Ruby was rescued along with her four puppies from an abandoned home.

 Written by volunteer Lucy Joyce

Ruby, a Belgian Malinois, was rescued with her four puppies from an abandoned home. The puppies were in good condition and all found new homes, except for six year-old Ruby. Ruby waited each weekend at the HCWS Adoption Center inside PetSmart (S. Rainbow and I-215) for a new home and a new life.

Brandi and David Kruse’s daughter, Autumn, was coming up to her first birthday. Brandi wanted Autumn to grow up with a lifelong friend, a great dog. Brandi wasn’t concerned about Ruby’s age. She wanted a larger dog with a good temperament that would be mellow around a one year-old.

Ruby had beautiful fur, mottling the colors of Fall, and a soothing temperament to match. Coincidentally, Autumn Kruse’s birthstone is ruby and the dog Brandi was about to adopt was almost called “Autumn” due to her glorious Fall colored coat.

Ruby needed time to adjust to her new home.

The storybook meeting with Ruby did not continue…Brandi tried to gate Ruby away from the resident cats, but Ruby could clear the gate and find the trash bucket to dig through the contents. Time and patience enabled the Kruses to introduce Ruby to the cats, who have maintained the upper hand and enjoy bossing Ruby around.

Brandi now keeps the trash in the pantry away from rummaging Ruby. Ruby has overcome her timidity with David, but is still more comfortable with females. Through all the ups and downs of Ruby’s introduction to the household, Ruby has been the perfect lady to little Autumn. Ruby will play with her one year-old friend, but knows to walk away when she wants time alone.

Ruby, Autumn and Brandi in the pool.

Ruby’s life is now on track, she enthusiastically greets her owners when they return home, enjoys a dip in the swimming pool and only barks as a warning that someone is at the door. Malinois are often used as police dogs due to their quick wits. Brandi is convinced Ruby knows English.

The moral of the story is that full grown, larger dogs can make great companions, a housetrained dog is a joy! Give your new friend a little time to find out the house rules and they’ll be your fairy tale friend.

At last, a happy family for Ruby!

 Click here to find other furry friends waiting for their new family at Heaven Can Wait.  Cat adoptions are at PetSmart off I-215 and S. Rainbow every Thursday afternoon through Sunday and dogs are adopted each Saturday.

• Lobster Zone Protest: Lobster Zone is a game in which live lobsters are picked by a large claw (think stuffed animals from an arcade-style game) and then either boiled alive for someones dinner or sent home alive to be cooked later.  Protest is in Long Beach from 7:30pm to 9pm.  Details here.

Saturday July 23rd

• Raw Vegan Dessert Workshop:  The last of a set of 3 hands-on workshops.   Only $30 to learn how to create scrumptious raw vegan desserts!  Click here for more info.

Monday July 25th

• UCLA Animal Experiment Protest: From 12:30pm-2:30pm join fellow animal rights activists to protest the use of animals in laboratories at UCLA.  Check out the Facebook page for this protest here.

Friday July 29th

• Farm to Table Dinner Event:  Though not 100% vegan (there is local honey in the tea and desserts)  there will be plenty of delicious vegan food at this dinner event.  Tickets are $35 and capacity is limited to 60 people.  Click here to purchase tickets.

Animal Adoption

• Kitten Palooza!:  Head to the South Bay Pet Adoption Center in Hawthorne for the SPCA’s Kitten Palooza Adoption Event!  From 10am to 4pm you can check out cute kitties looking for a home.  Save $25 on adoption fees when you adopt an adult cat and all adopters get a free gift bag!  Click here for more details.

Today’s Ask Amy video addresses kitty tail talk, and I’ve had fun finding a variety of furry models to tell the tale–er, I mean, tail. So give it a shot–what do YOU think the tail semaphore means?  What does Sleepy-Seren’s tail (above) say about her c’attitude?

What about this Burmese beauty? Cats talk with their entire bodies, not just meows and airplane ears. What’s that tail semaphore mean when held on high? Happy? Agitated? Relaxed?

And here’s a couple tails held down instead of up–what’s the significance, or is there any? Do they mean the same thing? Seren’s tail rarely stops moving, but other kitties only flail tail when upset. Why should you care? Well…sometimes kitties lose their homes when there’s mis-communication.

