Mystic Goes Home, Welcome Speckles and Ricky!

An very happy new family took home Mystic last night! Mystic looked quite content leaving in a carrier sitting atop one of our crocheted blankets. She will be well cared for!

Two new cats are arriving today...Speckles and Ricky. These two are both young - four months old - and although not from the same litter they get along great. They are about the same age - maybe three weeks apart. Speckles is a sweet torti who is very friendly and starts to purr when you just look at her! Ricky is all black and has long hair. He is very handsome! He also is very friendly and purrs as soon as he is picked up. These two really compliment each other. They have been sharing a cage at the Shelter so will continue to do so at PetSmart. Here they are:

We had a bit of difficulty figuring out how to arrange the resident cats so we could then accommodate Ricky and Speckles. After observing kitty interaction for some time it was decided to try Petunia in the big cage with Misty. Please let me know if that is not working. Apparently Misty seems unsettled with Mystic gone and was acting a bit possessive of her apartment and resisting a new roommate.

Below is the open dates for November. All are mornings with the exception of November 5 - which is the Adoption Table AND monthly Dog Day. Let me know if you are available. (If you have been trained to do the cleaning at PetSmart and are interested in doing the adoption table you can be trained on the adoption paperwork at the Shelter seven days a week. Just let me know when you can do it.)

OK...here we go:
Saturday, November 5, Adoption Table, 2-4pm
Sunday, November 6, AM*
Thursday, November 10, AM
Friday, November 11, AM
Sunday, November 13, AM*
Friday, November 18, AM
Sunday, November 20, AM*
Friday, November 25, AM
Sunday, November 27, AM*
(*remember...the store opens at 10am on Sundays so you can get a late start...just arrive by 10:15)

Happy Tails, Coco!!

Lots of good stuff happening!! Coco went home Wednesday night. Her new family applied to adopt her on Sunday and the dad was absolutely thrilled when he learned the application was approved. She will be living with three kids and mom and dad. She is also the only pet in the house so will get a ton of attention. She left the store with a big cart full of new kitty cat products, a new family and a wonderful future!

Mystic is going home on Friday. We received her application last night and it seems perfect! Her new mom was very excited to hear from me today and can't wait to get Mystic home.

Remember Tony and Toby? Remember Toby was adopted, then the person came back for Tony, then the person brought Toby back??? Well, Toby spent some time with Beau sharing a cage a while back - before Beau went to PetSmart - and they were buddies. A couple came into the Shelter and wanted two cats and liked Toby. When they were told about Beau they decided to meet him at PetSmart. They met Beau last night and it was a go! They loved him. The application has been approved and Beau has been brought back to the Shelter. He and Toby will leave on Saturday.

So, filling Coco's cage is a sweet torti named Kit. Kit is another one of those poor cats left behind in a rental unit when the occupants moved out. Kit was found there in mid-June with a big fat cat we named Kaboodle. Kaboodle was adopted and Kit has patiently been waiting her turn. She is four years old and very sweet and passive. Nothing seems to bother her. The poor girl came in so flea infested it was terrible!! You can still see some bare spots around her rear legs. She must have been so uncomfortable! Perhaps now she is just in a perpetual state of, "Ahhhhh!!!" and just feels so good nothing can get to her! She will do fine with other cats, kids and dogs. This is not the best picture but here she is:

On Saturday two cats will arrive to replace Beau and Mystic. I'll do an update when we know who is going.

Help is still needed this Sunday, October 23, for the adoption table or an evening cleaning. Also, please check out the November schedule and let me know what you can do.

This seems to be the never ending kitten year! If people are interested in kittens we are still getting them. We just took in eight kittens yesterday. In five days they will be tested and available for adoption.

Let's hope the adoptions keep coming!!!

Rex Gets A Home...Cubby Arrives

Rex went home last night with an absolutely thrilled new mom! He was carried out in a big, brand new luxurious carrier. He will be living with another declawed male cat that was rescued from a Shelter. Life will be good for Rex!

Cubby arrives at PetSmart today. He is one of the most handsome tuxedo cats you will ever meet and his story is so sad. He was left behind in the end of August when his owner was evicted. There he sat for several days all alone wearing a flea collar. He had even been neutered already. Animal control thinks he was there for ten days before someone knew. How sad is that? What a terrible thing to go through! He waited for someone to come home and they never did. We estimate Cubby to be about four years old. He came in with an injured rear leg and although he will occasionally limp the vet said the leg is fine. He is a sweetheart and loves attention! Look at that face!!! He is a big guy so he was given the two cages vacated by Rex.

PetSmart management added a large three ringed binder to the adoption cart. There must be a copy of the vaccination records for every one of our animals that are at the store. When cats arrive we will bring an extra copy of the records all ready with the holes punched so the paperwork can be easily added to the folder. Also, in the binder is a list of the cats and when they arrived and then a column for when they leave. Those who work the adoption table...check out that sheet and make sure to put the date next to the cat when it leaves.

Six rolls of brown paper were dropped off at the store last week so we should be fine for quite a while. One was placed in the cage room and five went to the manager's office.

