Blinky Says Good Bye!!

Blinky went home last Wednesday night. Her new family is contemplating adopting a companion for her but will wait and see how she settles in first. Since Blinky is quite the queen this seems to be a good idea! If I was that snake I'd be a little nervous!

There was alot of activity over the weekend but unfortunately no holds were taken. A young girl was interested in Mollie and I was so happy to show her. Mollie behaved very well and I explained how she was one of our shy hard cases. The girl seemed really interested and seemed to understand poor Mollie. She left and said she would think about it. A very nice couple met Cayenne and absolutely loved him (who wouldn't!) and they also said they would be back. Maybe both will be back Wednesday night!

Samantha was showing signs of an ear issue. The Shelter vet tech went to PetSmart today and found she has ear mites. Her ears were cleaned and she was treated for the mites. She should be just fine and should get relief immediately. Let me know if she does not appear to feel better.

Poor Sashimi is such a shy scaredy cat! It is difficult to even drag her from the cage! She is breaking my heart! I hope someone sees fit to give her a chance.

Saturday, October 27 is National Make A Difference Day. That day we will be participating in an adoptathon along with many other Shelters throughout Cape May and Atlantic County. Preliminary plans are to have our animals along with animals from Animal Outreach and Animal Welfare Society at PetSmart that day. In addition the Cape May County Animal Shelter Alliance will be on hand to distribute information about low cost spay/neuter programs available to county residents. Barb A is going to be my "go-to-girl" for the event and will be needing help. Please let me know if you can help and I will pass your contact information on to Barb.

Two boys joined Cayenne and the girls at PetSmart on Sunday. Tag is a big friendly buff colored guy and Gossamer is a dark striped tabby cat. Both are very friendly and look forward to meeting you all!! Here they are:

What's Been Going On...

The end of the summer got a tad busy and I have not had an opportunity to do a posting. Sorry! Ginseng went home with her new family to New York on Wednesday, August 29. Larissa told me the family is very nice! Good for Ginseng! Sassafras didn't spend too much time at PetSmart. The big friendly Tom arrived on Sunday, August 26 and went home the following Saturday. He is such a sweetheart so it is not surprising!

Little Binky was wheezing and appeared to be suffering from an upper respiratory problem. She went back to the Shelter Thursday morning. I saw her yesterday and she is doing well. She will be back with Pinky in a week or so.

Good news!! Blinky is going home Wednesday night! A hold was put on her on Saturday and the application was approved today! Yippee!! She is going to an apartment with a young man and his snake - no cats or dogs or children, though! She really took to him when they met and he really likes her. He did not waste any time and got the necessary paperwork to the Shelter on Sunday.

Unfortunately Loki was brought back to the Shelter. Apparently he was urinating throughout the house. He was taken to a vet who diagnosed a urinary tract infection. Poor Loki! He seems to be doing just fine now after a round of medication. You will see him back at PetSmart in a few weeks.

Three new cats arrived at the store on Saturday. Alice is a friendly little torti and is very cute! Mae is nice but shy. She has a funny looking left eye but she is fine. She will need a little extra coddling for a while until she settles in. Cayenne is big friendly orange and white tomcat. You will love him!

There is only two days on this month's schedule that need to be filled. One is the morning cleaning on Thursday, September 20. The other is the manning of the adoption table or the evening cleaning on Saturday, September 22. Let me know if you are available.

I am trying to get permission from the Shelter director for us to participate in an Adoptathon on Saturday, October 27 for Make A Difference Day. It is a coordinated effort among all the shelters and animal welfare organizations in Atlantic and Cape May County. Stay tuned for details on that!!

Here is the new guys...

Babe & Redkin Go Home and Three New Guys Arrive

Babe and Redkin went home last Wednesday night as many of you know by now. Mollie and Ginseng are now in the big cage together, however that is not going to last. A family from New York visiting Wildwood Crest happened into PetSmart on Friday and after meeting Ginseng decided to adopt her! It was the last day of their vacation. The application was approved today and they are driving down Wednesday from New York to pick her up.

Shelter staff spoke with Whitney's new home last week and were told that she has REALLY settled in. She and their other cat have become fast friends!! Ya just never know!!

Here is a picture of Amanda supplied by Heidi. As you can see she is doing well!!