July 15-17, Petfinder.com is joining with over 1,500 rescue groups and shelters across North American for what could be the largest adoption event in history–in honor of Petfinder.com 15th Birthday year! That sweet kitty above, with her tail wrapped around her body, is Bella Luna and she’s available–just click on her picture for a link to details. Betcha once she’s adopted her tail talk will transform into happy signals . . .

This Paw Nation article on understanding felinese includes some translation, but every cat has his own dialect. Just like people from different parts of the country have funny accents–unlike me, cuz I have no accent at-all, y’all.

How do your cats express themselves with their furry ass-ets? What have I missed in the video? And  what’s unique about your furry wonders? Please share!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

• Circus Protest: From 6-8pm at the Staples Center there will be a a Ringling Bros. Circus protest!  Signs & flyers will be provided but feel free to make your own.  Organized by Last Chance for Animals.  Click here for details.

July 21st – 25th

• Animal Rights Conference:  With over 100 speakers and 60 organizations involved this is sure to be the largest animal rights gathering.  Free vegan snacks, lots of information sharing & networking and discounted sleeping rooms are some of the highlights of the conference. Click here for all the details. **ADI will be offering a shuttle from the Animal Rights Conference to Veggie Grill (see below) all day on Saturday July 23rd. **

July 23rd

• Veggie Grill Fundraiser: Benefiting Animal Defenders International, this Veggie Grill fundraiser is at the El Sungundo location only!  50% of the proceeds will be donated but you have to mention ADI when you order.  See their Facebook page for details. **ADI will be offering a shuttle from the Animal Rights Conference to Veggie Grill all day on Saturday July 23rd. **

August 6th

• Summerlicious Vegan Shindig:  Head to The Other Door Bar from 1-6pm for a vegantastic event to benefit ARME!  Entrance fee is a $10 donation to ARME.  There will be pool tables, a large sit down bar and vegan food trucks!  Details are here.

Animal Adoption

• Discount Adoption Days Event:  July 9th to the 15th you can adopt a new furry pal during the LA Animal Services Discount Adoption Days Event!  There are tons of pups and cats waiting for love so head over to one of the centers or mobile adoption locations.  Click here for details.

  

• Animal Acres Pignic:  Get ready to snuggle up with pig pals at Animal Acres 4th of July Pignic event!  There will be a vegan bake sale and if you bring along a sweet treat you’ll get in for half price! Reg Admission is $10.  Enjoy a tour of the sanctuary, feed the animals and get a free soydog & beverage with admission!

Thursday July 14th

• Outreach at the Downtown L.A. Artwalk:  LOTS of volunteers are needed for this event so grab your friend, your mom, your uncle and your neighbor and anyone else you can!  Farm to Fridge will be showing at on a large screen and there will be yummy vegan food as well.

Animal Adoption

• Pasadena Humane Society Mobile Outreach Unit:  Every weekend the mobile unit travels to different areas and on July 3rd it will be at the PCC Flea Market with adorable adoptable pets.  On July 4th it will be at the Sierra Madre 4th of July Parade and Memorial Park Family Fair.
  

  Hannah: Pasadena Humane Society Adoptable Pet of the Week!

  We don’t have a lot of vegan events listed this week as we are sure most of you have holiday plans.  Please be sure to keep your pets safe this 4th of July and check out our latest blog post for tips!  Also spend some time browsing our online vegan boutique and take advantage of our Fourth of July Sale!

HCWS Pet Fairs educate people about unwanted kittens and puppies.

A recent Pet Fair was part of the opportunity for the students enrolled in the HCWS intern program to use their talents.  Heaven Can Wait has partnered with the West Career and Technical Academy magnet school where high school students focus on veterinary studies.

The event was held with two goals: Educate people in the neighborhood about pet overpopulation and let them know how they can take advantage of the HCWS low-cost spay and neuter clinic. 

With the help of Dr. Lalor DVM, vet-tech Elizabeth Rada and longtime volunteer Mary Hunt, Heaven Can Wait vaccinated 34 dogs free of charge at the fair.  