Remember Lady, the orange and white cat, that was at PetSmart for a while? She was adopted this week from the Shelter. A woman came in looking specifically for an inside cat to be a mouser that would also be a nice pet. We showed her Lady and she loved her! We checked up on her after her first night and she was doing great! She was napping on the couch next to her new mom, had used her litter box like a good cat and had settled right in!

Still four openings this month - all mornings. Let me know if you can cover any of them:
Tuesday, October 11, AM
Thursday, October 13, AM
Friday, October 14, AM
Sunday, October 23, AM

Enjoy this fabulous weekend!!!

Busy Week!!

What a week!! Just as we suspected the new guys did not last long! Kodiak had two holds by Sunday afternoon. The first hold was a great home and the applicant anxious so we picked him up, brought him back to the shelter and he went home on Tuesday. His new mom is so excited. The second hold was also approved and that applicant came to the shelter and adopted an older male cat named Heathcliff. (Always take the second hold!!)

One of our volunteers met Othello who worked his magic and home he went!! Othello left on Wednesday night. He will be an easy one to keep track of - thank you, Shannon!!

We received an application on Milo last Saturday from a great family who already have several cats. They do not live here year round so they can not pick him up until next weekend. Milo was brought back to the shelter to await his pick up and journey home.

So, this opened three cages. The new cats arrived yesterday. Coco is a lovely young female that was totally socialized to kids, other cats and dogs in one of our premiere foster homes. She is about six months old and VERY friendly. She and her siblings were brought into the Shelter at the end of May.

Rex is a big old nice male cat about nine years old. He was neutered already when he came in at the end of August. He has one of the older "V" notches in his ear indicating he was part of a managed cat colony. We were very surprised to learn he had also been declawed. Due to his size and to increase his comfort he has two cages!

Beau is an orange and white male tiger that is eight months old. He is an energetic guy who likes to explore and run around like a typical youngster!

Like the last group, these guys should settle right in. Rex and Beau have single cages and Coco has two.

October still has some holes in the schedule. Please let me know if you can cover any of these:
Tuesday, October 11, AM Cleaning
Thursday, October 13, AM Cleaning
Friday, October 14, AM Cleaning
Sunday, October 16, AM Cleaning
Sunday, October 16, Adoption Table
Friday, October 21, AM Cleaning
Sunday, October 23, AM Cleaning

Just a reminder...dogs are brought to the store the first Saturday of each month - let customers know should they ask about dogs available for adoption.

New Arrivals!!

Gemini, Leo and Gabbano have settled in at the Shelter. Please do not worry about them - they are in the best of hands! Once they all get a clean bill of heath they can return to PetSmart or hopefully quickly get adopted from the Shelter.

Three cats were brought to the store on Friday - Miro, Mystic and Petunia.

Petunia is a tiny little calico that is very sweet. She loves to be held and purrs away. She is about seven months old and is a delicate little thing. She came into the Shelter as a stray.

One day in June of this year an animal attendant at the Shelter discovered a very thin, flea infested cat hiding in the rear of the building near the dog kennels. We brought him inside, named him Miro and started putting some meat on his bones! After spending some time in sick bay he gained strength and went up for adoption. We have no idea how Miro ended up back there but he has been so thankful ever since! He is a sweet cat and loves attention. We estimate him to be four to five years old. He is a buff colored medium haired guy.

Finally...there is the lovely Mystic! Despite a lot of tough times and a series of bad turns in her life Mystic remains a sweet, gentle cat. She first came to the Shelter in October of 2006. In August of 2007 she was finally adopted and went to live in a home with two other cats and a dog. Life was good for a long time but it didn’t last. In July of 2011 her loving family lost their home and had to give her up along with their two other cats and a dog. What a tragic thing to happen! After five years Mystic found herself right back at the Shelter. The other two cats have since been adopted. Mystic is a pretty torti with a very distinct blaze going right down her nose. She will walk out of the cage and right into your arms.

For now all three cats have their own living quarters. We know Mystic likes other cats as at the Shelter she lived with her two housemates while awaiting adoption. However, as you all well know, new environments present a source of stress to cats so let her settle in by herself initially. Be patient with the other two as well and if it seems they have settled in and will work then they can be introduced to our community living.

The October schedule is shaping up but still has some holes in it. Below are the dates that need to be covered. Please take a look and let me know if there is anything you can cover.
Tuesday, October 4, AM cleaning
Tuesday, October 11, AM cleaning
Sunday, October 16, AM cleaning
Sunday, October 16, Adoption Table
Friday, October 21, AM cleaning
Sunday, October 23, AM cleaning
Friday, October 28, AM cleaning
Sunday, October 30, AM cleaning

Let's hope now that school has been back in session for a few weeks that everyone is settled into their routine and adoptions go on the rise!!

Lots of Cats Going Back & Forth!!

Our chubby girl Della was adopted right after being brought back to the Shelter. She will be the only pet in the house and will will have a wonderful life! Little Aries lasted about 24 hours at PetSmart! She went home on Saturday and will be a little sister to an older cat. Her new parents are so happy to have her!!

Unfortunately the last two litters of kittens we have brought to the store and put together in the big cage have gotten sick and needed to be brought back to the Shelter. Poor little guys are now in our sick bay. Hopefully they will be back in a few weeks. However...some real characters were brought today to take their place.