Sassafras, a big, friendly adult male, arrived at PetSmart on Sunday along with two sisters, Pinky and Binky. Pinky and Binky are torti littermates and are adorable!!

The September calendar is just about finished. Coverage is needed for Sunday, September 2 for the evening cleaning - if you can do the adoption table it is even better but not necessary. The only other day that needs coverage is Thursday, September 20 in the morning. Please let me know if you are available.

Here is Sassafras, Binky and Pinky:

Othello Goes Home. Good Bye Whitney!! Be Good!!

Whitney & old crooked Othello went home on Saturday. Judy M said it was actually harder to get Othello into the carrier than Whitney. I spoke with Whitney's new mom today and she said Whitney is doing well. She said she is "getting used to having another cat around" (we know how that goes!) and is eating well. She said Whitney is affectionate and loves to be held and petted. She finished by saying, "We love her already." How great is that! I love the idea of Whitney being able to run and jump and stretch her legs her out! We did it!! Whitney is home!!

.

Two new girls arrived on Sunday named Samantha and Mollie. Samantha is a big old black cat who is very sweet and friendly. Mollie is black and white and is sweet but shy and can be a little bit of a scaredy cat. Please remember this when handling her. I am sure that she will come around when she gets to know all of us.

.

Babe got two holds over the weekend. The first application was approved and arrangements are being made for him to go home Wednesday. I will let you know when that is a definite. Apparently the applicant on the second hold is interested in two kittens at the Shelter.

.

The application for Redkin has been approved and he will be picked up Wednesday night. Yippee!!

.

Amanda is doing well under the foster care of Heidi from the Shelter. Anna was adopted and as soon as Amanda is totally cleared of the ringworm she will be joining Anna in a forever home.

.

There is a logistical issue with the Open Your Heart And Home program and the program where the adoption fee on the second cat is waived. For now, both programs have been suspended. However, should two cats be adopted, the adoption fee on the second cat is still reduced by half. I will let you know when the programs are back in effect. Should you have questions regarding adoption fees please call the Shelter or refer the applicant to the Shelter. We do not want to give inaccurate information.

.
It was a good week for our guys at PetSmart. Thanks for your help!!
.

Here is Samantha and Mollie...

Hoover Goes Home & Whitney IS Number 100!!!

Yes, it is true!! Whitney is finally going home!! Last night she got an application and it was approved today! She will be going home on Saturday. Her new home has another cat so she had better behave!! Othello also got an application last night and was approved today. He, too, will be going home on Saturday. He will be joining two other cats and a six month old puppy. He is a sweetheart and will be just fine!

Hoover went home last night. He is just a cool guy and will make a wonderful companion to his new owners!!

Today I brought two new guys to PetSmart. They are both great cats! Babe is a big older orange and white tomcat and is so friendly and so loveable!! He is in the Open Your Heart And Home program. Wait til you meet him! Sashimi is a sweet pleasant female and loves attention. She is declawed. The two are sharing three cages. They seemed to settle right in and get along fine.

Othello and Ginseng are together now and Redkin is alone in a small cage. After Othello leaves a new arrival will more than likely takes his place in the big cage. Ginseng seems mellow and will get along with anyone!

The key is back!!

Coverage is still needed in the morning on Friday, August 24.

Meet Babe & Sashimi:

The Latest On Adoptions, Holds and Applications

As many of you already know Suave went home on Wednesday night. The only kitten left is Redkin. Paige took a hold on both Redkin and Hoover on Sunday. She also spoke with someone who is interested in Ginseng! Hoover's application has been approved and he is going home on Wednesday. He will be the 99th adoption! Wouldn't it be great to see Whitney be number 100!!There may be a problem with the application for Redkin so please be sure to take another hold if the opportunity arises!

I am bringing some new guys to PetSmart on Thursday. My plan is to put Othello and Ginseng in the big cage together. They have been getting along really well and look good together. I will move Redkin to a smaller cage.

Anyone know where the key is?? The managers at PetSmart are now giving us a back up key. The main key on the lanyard has disappeared!

The September schedule is shaping up well. When you have time please take a look at it and let me know what you can do.

Approved Application & New Arrivals

There was some switching of cages done today at PetSmart. The kittens - Biolage, Redkin and Suave - were moved into the big cage. They seem to be really enjoying being able to be up high and jump on top of each other! The cage is arranged so no one can hide.

