feral kittens in late September at about four and a half months.  Paul has the pink nose. Ringo loves to be snuggled.  They have never lived in a house.  Please give them a little space when they arrive.  They will appear timid and nervous however will be okay after a couple of days.  💖All they need is love!!💖

Ringo and Paul

 

Here's little Yippy!  He was adopted on October 3 and then brought back a week later.  Why was he brought back? 😖 Well, the adopter took Yippy and another kitten at the same time to join her ten year old cat.  Both bonded quickly with the older cat, however Yippy did not bond quickly enough with her.  She wanted to pick up Yippy and cuddle and, well, he did not want to participate!  She also complained that he played too rough and was a biter. (Sounds like a kitten to me!)

Nippy Yippy

 

Super Max is about three months old.  This poor little guy came into the Shelter in early September.  Sadly his mom died and he found himself orphaned outside at ten weeks old. 😭 He was in a foster home for a couple weeks where he showed himself to be exceptionally playful, smart and rambunctious! 😍 He is a love biter and plays rough! Overall Super Max is very endearing and will keep an adopter amused and on their toes! This picture really shows his personality!!  He looks like he is saying, "Hey! You!  Wanna play wif me?"

Super Max

 

Please take a look at the volunteer calendar and let me know if you are able to cover any of the open dates.

New Arrivals!!

Meet the new guys...Acer and Aaron! Both are cute little guys!  They will not last long!

Acer is a five month old kitten who came into the Shelter earlier this month.  This playful boy will give you kisses when you pick him up!

 

Acer

 

Aaron is another little boy but a tad older than Acer.  He is about ten months old and came into the Shelter also in early October from a local campground. Who says all cats are aloof?!!  Not this guy! Aaron is needy in a good way!  He will reach out of the cage to get your attention and if that doesn't work he'll start to meow to make you notice him! 

Thank you to those who have responded so and volunteered for additional dates in November! 

Several rolls of brown paper were brought to the store on Friday so the stock has been replenished!

Adoption Updates!

Archie went home last Wednesday to join his previously adopted brother, Ace.  Ace has assured him he has landed in a wonderful home!!

Hera left a couple days ago.  She is joining an adult couple with no children and no pets.  She is guaranteed to get ALL the attention!!

Stephanie and Sylvester left together on Friday.  They are joining a father and his young adult son.  There are no other pets in their home.  The son was so excited to hear their application was approved!!

Amy Apple has an approved application and is being picked up tomorrow - Tuesday, October 27.  She will be joining a family consisting of an adult couple, two adult children, a teenager and a three year old cat named Milo.  Amy Apple is going to become BFFs with her new mom - a 21 year old girl in the house!

New cats and kittens will be headed to the store this week.  

Tisha may have a leg injury.  It was reported she is not putting weight on her right front leg.  If you see this is still continuing, is better or getting worse please let me know.  

I apologize to those who I have confused,  annoyed  or inconvenienced due to scheduling mix ups.  To explain - I often see emails on my phone and mean to answer or update the schedule however neglect to follow through!  Please keep an eye on the schedule and let me know when I mess up!

Special thanks to Lauren for making a QR code that will take interested adopters right to our adoption application on our website!  It is displayed at the adoption center at Petsmart.   Lauren is also an administrator to the new Facebook page called Cats of Petsmart.  Please LIKE the page and send an invitation to all of your "friends" and help get the word out.

Please look a head to November and let me know if you can cover any dates. 

 

Lots of Adoptions!!

Adoptions have been going really well this month!  The Shelter is so thankful for the commitment and  time put in by each and every one of our volunteers!!  So here is the rundown...

Ace went home to live with one of our volunteers and is living a good life!! There is talk of Archie joining him....  We'll see!! 

Ace

As you know...Fruit Loop and Cheerio went home together.  They are now part of a family that consists of a young couple, a dog and two senior cats.  Ava went to a quiet home with a single woman and a five year old cat named Kibbi.  She settled in well and will have a wonderful life!  Neo and Morpheus went home together, too.  They are now living with a single man who said he needed company...well,  he now has company!!

Remember Casper?  He was a volunteer favorite.  He is doing well in his home where he gets to snooze by the window in the sunshine!  He looks so sweet and so comfy!!

💖Casper💖

Five cats arrived at PetSmart yesterday - Tuesday.  Here they all are...

Skinny Bones is a senior cat who first came into the shelter in 2017 as a stray.  He was adopted a couple of months later where he lived happily for the past few years.  Unfortunately his owner brought him back to the Shelter as he is moving and can not take him. Skinny Bones qualifies for our Senior For Senior Adoption Program.  There is no fee if he is adopted by an applicant over the age of 62. 