Kodiak is so handsome!! His is an all white male with blue eyes and is just as friendly as he is handsome. He is about three years old. Often times white cats with blue eyes are deaf - but not this one! Just wait til you see how cool he is!

Kodiak's bunk mate is Othello. He is about a year old and is very friendly, too. He came into the shelter after someone saw that he was injured. It appeared he had a run in with another animal and had a wound on his neck. He was nursed back to health and is as good as can be now. He loves Kodiak and is excited to join him in the big cage! The two look great together!

And then there is poor Misty. She is a petite little sweetheart that someone left behind in a hotel room in Wildwood. She even came in with a little collar on. She is a couple years old and is a nice girl. She was given her own space on the lower level. This picture is a little deceiving. Misty is not short haired...more like medium haired.

These three should have very little trouble settling in however, as always, do not force them to socialize. Watch them all for a few days and see how they are doing - especially Misty.

The adoption event went very well! Thanks to everyone who helped out. It was nice to get the dogs there! Dog handlers, please let me know if you are available for the first Saturday of the month for the rest of the year...October 6, November 3 and December 1.

Remember Toby and Tony were adopted together? Well, Tony was brought back which broke our hearts. During the adoption event Animal Outreach helped us by showcasing our kittens for the weekend and Tony was adopted on Saturday! Thank you, AO!!

I never did introduce Aries, Gemini and Leo. They were a litter brought in as strays at eight weeks old in mid-June. Nice bunch!! We suspect they spent some time inside a house and were given to animal control once they could eat on their own.

There is a couple of open spots on this month's calendar. Please let me know if you are available to cover. I would prefer to have the adoption table open on the below Wednesday night but will be happy with a cleaning as well.

Wednesday, September 21, Adoption Table or PM Cleaning
Friday, September 23, AM Cleaning
Sunday, September 25, AM Cleaning

Now that summer is over and school is back in session let's hope adoptions pick up!!

Finally An Adoption!!!!!

Toby was adopted today!! Yay! Hopefully this breaks our dry spell. He will be living with a dog and two women and will have a nice life. The application was received on Sunday and the new mom was very anxious so we arranged pick up today at the Shelter.

You will see big changes at the store when you go in next. I know it is sad and a tad upsetting when we bring cats back to the Shelter but it simply had to be done. We have so many young altered kittens and we need the space at the Shelter. I am hoping the ones that arrived today will move quickly. Please do not worry about the guys we brought back – they will be fine!!!

Piper and Shiloh came back to the Shelter and are in a cage together. Siam came back also as well as Domino. Both Siam and Domino seem to do better here anyway.

Get ready for this….SIX kittens arrived today. By kittens I mean under six months old. All have been altered (of course!!) and microchipped and are ready to go.

In the big cage is a litter of three named Suzy, Sahara and Saboo. They came from a hoarder type situation and were relinquished to the Shelter in June. As a matter of fact their plight will actually be part of the A&E television series Hoarders in a few months. Initially they were very sick and they remained in our quarantine for quite a while. They were finally old enough and well enough to be altered in the beginning of this month. Sahara is the calico, Suzy is the black and white one with more black, Saboo is the other black and white and is a male. All three love each other!! They are all good with other cats, dogs and kids.

On the top row we now have litter mates Stevie and Ray. These two are the same age as the other three. They were brought into the Shelter by a woman who had not altered an older cat that had subsequently had kittens and she could not care for them. We did see that mom was finally spayed!! These two are gray tigers that look a lot alike!! Stevie is the one who has white reaching higher up between his eyes and also has more white on his chest. These two are very friendly and will do fine with other cats, dogs and kids.

Jasper is a Siamese mix lynx point and is sooooo cute!! He is the same age as the others and came in as a stray. He is another friendly guy who will get along with everything and everybody!!

All the new kits were wormed today, nails trimmed and ears cleaned and treated. If you see stuff in or around the ears it is the medicine doing it’s job!

Della has two cages on the bottom row and Gabbana has two cages on the top row. Jasper and Tony have their own cages on the bottom row. Steve and Ray are sharing two cages on the bottom row. Jasper and Tony initially did not get along so please keep the door shut for a few days. If they appear to be okay we can eventually open the door. If not, both are small enough to remain in a cage alone. PLEASE give it a few days. Placing a cat with another one and no escape can cause stress which inevitably will lead to illness. Do not rush introduction and communal living!!

REMINDER: The disinfectant bottle was filled with glass cleaner. Please ask the manager for help when refilling the bottles.

Volunteers are needed at the store for dogs on Saturday, September 3, 12-3p, for the regular monthly visit. Please let me know if you are available.

The annual PetSmart Fall Adoption weekend is Saturday and Sunday, September 10 & 11, 12-4pm. Volunteers are needed to help with dogs on both days 12-3pm. Please let me know if you can help.

Now that summer is winding down let’s hope adoptions start to kick in again!!

Below are the dates that still need coverage in September. Please let me know what you can do.