Three new guys came today. Ginseng is a pretty black & white female. She is shy but very sweet. She was nervous and a little scared today. Let's hope she settles in soon. Hoover is a cool and friendly male. He reminds me of Marbles. He settled right in! Othello is a friendly big old black male with a lopsided face. He looks a little funny but is very nice. While carrying him in today he busted right out of the carrier and was walking down the aisle of the store about three feet ahead of us. Concetta was carrying another cat in a carrier and walked quickly and quietly up behind him and, after putting the other kitty down, scooped him right into her arms. She carried him right into the cage area and set him down. The carrier was just a tad too confining for him! He settled in quickly - even after getting a hello hiss and growl from Whitney! He is a sweetheart!

The application for Biolage has been approved and he will be going home on Saturday. That is the 97th adoption at PetSmart. That should make all of you who make this project a success VERY proud! Thank you for your continued commitment!!!
.

The August schedule looks great! Friday, August 24 in the evening is the only open date. If you are available please let me know.
.

Here they are: Othello, Hoover and Ginseng

Tucker Goes Home and Three New Youngsters Arrive

Tucker went home on Saturday. He is such a loving and friendly guy! He is going to make a wonderful companion to his new owners!!

Three new guys arrived on Sunday. They are youngsters - five months old. They are litter mates. The three will have run of the top four cages so please leave the doors open between them. There is Biolage, a female tabby, and Redkin, a male tabby. These two look very similar but you can tell them apart by their size - Redkin is a little bigger. The third is Suave, a gray male. When he first arrived he was a tad scared and sat on top of a shelf while his mates ran willy nilly. Let's hope he settles in soon! There is no pictures available as kittens are not put on PetFinder until they get a little older.

Amanda and Anna were both brought back to the Shelter and will be seeing the vet. Amanda has a sore spot above her eye. Since she was living with Anna both cats will be checked out. The Shelter staff are going to take precautionary measures and scrub out the big cage. Until that happens please do not allow the other cats to run free. For now clean the cages around the cats and make sure to use the hand sanitizer. I will let you know as soon as the Shelter advises me staff has cleaned the cage. Hopefully Anna will check out fine and be brought back very soon. I will keep you all posted.

Three Guys Go Home!!!

Mouse went home on Saturday. Greco and Loki went home together last night. Apparently mild mannered Loki was able to bust out of the cardboard carrier! Barb A described the scene as something out of the Incredible Hulk! As Barb says, "First a foot, then a leg, and then with a blast out comes his head and he is free." Barb said he was good though - did not bite or scratch - and was just a little scared. Meanwhile Big Greco was not effected and just patiently waited in his carrier for Loki to stop making a scene. Loki will be fine once he gets to his home and has his big pal to take care of him.
.
As far as pending holds... The people who had put a second hold on Greco are now awaiting approval for Tucker and the hold on Anna has been pulled.
.
Anna and Amanda had been roomates at the Shelter for a long time. Now they are back together in the big cage. They really love each other and often curl up together. Please push for them to be adopted together! Remember...right now the adoption fee is waived on the second cat if you adopt two.
.
We need to get Whitney a home!! She will be going back to the Shelter very shortly. She is being placed into the Open Your Heart and Home program which reduces her adoption fee to $10. We have never brought any cat back to the Shelter since PetSmart opened for no reason other than they were not adopted. I know she can be tempermental and quite mouthy but there must be a home out there where she can reign as the queen of the house!
.
Arrangements are being made for new comers to arrive at PetSmart sometime on Thursday.
.
I still have no takers for the adoption table on Saturday, July 28. Please, someone give a try!! If I have no takers by next Wednesday I will send out a plea to have someone merely feed and clean that evening.
.
I know we are out of brown paper for the cages. The managers have been told about this and apparently are working on it.
.
Just a reminder for Jen & Lauren, Barb A and Jenny G - this is the last week of your schedule change. Starting next Tuesday (July 24) we are back to Jenny G doing Tuesday evenings, Barb A doing the adoption table on Wednesday evenings and Jen & Lauren doing Thursday evenings. Please let me know you are aware of the change.
.
Say goodbye to Mouse and the Incredible Loki...

Anna & Amanda Arrive!

