Clint

We wanted you to know that we are so happy to have Clint in our home! He is such a sweet boy and so full of love. I wanted to pass along a few pictures of his first couple of days with us. Please tell his foster mom that he is in a very happy place!

Toby

I don't quite know where to begin. For the first three weeks, after bringing Toby home, he seemed very unhappy and that was making me pretty unhappy too. People can tell each other how they feel, but cats simply act out their feelings and sometimes it's not all that easy to understand. We want Toby to be healthy and happy and especially we want him to recognize us as two people who love him and will take good care of him. When I look at Tobey, I forget that in many ways that he's still a kitten inside. I began getting better acquainted with his behaviors through some good websites for cats, and decided to try some things that I had read about.I mentioned in my earlier email that I placed some "safe" boxes around the apartment that he could go to if he needed to hide. That worked very well. He stopped hiding under the furniture and used the safe boxes instead. That made it much easier to know where he was. I could see that day by day, he was making little breakthroughs in his adjustment to us and his new home. During those first three weeks, he wouldn't let us near him and he wouldn't come near us, so we let him be and just continued to be here for him. You'll laugh when I tell you this, but one day when Toby was hiding in a safe box in the living room, I sat close by and read him a book out loud so that he could get used to the sound of my voice. That was something I learned online. He stuck his head out of the box and just watched an  listened. From one of the websites on cats, I learned a method to try that was aimed at petting a frightened cat without getting scratched. At that time, Toby was still aggressively scratching if we tried to pet him. Instead of bring my open hand down to him so he could sniff my hand and identify me, I only extended my pointer finger. He sniffed it, then shyly dropped his head down, permitting me to scratch around his neck. When he suddenly realized that he was making contact, he naturally tried to swipe me with his claws, but I quickly withdrew my hand, stood up and walked away. It was suggested that each time your cat did something negative like scratching you, you end the activity and walk away. I have no idea why that worked, but Toby was clearly puzzled by it enough that he'd come back to me and let me repeat the process again. A few days later, out of the blue, Toby just timidly walked up to me, rubbed by me, then stopped, looked up at me, and I knew that he wanted to be petted again. This was the first time he initiated it. That was the big turning point with Toby. He's been like a totally different cat ever since. You probably wouldn't recognize him today. He follows me around like a little puppy from room to room. When I am at my desk (like right now), Toby comes up to me so I can pet him, then he goes under my desk and curls up into a ball and snoozes. It took me awhile to get him to sit next to me while I watch TV, but now, I often find him sitting there waiting for me to join him. He not only sits with me on the love seat, but he's taken over the side that I always sit on. That's his now. He's become very playful, but being a kitten at heart, he still forgets that the other "cats" in the house don't have claws like his. And so, I pay close attention to his body language when he's playful and do my best to anticipate a body posture that signals to me that he's going to take a swipe at my hand. Every time he does try to scratch me, I tell him calmly, but firmly, Don't scratch! Then I will stop petting him for awhile to make the point. At this point, I actually think he's getting the message. Most of the time now, when he taps me with his paws, his claws are retracted. I think he is getting the message that it hurts when he scratches me. In his defense, I will say that as soon as he discovered the scratching post, he hasn't even tried to scratch the furniture at all. Toby has impressed me as a very intelligent cat in these past few weeks. When he walks or runs, his tail his held high, unlike during his first weeks with us. Then, he walked around with his tail curled downward. He is still investigating things around the apartment, but overall, I think he is so much more acclimated to life here today that when he first came home. My next goals with Toby are to encourage him to let me hold him and to be able to pick him up and hug him, without him feeling the need to use his claws. I think that will happen, but I know if may take more time. I think it will happen when he wants it to happen. Timothy and I are just so glad to see the transition Toby has made from his first days at home until now. It's clear to me that Toby is very happy to be here with us. We still have a great deal to learn about him as we go along and he also about us, but it does appear as though things are going very well. He seems to be confidently managing a good balance of independent activity with times of closer contact with each of us. One sure sign that he is comfortable living here is the fact that he isn't using the safe boxes much now. I've already removed one of them and replaced it with the cat carrier bag. The idea there is to get Toby to feel comfortable being in the carrier bag, so that when he has to go to the Vet, he won't be afraid of the carrier. I didn't think he would go into it, but he actually has been sleeping in it from time to time. As time goes on, I think we'll be able to remove the remaining two safe boxes and just leave the carrier out where Toby can find it.