Sunday, September 4, AM cleaning

Friday, September 9, AM cleaning

Thursday, September, 15, AM cleaning

Friday, September 16, AM cleaning

Wednesday, September 21, Adoption Table

Friday, September 23, AM cleaning

Sunday, September 25, AM cleaning

Thursday, September 29, AM cleaning

Friday, September 30, AM cleaning.

Jack is adopted!!

Jack went home last night! His new parents were in the store and fell for Jack after reading his story and seeing he was an older homeless cat. He will be living with a couple of other cats and will have a great life from here on out.

At the shelter we did receive emails that Gabbano and Toby were sneezing and that Della's eyes were weepy. Staff went down to the store and gave some meds to Gabbano and Toby. Della's eye is a chronic condition and although she had dirty ears it was not mites. If you clean her eyes please use warm water only. Wipes being used specifically stated on the directions not to be used for eyes. Please carefully read the directions on any products you buy!! Also, please take a minute or two to read the notebook and note observations made in the last few days prior to your shift to see what has previously been reported and addressed.

Two new arrivals were dropped off at the store today...Domino and Siam. Both are very friendly!! Domino is a black and white long legged male who is gonna have a lot of fun playing outside his cage. He is about a year and half old. He came into the shelter as a stray. Siam is a black female that was surrendered to the shelter when the owner's landlord told him she could no longer stay. She is two years old. Both cats will do fine in a home with kids, dogs and other cats.
Siam & Domino:

The August schedule looks great but still has a few openings. Please let me know if you are available to cover any of the below dates:
Sunday, August 7, AM cleaning
Friday, August 12, AM cleaning
Sunday, August 14, Adoption Table
Sunday, August 21, AM cleaning

The 7th Birthday Party at the Shelter was a great success!! Thanks to all who attended! We received very good press coverage as a result. Please see the link to the right Shelter In The News for one of the many stories that appeared in the local paper and pictures of a couple of our PetSmart volunteers!!

The Adoptions Became A Tad Difficult to Keep Up With!

Wow!! Cats were flying out the door lately!! It all got a bit ahead of me. I'm not complaining though!!

Clancy laft last week - on Wednesday night. He was adopted specifically for a young girl who is VERY happy! Rizzo replaced Clancy on Saturday. I never had an opportunity to introduce Rizzo because he left Monday night!! Last night Sweetie went home which left poor Oreo all alone. Not for long though!! Oreo's application was approved today. The applicant adopted one of the dogs from Louisiana we helped to place last summer. It is a nice family!! That's four in seven days!! Wow!!

We moved Shiloh and Piper into the big cage so they could stretch out and hopefully become more social. Poor cats have been at PetSmart a long time.

Two adult cats were brought to the store today. Both are solid gray and both are really friendly. Hopefully they will move quickly and get homes!!

Jack is a twelve year old declawed male. His owner apparently moved and simply left him behind outside. A kind neighbor noticed he was getting beat up daily by her outside cats and had trouble getting to the food. She took him inside for a few days but could not keep him. This old guy needs to spend his golden years in a loving home not fending for himself outside with no claws!!

Hear is Jack:

Della was found living under a trailer with a male cat that appeared to be the same age. Both are approximately eight years old, were altered and appeared to have been well taken care of. The male cat was adopted but we still have Della. She is...well...a big girl! She is a fatty and very lovey!! She also is a talker. This is Della:

I spoke with Stacey, the head manager of PetSmart today. She has been advised by her higher ups that some new procedures are going to be initiated. It really does not appear to be anything that will effect most of the volunteers. It is a new system of documenting when cats arrive, when they leave and proof of vaccinations. It may be something the adoption table workers will need to be aware of. I was told this is happening because of incidents which have occurred in other stores involving other Shelters. Stacey assured me she sang our praises to her district manager. I assured Stacey that she can expect our full cooperation as we are all aware how important this partnership is to the Shelter. More details will follow in a week or so.

Don't forget our big birthday party tomorrow at the Shelter!! It begins a week of reduced adoptions fees, microchipping and nail clipping. Spread the word!! Channel 40, the Atlantic City Press and The Herald will be on hand to cover the party. Publicity always results in increased traffic at the Shelter and increased adoptions and donations!! We hope to share birthday cake with a lot of you guys tomorrow. The staff does not interact with the PetSmart volunteers in person very often and we love to show our appreciation when we can and give you all much deserved hugs!!!

Two Adoptions This Week!

Jeffrey left Wednesday night. He is going to have a wonderful life!! His new parents are great "cat" people and are very excited to add Jeffrey to the crew. They originally liked Marmalade but were just as happy to adopt Jeffrey and were thankful Marm went to a good home. Yes, the orange cats are very popular! Let's hope Sweetie and Oreo get some attention now!

Tammy left on Friday. She left in style - in a large, soft, cat carrier with a very nice couple and their daughter. Seems they had trouble telling her apart from Toby and Tony but finally got it right. The boys are going to miss her but they know it's for the best!!