Anna and Amanda arrived together on Friday. They are buddies who have been rooming together at the Shelter. Anna is a tortie who is a little shy but has a sweet disposition. Amanda is a calico with alot of white. She came to the Shelter with an eye infection. A vet treated her for the infection and she can see with it however there is some scar tissue on the eye. Although she is now fine she is still classifed as a special needs adoption and her fee is $8. She also has a sweet disposition. Since Anna & Amanda are buddies please keep the door between their cages open.

On Thursday an applicant put holds on both big Greco and Loki. She initially liked Loki but after meeting Greco decided she liked them both! In addition holds were put on Tucker and Anna today. Now this is what we like to see!! Although it would be nice to see certain cats go to a home together we can't always get what we want!

Coverage is needed for the morning cleaning on Thursday, July 11 and for the adoption table on Saturday, July 28. If no one can do the table on July 28 I will put a plea out for someone to do an evening cleaning. Please consider trying to do the adoption table!! Remember, you can tell me what hours you would like to do!

Meet Anna & Amanda:

Happy Independence Day For Izzy & Lizzy!!

Izzy and Lizzy went home together last night. They will join a labrador retriever and a horse and some pigs!! This house knows animals! The couple who adopted them were very anxious about getting the girls home. I think these two are racing around their new home right now!

Two new cats were brought to PetSmart on Tuesday. Mouse is a young black female with a sweet disposition. The other guy is a big male named Greco. Greco is so big that he needs to be housed in the big cage! He is a polydactyl cat - that is, he has more than five toes on his paws! Some call these cats "mitten cats." For those of you who do not know the story, Ernest Hemingway was given his first cat by a ship captain in KeyWest, Florida. Yes, it was a polydactyl! Today there is approximatley sixty cats that live at the Ernest Hemingway Museum and Home in Key West. About half of these cats are polydactyls and believed to be direct descendants of Hemingway's first cat. Often people simply refer to polydactyl cats as "Hemingway Cats." I was fortunate enough to meet many of these cats a few years ago during a visit to Key West!

.

The arrival of this big male appears to have shaken up the females. Loki and Tucker are not phased but apparently Whitney, Blinky and Mouse were a tad upset Wednesday morning and a little aggressive. Please be aware of this when letting the cats get their exercise. Let me know if the girls continue to be out of sorts. Hopefully everyone will settle in after a day or two.

.

Let's hope the adoptions keep moving along like this week! Poor Whitney!! When will she find a home!

.

Here is Greco and Mouse:

Goodbye Lady Di, Flutterbee and Striker!!

I am so happy to report that it was a great weekend!! Striker went home on Saturday with two little boys and their mom who could not be more excited. Diana went home to Wildwood Crest. She will be spending winter months in Florida and summer months in the Crest. Her new mom wanted a companion for a cat at home and wanted to adopt one who had been in the shelter a long time. Diana loudly announced she had been in the shelter for months and promised to be a good cat! Sweet little Flutterbee will be getting all the attention she needs in her new home!

There is still holds pending on Izzy and Lizzy - yes, together. The applicants came in to visit the girls on Saturday. Hopefully they will be approved early in the week and can go home.

.

I removed the pieces of hardware inside the big cage and rearranged them so the cats can no longer hide on the top shelf. Please make sure the pieces stay that way. Yesterday one of the girls was on the top shelf and it looked like only one cat was in the cage. We don't want them to be able to hide from potential adopters!!

.

Loki and Tucker are getting along very well in shared cages so please let them continue to hang out together. Hopefully this will encourage someone to adopt them as a pair.

.

There are kittens galore at the shelter!!! If you know anyone interested in adopting a kitten please tell them about the shelter!!!

.

The July schedule has a few holes in it. Please look at the calendar and let me know if you are available to fill in on any of the open dates.

.

Say good bye to Flutterbee and Striker!!

Marvelous Marbles Goes Home!

Marbles went home on Sunday! Yippee! Now she can stretch her legs out all the time and talk to her heart's content to her new family! What a cutie!

Unfortunately the holds for Diana and Blinky have been pulled. The applicants never responded to several calls from the Shelter. The holds on Izzy and Lizzy are still pending. To date the Shelter has not received the required paperwork from the applicant's landlord. Do not hestitate to take a second hold on them.