Volunteers from C5, Susan Watkins and Jean Spaziani helped HCWS check in the animals.  C5 is the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County a non-profit organization that works closely with HCWS to spay and neuter feral cat colonies.

The interns, Andrea Alatore, Tyler Desiderato, Taylor Martinez, Hannah Melly, McCall Phillips and Christina Sanders were a huge help to make the event a success.  They walked the neighborhood handing out flyers and provided food and games for children at the Pet Fair.

During their walk around the neighborhood the students learned firsthand about abandoned pets when they discovered 3 young kittens trying to survive on their own.  The kids rescued the kittens and took them back to the HCWS clinic.  The babies are now in a foster home until they are old enough to be adopted.

The Pet Fair was held at a shopping center that is known to HCWS for having feral cat colonies.  Last year 60 cats lost their lives at this center and a nearby park. 

So HCWS’ clinic coordinator, Judy Erickson and C5’s Kathy Potts used their time at the fair to begin a Trap-Neuter-Return program.  TNR programs, humanely trap feral cats, spay and neuter them and then return them to their colony.  A human guardian is then assigned to watch over them.  TNR is the most humane method of stopping feral cats from breeding while letting them live out their lives.

All-in-all the Pet Fair was a huge success!

HCWS community awareness programs like this one are funded through your kind donations.  Click Here to learn how you can help.

Marcia found the perfect home with Tom.

A few months ago we highlighted a beautiful cat named Marcia who was having trouble adjusting to our Adoption Center and desperately needed to find a family to call her own.   Marcia had been rescued by Heaven Can Wait as part of a litter of six kittens.   Volunteers aptly named each feline after one of the Brady kids: Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Greg, Peter and Bobby.

That was 5 ½ years ago and one by one all of the Brady kittens found new adopted homes.  But last year poor Marcia was returned to Heaven Can Wait because of chronic Urinary Tract Infections that needed monitoring.

Marcia was evaluated by Dr. Henderson, our Veterinary Director and with the help of a special diet quickly resumed her life as a normal cat.

But Marcia remained in our Adoption Center month after month without finding a new home because she had the stigma of being a cat with “special needs.” 

Then Tom walked into Marcia’s life and it was love at first sight.  Tom had recently lost his 20 year-old female grey cat and beautiful Marcia reminded him of his beloved pet. 

 Tom contact Heaven Can Wait to give us an update about Marcia, who is now called Neko.

“Hello everyone at Heaven Can Wait,

Well it’s been 1 week since I brought Neko – the cat formerly known as Marcia – home.  Neko is a Japanese word meaning cat, so yes I named the cat…Cat, but in Japanese.

On her first day Neko mostly explored her new home.  She wanted to be by herself and she hid a lot, but after that she felt comfortable with her surroundings and came out to visit.  I’ll tell you she is not the same docile cat I saw in the shelter.   She is the most attention starved cat I have ever seen.

Neko stands next to me when she wants to be petted and uses her head as a battering ram on my leg to let me know what she wants.  She is very active is constantly running up and down the stairs in fast forward – like an oversized kitten.

She has a favorite place to sit on an old couch we have turned on its end.   She goes up to the top to watch us and any movement she comes down to get attention.  She is very happy and I am very happy so it was a perfect match.  

Thanks for all your help; we will have many years of fun together.

-Tom”

Playing with her new mouse toy.

You can find your perfect four-legged buddy at the Heaven Can Wait Adoption Center.  Cats are adopted Thursday – Sunday and Dog adoptions are every Saturday inside PetSmart off I-215 and S. Rainbow in the Arroyo Crossing Center.  Click Here to see the pets waiting for new homes.

Molly is a 10-year-old cat who found her "forever" home.

This story was shared with Heaven Can Wait by the special couple who adopted Molly, one of the senior cats waiting for a new home at our adoption center.

We adopted Molly last spring and she has been the perfect addition to our family!   As a childless couple who just lost our beloved 14-year-old cat, we were both still heartbroken six months after her passing.  I couldn’t even look at another cat without bursting into tears.  But there we were in PetSmart and this loving little ball of fur came pouncing up to me, got up on her back paws and gave me a kiss right on the nose. I knew we had to take her home.

