Good Luck, Penn! Say Hi to Jelly Bean for us!!

Penn went home on Wednesday and probably is romping around with JellyBean while I type this! What a great home for him!

On Saturday one of Toasty's eyes looked a little runny. It looked fine today but let me know if that changes. His sister, Toffee, who went back to the Shelter, has a hold!

There are holds pending on Anna and Crescent. Both applications are at the Shelter and being processed. The application for Anna looks very promising. The Shelter has already spoken with the applicant's landlord and he will supply them with the necessary paperwork. The application for Crescent was dropped off at the Shelter just this afternoon. I will keep you posted on its progress. Hopefully things will work out as these two cats have been with us for a while.


Two siblings arrived on Saturday - Dandy, a cute little black and white guy and his sister Aurora, a pretty little calico. These two are youngsters! Dandy settled in just fine but Aurora is a little shy - or maybe just uninterested! While all the cats were out playing today she slept inside her little cubicle. Meanwhile Dandy jumped right in! Make sure you don't mix up Lotus and Dandy. Dandy has alot more white on him.

I know we are low on litter pans. I picked up a case at the Shelter today. I can't get them to PetSmart until Wednesday morning but we should be fine until then.

There are still a few openings in October. Please consult your calendars and let me know if you can do any. The dates and times are: Saturday, October 11 - Adoption Table, Sunday October 12 - Adoption Table, Monday October 13 - AM cleaning, Saturday October 18 - AM cleaning. If you are available to do a PM cleaning rather that the adoption table let me know as I may need you.

Meet brother & sister, Dandy and Aurora:

Good Bye Crisco, Hanna and Ivy!

After THREE holds our little boy Crisco finally went home! After finding out that they were approved to adopt a cat but that Crisco had already found a home, the third hold saw Ivy on PetFinder and decided to adopt him. He was picked up on Saturday. (Remember...keep taking those second and third and fourth holds as this is often the outcome.) Hanna also went home on Saturday. She wasn't crazy about going into a carrier. Let's hope she was so happy to get out of that carrier that she settled right in at her new place.

On Saturday Leona spoke to Donald and Freddie's new mom who told her both cats are very happy and doing great! She said Donald came out of his shell and follows her around the house. Leona also spoke with BlueBell's mom and she, too, is doing great! News like this is what keeps us going, huh?!

Thanks to Barb, Joan, Leona, Anne and Tracey for your help over the weekend with PetSmart's Fall Adoption Event. Thanks also to Crystal and Ian from the Shelter who brought dogs, Diesel and Charlie, to the store. Three cats also came for the event. Two are siblings that are about six months old - Toasty, a male brown and black tabby - and his sister Toffee, also a brown and black tabby, and a pretty little three year old calioco named Mardi Gras. (I have decided to call her Marty.) All three are sweet and friendly and were well behaved. Since three cats went home this week we had room to add these guys to our group. Unfortunately little Toffee had a weepy eye and a bit of a cough so she went back to the Shelter. Toasty and Mardi Gras stayed. I am hoping that once Toffee is cleared she can come back and join Toasty who I am sure must miss her. As always, keep the adjoining cage doors closed and the cats in their own cages until we see how they acclimate to the new surroundings.

I took a GREAT hold on our big friend Penn. You should have seen it! The woman interested in him was sitting on the bench in the adoption room. I let Penn jump out of his cage and he walked up to her. After petting him a few times he sort of tapped on her leg with one paw as if asking permission and then climbed into her lap and settled right in! Who could resist that! What is even better is the fact that she had adopted JellyBean back in April and was looking for a friend for him. She initially was interested in Purrty but decided the best thing to do was give an old guy a chance. Again, this is the kind of stuff that keeps us going! Her completed application is already at the Shelter. I anticipate a speedy approval and Penn sleeping in a house Wednesday night!

Crescent came back today. He had been returned to the Shelter to have a sore spot on his neck evaluated by a vet. It looks like the spot where the microchip was implanted had showed a little bit of irritation.

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Oh, another success store...remember Pertelot?? She was an older big girl and was all black. She is doing really well! She is happy, active and, word has it, even lost weight!