The Cape May County Animal Shelter Alliance (CMCASA) is going to have an information booth at the annual 4-H Fair on Thursday, July 19 through Saturday, July 21. The booth is there to promote the animals of various organizations in Cape May County - including Animal OutReach, Animal Welfare Society and the Cape May County Shelter. Vilma is organizing volunteers to man the booth during the following hours: Thursday, July 19 and Friday July 20 , 3:30-9:00pm, and Saturday, July 21, 11:00-5:00PM. If you are available to cover any of these hours let me know and I will put you in touch with Vilma. It is not necessary to be there the entire time - if you can only do one or two hours, no problem.

I am bringing two new guys down to PetSmart on Wednesday. I will post an update with pictures later this week.

Weekend News

On Sunday Tracey took holds on the girls, Izzy and Lizzy. Yes, if the application is approved the girls will be going home together! Wouldn't that be great?! The application is at the Shelter for review. Holds are still pending for Diana, Marbles and Blinky.

On Sunday a sweet female kitty arrived at PetSmart by the name of Flutterbee. She is very affectionate and loves to be petted. She is a tad nervous when removed from the the cage and put on the floor. She had her spay surgery on May 31 so her belly is bare! I think you are all going to love her!

.

What is up with Whitney?? She meows sweetly one minute and sounds possessed by the devil the next! She is so cute but so evil towards the other guys! She is very bossy and ornery. She definitely needs to be in a one cat household.

.

I trained a new volunteer on Monday...welcome Jen C! Jen is going to help out while she is home from school for the summer.

.

I am forwarding to all of you a flyer I received from Animal Outreach. As you are aware they suffered a terrible loss a few weeks ago when a fire destroyed their trailer and over thirty cats died. Please forward the flyer to anyone you know who may be interested in helping them as they begin to rebuild.

.

Here is sweet little Flutterbee:

Goodbye, Senora! Vaya con Dios!

Yippee!! Senora went home today!! What a great home, too! I met her new mother who is so excited to have Senora. She came to PetSmart with a new snazzy, soft cat carrier and gently packed our little pumpkin up! Senora's new name is Malibu. She is joining a fish and a bird at her new house. Senora was at PetSmart longer than any other cat we have brought there. I know she has grown on all of us so I am very happy to report she is going to be one spoiled kitty!

Marbles got a hold last night and it looks really good. The Shelter is waiting on paperwork for Diana and Blinky.

I brought three new guys to the store today. Izzy and Lizzy are two sisters that are about seven months old. They are almost identical. The only way to tell them apart is by the tails. Izzy has a white tip on hers and Lizzy does not. They are both active and sweet!! They are putting on quite a show in the big cage. I also brought down a very handsome buff colored male named Loki. He is a few years old. You guys are going to love him! He is very friendly and mellow. All three appeared to settle right in.

The Shelter has started to use new cage cards that have information about the cats' dispositions and likes and dislikes. For now just the new guys will have these cards on the inside of their cages. Eventually the new cards will be on all the cages. I think you will find them helpful! We will still use the Petfinder blurbs for the front of the cages.

Take a look at the July schedule if you have not already done so. Please let me know what you can do. If you have already contacted me please double check that I put you on the correct days.

Meet Loki, Lizzy, Izzy :

Successful Weekend!

It was a good weekend! Roxy finally found a forever home and left on Saturday. Scotty was brought back to the Shelter today and will be picked up there tomorrow and go to his new home along with another cat from the Shelter. There are applications pending on Diana, Blinky and Senora. WOW! I am thrilled! All three apps are at the Shelter for review.

Which leads me to this question...does anyone have any information on who took the applications on Blinky and Diana? When Barb A arrived to clean Saturday morning the applications were on the adoption table. If you know who did the apps please let me know.

I still do not have anyone doing the second shift on next Saturday - June 9. Do the adoption table or just clean and feed. It is up to you!

Look for another update in a couple of days. I am hoping to bring three new guys down to the store on Wednesday.

Latest News & Updates

Well, my friends, perhaps our dry spell is over! Right now there are two very good applications at the Shelter waiting for the Director's final approval. One is for our little friend Roxy and the other is for Scotty. If all goes well these adoptions will be finalized very soon and I will bring new arrivals to PetSmart next Wednesday. I will keep you all posted.