 

 Handsome Skinny Bones

 

Sylvester and Stephanie are litter mates that came into the Shelter in late August at about ten weeks old.  They are now approximately four months old.  They did spent a short amount of time in a foster home.  They appear a bit shy at first however they are very playful and love cavorting together!

 

Stephanie (L) and Sylvester (R)

 

Little Amy Apple is somewhere around a year old.   She looks like a kitten.  She came into the Shelter as stray at the end of May.  The owner of the property where she was trapped offered to allow her to live outside there but we thought she was more of a house cat than a TNR cat!

 

Amy Apple

 

Look at this little cutie named Tisha!  She came into the Shelter with her mom and litter mates at the end of June.  Today she is about six months old.  She is a tad shy so would do better in a quiet home where she will sit and love being fussed over! 

 

Tisha

 

As always - give the new arrivals an opportunity to settle in.  The move from the Shelter to PetSmart can be stressful for the cats.  In addition to the move they are exposed to lots of people including dogs and kids that move quickly toward them at the windows.  Read their body language and do not force them to do anything.  Each cat will adjust at their own individual pace.

Welcome back, Toni!!  Thank you for picking up Thursday mornings!

Below are dates for the remainder of October that need to be filled.  Let me know if you are available.  The calendar is updated as people respond.

 

Sunday, October 18, AM and PM

Wednesday, October 21, PM

Sunday, October 25, AM and PM

Tuesday, October 27, AM

Wednesday, October 28, PM

Friday, October 30, AM and PM

 

New Arrivals!

Fruit Loop and Cheerio were adopted!  They will be going home tomorrow.  They will be joining a big family consisting of a young human couple, two ten year old cats, and seven month old puppy.

CORRECTION!  Ava is the cat with the leg injury and Archie is the one remaining at PetSmart.  There was a mix up and we brought back the wrong paperwork with her. 

New guys arrived today!!  Two are litter mates about five months old and the other is a single little girl about six months old.

The two litter mates are Neo and Morpheus.They came into the Shelter in the beginning of July from a location where a feeder continually fails to cooperate and TNR.  Neighbors monitor her situation and get kittens when they can.  These two boys are quite handsome!  They do not need to go home together.

 

Neo

Morpheus

Look at this face!!  Is she precious or what! She came into the Shelter in July along with litter mates.  Sadly Hera is from a situation similar to Morpheus and Neo.  We did get her mom and dad fixed and they were returned.

Hera

Help is still needed for this Sunday, October 4, for the evening cleaning.  Please let me know if you are available.  Also please look ahead at the rest of the month.

Happy Tails to Ace and Waddles!! Be good, boys!!

Waddles went home today where he will be the only pet living with a single woman who is thrilled to have him!  I did my best to see if Waffles could go with him but to no avail.   Ace is being adopted by PetSmart volunteers Ryan and Julia.  He is going to have a wonderful life!!  He is still at PetSmart today however they will be taking him home in a day or two.

Archie has a leg injury of some sort so has been brought back to the Shelter.  He will see the vet.  Poor boy!  Little Ava will be lost without her two brothers.  Hopefully she catches someone's eye soon!

Fruit Loop and Cheerio arrived at the store today and now reside in the big cage.  These two little boys MUST stay together!   They came into the Shelter orpans at three weeks old in early June.  Fortunately we had a nice mommy cat who happily took them and nursed them for several weeks. Then they went into a foster home with one of the Shelter employees for several weeks.  In the foster they did well with a toddler and a small dog.  How can you tell them apart?  Cheerio is buff and white.  Fruit Loop is orange and white.

September is nearing a close! Thank you for your help!  Below are the dates that need coverage in October.  There are quite a few.  Please let me know if you are available to cover any of them.

Thursday mornings on October 1 and October 8

Sunday mornings and evenings on October 4, 11, 18 and 25

Tuesday mornings on October 6, 13 and 27 

Wednesday evenings on October 7, 14, 21 and 28

We are going to bring some other new guys down in a day or two.  I'll keep you posted on Archie.

Latest Adoptions & Arrivals

Amy and Penny left on Saturday for a big house with a mom and dad and four kids - ages 11 to 17 - and an old dog.  Of course the kids were thrilled!  Dad drove down from Holland, PA to pick them up.