 

Scuttle & Ariel

The little ones are adjusting fine. I'm really glad that I brought the both of them home, being together has made the process a bit easier on them.

They are eating and sleeping well and playing hard. I've become so attached to them , they follow me everywhere .

Linnie, now Belle

    I adopted "Linnie" from POA this past spring. I wanted to give you guys an update on how well she is doing. Now known as Belle, she is a true success story. Belle slept on my bed her first night home and has continued to blossom into a wonderful companion. Belle greets me at the door when I get home from school, sits with me on the couch while I study, and is usually purring next to me when I wake up.  Belle's two favorite things are squirrel hunting through my deck door where I have placed a bird feeder and playing in her tunnel, both of which have provided us both with hours of entertainment. When I adopted Belle, she was quite skinny, still recovering from being a stray. She has since filled out is and is nearly unrecognizable from her adoption photo. Belle is a wonderful companion for me and I wanted to thank POA for rescuing her and getting her back on her paws so that we could find each other.

 

Noisette & Taffy

 Wanted to let you know both kitties are doing great!! They have totally settled in and are very comfortable. They love each other and love to play together.  Both love to snuggle with us too which we love. They both are perfect and we could not have picked any better. :-)

I can not stop taking pictures of Noisette. She runs the house and is so dam cute. She is such a nut. :-). I love her & Taffy so much.

Simba and Dustin aka Oliver and Sammy

Just wanted to let you know how well everything is going.  Kittens love their furever home and we love them.

Simba, Dustin and their new best friend Molly

Gracie (a.k.a Corky)

Never having a cat before I didn't quite know what to expect.  In just a short time she is adjusting very well. She has a "safe place" set up in my husband's office and I have just opened the door to the main living area for her today. Bedrooms remain closed. She does a discovery walk and then, of course, it's nap time. Lol

Well, she is the most affectionate little girl. I think she was just dropped down from heaven as she has the sweetest, most gentle disposition!  If I don't pet her enough she head butts my head and rubs or licks my hand.

I thank you for doing what you do!  Because of all your volunteers, who really care about these amazing creatures, I was able to meet and bring home my Gracie. Thank you!

Winston (aka Finnley)

Winston is doing very well! He eats well, plays and still is as snugly as ever.  His name was changed to Finnley, Finn for short. He also loves to play with our dog, who finds him just as amusing.

Yoshi (aka Cisco)

Cisco, Now Yoshi, is starting to fit in at home now. It started out a bit rough with my female cat not accepting him. They've grown to accept each other, while not best friends it's much less tense between them now. He enjoys sitting in the window watching the outside when not seeking attention.

Reesie a.k.a Toffee

I adopted my amazing and wonderful little cat, Toffee (now Reesie) from you a few months ago, and I wanted to do a before and after of how skinny and small she was when we met her compared to how strong and healthy she is now, but apparently I didn't take any pictures of her in the first few weeks that we had her.

 

Morty

This is Dianna and my boyfriend and I adopted this baby girl who was named Morty. I just wanted to update the ladies at POA (especially Kim) that we named her Susie. :)

Thank you again for this great opportunity, we love our new family member.

Harry

 We had adopted Harry from the poa in East Hartford. He is doing great, gets along perfectly with our dog and is spoiled by the kids. We kept his name because of the uniqueness of it and it fits well with a dog named cooper. Harry is very playful during the day, and sleeps with us at night. He eats very well and gets treats every once in a while as well. We couldn't be any happier with the adoption of Harry.

 

Flyod

Just wanted to send a hello to all and let you know that Floyd, adopted lasted month, is doing great in his new home.  He is such a love. He has so much energy and my boys enjoy playing with him.  He is such a great cat!  My other cat has also bonded with him and they are now constant companions. Please say thank you to Manny for helping us chose and adopt such a great boy.