You will love Clancy, the white and orange male that arrived on Saturday. He is young - about five or six months old - and is so friendly. He'll walk right out of the cage and into your arms. He will be sharing quarters with the Tony and Toby so I'm sure they will all have a lot of fun!! Meet Clancy:

We have a couple of openings for this month - all in the morning. Let me know if you are available to cover any of them:
Sunday, July 10
Thursday, July 21
Sunday, July 24

It is working out well bringing dogs to the store the first Saturday of the month! I need one more person to help on Saturday, August 6. At this point two volunteers will be there so one dog can go - but it would be better exposure for the dogs to have two there.

Remember the Shelter birthday party on Friday, July 15, 1:00-3:00pm. We will have cake and light refreshments. I hope a lot of you can stop in. We rarely all get to see each other so it is nice to get together once in a while and chat with kindred spirits!! The party kicks off a week of free microchipping and nail clipping and our adoptions fees will be reduced by fifty percent. We should be getting some good press prior to the event.

Have a Safe and Fun July 4th!!!!

Are You Ready for FIVE Youngsters??!!

Marmalade left last night. As predicted he did not last long at all!! He will be living with another cat and an old dog. His new mom is THRILLED! Marmalade is gonna have a nice life!!

Marmalade's two litter mates were brought to the store today and joined their third mate, Oreo, in the big cage. Jeffrey is the orange male and Sweetie is the black and white female. These two are super friendly purring machines just like Oreo and Marmalade! I suspect the three are gonna LOVE that big cage. Here they are:

In addition we brought down a litter of three named Tammy, Tony and Toby. This litter is all grey tigers and tabbies and are gorgeous!! We were told they were "stray" and were brought in by animal control. Um...yea, right....they were in wonderful condition and totally socialized and appeared to have been living in a house!! They are just a few months old. All three will be sharing the top row of cages. Good luck telling these guys apart!! I don't have a picture of Toby but here is the other two...

Tammy:

Tony:

So how are we able to fit all these new guys? Well, after much deliberation we decided it would be best if Ethan and Lady came back to the Shelter. Both did so much better there than they have been doing at PetSmart. The environment at the store does not agree with every cat. I'll keep everyone posted on how they are doing.

Hopefully all of you received the flyer about the birthday festivities and happenings at the Shelter beginning Friday, July 15. We are excited about it!! Please spread the word!!

Duncan & Blackout go home - FINALLY!!!

Yes, it is true!! Duncan and Blackout went home last night! They will be joining three other cats in a large home where they will run free and create havoc! Their new mom is a frequent visitor to PetSmart and saw them week after week still in the big cage. Recently two of her cats passed away so she decided she had the room after all. (She adopted the big Maine Coon cat named Huey last year.) Duncan and Blackout happily walked into her carriers and off they went!

The two young cats that arrived today are so sweet and nice!! They came from the same home but do not have to be adopted together. They will adapt to any home quite easily - with or without one another. Their owner had several unaltered adult cats and - surprise, surprise - then had litters of kittens! We have been working with them to have the adults spayed and neutered and have the younger cats and kittens adopted. All the cats from their home were well taken care of and very well socialized. These two both love to be held and are purring machines!! They will walk right out of the cage and into your arms!! Both are about six months old.

Marmalade is orange and white and Oreo is black and white (I know, I know - not very original name!!) Here they are:

Kittens, kittens, have we got kittens!!! If anyone is asking please send them to the Shelter.

An adoption application has been approved for Lolli and she will be picked up tomorrow (Sunday).

Two new volunteers trained this week (thanks, Joe!!) and they will be helping out in the mornings. Welcome, Toni and Sarah! We are always happy to have more help!

I am so happy with how adoptions have been going at PetSmart! This program is so important and really helps to get our cats out of the shelter and into loving homes. I can not thank you all enough for your commitment to this program and your compassion for our kitties!!!

Ginger & Priscilla Go Home!

Ginger went home with a very happy little girl on Saturday! She will be living with two other kids, two adults and two dogs. Sounds like a nice family for Ginger!!

It sure didn't take Priscilla long - exactly one week from arriving at the store to leaving for home! She left Tuesday night and will be living with two feline roommates. Her new mom is very excited!! If you go to the Shelter facebook page you will see a picture of Priscilla all sprawled out just loving her new home! It is so nice to see these long term residents get to go home - especially during kitten season.

Two new cats arrived today. Both are friendly and will settle in with no problem. Lolli is about nine months old and came in as a stray in late April of this year. She is a sweetheart!! She is a gray, black and brown tiger with beautiful markings. She will be fine with kids, dogs and other cats. Here's lovely little Lolli!

Gabbanna arrived today as well. I call him Gabe - it's easier. He is three years old. He is white, black and brown with some tiger striping. (Sorry...I do not have a picture right now!) He is also very friendly and loves attentions. He lived with another cat named Dolce (get it?) who is at the Shelter. The two did not really get along very well so it is not necessary to adopt them out together. The two have been bounced around for years. Initially they were adopted from a Shelter in Delaware. That owner had them about a year and gave them to her mother. Mom had them about two years where they were inside/outside cats. She then moved and could not take them with her. Hopefully the third time is indeed a charm! (Side note...you should see Gabe's old housemate Dolce...he is a BIG handsome fellow...weighing in at 21 pounds! He can't even fit in the little cages!)