Marvel was brought back to the Shelter because he bit one of the volunteers - little jerk!!  By State law he must be quarantined for ten days.  We do have two applications for him and will follow up with both applicants once he is off quarantine.

Archie, Ava and Ace are litter mates that were brought to the the store on Tuesday afternoon.  These three arrived at the Shelter in early June.  At that time we estimated their age to be five or six weeks.  That puts them at about five months old now. They were removed from a location where volunteers are helping a feeder establish a responsible Trap-Neuter-Return situation.  They do not need to be adopted together.  However - if someone adopts two of our pets we always waive the second adoption fee.

As the cage cards indicate Ace is the friendliest and the most relaxed.  Archie and Ava are a little more nervous than Ace.  Please take your time with them all and let them settle in at their own pace.

Ace

  Archie

  Ava

As indicated in the last email I sent out coverage is needed for Wednesday night (tonight), September 16 and tomorrow morning, Thursday, September 17.  The remaining dates this month that need coverage are below.  

This Sunday, September 20, will be the last Sunday morning that Debbie and Warren will be with us.  They are headed back to Florida however will be back in the Spring.  Thanks for your help, guys!  Safe travels!  Stay healthy and see you in April! 

Coverage needed below in addition to Wednesday and Thursday this week includes:

Friday, Sept 18, PM Cleaning

Sunday, Sept 20, PM Cleaning

Wednesday, Sept 23, PM Cleaning

Thursday, Sept 24, AM Cleaning

Friday, Sept 25, AM and PM Cleaning

Sunday, Sept 27, AM and PM Cleaning

Tuesday, Sept 29, AM Cleaning

Wednesday, Sept 30, PM Cleaning

 

You will all be very happy to hear that Casper settled right in at his new home and is doing well!!

Liberty and Casper Go Home!

Casper has been adopted and is in his new home as you read this!  He has joined a multi-cat household with a kind and compassionate woman who works in a vet office.  Things could not look better for him!  Thank you all for caring so much about him.

Liberty has also been adopted and will be living with a dog and five kids!  Looks like she will be getting a ton of attention.

A family with four kids (ages 11 through 17) have submitted an application for Amy and Penny.  They will be meeting the kittens at 2:00pm on Friday, September 11 with a staff member.  If they bond the kittens will be headed to Holland, Pennsylvania!

Three cats were brought to the store today.  Waddles, Waffles and Marvel.

Marvel lives up to his name and is a marvel-ous cat!  He will make a fabulous family pet!  He came into the Shelter in mid-July after being found at Lake Nummy in Belleplain State Forest.  He came in neutered however not microchipped.  He is about two years old.  He will be adopted quickly!

Waffles (female) and Waddles (male) are shy and will need a quiet understanding home.  They do not need to be adopted together.  They came into the Shelter in mid-June at about twelve weeks old - which puts them at about six months old now.  They were trapped at the Walmart in Rio Grande as part of a Trap-Neuter-Return project.  They were too young to be put back.  Kittens that are not handled by people very early in their lives can take a long time to trust people and not be afraid.  Please take your time with these two and let them settle in at their own pace.  Do not force them out to play or force yourself on them. Of the two, Waddles, the long haired male, is the best with people.  Waffles is the shy one of the two. 

 

IMPORTANT: The notebook at the Adoption Center is there so the volunteers can share information with each other.  If you note a medical issue or behavioral issue in the notebook you also need to email the Shelter at animal.shelter@cmcsheriff.net with "Attention Medical" in the subject.  Always cc me at daviesdunhour@comcast.net on those emails.  Staff are not goingto PetSmart daily so we are not aware of medical issues unless we are emailed.  Note the condition observed in the notebook to make the other volunteers aware of it and note that you have or will be emailing the Shelter.  Thank you!!

 

Below are dates that need coverage this month.  If you are available to cover any let me know:

 

Wednesday, Sept 16, PM Cleaning

Friday, Sept 18, PM Cleaning

Sunday, Sept 20, PM Cleaning

Wednesday, Sept 23, PM Cleaning

Thursday, Sept 24, AM Cleaning

Friday, Sept 25, AM and PM Cleaning

Sunday, Sept 27, AM and PM Cleaning

Tuesday, Sept 29, AM Cleaning

Wednesday, Sept 30, PM Cleaning 

Lauren made a Facebook page called Cats of PetSmart.   If you are on Facebook please look for the page and LIKE it and SHARE it with anyone you know who may be interested in helping us spread the word about our PetSmart Program.

Allie Gets To Go Home!

Allie is being reclaimed by a family member!  We are very happy for her!  