Molly is a 10-year-old kitty and was having trouble getting adopted after being abandoned by her previous family.  I guess you could say we were all lucky to find each other.

Molly has really helped us both overcome our sadness over the loss of our former best friend and it’s like she knew exactly what we needed in our home!  Molly is always in our lap and loves to give kitty kisses.  She especially loves the fluffy down comforter on our bed.  She also will talk back to us and we frequently have family “conversations” about all sorts of things.

We are so thankful that we were able to find Molly and add more unconditional love into our lives. She is truly a sweet kitty and we love her so much!

Thanks for all that you do,
Louisa and Matt

The downturn in the Las Vegas economy has left many older cats like Molly without a family.  These felines make wonderful pets because they are used to living in a home environment.  But many times they are overlooked because of their age.  You can meet the other senior citizens in our care by visiting the HCWS adoption center inside PetSmart off I-215 and S. Rainbow in the Arroyo Crossing Center.  Please give an older cat a home, you will be loved forever!  For more information: www.hcws.org

• Whale Wars Season 4 Premiere:  Head over to Santa Monica for the Whale Wars season 4 premiere episode with a Q&A session with the cast.  You can also get a free Whale Wars/ Animal Planet beach towel if you’re one of the first 1,500 people there.

Saturday June 4th

• Really Really Free Market: This will be a gathering of people to share food, music, smiles, clothes, toys, books, useable items, skills, poetry and more!  Bring what you can and enjoy some vegan food!

Sunday June 5th

• Food Not Bombs: Consider volunteering to help give vegan food to hungry people.  You can show up unannounced to any location and stay any amount of time.
• Sock Hop to Benefit the Gentle Barn: Entry is $20 cash or check at the door.  Dance lesson is from 7:30-8pm and the Swing Dance if from 8-10:30pm.

Animal Adoption

• Rover Rescue Mobile Adoption Event: Saturday June 4th in Redondo Beach you can meet some adorable homeless pups looking for a friend.  This adoption event will be held at Centinela Feed & Pet Supply.
  

  After having life saving surgery little Maya is looking for a home. You can also donate to help cover the cost of her vet bills. Click on her photo for details.

But Elliott isn’t a bad cat – he’s just had a really difficult time.  He lost his home because his owners simply moved out of their apartment and left him.  Imagine his fear.  Then he found himself in a 2 x 2 cage and while he wasn’t very happy about it, he was dealing.

Then he got an upper respiratory virus and found himself in isolation for a couple weeks with no cage breaks and not much human contact except for someone squirting medicine down his throat.  So by the time Elliott came back to the adoption floor, he was not a happy camper.  He thought the shelter was some kind of torture chamber and everyone was out to hurt him. When volunteers took him out for a cage break and tried to put him back in his cage, he resisted and let people know he did not want to go back in no uncertain terms.  Even when he was out of his cage he was moody, probably anticipating correctly that he was just going to have to go back.  As Elliott saw things, his world was now a 2 x 2 cage.  He was living a nightmare.

For the past week Elliott is living in a colony room with 7 or 8 other cats.  He’s not thrilled about it, but he’s coping.  At first he carved out a corner of the room and hissed and struck out at the cats who tried to go past him.  But he has calmed down considerably and isn’t causing any problems now.  When I went to visit him to take his photos, he was really happy to have someone pet him and play with him.  When you talk to him, he seems to really enjoy the interaction.  There is a world of intelligence and a thousand questions in his eyes.

Elliott is an active normal cat in the prime of his life who just wants his life back.  That’s not so hard to understand, is it?  And to top it all off, Elliott is black.  The Magnificant Seven in my last post were only the tip of the iceberg.  It’s amazing how many black cats we have had at the shelter this past month.  And they just keep coming and coming and coming and coming…..

Can someone out there take Elliott home and make it one less?

Moon chose the family he wanted to call his own.

Written by HCWS Volunteer Lucy Joyce

Ten years ago, Mike and Lauri Rohde saw two sad kittens huddled together at the HCWS PetSmart Adoption Center.  A teeny grey and white tabby cuddled close to the larger black and white kitten.  To the Rohdes the kittens were meowing “take me home, please.”  Lauri and Mike could not resist when the kitties came to the edge of the cage to greet them.  The kitties had found their new home by releasing each other to get to know their new guardians. 