I am making arrangements to remove all the little cubicles as well as the apparatus in the big cage and have them power washed. That surface is SO difficult to keep clean! The cats will do without for just one night but I am sure they will appreciate the cleaning.

September schedule is complete. Look to October and let me know what you can do. Thanks for all you help!! Adoptions have been going so well! Yippeee!!

Here's Mardi Gras and Toasty:

Penn Returns!

Big Penn is back! He is a really nice old guy. He looks like a little cow. We have had a run on black and white males and hopefully that will continue for Penn.

Great week...five cats went home!! Carmen was picked up today. Donald and Freddie went home Wednesday night. It is so nice when two guys go home together. Having each other must make dealing with the change much easier. Golda and Matthew went home Saturday afternoon. The woman who picked up Golda is related to the people who adopted Bluebell. She told Leona that the two cats would be vacationing together! She also said that Bluebell hid for a day in her new home but after that now owns the place!

There is three holds pending on little Crisco. Please handle additional holds just like you would the initial one. Take the deposit money and have an application completed and forwarded to the Shelter. Sometimes the first hold does not get approved or the applicant has a change of heart. Should that happen the Shelter can immediately start on the second hold. Also, the second hold can get approval and the applicant decide to adopt another cat.

On Friday the PetSmart district manager was conducting an evaluation of the store. He advised me that we can not sign the daily checklist with one set of initials and then draw a line down through the next blocks. He asked that I pass on to everyone that all blocks must be initialed separately. I know it seems like a bit of a hassle but it will only take a few extra seconds and our compliance or noncompliance will effect personnel evaluations of the managers at the store.

Please, please do not turn the cubicles in such a way that the cats can curl up inside them and hide. I know that by nature they like to hide but showcasing them is the only way we can get them into forever homes. The customers need to be able to see them. Also, I suggest we not put so many toys into the cages and clutter them up. The cats seem to like the little mice and small soft balls the best. A cat nip pillow and a toy or two is enough. Again, we want the customers to look into a nice neat, clean cage and have to have the cat that's in it! Also, Concetta keeps extra rolls of brown paper in the office. When you see the supply getting really low just ask the manager for another roll.

On Friday along with Penn came a youngster named Felix. Felix is a black male about six months old. He was very happy today as he was joined by his brother Ivy (let's call him Ivan) and his sister Lotus. Ivan is orange and white and Lotus is black and white. The three are happy to be reunited and are together in the big cage. I am sure Crisco would LOVE to romp with them! Here they are:

BlueBell Goes Home - Finally!!

Great news - Bluebell went home last night! How nice is that?!! Freddie and Donald are scheduled to go home Saturday. Yes, they will be going home together. They are such nice big guys and will have a great time together frolicking in a house. For now they are sharing the big cage with Purrty. When the two boys leave Penn will be returning from the Shelter.

Golda seems to have really relaxed. Today she actually walked around the floor with several others and did not growl at all. I sat on the bench and she immediately climbed into my lap and purred away. She's a nice little cat!

PetSmart is having an adoption event the weekend of September 12-14. I am working with the Shelter manager to have more cats brought down for the weekend like we did in the spring. PetSmart would like to have the adoption table open additional hours during the event. Right now it is covered both Saturday and Sunday from 2-4PM. I would like to see us there from noon until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. The adoption table is not open normally on Fridays so if you can do a few hours on that Friday afternoon it would be great. Let me know if there is anything you can do.

Dog adoptions have been going really well at the Shelter. If there are any dogs available for adoption arrangements will be made for them to make an appearance on Saturday and Sunday. Right now I believe almost every adoptable dog at the Shelter has a hold with an application pending. Cat adoptions have been going well at the Shelter as well.

The calendar looks good for September. Thanks for covering Judy M so quickly. Please look ahead to October.

I brought three new cats to PetSmart today. Matthew is a young black and white male. He is really cute and very sweet. He has a little black goatee! He is probably the shyest of the new guys. Crescent is white, gray and black. He has a crescent shaped mark in white on his back - hence the name. He is very friendly and jumped right out of his cage and walked around and introduced himself to the others. Hannah is a calico and she is very friendly also. She did not jump out of the cage but she did stand to the front of the cage front and watch what was going on. Here they are....


Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

Little Jake Goes Home - Little Crisco Takes His Place

Jake went home Wednesday night. Rascal was scheduled to leave but his pick up was rescheduled for Saturday afternoon. I was kinda happy as I got to see him again tonight!

I brought two new guys to PetSmart today. I don't have a picture of Crisco and you are in for a real treat when you meet him! He is young, three months or so, and is buff and white in color. He is a tiny energetic little guy! He had already been adopted from the Shelter and was brought back for litter box issues. The Shelter was told he was urinating outside of his box. I did notice today that he did just fine with the pine litter. Let me know if he appears to have any issues. I suspect he will be adopted quickly.

The other cat is Purrty. She is a little over a year old and is very sweet and loves to be held. She is black with a white spot on her chest. She is a sweetheart.

So, at this point we have a full house - ten cats. They are Freddie, Donald, Bluebell, Anna, Carmen, Rascal, Golda, Pollyanna and now Purrty and Crisco. It is a nice group! Some of the girls aren't so crazy about other cats but after a hiss or growl everyone is fine.

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Henshaw and Peggy are doing well! Henshaw hid for a day but is now showing himself. He and Peggy are close as ever and there is evidence that during the night they have little parties! Joann has woken up to cat toys scattered about!

The schedule for August and September is full. Thanks for filling up Fridays so quickly.

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Here's Purrty... You're gonna have to go to PetSmart to see Crisco!

Peggy and Henshaw Home Forever AND Together!!

Best news ever - one of our very own volunteers adopted Peggy and Henshaw! Thank you, Joann, for having such a big heart! The two best friends left Sunday morning. I will definitely keep you updated on how they do. I know everyone was worried about these two and will be so happy to hear this news!

Two new cats were brought to PetSmart on Sunday. Remember Golda? She is a pretty little torti that was adopted from us a while back. She was brought back to the Shelter as she was not exactly bonding with a young girl in the house. The family subsequently adopted another cat from the Shelter. Golda is two years old and is sweet but a tad shy. She settled right in. Also brought on Sunday was Pollyanna. Pollyanna is a brown tabby who is a petite little thing who is quite friendly and nice. She also is two years old but looks younger than that. She, too, settled right in.

Penn was brought back to the Shelter because he was sneezing specks of blood. At this point we are leaving his cage open and ready for his return. Hopefully he will quickly get a clean bill of health and be back.

Rascal got a hold on Sunday and his application was approved today. He is being picked up on Wednesday night. What a great cat! One of our volunteers knows his new family and assures he is going to a great home where they just LOVE kitty cats. I am so happy for Rascal!

Cute little Jake has a hold but at this point the applicant has not contacted the Shelter with the mandatory paperwork. I will have to keep you posted on this one. He is absolutely adorable so if this one does not work out I am sure someone else will fall in love with him.

Friday mornings need to be filled indefinitely starting this week, August 15. Please let me know ASAP if you are available to do any.

Remember our girl Glory?? She left the Shelter on Sunday for her forever home! How awesome is that?!!

The Animal Alliance of Cape May County is a non-profit animal welfare organization that operates a low cost spay/neuter clinic next door to the Shelter. (To the right under links is their website.) The Alliance is building an educational courtyard between the clinic and the Shelter. They are having a pre-grand opening event for the courtyard on Saturday, September 20, 1:00-3:00pm. There will be animals from the shelter there along with tables for refreshments, educational materials, and children's activities. The Alliance is in need of volunteers for this event to include someone to push around a stroller with cats from the Shelter in it. If you can help please e-mail Barb Allison at gbarbis@comcast.net for more information.

Here is Golda and teeny Pollyanna

New Cats Came Today!

I brought three new cats to PetSmart today - Carmen, Penn and Jake. All three settled right in and will do fine. Carmen is a sweet little black two year old female. Jake is adorable! He is a buff colored youngster about five months old. Penn is a black and white older male - about seven. Penn was stressed out during the ride to PetSmart but was fine once he arrived. All three are on the lower level of cages. As always, for now keep their doors closed and gradually introduce them to the other cats.