This weekend we will have dogs at the store from 12:30-3:00pm. If you are on the schedule to help with the dogs please be at the store no later that 12:15pm. We also will have the adoption table covered from 12:00-2:00pm as well as from 2:00-4:00pm to help with both cats and dogs.

The June schedule WAS complete until a little earlier today. Thursday, June 9, PM cleaning still needs to be covered. July looks great but still has some openings. If you are interested in a permanent spot for July and August every other Sunday is available.

As you will see PetSmart changed the cage cards - they are bigger now and easier to see.

New Arrival - Long Time Shelter Resident

Ok, everyone, we have a project. Our new arrival at PetSmart is Priscilla. She is a little chubby - weighing in at fourteen pounds. She has been at the Shelter since April 5, 2010. Yep, that's right, over a year. Ruth was adopted quickly and hopefully Priscilla will be, too. She is about three years old and is missing her top K9 teeth. This makes her always look like she has a little Elvis-like lip curl! She is not crazy about being picked up - but how many cats really are?? She will make a nice companion and will sit with you and enjoy brushing and petting. She would do fine in a home with dogs and other cats. We will consider a home with young children based on a review of the application and on meeting the children.

Priscilla:

Can someone tell me if the properly marked bottles for the disinfectant have arrived yet from the PetSmart management?

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend!!!

It Only Took One Day For Ruth!!

Most of you did not even have a chance to meet Ruth - that's how quickly she was adopted from PetSmart. On Monday, May 15, we sadly marked Ruth's one year anniversary of arriving at the Shelter. On Tuesday she went to PetSmart. On Wednesday we received the perfect application for her and last night she went home! She will be the only pet in the household and her new mom already loves her! So, this is her welcome blog entry AND her goodbye blog entry! Happy tails, Ruth!

Another GREAT Week!!!

Pathetic Puffy left on Wednesday night. YAY!! She will be living with another cat and a dog. Her family saw her last week and fell in love with her immediately. They recently had a cat that passed away and she strongly resembled Puffy. Mom and Dad both understand feline behavior and are very sensitive to Puffy's nervousness and fear. Dad quietly held Puffy the night she left until she calmed down. They have a big bedroom where Puffy will spend time alone until she has acclimated to her new home. This is a good fit!

Here is some more good news.... Trooper and OC left last night together!! They will be the only pets in the house. They will be living with a toddler which could take some getting used to. Their new family told me, "They were the only ones that looked back at us through the glass!" Looks like they knew how to work it!! Both were nervous and growly when they left last night so the Shelter checked on them today to see how their first night went. Both ate and both used the litter box. OC is a tad more nervous than Trooper. We did reiterate that with time and patience they will settle in and be fine. For now they will be separated from the toddler until they feel more comfortable.

An application for Isabel has been approved and she is scheduled to leave today. She will be the only pet in the house and will have a couple of kids to play with!

Which leads me to our new arrivals.... First, there is Piper and Shiloh - another case that will break your hearts. These two are littermates that came to the Shelter in late November of last year when their owner passed way. Both are friendly and will sit with you and enjoy being petted. Unfortunately there was not a family member available to take them. Both are 2-3 years old. They were accustomed to a quiet home. Although the bios say no small children we would consider an applicant with kids if they appear to understand the history behind these two and understand cats in general. We also would prefer they are adopted together because they have always been together. If adopted together the fee for one will be waived. Piper is the torti and Shiloh is the tabby.

The last new arrival is Ethan - a handsome and friendly young male. He came into the Shelter as a stray and is 2-3 years old. He is a brown and black tabby and has a big tom cat head and a flat nose! He looks like a little lion!

Please look at the schedule and note that in July a schedule change begins. Joanne has been doing Sundays since 2006 and asked for some time off - well deserved, I must say, since she works at her real job Monday through Saturday! She will do Monday nights for July and August and then will do every other Sunday and every other Monday starting in September. If you are only available on weekends here is an opportunity to pick up a regular spot. Please let me know if you are interested. Otherwise it will be filled monthly.

The June schedule looks great. There are only two openings - both in the morning: Thursday, June 9 and Friday, June 17. Remember, starting in June dogs will be at the store the first Saturday of each month from 12:30 to 3:00. If you signed up make sure you remember and check the schedule for your name.

Let's hope this momentum continues!!!

Three More Go Home!

And they continue to go home!! Great week! Calypso and Butters went home Wednesday night. Calypso's family arrived first and and when the carrier was prepared Butters went and jumped into it! Guess he was a tad anxious knowing his turn was next! When his new family arrived he went right into the proper carrier. Calypso will be the only pet in the house. Butters will have both a canine and feline sibling.

Puffy has a pending application which so far looks good. We are still waiting for some information. Poor Puffy seems sad. She was always a finicky eater here at the Shelter and apparently that is continuing and she is not eating. Purina Cat Chow was her favorite here so a small bag was brought down to the store to see if she would eat it. Please note in the book if she is eating and "eliminating." Hopefully she will get to leave soon.

Two new girls arrived today...Isabelle and Ginger. Ginger is a blue cream pretty girl that has been at the Shelter since October of last year. She was a poor old mangy looking thing - skin and bones and losing hair. The staff gave her a lot of TLC and she is looking good! She would do fine in a home with other cats, dogs and kids.