You may think that huddled kittens would run and be scared of a new home, but true to their pleas, the kitties knew where to call home, and settled in their Henderson home right away.  The kitties chattered to each other as if to say “we’re okay now.”  Since the kitties were the center of the Rohde’s universe they were named Sun and Moon. 

Moon became a little too comfortable; the black and white kitty enjoyed sleeping on Mike’s head.  One day Moon did not want to leave the comfort of the bed and pooped on Mike.  The good news is, Moon never got too comfortable ever again, and Mike even laughs about Moon’s love of companionship.

Make a HCWS cat the center of your universe.

Heaven Can Wait Animal Society has lots of unique cats like Moon that are waiting to find their human.  You can meet them Thursday – Sunday at PetSmart off I-215 and South Rainbow in the Arroyo Crossing Center or online at: www.hcws.org   Please open your heart to a cat that has been abandoned.

• Guest Speaker Andy Stepanian at Hunter College:  Hunter College in New York will be having Andy Stepanian of the SHAC 7 as a special guest speaker.  It takes place from 7:30pm – 10pm and is open to the public. There will be vegan snacks too! Click here to RSVP.

Friday May 13th

• Vegan Ladies of LA Meet Up:  Friday at 8pm head over to Scoops for some delish vegan icecream and after that enjoy a meal at Pure Luck (maybe your last if rumors are true!).  You’ll also get to hang out with a great group of fellow vegan gals.  Get the details and confirm your attendance here.

Sunday May 15th

• Gentle Barn Tour: Every Sunday Gentle Barn offers tours for $5 per person.  They are a vegan animal rescue and educational center and you’ll be able to meet some adorable cows, chickens, goats, horses, sheep, dogs and even an emu! Click here for the address and more information.
• Veggie Pride Parade NYC: Wishing we were in New York for this amazing gathering!  Starts at 11am in the meat packing district and ends at the North ends of Union Square Park at 5:30pm.  Wear a costume and bring a poster to show how proud you are to be veg!

Thursday May 19th

• Benefit for Pelican Rescue Team at Veggie Grill: What’s better than eating food from Veggie Grill?  How about having 50% of your order total donated to The Pelican Rescue Team! When you eat at Veggie Grill from 5pm-11pm on Thursday the 19th be sure to say “This is for the Pelican Rescue Team” when placing your order.
•  Vegan in Vegas Bachelor Party 2011 Presented by VegNews:  This 4 day event is for all vegan and veg-interested men who want to socialize and get educated about the benefits of a plant based diet.  Enjoy free educational sessions and group activities as well as the exciting Vegas night life!

Animal Adoption

• Stray Cat Alliance: Every Sunday from 12pm – 3:30pm at Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies there will be some pretty kitties looking for loving homes.  You can preview some of the adoptable pets by clicking here.

Hi my name is Luna and I'm available for adoption through the Stray Cat Alliance

• Vegan Brunch: Start off the day by making a delicious vegan brunch for mom!  She deserves it!  Check out these scrumptious recipes including Mom-osas, Waffles and & Italian Frittata from The Healthy Voyager.
• Forks Over Knives: It opens this Friday so take Mom and the rest of your family to check out the documentary that’s changing peoples minds about eating a plant based diet.
• Gift Certificate to Alternative Outfitters: We’re having a special promotion this weekend only in celebration of Mother’s Day.  When you buy mom a GC to our online vegan boutique you a get a bonus GC for yourself FREE!
• A Special Vegan Meal: If you’re cooking skills aren’t impressive maybe you’d better head out to one of these amazing vegan restaurants:
  Shojin~ The food is delicious and the atmosphere is lovely
  Sage Organic Vegan Bistro~Bring your own wine and there’s no corkage fee!
  Cafe Gratitude~Both raw and cooked vegan food and they have beer & wine as well
  Madeleines Bistro~Amazing gourmet vegan food

Animal Adoption

• Mother’s Day Discount Adoption Days: LA Animal Services is having a special Mother’s Day discount on adoption fees May 3rd to the 8th at all 6 of their locations and their mobile adoption centers.  So if you or your mom are looking for a new addition to the family, now is a great time to go check out some adoptable pets!