Not to be a party pooper but....please refrain from putting the big stuffed toys in the cages. The cages are becoming too crowded and the cats have limited room to begin with. These toys are big and are taking up precious room. The cages need to look neat and clean. I think the blankets, cat nip pillows and a few small toys are plenty. Also, as I have said in the past, odor needs to be kept at a minimum. The toys will start to absorb the odors and also start to look hairy and soiled.

Peggy and Henshaw have both been put into the Open Your Heart And Home program. Their adoption fee is now $10. On Saturday they will be returning to the Shelter. I would love for them to stay with us, however it is time to showcase some others. I have been assured they will be well taken care of and will be placed in cages next to each other.

Today was the first time I met Rascal. He is the best!! He walks right out of the cage and into your arms!

Donald, Bluebell and Freddy are all together in the big cage and seem to be doing fine. Donald is pretty shy so try to give him a little one-on-one time to help him become more friendly. Filled to the top, the big food and water bowls are plenty for the three of them. They are big bowls so you don't need to add any more.

Adoptions have been doing well lately. Let's hope it keeps up! Below is Penn, Carmen and Jake.

Good Luck to Wilma & Linsey!

Linsey went home on Sunday and Wilma went home last night. Wilma is going to a home where she will be the only kitty. No longer will the tilted headed monster show her dislike for other cats! It sure seems to be typical of calicos! Why is that??

Poor Freddie and Bluebell! I can not believe they are still with us. Both are such nice cats. Then there is shy Henshaw and his girl Peggy. I wish someone would come along and take those two together.

I was scheduled to do the evening cleaning this Monday, August 4. Something has come up and I can't make it. Let me know if you are available. In addition coverage is still needed for Sunday, August 31 for the evening cleaning/adoption table. The September schedule looks great and is just about full. Two Saturday mornings need coverage - September 6 & 20 - and one evening - Monday, September 22.

So What's Going On.....

Wow! It was recently brought to my attention that the last blog entry was July 1! That's three weeks! I am happy to say that I have lots to report. As you already know Francesca went home last week. Well, Tabs and Puddin both went home on Saturday. These three cats were the featured new guys in the July 1 entry.

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Sally got a hold put on her at the Shelter yesterday and the app was approved today! Hooray for our gal Sal! She is going home tomorrow night. She is being adopted by a gentleman with a young daughter so it sounds like life will be good for Sally.
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There is a hold on Linsey and the application is being processed. The last I heard there was a discrepancy with the vet reference. I will keep you posted on this one.
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I brought three new cats to PetSmart this afternoon. They are Wilma, Donald and Anna. Wilma is a big calico who is very vocal! She is very nice and adores attention. Donald is a gray and white young male. He is sweet and a little scared. He is a personal surrender and his owner could no longer keep him. Anna is all gray and is very pretty. She is a little timid right now but I think she will be just fine. The Shelter sent a box along with her that apparently she finds comfort sitting in. I set that on the bench as it is too big for the cage. She seemed content to be in the cubby within the cage. All three settled in and I think will adjust quickly. For now I did not open their cage doors as I want them to slowly acclimate to this new situation. Keep an eye on them when letting cats out as we don't know how they will react to the others. If it appears things look good we can open the doors between cages and give them space.

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I think we should refrain from putting blankets in with litter boxes whenever possible. I made one cage the "bathroom" on the top row and put two large litter boxes in it. I removed everything else. Also, in the big cage the extra large bowls are enough food and water for two cats. There is no need for four bowls in that cage. I put a blanket in that little cubby spot as the cats like to get in there. Remember, we want the cages to look as clean and as uncluttered as possible.

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We had more "no shows" in the last two weeks that we have had in almost the entire time we have had this program at PetSmart - must be something in the air!! PLEASE keep an eye on the schedule and mark your calendars!

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The rest of July is fine and all of August is covered with the exception of the adoption table on Sunday, August 31.

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Here is Wilma, Donald and Anna:

Good Bye Big Bertie!

I am happy to report that Big Bertie went home on Wednesday night. I am sure he is going to make a very loveable companion!

Three shy new girls arrived on Saturday. There is Puddin - a little black female who was very scared when she first got to the store; Francesca - a black and gray tiger; and Tabs - a tan and gray tiger. These timid girls can all be petted and handled but are going to require some patience. Hopefully they will settle in and calm down once they meet all of you!