Isabelle is gray tiger/torbi who was found in a managed cat colony in one of our shore communities. She was already spayed and we suspect was dumped there by someone thinking the colony caretaker would see she was okay. She is young - a little under a year. She is an outgoing little girl and will adapt to any environment.

As always - please monitor the new guys and see how they fit in before pushing them to socialize. Here they are:

On Thursday the blankets from the hamper were brought to the Shelter, washed and returned. The room looks great!! Everyone does such a good job keeping it clean - and I know it is not an easy task in those cramped quarters! Again, thank you all for your commitment to this program. I just can not say enough how much this means to the Shelter.

I'm not going to bug you guys about the June calendar because it is still early May! Wouldn't hurt to take a peek though! :-)

Happy Mother's Day to all my moms!!!

Yes, we have kittens! Spread the word! ^..^

"Flurry" of Activity Results In FOUR Adoptions!

What a great week for the PetSmart cats! Cheech and Versace left on Friday night. They were adopted by a couple who adopted from us in the past and sadly their cat passed away after a little more than a year. It is so great that these two get to stay together! Flurry left Saturday afternoon and so did Bonnie. Bonnie was also adopted to a repeat offender!! Her new family had adopted from us in November of last year.

Below is the line up of new arrivals. Blackout and Duncan were moved into the big cage. The first two, OC and Trooper, were surrendered at the end of January as a child in the home had developed an allergy. Trooper is the tiger with the white snout and pink nose. He is three years old. OC is the gray tabby and is five years old. He loves to be babied and will sit with you and enjoying a good petting session. Both will be fine in a home with kids and other cats.

Can you pick out Puffy?? Yep, the long haired cutie! She too was surrendered due to allergies in the home. She is four years old and will be fine with kids. She lived in a home as the only animal so we are not sure how she will do with other cats or with dogs. Please keep this in mind when letting the guys out to play. She may get stressed out. Also, Puffy was an indoor/outdoor cat.

The orange and white one is Lady. She came into the Shelter as a stray along with a tiny kitten. The kitten is in foster and doing fine. She is another one which we need to watch initially and see how she reacts when with the rest of the gang.

All in all...a good group!!!

New blankets were made to accompany the cats when they go home. If you work the adoption table and send the guys packing don't forget they get a blanket as a Going Home present. The blankets are made by Larissa's friend who lives in Pennsylvania. They are located in one of the cabinets under the cages.

The May schedule is just about complete. I still have not acquired a regular for every other Thursday morning or for Friday mornings. Anne (aka Mom) is picking up the Fridays this month - THANK YOU!! I still need coverage for Thursday, May 12 and Thursday, May 26.

Next weekend the Shelter will have a table and dogs at the Cape May County Earth Day Fair at the County Park 10a-4p.

Thanks to everyone who assisted with the adoption event this weekend. It sure was busy!!

The Boys Are Back In Town!!

Boy, did we have a busy weekend!! Violet left on Saturday. She will be living with another cat that was adopted from Animal Outreach last weekend. So happy for her!!

Reeses and Twix did not stay long!! They went home on Sunday. It is so nice they were adopted together. Their new mom recently lost her cat of 20 years and was ready to adopt. Can you just imagine these two rip-racing around a house?!! They are going to be a handful!

The boys - Duncan and Blackout - are back!! I am sure you remember them from a few months back. These two initially came into the Shelter last year at the end of November. Tenants moved out of an apartment in Wildwood and left them behind. We think they are about two years old. They are so friendly and absolutely love each other. They have been caged together since they came in. This is a pair we really do not want to break up! Their adoption fee is $35 each BUT if adopted together the second fee will be waived! Please do what you can to see they go together! Duncan is the cat to the left below - he has more white on his muzzle. Blackout is to the right and has more black on his nose.

I have a lot of people committed to the adoption event at the end of the month. As it gets closer I will e-mail a schedule out to those volunteering. We will also start having dogs at the store on the first Saturday of the month beginning in June.

I think we may have bought the wrong size brown paper this last time around. Please be patient with it and I promise the next round will be easier to handle!

The April schedule looks great - knock on wood!! I still need the morning of Friday, April 22 covered (Good Friday). Oh, and it's not too early to look ahead to May :-)

Spring Has Sprung!

It has been a long time since the last post and I apologize for that!! Just to reiterate the information sent out in the last e-mail....

The adoption table on Friday evenings will now be 4:00-6:00pm.

I am very happy to announce that starting Saturday, June 2 we will have Shelter dogs at the store on the first Saturday of each month from 12:00-3:00pm. This will be a great addition to our in-store adoption program - PetSmart and PetSmart Charities, Inc will be very happy!!

Little Midget went home last Wednesday night and will be joining several older cats as well as a couple of dogs. She was adopted by a woman who had adopted from the Shelter before. Her new mom is part of a small non-profit rescue group and we can rest assured that Midget will have a nice life!