  

Location:  PetSmart at South Rainbow & I-215

Dates: Saturday, April 30 from 11am to 5pm & Sunday, May 1, 2011 from Noon to 6pm

Come to the store for an interview to adopt. No phone calls. Some restrictions apply – see adoption agents in store for details.

Friday, April 22nd, is Earth Day and Heaven Can Wait celebrates the day with:

1.  AN EARTH DAY SPAY/NEUTER SPECIAL – available through May 31st

2.  ADOPTION SPECIALS FOR CATS AND DOGS – available through May 31st

3.  RECYCLING STUFF WITH YARD SALES – Next one is May 5-8

4.  RECYCLING CANS & PLASTIC BOTTLES – ALL YEAR LONG!

• Vegweek 2011:  From the 18th -24th omnivores can pleg to go veg.  Check out the sponsors and who’s pledging and read all the info here.
• Vegweek Kick-off Party: From 7pm-9pm in Santa Monica you can celebrate the beginning of vegweek 2011.  The event is free so bring your friends!  Click here for more info.

Friday April 29th

• Compassionate Cuisine to Benefit Animal Acres: Hosted at the beautiful Victorian in Santa Monica, this vegan event will raise funds for the building of Animal Acres new Rescue Center.  You can purchase advance tickets by clicking here until April 24th.  Space is limited! Click here to see a list of participating restaurants and food vendors and for more details.
• “I’m Sorry”; A 1 woman play about how a people-pleasing apologist became an animal-loving activist: After selling out 6 shows in a row, I’m Sorry is back for a 4 week run.  Written and performed by Katya Lidsky.  Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm. For more information and to purchase tickets please click here.

Saturday May 7th

• 2011 Raffle for the Rescues: All proceeds from this raffle will go to help 6 non profit dog and cat rescue groups.  You can buy tickets just for yourself or buy a bunch and sell to your friends, family and neighbors (most tickets sold wins a prize!).  The drawing will be held at 3pm and the winner receives a 42″ flatscreen plasma tv! To see additional prizes and get more details click here.

Animal Adoption

• Molly’s Mutts & Meows: Head over to West Hollywood Park on Saturday April 16th to check out some cute dogs & cats looking for forever homes.  It’s best to arrive before 2:30 and paid parking is available across from the tents. Click here for more info or to fill out an online adoption form.

Saturday April 2nd:

• So Cal Vegan Guide Release Party:  Presented by Band of Mercy this fun launch party will be at Koos Studio in San Pedro and tickets are only $5 with the purchase of a guide.  There will be food provided by One World Vegetarian Cuisine and Veggie Grill as well as a raffle with prizes donated by The Vegan Collection, Eko Zone and, of course, us!  Click here for all the details and to RSVP.
• SunCafe Weekly Raw Food Cooking Classes:  Head over to SunCafe for a  series of Saturday cooking classes.  From 9:30am to 11am you can learn about raw cuisine from chef Rachel Carr.  Only $20 at the door.
  Upcoming Menus:
  April 2nd ~ Magic Carpet Ride:: Flax Crackers, Falafel, Sundried Tomato Hummus, Seed Tabouli and Halvah
  April 9th ~ Korean Feast:: Mushroom Bulgogi, Gimbop, Daikon Kim Chee, Bibimbop with Rice
  April 16 ~ All American Picnic:: Chocolate Shake, BBQ Burger, Sweet and Spicy Slaw and Apple Pie
  You can also sign up for their detox/cleanse juicing programs.  Click here for information on the classes and programs.