Yes, the July schedule is complete - but you never know when I may ask for help! Keep your fingers crossed that all cancellations have been reported and covered. The following coverage is needed in August: Saturday, August 9 (AM), Saturday, August 23 (AM), Monday, August 25 (PM) and Sunday, August 31 (Adoption Table). Let me know if you are available. Look to the calendar - I will update it as I hear from people.

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!!

Meet our shy girls - Tabs, Francesca, Puddin

Teeny Reeny & Mittens Go Home!

This weekend was a tad busy - finally some activity! Little teeny tiny Reeny and big old Mittens went home on Saturday. The hold was put on Mittens at the Shelter Thursday so he was able to go home on Saturday. In addition Leona took a hold on Mr. Bertie. The application is at the Shelter being processed. He is such a big nice boy - lets hope this is his forever home.

Seems we have some room at the inn. I will make arrangements for some new kitties to join us.

I had a cancellation for Monday, July 14 in the morning. Let me know if you are available to take that cleaning.

Freddy's Back!

Snowdrift went home last Wednesday night. Apparently he really wanted to stay as the volunteers had quite a time getting him into a carrier. He ran up the cages and all around the room in an attempt to stay with us. Thankfully Snowdrift's owner understood the stress that change puts on a cat and did not seem phased. Good luck, Snowdrift! Hopefully you are already all settled in.

Yes, big old Freddy is back! Yeah! He came back on Sunday and according to Tracey is even more lovable than before! He happily settled right in. With him came a shy girl named Linsey. Her first day she just sat on her blanket and took in the new surroundings. Hopefully she settles in quickly.

Mittens is apparently having litter box issues. We are trying to determine if it is the pine litter and he will do better with clay. Apparently he is making quite a mess. Let me know if the change in litter helps. Make sure he has a big pan.

Reeny has a hold right now and the application is being processed.

Hopefully with the end of this heat wave and the end of school graduations we will see an increase in activity!

I had a recent cancellation for Monday, June 23 in the morning. If you can cover that morning please let me know. I am happy to say that the July schedule is complete!

Here's our new girl:

Good Bye Corey & Moe!

Finally Corey and Moe go home and they get to stay together for ever! That is so nice! Judging by their size they are going to become big old guys that get to grow old together!

For reasons unknown Donner has begun to display what appears to be aggressive tendencies toward the other cats as well as the need to dominate. He is not playing well at all and now has begun to spray all over the cages, the room and the storage bins. The Shelter is making arrangements to pick him up some time today (Tuesday). He did not do this in the Shelter. Maybe it is because at PetSmart the cats interact so much with others and he just does not handle that situation well. Once back at the Shelter the staff can see if the behavior changes.

Three new cats arrived on Sunday. Mittens is a male and is declawed. He is a long haired tabby and is beautiful. He has adjusted just fine. Reeny is a tiny little girl that is mostly black. She is a little shy but you can sit with her and she loves to be petted. Freddy is a big old boy who is black and white and a big love. His picture below says it all.

Please make sure you e-mail me if you observe any situation (cat, human, logistical, etc) that I need to address as well as making a note in the volunteer log. Since I am not at PetSmart every day you can not rely on the book as a means of communicating with me. Also note in the book that you will contact me so others know a situation is being brought to my attention.

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Karla is still not feeling well so I need coverage for her this Friday, May 30, in the morning. Please let me know if you can do it. Hopefully she will feel better soon!

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Here's the new guys.....

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Is The Dry Spell Finally Over?

Yippee!! The lastest hold on Corey and Moe has been approved! The applicant is a PetSmart employee. I am so happy the boys get to go home together! Can't you just picture them bounding through the house wrestling and having a great time?!! The last few weeks have been so quiet. This is the season of graduations, proms and weddings which can tend to keep people very busy. Let's hope this is the end of our dry spell.

Barb A adopted little old Ella. Ella met Cassie Monday night and it appears that after a few days they have settled in together. They are not cuddling up yet but they are sleeping on the same bed. I bet these two live another twenty years together under Barb's watchful eye!