Two young females arrived on Saturday named Twix (calico) and Reeses (torbi). They are six months old. They were spayed just last Thursday. They came in to the Shelter with two other litter mates which we still have. They were born in a home to someone who had not altered her cats and things became out of control. The younger ones were brought to us to put up for adoption. Reeses and Twix have been socialized from birth and had been living with nine other cats. Once they get beyond the stress associated with adjusting to their new environment they should be fine. We wanted to keep them together initially to make the transition easier for them. They do not need to be adopted together - however if someone is interested in adopting two cats make sure to let them know these two girls are litter mates. Here is Reeses and Twix.

In the event you saw Bobbi Sue as the featured cat in the newspaper a week or so back here is her story... She was adopted from the Shelter along with a beautiful calico named Pumpkin. Both cats are declawed. The adopting parents were advised Bobbi Sue is not fond of other cats but they really wanted two cats and could only take declaws. We were repeatedly assured that each cat would have it's own space and things would be just fine. Since Bobbi Sue had been with us so long I decided it was worth a try. Well, the two cats did not get along and they opted to bring poor Bobbi Sue back. Thankfully a client of one of the veterinarians we use was interested in adopting an older declawed cat and Bobbi Sue left on Friday. I sure hope this time it's for good!

I realize it appears that our adoptions from PetSmart are significantly less that years past. I believe this is because we now have two other organizations at the store every weekend - Animal OutReach and the Animal Alliance of Cape May County. Please do not fret over this though! The cats with Animal OutReach are our cats and we work closely with the AACMC to increase adoptions and decrease the number of adoptable cats entering the Shelter. Many of the cats with AACMC would be in the Shelter if not for the commitment and dedication of AACMC volunteers. In other words - all these cats are basically ours anyway!!

Kittens... If anyone is interested in adopting a kitten please let them know that we presently have about a dozen kittens in foster homes that are still nursing. We should have them available for foster pending adoption in approximately five to six weeks. Please tell them to call the Shelter and we can explain he process.

I received a GREAT response for the next PetSmart Adoption Event. Thanks everyone!!

Below is the dates that still need to be filled in April. As always it is the dreaded Thursday and Friday mornings! I would love to find a regular for these time slots!! Believe me - I am trying!

Friday, April 8, AM cleaning
Thursday, April 14, AM cleaning
Friday, April 22, AM cleaning (Good Friday)
Friday, April 29, AM cleaning

Tara and squirrely go home - Flurry is back!

OK...so I must apologize for not keeping up lately - it has been difficult with all the activity!

Flurry is all better and came back to take Squirrely's place who left last weekend. Squirrely will be living with two dogs and a cat. Tara went home Wednesday night. She will be living in Atlantic City with an older woman who recently lost her cat to illness. She is very excited to have Tara. She will be the only pet and will be lavished with attention!

Below is sweet little Midget who arrived yesterday. Her owners were living with family and had to move out and subsequently Midget arrived at the Shelter. She is older - at least 10 - and her adoption fee is only $8.00. You can tell by the holiday paper in the background that she has been with us for some time now. She lived with a dog and another cat so will be fine with other animals. Because she is older it is even more important to watch for signs of stress with the move from the Shelter to PetSmart. Initially allow her to have her own space until we know she has adjusted.

Earlier this week I received an e-mail that Violet was intimidating Flurry and appeared to be scaring her. If you ever observe behavior like this please do what you can to ensure it does not continue. If need be put the aggressive cat alone in a cage and close him/her off from the others and note your observations in the book. This is a very stressful situation for a cat to be left in.

Six rolls of brown paper were brought to the store yesterday. One was still left over from the last batch. Five were placed in the manager's office so there should be two presently in the adoption room.

As most of you are aware volunteers from Animal OutReach show case cats from our Shelter on weekends at PetSmart. Initially the volunteers were transporting the cats to and from the Shelter each weekend day. Shelter staff now are bringing the cats to the store early Saturday afternoon and picking them up late Sunday. The large stainless steel cage is wheeled into the adoption room overnight Saturday. Needless to say this is added work for the volunteer cleaning Sunday morning - thanks guys! I have advised staff that they are to empty the cage of all articles and clean it Sunday afternoon when the cats are picked up.

Kitten season has begun. This sounds like fun when you first hear it but in actuality it is a nightmare for shelters. Yesterday afternoon the first, of what will surely be many, kittens arrived - three kittens not even a week old were brought to us from a gentleman who found them under a bush on his property. Fortunately overnight he was able to trap the momma and now the kits will be nursed. PLEASE tell anyone who will listen to spay/neuter their cats!!! Tell them...if you are feeding outside cats you must take the next steps...TRAP, NEUTER, RETURN. There is a multitude of both low cost AND no cost alternatives for people throughout this county. Have them call the Shelter for help and for information. Last year in the month of May alone we took in 167 cats and kittens.

As you may have read in the paper this week 22 of the 58 dogs seized from Goshen Road were signed over to the various shelters where they are temporarily housed. Our Shelter has four of the twenty-two. I am happy to say that three of the four are already adopted!! There is another hearing scheduled for March 11. Let's hope the remaining dogs are signed over at that time!

The following days still need coverage this month...
Friday, March 11, AM
Monday, March 14, PM
Thursday, March 17, AM
Friday, March 18, AM
Friday, March 25, AM
Thursday, March 31, PM