Sunday April 3rd:

• Learn Animal Rights Public Speaking with Vegan Toastmasters: From 3- 4:30pm in Los Angeles you can attend a public speaking class that will help you develop self confidence and build skills for to effectively educate and inspire others about animal rights activism.  For more information and to RSVP please click here.
• Pizza Fusion ARME Benefit: If you’re feeling hungry for some amazing vegan pizza, head on over to Pizza Fusion in Hollywood.  Be sure to mention ARME when you order and they will get a percentage.  You can enjoy a variety of vegan beers including a curious concoction called the Vegan Beer Float as well as vegan wraps and wine.  For more information click here.
• Mobile Pet Adoption:  Every Saturday from 10:30am to 3pm in Santa Monica there is a mobile pet adoption at the corners of Venice Blvd and Abbot Kinney.  You can find furry friends in need of a forever home.  The Much Love Animal Rescue also has an adoption site on Sundays in the parking lot of  Lost Planet Production Company.  You can get all the details here.

Anna Marie

Betty Sue

Like mother, like daughter – so says the old proverb.  But when we first met Anna Marie and her daughter Betty Sue, nothing could be further from the truth.  Oh, yes, those beautiful emerald green eyes were the same.  No doubting the genetics there.  And perhaps the interesting facial markings – Anna Marie’s ‘lipstick’ and Betty Sue’s freckled nose. But you couldn’t find two more different personalities.

Anna Marie was a tiny little girl who seemed even tinier because she had lost half of her fur to a flea bite allergy.  She came right to the front of the cage and begged for attention.  She loved to play with a wand toy and would run and jump as long as you waved a toy around.  If you sat with her, she would walk right into your lap.  She loved being petted and having her tummy gently scratched.

Betty Sue was a pleasantly  plump.  She hid in the small center litter box compartment of their cage and volunteers had to drag her out to be socialized.  She would let us hold her, in fact wanted to be held close and protected. But if you put her down, she would hide in the corner. She never purred and was afraid of toys.

These girls have been with us for a long time – since early January.  They were pretty sick with upper respiratory virus, but didn’t get a foster, so they spent several weeks in a cage in isolation.  Now, back in the Cat Adoption Center, they are living in a colony room with several other cats.

On my last visit to the colony room, during the hailstorm last week in fact, I walked in the door and lo and behold, here comes Betty Sue to greet me!  She rolled and rolled around the floor, happy as can be, and just loved having her tummy rubbed.  Then she climbed up on some crates in the room and rolled around and flirted some more.  I was finally seeing the real Betty Sue, the real daughter of happy go lucky Anna Marie!

Betty Sue is still not quite sure 100% of the time that her world is okay.  A loud noise, even a laugh, sometimes scares her.  But she has come such a long way over these past three months – and three months is long enough for cats to be in a shelter.  It’s time for these girls to go home.  Obviously we would love to see them go home together.  But they would probably do okay apart, especially Anna Marie.  I think Betty Sue would continue to blossom in a quiet, adults only home with plenty of love even if she were alone.  With her mom by her side, it would be a purrrrfect home.

Sprite has been with us for a long time now – at least a year.  She was with us when the cats were in the old shelter, and we moved to the new building last August 2.  Sprite was moved around from office to office, and then she finally went to foster for a long time.  A couple months ago her foster mom brought her back when the population was low and put her in one of our empty colony rooms, hoping she would find a home.  But, no luck.

Why all this special treatment for one kitty?  Well, that’s hard to explain.  I’ve tried coming up with a good, concrete reason, but I guess you just have to meet Sprite to understand.  She just gets to you.  There are many many much nicer kitties at the shelter.  But Sprite just gets to you.  There are prettier cats at the shelter.  But Sprite just gets to you.  There are many cats in the world who love to live with other cats.  But Sprite isn’t one of them.  And yet, Sprite just gets to you.

This winter when Sprite was living alone in her room, if she would see a person in the hallway window, she would run expectantly to the door.  No matter what she was doing, she ran to you for affection, her big round green eyes getting even bigger, and her whole body atwitter with excitement.  Problem is, if you give her too much affection, she just doesn’t quite know what to do with it and she gets all kerfluffled.  And when Sprite gets all kerfluffled, she swats at you.  Sometimes she even decides take a quick nip at you, depending on the level of her kerfluffle.  She just has so much love to give and she gets confused about how to give it. But somehow you just can’t quite hold it against her.  Sprite just gets to you.