A few reminders: 1) Please do not put away any soiled litter pans or food dishes without cleaning them first. I know that the sink/drain in the back store room has had some issues. If this is not accessible you can spray the litter pan down with the quats liquid and wipe it with paper towels. You can also use the sink in the employee lounge or in the bathroom to rinse out the food and water dishes. 2) Please fill food bowls only half way. 3) Make sure that the cubicles are not set up in a way that the cats can hide from customers. Turn them so people can see the guys.

There is two open mornings in June and both are Saturdays - 14th and 28th. Please let me know if you can do one.

I realized I was remiss and never gave Bertie and Peggy a proper introduction on the blog!! Bertie spent time with us during the adoptathon earlier this month. He is chatty old guy. Poor Henshaw is back, as you guys already know. The man who adopted him brought him back to the Shelter because Henshaw hid up inside his couch and would not come out. He did adopt another cat, a young calico named Triscuit, when he brought Henshaw back. Henshaw, Peggy and Bertie all crowd into one cage and seem to really like each other. The right home will eventually come along for Henshaw.

Here's Peggy and Bertie:


Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

A Visit For the Dogs & Smitty Goes Home!

It was a good weekend! The dogs were well behaved on both days of the adoptathon. So were the volunteers! Here is pictures of some of the volunteers and our visiting mutts. On the top right is Reecie Cup, a pit bull terrier mix, who spent both days with us and was so good! In the picture with her is volunteers Barb and Judy.

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In addition, Sandy, a terrier mix and older girl, came in on Saturday. Her family no longer wanted to care for her and now she is in the Shelter. She is with volunteer Joan in the top left picture. One of the PetSmart employees completed an application to adopt her. Hopefully it will be a forever home for Sandy. Little Jenna, pictured below, joined us on Sunday. She is a German Shepherd Mix. All the dogs sure seemed to enjoy being out of the Shelter for a few hours!

We also had four visiting cats each day that slept over in the big stainless steel cages on wheels. (Thank you, Joanne, for cleaning up after 13 cats on Sunday morning!) One of the visiting cats, a little girl named Tinkerbell, got adopted. Arrangements were made to pick her up from the Shelter.

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Smitty went home on Saturday! Yippee! His new dad was very anxious to pick him up!

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We also received applications for two of the new cats that were brought down to stay. Both applications were approved and the cats are going home Wednesday night. One is a sweet little calico named Golda who is going to be spoiled by a very happy teen age girl. The other is a black and white male cat named Harley who is several years old. Poor Harley’s owner could no longer care for him and he had led a pampered life. He will be happy to be free to lounge about in a house once again!

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We have added two new cats to our bunch…Ella and Donner. Ella is an all black older cat – at least eight years old. She is very sweet and gentle and loves to be brushed. She appears to be very shy but is very appreciative when you start to pay attention to her. Donner is a black and white male with medium length hair. He is very friendly and also loves attention.

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Good news…on Monday night a hold was put on the boys, Corey and Moe! Hopefully it will be approved and they can go home together.

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Special thanks to those who helped out this weekend…Barb, Judy, Joan, Larissa and Joann!

Here is Ella and Donner....

The Latest on Adoptions and Holds

Well, Henshaw went home last Wednesday night along with Hilde. I hope poor nervous Henshaw has settled in at home and is not too frightened. His new dad seems very kind and patient so I am sure it will work out.

Lots of holds this week! Holds were put on Harry, Sally, Smitty and Crunchy. Crazy Crunchy's applicant was approved and he is going home tomorrow night. A woman put a hold on Harry and decided, with reservations, to also put a hold on Sally as she did not want to see the two separated. However after giving it more thought she elected to only adopt Harry so the hold on Sally has been pulled. The application for Harry was approved and he is going home tomorrow night as well. The application for Smitty is being processed.

The applicant for Corey was notified by the Shelter but he has yet to supply any of the required paperwork. Perhaps we will get him a home with his brother Moe after all.

This weekend is the Adoption Event at PetSmart. Several of us will be there with dogs and additional visiting cats. Dogs will be on hand both Saturday and Sunday from 12:30-3:30pm. In addition four cats will be spending the day with us and two cats will move in to replace Henshaw and Hilde. Let's hope we find some forever homes for these dogs and cats!

Two new cats arrived on Sunday...Snowdrift and Travis. Both are very shy and will need some time settling in. Snowdrift is a young male who is gray and white. Travis is also a young male and is a gray tabby.

Only one opening on the May schedule...the morning cleaning on Saturday, May 31. Please let me know if you are available. Look ahead to June as the schedule is filling up!

Here is Snowdrift and Travis:

A Busy Weekend!

Angelica and Miles went home on Saturday. Both are going to homes that have other cats so they will have company. Angelica went home with a teenage girl who could not be happier. She will be treated like a princess! Miles went home with a true cat lover! Her new mother had recently lost a cat who apparently looked just like Miles. When she spotted Miles in the cage she instantly fell in love with him. I packed him up in her carrier and he was so good about it! She was all smiles when she left the store.

We took two holds over the weekend - one on Henshaw on Saturday and one on Hilde on Sunday. Henshaw's applicant is a single guy who also recently had a cat pass away so he came to PetSmart looking for a companion. He came into the store during the week and saw Henshaw and he told me, "He gave me a double wink and I knew he was the one." Henshaw is so nervous and he seemed to calm down when he met his potential new dad. I think it will be a good match. Both applications are at the Shelter being processed.

Just a reminder....If you take a hold on a cat please make sure it is accompanied by a completed application and let me know there is paperwork that needs to go to the Shelter. I will make arrangements to get it. A hold without an application slows down the process. The next hold is then treated as a second hold yet the Shelter does not have an application to review and evaluate. Even if the people insist they will complete it and take it to the Shelter themselves advise them how our process works and get ALL the forms completed right then. Should they continue to insist have them go to the Shelter during regular hours and complete their paperwork right there. Also, if you take an application please make sure a hold is completed as well.

Three new cats came today. They are litter mates Harry and Sally and a big old tomcat named Smitty. Harry and Sally will be sharing two cages. They are both gray and black tabbies. Initially Sally was a tad nervous but settled in just fine along with Harry. Smitty is a big orange tabby with alot of personality. He was an outside cat for a while and then was brought to the Shelter. You know how long these big orange toms last at PetSmart!! He also settled in without a problem.

Here they are:

A Handsome Young Man & A Single White Female

Big Sunny and Socks went home on Wednesday night. Sunny's new family brought a carrier so fortunately the big guy did not have to be stuffed into a cardboard carrier. Socks will be joining a home with two dogs so it looks like he will have someone to play with. I know alot of you will miss this rambunctious guy! It is nice to picture him free to run about a house!

Also, on Wednesday night our newest volunteer, Joann, joined Barb A and between them they did some nail clipping. Barb assured me no feline or human blood was shed. Miles, Crunchy, Corey and Moe survived their manicure. Thanks, Joann, and welcome aboard!

If you contacted me with hours you would like to help at the adoption event the first weekend in May then I added you to the calendar. If I made any mistakes please let me know. If you have not committed yet but would like to you are more than welcome to join us!

So, as the title of this post suggests, a young male and a young female cat arrived at PetSmart on Sunday. Angelica is all white and is very friendly and very pretty. She settled right in and did not appear to be the least bit nervous. She actually permitted Crunchy to groom her for a while but then there was some hissing so they were separated. Henshaw, on the other hand, was very afraid. He is a gray tabby with some white. You can see from his picture below that he is a scaredy cat. I know this group can make him feel better in no time!

Since both of the new guys are smaller they are in their own cages for now. As we monitor them this week and get to know them we can decide if the door can be opened between their cages. Right now Milo and Crunchy each have two cages, Corey and Moe are in the big cage, and the rest have separate quarters. I am sure there will be some mixing and matching by the end of the week.

Apparently Hildie showed a bit of attitude on Sunday and growled several times at BlueBell and then cornered her. The door was shut between their cages. Poor BlueBell! When they first arrived they huddled together in the cubicle and comforted each other. Some thanks BlueBell gets, huh!

The May calendar is complete with the exception of the following three dates.
Please let me know if you are available:
Sun, May 18, Adoption Table (yes, I will accept an offer to clean/feed only)
Tue, May 20, Evening cleaning/feeding
Sat, May 31, Morning cleaning/feeding

Meet Angelica and Henshaw:

Webbie, Tiger and Iago Go Home!