We have received an application for Amy and Penny however the applicant may choose another pair of kittens.  I will keep you posted on that.

The lovely Liberty arrived today! She is a friendly girl over a year old.  She came into the Shelter as a stray in the beginning of July.  She was not spayed but was friendly so obviously has had human interaction.

Below are dates in September that need coverage.  Please let me know if you are available to cover any of them:

Friday Evenings: September 4, 11, 18, 25

Friday Mornings: September 4, 25

Saturday Mornings: September 5, 19

Sunday Evenings: September 6, 13, 20, 27

Tuesday Mornings: September 29

Wednesday Evenings: September 9, 16, 23, 30

Thursday Morning: September 10, 21

Boyz Get Adopted! Hello, Girlz!!

Fritz and Finnegan were adopted! Let's hope this is the beginning of placing a lot of cats and kittens into great homes!  We have missed this program!  Fritz and Finnegan left on Saturday.  They will be living in a house with an adult daughter and her mom.  Although they have had both dogs and cats in the past these two will be the only pets in the home at this time.  They are going to have a lot of space to run about!! 

Amy and Penny will arrive at the store on Wednesday, August 26.  These sweet sisters came into the Shelter in June and are about sixteen weeks old.  They are a little shy so a quieter home is best.   

 

 Amy

 

 

Penny

 

Please remember to send the adoptions home with the handmade blankies sewn by Larissa's friend!  They are in the cabinet.

This Four Puts Us Back In Business!!

💖HERE THEY ARE!!💖

Casper is a wonderful senior male who first came into the Shelter on April 29, 2010.  He was adopted five months later and led a happy life with several other cats until his owner passed away and he was brought back to us.  He came in on April 28 of this year - exactly 10 years after he came in the first time.  He is quite a gentleman and will make a lovely companion!  He is about 14 years old.

CASPER

  

Fritz and Finnegan are brothers that were discovered in a shed with no mommy.  They have been practically hand raised and are wonderful!!  They are about 16 weeks old.  We would love to see them go home together!  Uh oh...how will you tell them apart?  Easy! Fritz will have on the black and gray collar and Finnegan will have on the blue and gray collar.

FRITZ & FINNEGAN

Allie is a sweetheart about four years old.  Sadly her owner can no longer take care of her. Fortunately someone aware of the situation contacted the Shelter to make sure she would be okay.  She has been an indoor cat and the only one in her home so she is not crazy about other cats. She came into the Shelter in mid-July. (This is not a great picture!  She really is a lovely cat!)

ALLIE

Hopefully we begin to have the same level of success with adoptions that we have had at the Shelter!  Please look ahead at the calendar and let me know if you can cover any of the dates that are open.

Welcome back and thank you!!

💕💕💕💕

 

Working On Getting Back!

I hope this finds you all well!! We are working on getting cats back to the PetSmart store.  As you know an email was sent out to all the volunteers a couple of weeks ago to see who would be interested in returning.  Almost 100% of our volunteers said yes!!  

Since Covid precautions were implemented in late March the Shelter has continued to do both dog and cat adoptions with great success.  Pr-approved adoption applications are required.  Once the application has been received, reviewed and approved an appointment is made for the applicant to meet the cat or dog.  Masks are required to be worn by everyone involved - staff, volunteers, adoption applicants and their family members.  

This same process will take place at Petsmart with absolutely no exceptions. If someone is interested in adopting a cat from PetSmart they will need to email the Shelter for an adoption application which can be returned via FAX, email or regular mail.   Once the application has been approved an appointment will be made and the applicant will meet staff or a volunteer and meet the cat. If that goes well arrangements will be made to get the paperwork completed and the cat be sent home.  The preferred method of payment is by credit card over the phone. Signage explaining the process will be posted at the store. 

Our first day back will be Friday, August 14.  The first volunteer scheduled for a cleaning will be Lisa and Sarah on Saturday morning, August 15. Our plan is to start with four cats and see how this all goes. Volunteers are required to wear a mask while they are in the store.  The mask may be removed ONLY if the volunteer is alone in the adoption room and the door is locked.  Volunteers are not permitted to allow anyone into the adoption room unless the person has an approved application and an appointment.   

Please check the link to the schedule at the right and make sure I have scheduled you as you requested.  If you are a volunteer who prefers to fill in rather than have a steady schedule please let me know what dates you can do in August and September. Please note that there will not be a scheduled Adoption Table.  All dates and times are cleaning and feeding only.

Thank you all for being so ready to come back and help!!  Just another step in getting back to normal!