When Sprite had her private room, she would sit for hours watching people in the parking lot, the dog walkers go back and forth, obviously interested and yearning for a friend.  When she was introduced to a medium sized dog, she didn’t even get all upset.  She backed off a bit, but she was interested.  No outrage, not even really much fear.  Not so with other kitties.  Sprite is terrified of other cats, and unfortunately when cats are afraid, things can get nasty.  Not so much different from humans, really, so how can we hold that against Sprite?

Sprite is also afraid to be picked up.  She will walk into your lap and across your lap, and if you pick up a wand toy, she’ll jump and play and be a totally entertaining kitty.  Just don’t pick up Sprite, that’s all she asks.  Sprite was a stray, and some strays always remain afraid of being picked up. They no longer have control if you pick them up, and they are always worried about what you might be going to do to them.  When you are born homeless and your mother has to leave you defenseless and cold and hungry for hours on end while she tries to go find a meal for herself, it can leave a scar on your psyche that lasts forever.

I have lived with cats much like Sprite several times over the years and I’ve loved them all for their special personalities. Just like people, I wouldn’t want my feline friends to all be alike.  Sometimes feisty people are fun to have around.  No different for cats. Luckily my spunky girls all liked other cats so it made life a lot easier for all of us.  But somehow I have to believe that Sprite will find her human, too.

But it’s getting scary.  Sprite is back in a cage because the shelter is becoming more crowded and the colony rooms were needed for multiple cats.  When Sprite has to live in a cage, she gets frightened and starts swatting at well-meaning volunteers who try to get her out for a cage break.  She can see the other cats and she is afraid to come out.

Please help Sprite.  Forward this post.  Tell your friends.  Sprite needs a home!

Pop Tart - approximately 2 years old

Godiva - approximately 4 years old and very sweet

Magoo - a little more than 1 year old

Come meet them and the other friendly felines rescued by Heaven Can Wait Animal Society at the PetSmart at 7050 Arroyo Crossing (I-215 and S. Rainbow) on weekends or Thursday and Friday afternoons.

If you would like to help sponsor the care for one of these cats: CLICK HERE

Right after Christmas I met a cat named Nikita, a plus-size girl who was with us for one of the saddest of reasons – her owner had joined the Navy.  No one in the family could keep Nikita because of allergies.  So, at 6 years of age, Nikita found herself homeless because of a war she knew nothing about.

Nikita was very frightened and attempting to make her considerable kitty pulchritude invisible in her litter pan in the small center compartment of her cage – and no amount of coaxing was working.  Finally, with the help of another volunteer who held onto the litter pan, we dragged Nikita out into the light of day and into a playroom.

It didn’t take long for Nikita to try to charm me every way she could think of.  She sang to me, she talked to me, and finally she offered her magnificent tummy -  and I was smitten.  Surely somebody else is going to see what I see in this roly-poly mountain of a cat!  Surely she won’t be here too long!

The next day the adoption counselor who uploads my photos and profiles sent me mail.  Nikita had a brother, she said.  His name is Darkness, he’s just as big as Nikita, and he is attempting to hide in his litter pan, too.  Apparently he was at least semi-successful in his attempts at invisibility because I had completely missed him.

One of the biggest drawbacks of our fairly decent shelter management software system is that there really isn’t any way to make it apparent on the kennel papers that there was more than one cat turned in at the same time.  Had I seen the “reason for surrender” notes, I would have known immediately.  But I didn’t see Darkness.  What to do?

To further complicate matters, Nikita had been taken to isolation for URI, but Darkness was still on the adoption floor.  Now what?  So the emails started to fly again.

A short time later the word comes back from one of our most prolific fosters – I have Nikita, she said.  And the techs will let me know when Darkness goes to sick and I will bring him here, too.

I know my sigh of relief was bigger than any of my cats’ sighs, and that is saying something!

A few months ago a potential adopter had visited the shelter and was enamored of a “big cuddly lump of a cat” and I realized there are a lot of people who love cats like that (besides me, that is).  Well, folks, we’ve got two of ‘em for ya!  Their foster mom fully attests to their ‘lovebuggie lumpkin’ status and they’ll be all over their colds in about a week.   If anyone is interested, let me know.  I’ll connect you with their foster mom.