Webbie went home Wednesday evening as scheduled. Also on Wednesday night Sashimi's owner, Lavendar, Scout, and Sassafrass's owner, and Traveller, Merlot, and Otto's owner all stopped by the adoption table to say "hi". Barb A said Sashimi (Triscuit) and her owner are very happy! Such good news!

Tiger and Iago left on Saturday. Tiger struggled a bit and did not want to get into the carrier but with the help of her new dad the little girl was packed away and went home. Leona said that Iago was a perfect gentleman and calmly allowed himself to be put into a carrier. I am not surprised! (Kudos to Leona for doing a wonderful job her first day at the adoption table!)

On Sunday Socks got a hold and the application is at the Shelter being processed. I will keep you posted on its progress.

Wait til you see Sunny! I brought him to PetSmart Monday afternoon. He is a massive orange Garfieldish cat! He is 26 pounds and very sweet and gentle. He is nine years old. His owner passed away six months ago and a family member originally took him but for whatever reason it did not work out. Poor Sunny was subsequently relinquished to the Shelter. He has been an inside cat his entire life. He seems depressed but, hey, who wouldn't be! Of course he had to go in the big cage with Socks who welcomed him with open paws. He just arrived at the Shelter so I do not have a picture of him.

Along with Sunny I brought Bluebell, a grayish blue female torti and Hildie, an orange and white female. These two are also very sweet. They were a tad scared and nervous on their first day. They are sharing two cages and seem to find comfort in each other. They both got into one cubicle and then turned their backs to the window. I do believe they will settle in but it will take a few days. For now keep the door closed to Crunchy's quarters until these girls feel more at ease.

PetSmart managers have asked me to pass along a couple of things. Please make sure that all the cats are in the cage area and the big door closed before opening the door to the adoption room that leads to the store. We have had some escapees!! Also, we are going over budget with supplies. There are several scratching pads in cages now as well as some in the cabinets. Please just use what we have and do not take any more of these from the shelves. Finally, some of us are not initialing the Adoption Center Maintenance Checklist. You will find this on the clipboard on top of the cart. We are responsible for the daily pre-opening cleaning duties and the nightly cleaning tasks. Make sure you initial the top block and draw a line to the last block. The managers initial the other areas.

The adoption event at PetSmart will be on Saturday, May 3, 12:00 - 5:00pm and on Sunday, May 4, 12:00 - 4:00pm. If you would like to help out with either day please let me know. Also, please be specific about what hours you can do so I can make a schedule and get everything covered. The Shelter will receive $15 for every animal adopted during the adoption event as well as for any animal adopted during the week preceding it. While you are cleaning and feeding during the week please keep this in mind should anyone engage you in conversation!

Just a reminder...the clear plastic litter pans are doubled up to make them stronger. If the top pan is soiled please be careful and do not throw both away!

The May schedule looks great! There is still four openings (excluding the adoption weekend). Please let me know if you can do any of them.

Here is our new shy girls - Hildie and BlueBell.

Sweet Bettina Goes Home!

Bettina went home on Saturday. She is such a sweet cat and not a bit of trouble. I am sure her new mom will be very happy she made the decision to adopt her.

Webbie's application was approved and she is going home on Wednesday. She is going to a home with no other animals and the family is very excited to have her. She is so shy and timid and this home sounds like the perfect environment for her to find comfort and learn to trust.

Iago has two pending holds. I will keep you posted on how that is going. For now he is bunking with Socks.

Four new cats came from the Shelter on Sunday. They are brothers Cory and Moe, Miles and Tiger. Cory and Moe are young male tabbies. You can tell the difference by their noses. Cory has a pink nose and Moe has a dark nose. They are both easy going and settled right in. Needless to say they shared accommodations at the Shelter and will continue to do so at PetSmart. Hopefully they will find a home together. Miles is also a male tabby. He looks allot like the brothers. He, too, settled right in and has an easy going disposition. Tiger is a young female tabby and the poor little girl is very shy. She is very pretty and has long hair. Please be patient with her and help her become adjusted. She was very afraid on Sunday.

No need for me to even comment on the April schedule! It's complete!

Here's the new guys: Cory, Moe, Tiger & Miles