Kelly Goulet-Case

Sampson, Delilah and Arie (now known as Callie)

We adopted Sampson, Delilah and Callie (formerly Arie who was found with an arrow through her neck) on February 12.  I just wanted to send you an update and let you know everyone is doing great.  I'm attaching the original picture we took, where everyone looks a little scared and an updated one.
Sampson and Delilah accepted Callie with no problem and we couldn't be happier with the three of them.  I love the fact that Sampson and Delilah are litter mates--they have an unusual closeness that is so interesting to watch.  Callie, who meowed at my husband Ken when he stopped petting her in her cage, seems to realize that he is her savior.
There was another applicant interested in Sampson and Delilah, who decided they would rather have kittens.  Boy did they make a huge mistake--they gave up great cats.  I am so glad I saw them on your Facebook page and pursued the adoption.

Bailey who's now Buddy and his mom!!

Buster Goes Home

Ruby Update!!! She's the cutest little pooch!

Hi Matt!
We are doing great!! Ruby is such a little LOVE!!! Everyone just loves her!! Sooooo sweet and loving and playful!!! 

Here she is goofin' around with my niece!

And with her best but, Chase....my sister's Lab.

Thanks for checkin' in, Matt. Hope you are having a great summer, as well. And I hope lots and lots of people are adopting wonderful doggies like Ruby from POA!!!!

Best,
Andrea

 

Great Update on Miss Suzy!

Hi Laura,
I hope you have been having a great summer! It's hard to believe that it's already mid July!
Suzy has been enjoying herself, especially her trips to Maine :-) the first picture is from a day trip to Rockport, MA, where she got to explore and hop around on the rocks (we call it "billygoating"). Then in the car with two of Andrews friends (two of Suzy's favorite "Uncles"), and enjoying some ice cream, deck time with Andrew, and helping the guys fish! She's pretty good on boats!
We love her a whole lot :-) I was just home visiting my family, and Suzy was basically asleep on me with her head on my shoulder, and my brother said "you really did get the perfect dog for you, huh?" Definitely!
We hope some other cuties at POA are finding great families, too!
Megan, Andrew, and Suzy

Kobe And His New Best Friend Rocket

Zoey's New Family

Maggie's New Family

Elsa and Her New Family

Tyson Having Fun Keeping Cool With His Sister Crystal!!

HI Laura,

Thought you might like to see a picture of Tyson playing in the swimming pool with Crystal.   These two have a lot of fun together.  Tyson has an expressive face and it's fun to see him so happy and smiling.

We are enjoying our volunteer work walking the dogs at East Hampton.  Thank you for the opportunity and for rescuing such a great little dog.

Deb 

Belle

Belle has transitioned very nicely into her new home. My jumbo cat is very enamored with her and she tolerates his attention. She jumps up at night to watch a little TV and has picked out a favorite bed.

She is going to meet her new vet on Wednesday so that we can establish a relationship for her pain meds and pain management. I am going away the week of August 11th and I want them to have all her info in case my cat sitter should need to contact them for any reason.

Cute story - The other day I caught my husband talking quietly to his very spoiled cat Lilli, telling her not to worry about Rosie. And that Rosie was nice and even though Rosie is pretty that Lilli is still pretty. So I asked him who the hell Rosie was! For some reason he heard "Rosie" when I introduced him to "Belle". So we keep referring to her as Rosiebelle!

Austin and Niunia (formerly Aspen)

Austin and Niunia (formerly Aspen) are doing AMAZING!! I renamed Aspen as the names are so close.

They are 2 of most amazing cats ever.  Austin is so smart and affectionate and gentle. Niunia is adorable and curious and sweet.

They love to eat and play. They are growing incredibly and have changed  these past 5 weeks. They cuddled constantly and Austin did ‘pick’ on Niunia (but more harmlessly then fighting).

Now they are finding own personalities. I bought 2 scratching posts which they love.

You guys are wonderful! I have said many good things about POA.

Wyatt

Wyatt is doing really well and has become, more or less, the King of the house.  His sister, Joyce, thinks he's pretty great.  She spends a lot of time trying to give him baths.  (Wyatt would usually rather wrestle than get clean.)  When it's not bath time, they'll play together, run races around the house, or curl up for a nap in one of the windows.  At night, they'll sleep on our bed - Joyce at the foot of the bed, and Wyatt curled up someone's back or chest, purring madly.  

Thank you again for Wyatt!  We love having him in our family!

Rachel, Mark, Joyce and Wyatt Hora