Make sure when you leave that you double check the clasps on the cages. This morning when Judy M arrived to clean she was greeted at the door by a free roaming Diana! Also, be sure you shut the inside door leading to the cages when you leave. This way in the event one of the guys figures out how to use the clasp on the cages he or she can't scamper by you when you initially enter the adoption room!

Coverage is needed for the afternoon/evening on Saturday, June 9. I would like to see the adoption table open at some point that day however if you can only clean and feed I certainly understand. Remember, the time for the adoption table is not etched in stone. Just let me know what works for you.

Tracey R has been doing every Sunday afternoon at the adoption table all winter. For the summer she is not as available and needs to cut that back to every other Sunday. If anyone can cover some Sundays please let me know!

Angel Gets a Forever Home!

Angel went home on Sunday! She is going to have a wonderful life and a new name. Her new owner had a cat for over fifteen years that passed away in February. She has been looking for a new companion. She is going to change Angel's name to Sam. Sam was her best friend that passed away a while ago. She and Sam shared a love of cats and when she met Angel she felt Angel was sent from Sam to be with her. Sam is my aunt and her dear friend did not even know I was involved with PetSmart when she saw Angel there in a cage. When I saw the application I called her and we talked about Sam the person and Sam (Angel) the cat. I am so happy for Angel!!

The weekend was pretty quiet again. Let's hope Angel's adoption starts a trend!

Both the holds on Diana and Roxy have officially been pulled by the applicants.

We have a schedule change for an eight week period beginning on Tuesday, May 29. The mid-week adoption table will be on Tuesday nights instead of Wednesdays. Please be aware of this when giving people information.

Katherine called me today to tell me that PetSmart is out of both the pine litter and Yesterdays News. A delivery is due at the store tomorrow or Wednesday. She will put a substitute litter near the cages but is not going to poor it into the bin as we are only using it for the interim. As soon as the delivery is made we will stop using the replacement and go back to the pine. Hopefully the guys will not stage a strike and they will adapt to the litter change for a day or two with little problems!!

I will contact the Shelter about bringing someone new to replace Angel and to be Marbles' new roommate.

Another Quiet Weekend :-(

Well, unfortunately we had another quiet weekend at PetSmart. The hold on Diana is still pending but the Shelter has yet to receive paperwork they requested on Friday. The application on Roxy is still pending but the applicant has yet to bring the hold money to PetSmart or to the Shelter. I phoned her personally on Friday and she stated she was still interested in adopting Roxy. I called her again yesterday (Monday) and left her a message. The applicant for Senora was called and told to pick up her hold money because her landlord does not want to supply the Shelter with any information.

Paige and I spent two hours at the adoption table Monday. Throughout our time we had everyone out of the cages at one time or another. Everyone was well behaved and did fine with each other. Blinky jumped down several times and played. She occasionally hissed at Scotty but did just fine with the others. Arrogant Whitney lied on the floor like she owned the place and did not bother anyone. I think any of the cats we have at the store right now would do just fine with other cats.

I am hoping that people are busy with proms, graduations and other Spring activities and that adoptions pick up soon!!

Goodbye Traveller & Ariel - Welcome Blinky and Scotty!!

Ariel and Traveller headed home Wednesday night. By now Ariel has probably settled in with her guinea pig sibling and Traveller is happily hugging his new family! Good for both of them! They are a couple of nice kitties! .
.
Scotty and Blinky joined us at PetSmart on Saturday. Scotty, a black male, is very friendly and appeared to settle right in. I brushed him for quite a while and he was most appreciative. Blinky is a sweet calico who appears to be a tad timid but is friendly. She did not settle in as quickly as Scotty but I am sure she will be just fine. Apparently she is a bit like Ariel and prefers to be the "one and only." It is best to let her exercise on her own. It seems Blinky does not care for other cats!
.
The weekend was quiet. Lots of lookers but no holds were taken on either Saturday or Sunday. Diana got alot of attention on Saturday. She was very vocal and really showed off! She did good!
The holds for Diana and Senora did not work out so both have been pulled.
.
Poor Senora! I can not wait to hear she found a home! And Angel - such a sweetheart. When I opened the cage yesterday and leaned in to give her fresh water she was so anxious to come down she jumped right on my head! The right person will come along for each of them, I'm sure.
.
The June schedule looks wonderful!! You guys are the best volunteers ever!

Meet Blinky and Scotty: