December 28, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Just a quick note to let you all know how Zara is doing. That would be great. She seems to love us as much as we love her. She's chatty, cuddly, human (at least she thinks so), playful (she plays fetch quite well actually) and infinitely friendly. The kids adore her (you've never seen such happy kids as these three on Christmas day) and she has them wrapped around her paws. She puts them each to bed at night before she comes and settles in for the duration in the master bedroom on the bed with my husband and me. She hates being without her people, is learning to avoid the rabbit (not hard to do since he hangs out on his kitchen carpet all day) and she'd like to make Jake (the bird) her meal. She is starting to understand that Jake is not on the menu. I don't think it will be long before we don't have to lock him in the bathroom for the night or when we aren't home any more. Here's a few pictures of Zara with her new family.

Thanks for making our Christmas one we'll never forget!!

Wendy and family

December 28, 2004

Dear MEOW,

I just wanted to let you know how much Clipper, my resident Siamese kitten, and Drake (MEOW name Ratatouille) are getting along. Clipper was rescued as a stray by a good friend of mine who found him bleeding and stunned after a dog attacked him. After recuperating from his injuries, he found a home with me in early October. I soon discovered I had a very vocal and active kitten that was bored to tears when I was working all day. A call to MEOW was placed to get a companion for Clipper.

In early November, Drake joined the household. I was worried how Clipper was going to accept a new cat as his vet trip showed that he had numerous scabs and cuts that could only come from fights with other cats on top of his dog bites. Integration was a breeze as Clipper and Drake were interested in knowing each other, and to my relief Clipper showed no signs of aggression despite his bad street experience. Within days, the kittens were playing with each other. Tag, wrestling, King of the Castle, and stalk and pounce, you name it and they are constantly playing! At first Drake was bit intimidated by Clipper's rough play, but now Drake often instigates Clipper to chase him by biting his tail! In fact, Clipper loves to play with Drake so much that he cries at the top of the stairs for Drake to chase him.

Clipper loves to be carried around and sleep on my lap until my legs go numb, and I thought this would be a good combination for Drake who was quite shy. Drake at first was quite skittish with me. He would only accept pets from me if I was down on my knees. Now Drake is the first one at the door when I come home from work. He loves to lay on top of me early in the morning and his large purr feels like a massage! He loves to rub his whole body along my legs and weave through my legs. There have been numerous times that I've almost tripped over him! Lately in last few weeks, Drake really has been demanding attention and cuddling up to me. I have just started to pick him up for a short period of time, and he is slowly deciding that being picked up isn't so bad. He still is very wary of strangers, but shows great character in that he peeks around the corners to see who it is and will venture in the same room if the stranger stays still and quiet. Unfortunately, Clipper is terrified of men. So, now Drake is terrified of men too.

Although Clipper readily accepted Drake as a playmate, companionship took a bit longer. The first week, Clipper made himself as inaccessible as possible so that Drake couldn't cuddle up to him by sleeping on top of the fridge, under the bed covers, etc. Within a few weeks, he would tolerate Drake sleeping in the same room, but on opposite sides. Clipper would only allow Drake to sleep in close proximity to him if was on my lap and Drake was along side me on the couch. (Clipper is very possessive of my lap.) Finally, in early December, Clipper actually curled up to Drake. Drake throughout this whole process was very determined and patient to get close to Clipper to cuddle with. He tried to sidle closer when Clipper was asleep, or when Clipper was sleeping on my lap, Drake would stretch and lay a paw on him. Now, both boys sleep together on their cat beds at the end of my bed and occasionally curled up together on the couch. Sometimes, Drake decides that sleeping right beside Clipper is not enough, and tries to squeeze himself in Clipper's cat bed, and a wrestling match ensues in the wee hours of the morning!

Clipper gives Drake these marathon face grooming sessions where he would wrap his arms around Drake's neck and wash his face, ears, and neck until Drake's face was damp! Drake would be in cat heaven. When Drake tried to return the favour, Clipper would give him a cuff. Now Clipper tolerates Drake to give him a face wash. In fact, I saw Clipper on his back with Drake's arms wrapped around his neck and Drake determinedly washing his face. Clipper was weakly protesting, but then succumbed and started to purr. It was like, "no, no, must not allow this ... but this feels so good!" Yesterday, I saw the boys try to give each other a mutual face wash, but it didn't last too long before Clipper started to nip at Drake's toes.

I am so glad that they get along so well and that they are learning from each other. For Clipper, he is learning to entertain himself by watching Drake enthusiastically playing with his furry mice and ping pong balls, and the art of sharing body and space with an another cat. For Drake, he has learned that cuddling with me is as good as cuddling with Clipper, chirping and burbling (Clipper has a whole vocabulary of noises that are all unique). Now I have both cats that burble when they jump up onto my bed, and chirp when they run away to start the game of tag. I can see why Drake was a favourite at the shelter. He has such an endearing charm and personality, and he has easily won mine and Clipper's heart. He has come such along way for a shy cat. Clipper and I love him dearly.

Thanks again so much for the fantastic job for getting the right cat for Clipper. I have spread the word about the amazing work you do for the homeless cats in Calgary and I hope you will be around as long there is a need.

Sincerely Jennifer and Clipper and Drake

December 21, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Here is a photo of our sweet Kiefer (MEOW name Bight). He is still shy around cameras, but he loves to spend the day looking out the window. He and his sister Maisey spend the majority of their time curled up together soaking up the sun. Lately, they have been spending time trying to figure out how to get all the decorations off the Christmas tree!  This is the first time they have seen a Christmas tree and it seems they like the idea.

Merry Christmas to everyone at MEOW!
from Bev, Kiefer and Maisey

December 22, 2004

Dear MEOW,

My name is Annie (MEOW name TC) and I am the luckiest kitten around. I wanted to share my story with you. My rescuer witnessed me being injured by someone so she saved me. She made a phone call and I moved to a MEOW foster home so I could recuperate. I hurt quite a bit after that bad treatment, so I slept a lot and waited for my ribs to heal. My foster parents Lynn and Glenn took care of me and hugged me lots (gently). Once I felt better two nice people came to visit me. They had a young kitten at home who thought these nice people were supposed to act like another young kitten and run around the house crazy like. They realized that this kitten needed a kitten playmate.

So I then moved in with Jill, Chad and Wicket. Wicket is my best friend and we are a perfect pair. Everyone kept wondering why I was so much smaller than my new brother Wicket if I was a boy too. Well it turns out my beautiful ginger tabby markings fooled everyone, I’m a girl not a boy and my named got changed to Annie to reflect my beautiful red tresses. Wicket is great to have as a brother; he always plays, wrestles, thinks of new ways to entertain the humans, gets into trouble all the time and always gets blamed for everything. He also loves to wash me and cuddle with me.

I asked my humans to take some pictures to show you how great life is now. Wicket and I share our little bedroom when we are not sleeping on top of Jill’s head in bed at night time. We have also perfected lounging in our human’s arms and being carried around when we are tired, and even when we are not so tired but just being lazy and want to cuddle.

My last picture I want to show you is of mine and Wicket’s latest toy. Our humans buy us lots and lots of things to play with and then one day they bought us this great big toy and hung plastic toys all over it – how could any kitten resist? We think we came close to a world record by tackling that big toy to the ground 4 times in 2 hours. We were very proud of ourselves. Our humans made sure nothing on the tree can hurt us and now it’s tied to the wall – our game is over but it was fun while it lasted.

I love my humans and they love me. We make a perfect family and just in case you hadn’t already guessed I am my mom’s little Angel.

Merry Christmas everyone, Annie

December 19, 2004

Dear MEOW,

We adopted Sarge and Charm back in January. When they came to us, they were both a little skinny and a little scared about moving away from the comfort of the shelter where they lived. For Sarge, the transition was a little less stressful than for Charm - taking to his new home almost immediately.

Sarge has grown into a VERY big kitty (almost 20 pounds) with a very big heart. He absolutely loves being in physical contact with people once he warms up to them. With my wife and I, it's all we can do to get him off of us. He looks at us with his sad eyes and gives us his rather remorseful meow and we're smothering him with affection.

Charm, on the other hand, hasn't had it so easy. He is still extremely wary of everybody and when we can pet him, it’s only because we caught him off guard or because Sarge is right next to him. Like Sarge, he has gained some weight - his favorite is milk from our cereal bowls - especially if there's sugar in it!

With Christmas fast approaching, we were wondering how these two were going to react to our Christmas tree. Sarge loves chasing reflections or flashlight beams, while Charm goes after things that dangle. We thought for sure we were going to find our tree fallen on its side in our family room. But the worst they've done is lay under the tree. In fact, we can't get Charm out from under it!

For skittish strays, we can honestly say Sarge and Charm have become incredible house cats. They're both exceptionally clean and very well mannered.

Blake

"Excuse me, but I think this will be MY chair!" - Beetle

December 9, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Here, Beetle takes out Santa ...she's doing great and we are so happy to have her as a family member ... Santa may not share this opinion!

Christine

November 26, 2004

Dear MEOW,

I wanted to share a couple of pictures with you of my two precious girls. We’ve just passed our 2 month anniversary together and I have to say they’ve brought so much joy into my life. They’re now close to 6 months old and getting bigger all the time. I swear they grow during the night! Adopting two sisters was such a wonderful decision. I had 2 cats at one time in the past but they weren’t brought up together so really only tolerated one another. It’s such a treat to see Katie (MEOW name Moxie) and Kolie (MEOW name Topo) together. They’re such good company for each other and where one goes the other is not too far behind.

I was told they had a feral mother and there was some concern that Katie and Kolie would be a bit on the shy side but they have very loving personalties. They both have “instant on” purr buttons and Katie loves to be picked up an held on your shoulder. Kolie is a real cuddle bug and her favourite napping spot is on Mom’s chest. Is there anything better than having a purring kitten lying cheek to cheek with you? It’s a little taste of heaven and just gets better when Katie joins in with her wonderfully deep throaty purr. No phone calls please – I’m not getting up!

When Mom’s lap isn’t available they collapse together into a furry cat puddle on the couch affectionately licking each others ears.

Although I speak of napping it takes the girls several hours of dedicated play time before they’re ready for some shut-eye. There’s just so much to explore and play with that you can’t waste too much time on sleeping! There’s toy mice to dig out from between the cushions or chase down the stairs, dripping faucets to drink from, plants to destroy, boxes and drawers to investigate, Mom’s toes to chew on, blanket monsters to attack, great food to eat, a sister to wrestle with and, of course, Mom always needs help when she’s cooking in the kitchen or typing her e-mails. Busy, busy, busy! Eventually I suppose they’ll figure out that cats are supposed to sleep 80% of the time but until then ...

As I said there’s no shyness in these girls’ makeup. The kittens were even very comfortable at their first vet visit after only a couple of weeks with me. In fact, Kolie insisted on helping the vet fill out his chart until he distracted her with some food. They also welcome the attention of my nieces (ages 11 & 8) when they come to visit – lots of playtime and cuddles to be had. Kudos to Lynne and Glenn (the foster parents) who did such a great job in introducing them to the wonderful world of human ownership.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful work your organization does. It’s hard to visit your site and not fall in love with the cats/kittens pictured and wish I had room for more but I know that good homes will be found for all and that, meanwhile, they’re getting lots of love and affection while they wait.

Lorraine

(These kittens were part of the gang who were rescued from under a shed by an AMA tow-truck driver.)

A special American Thanksgiving Dear MEOW

November 26, 2004

Dear MEOW,

The ER nurses at University Of Virginia Medical Center just wanted to wish you and your beautiful kitties a Happy Thanksgiving and congratulations on 1500 adoptions. What a joy it is to watch these little faces go through the process and finally see them finalized ... every one who finds a home is a tribute to your foundation's immense efforts and love and I'm sure a lot of tears. They are all worth it. And thanks for the kind people you are surrounded by who welcome them into their families. All your kitties are so beautiful, and we know that no matter how you found them, their spirits and beauty have been allowed to bloom because of all you do. Please never stop. Oh, we were so praying for Phoebe to get her chance, and we see that she has. Keep up the wonderful work there. We will do what we can here for all our needy kitties we love, and the happiest of holiday seasons to all of you. Thank you for providing us with your wonderful website ... when I get home from a long hard sad day at work, if nothing else I turn on my computer to see what happened each day at MEOW! Each day is THAT important, not only to you and your furry angels but to all of us who look to you for hope. As a member of Best Friends Network, I have turned on a lot of people to your website. None have been disappointed.

Thanks from all of us,
Donna

The kitties reply:

Happy Thanksgiving to you Donna, to all your friends who watch our website, and to the kitties that you look after! We had Thanksgiving in October here in Canada. It was an extra good day for us kitties at the shelter because we got special roast chicken treats (except John-Wayne tried to steal the whole chicken for himself!). Thank you for your good wishes and we are glad we can brighten your day.

Now we're getting ready for Christmas. One of MEOW's volunteers got us to pose in these collars (in exchange for tuna treats). She may make holiday greeting cards with our photos. Here are some of us looking festive, especially for you.

Lama	Buckle	Doc
Yoshi	Layton	MacArthur

November 23, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Can you believe this is Vixen (black beauty on the right)? Shy little Vixen took to her new family and me, Bree, her new housemate right away. We are the perfect yin and yang cats together. I was very lonesome before Vixen moved in and now we are the best of pals. Vixen has also blossomed into a wonderful girl with my help and is shy no more. I'm glad Vixen moved in with us and that we gave a shy cat a chance for a new home. We are all happy besides being very beautiful.

Thank you from Bree

November 23, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Finally, some photos of our wee boys - Rocco and Bart. They have now been part of our home for 4 months now, and have brought lots of fun and chuckles! Our dog, Jesse, has adapted well to all the extra activity they bring and has learned to fetch the odd cat toy just to be included in the games. The cats warmed up to her first and seem like they want to cuddle up to her, but she's not quite ready for that yet - sharing water bowls and rubbing noses is as far as it goes at the moment!

During the first couple of weeks, it seemed like Rocco was the more dominant and outgoing of the two boys, and not too fussed about cuddles, with Bart being quite shy and very mushy with his affections. In the last couple of months, the roles have switched quite a bit with Bart being more confident and curious and Rocco is such a baby! Bart still loves lots of attention but Rocco is now the one rolling over to his tummy and stroking your face at the same time. They are, of course, learning new things every day, eating well, and generally finding new places to go in the house, with the basement being particularly attractive (easy to get lost down there). Overall, they have been so great with furniture, carpets, etc. They are both quite vocal when they want something - either food, affection, or litter change - so we're learning to respond to their various miaow sounds! It's so nice to talk to them and they have smaller miaowy replies - Alex and Matt love that!

The photos of of the dryer are most recent - they absolutely love stretching out on the warm surface and perhaps the vibration as well. They also jump in the dryer as I'm taking laundry out, so have to be extra careful when I'm re-loading! ...

Thank you so much again for all the great work you do with the MEOW Foundation and for looking after these wonderful little cats during their transition to a family. They are much loved and reward us with their love too.

Best regards,
Jumpsen family

November 8, 2004

Dear MEOW,

... I thought I would write you one now to let you know how things are going with Luba, Pepper and I. ... (we just moved in to a bigger house AGAIN, hehe).

... Luba has settled into our home quite nicely once more (they both adapt very quickly and easily to new environment as long as I am there with them, thank goodness) and she still has the same bizarre qualities that made me wonder if she wasn't a cat and instead some bizarre fish, as she absolutely LOVES water still, and will spend literally HOURS in the bathtub waiting for a drip of water to come out of the tap so she can bat at it and get herself all wet. It is more fun for her than regular cat toys, which they both have plenty of, laying all over the house. Unlike the carpet of the old place, this house has hardwood throughout and their toys fly gracefully across it, at times getting caught under all of our goofy human feet and causing us to trip, which is very humorous not only to us but also probably to the cats.

Pepper and Luba together are perfect for each other, and not a day goes by that I am so incredibly happy that I found her and they are both happy now. She keeps him in line and occupied so he doesn't chew on our feet unexpectedly (which was normally a favorite pasttime of his) and he cleans her so constantly that she could never in a million years get dusty or dirty. I think they like the new house alot better because it is not as high up as the apartment and the windows give them a real view of what is going on outside. Pepper likes the squirrels to look at, and Luba's favorites are the birds she can chatter at. Both are doing wonderfully.

Stef

October 28, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Here is a picture of Sullivan (I renamed him from Izzy). I thought you might like to see his progress. He is getting enormous and more playful every day. Sullivan isn't very shy for a kitten who was supposed to be shy. He and my other kitty Munchkin are getting along just fine as you can see as they snuggle in the photo.

I am so glad to have been able to give him a home.

Thanks,
Ashley, Munchkin and Sullivan

October 24, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Well, it's been about 5 months since Tonka came to join our little family (myself, the resident cat Teeger - my big brown love-bug of a tabby, and the two goldfish), and Tonka has fit himself in just marvelously. Right now I'm watching the little wheels spinning in his brain as he tries to figure out how to get Teeger out of the basket chair that Tonka has decided belongs solely to himself. So far he's tried chewing on ears, wrapping his long arms around Teeger's neck and sitting on top of him... but Teeger won't budge. It's pretty amusing, really. These two have so totally become like brothers. They're constantly going from ignoring each other to chasing each other around madly, to latching on and trying to outdo each other at the mutual grooming. They're especially fond of licking each other's ears and cheeks (obviously they know the head is a body part that is difficult to clean properly on your own).

Tonka has been the best thing to happen to Teeger in a long time, and I'm so glad. That was the reason that I decided finally to adopt another cat. Teeger is a lovely cat who loves to hog attention and seemed perfectly happy to be the only cat as long as I was there for him, but I'm away from home so much, I was sure that he must be lonely. Now he's got his little grey buddy to play with and lavish affection on and demolish the apartment with in tandem. And Tonka now has a cat who is happy to share his company, even if Teeger does somehow manage to hog the better part of the food: Tonka seems to constantly think that he is starving, and is very vocal about this fact, but he's certainly not suffering in terms of weight. I think he spotted Teeger that first day and thought to himself "Wow - look at the size of that belly! I could aspire to that!!). We're working on keeping everyone trim ...

Tonka settled into the apartment from the very first day, and seems completely relaxed here with us. He loves to chase the furry mice and little rubber balls that I have a large stock of for that purpose. He loves to play chase so much that he even brings the mouth-sized item of choice back to me and drops it on my hand if he thinks I'm not appropirately engaged in the game. His other favorite games involved leaping over Teeger, engaging him in rowdy games of tag, biting at toes, tormenting the goldfish and tearing strips out of the toilet paper roll. In other words, he's a very typical young cat, and he has very much managed to worm his way into all of our hearts (excepting, perhaps, for the goldfish).

So, thank you again from myself and from Tonka and Teeger, for the wonderful service you provide. I have already spread the word, and I hope that you can keep it up for as long as there is a need.

All the best,
Jordyce

October 18, 2004

Dear MEOW:

It has been about a year since we adopted Nahanni (we call her Audrey). She has become great pals with our other MEOW cat Cinnamon (we call him Willy). They both started out as shy kittens, having been born somewhat wild. However they have grown up to be extremely cuddly, loving and loyal lap cats. We couldn’t be happier with our MEOW cats, and we would just like to say thanks!

Sincerely,

The Boswell Family

October 15, 2004

Dear MEOW,

It's been over 4 months now that we've had Coral; we adopted her May 30th from MEOW Foundation. She has been doing great, and she loves her new home. She loves snuggling in the mornings, playing with her toy mouse, and drinking water from anywhere BUT her water dish.

From Coral and the Yablonski family

October 14, 2004

(Stevie has a feral background and is quite shy with people. He was with MEOW almost a year before someone chose him. He has been in his new home for only 2 months, since early August.)

Hi MEOW,

Stevie has come such a long way in a short period of time. He has been coming out from beneath the desk more and more often and is quite exuberant when he does, roaming around the room, eating and drinking, using his cat post and his cat bed, etc. With respect to the latter, I have attached a picture for your enjoyment.

I even caught him chasing his tail when I was working in the office late one night. We felt that was a sure sign of his level of comfort and/or relaxation. He's also gotten much better about staying out longer when both of us are in the office, when we can all interact together and not just one on one.

... Also, we just got back from a week away, and for the first time (that we know of -- he's very stealthful) Stevie slept upstairs with us under the bed. He seemed quite happy to have us back, as he was quite vocal all night long. We were so excited to have him in our space for the night that we just let him talk away ... it was a real first. As you can see, we're very happy about the progress we've all been making.

Cathy and Hadley

September 27, 2004

Dear MEOW,

I'm sending a picture of our girls - Annie (MEOW name Hermione), Smooch (same MEOW name), and Boo (MEOW name Adrienne). They are settling in so well.

Anyone who knew Annie would be very impressed with her progress. She has gone from a very terrified kitty to a very brave kitty. She goes everywhere in the house. She is the first one in he MEOW bed a the end of our bed every night. She plays with Boo and purrs loudly when she has her tummy rubs.

We love them all dearly,
Keep up the good work,
Patti and Doug and the girls.

August 2, 2004

Editor's note: Leo (MEOW name Paris) was a shy and frightened cat when he first came to MEOW's Shelter. When he settled in, he soon found his niche as "big brother" to many of the other felines at the shelter. He was adopted in early July and then two MEOW kittens moved in a few days later - Rosie and Kenny (now called Posey and Peppino). Here's a story about their introductions.

Dear MEOW,

We had a long session with all 3 kitties where Leo hissed and growled (we'd say NO), and sometimes tolerated them (we'd give lavish praise). We let it go on for a long time - we finally got brave! The next day it was a whole new thing - Leo tolerated them running right up to him and attacking his tail, head, etc. He actually played with them. He has pinned Posey down and given her a good bath - she was frisky so she had her little paws wrapped around his huge head.

Leo has a lot of kitten left in him, I think, because when the kittens are running around playing he sometimes wants to join in - so he does. It looks a bit bizarre with this huge guy play fighting with a wee kitten - but he really is just playing; he doesn't actually scratch or bite them hard. (He has made Peppino cry once, but then again Posey does that to Peppino on a fairly regular basis!) So thanks for your advice about perservering and being brave with their introductions!

Posey is a good hunter - she has caught a few flies. I also caught her on the counter yesterday stealing a tomato. AND the other day, one of them and I suspect it was Posey, dragged the loaf of bread from the counter, ripped it open and then ate the crust off of a piece of bread. Tomatoes and bread??? Weirdo!

Leo is getting braver and braver, and has now even ventured up on to our bed (which he used to think was some horrible monster-land). As you can see from the photos Leo is sleeping with the kittens on top of the bed - with Peppino hogging the space.

Gillian and Mark

August 2, 2004

Dear MEOW,

About 3 months ago I adopted Dante, (his new name is Meatball) and he is the greatest cat in the world. When I first got him he was a little shy, but soon he came around and now he doesn't leave my side. Meatball follows me around were ever I go and we spend hours together snuggling on the couch. He has a amazing personality, and is my wonderful baby.

I just wanted to let other interested cat lovers know how great it is to adopt an older cat. As Meatball is 15 years old I am able to give him a loving home in his last couple of years. He is, however, very energetic for his age and loves to run around the house.

Anyways I just wanted to thank everyone at the MEOW Foundation for fixing me up with my new best friend. He was the perfect addition to my family and I love him with all my heart.

Thanks again MEOW.

Kristin

August 2, 2004

Dear MEOW Foundation,

Tabitha (MEOW name Chanel) is now 2 and she is doing just fine with my wife and I. In fact, I think that she owns us. When we adopted Tabitha/Chanel she was a little scared. She had just weaned her three babies and was now ready to be on her own. To this day, we believe that she is more human than cat. She really doesn't like other cats; she would prefer to hang out with her human family and be the soul cat in the house. Her favorite activity is fetch. She loves it when we toss the foam ball down the hall for her to chase.

We have to thank-you for enriching our lives with Tabitha; you have a wonderful organization which we highly recommend to everyone.

Sincerely, Julian, Keltie and Tabitha.

July 5, 2004

Hey MEOW,

Zen (MEOW name Granger) is doing so well. I'm surprised how strong cats really are. I know when I had my surgery on my ankle I couldn't walk for months. He was up and at it right when he came home. (Granger needed surgery to correct problems resulting from a long-dislocated hip.)

I know I definitely couldn't live without him now. He is the sweetest cat ever. The house would be too quiet without him around. His purr is so loud you can hear it in the next room. And he talks so much; I'd miss his story telling. And you can't forget how he wakes you up at 5 a.m. every day so you're not late for work (and for some good wet food of course) ... He sleeps with us every night and follows us close by our feet everyday.

Jenny

July 5, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Things are going great with Jo Jo (MEOW name Honey
Brown) and the whole family just loves him ... although I think they are a little jealous that he'll only sleep with me.

All in all, our experience with the MEOW Foundation has been great, and if we ever decide to adopt another cat, or if someone else looks to adopt, we will definitely go through MEOW again.

Thank you, the Djulancic Family

July 4, 2004

This photo illustrates a huge breakthrough for Budgie! When MEOW first took Budgie in she was an aggressive feral, which is unusual because most ferals are shy not aggressive. Budgie made many people donate to the MEOW blood bank in her early days with us.

Now, happy in her permanent home, she's decided Glen is her favorite human in the world, and every time he sits down to watch TV she is right there beside him getting her belly rubbed.

Lynne and Glenn

July 4, 2004

Hi from me ... Cosmo ... MEOW name Vince,

Just thought I would let those of you at MEOW know that I am thriving in my new home and having a great time. My new family loves me very much and I am pampered silly. It’s sometimes rough being loved so much but I think I will do just fine.

I have three human brothers to help take place of Mick-Mars, Adam and Tommy-Lee whom I will always remember and love dearly. I also have a sister (although some say she’s a real “Dog”) to help take place of Electra. My human mother and father love me very much too. I keep them all laughing hysterically at my play and they are amazed at the way I just simply crash and fall asleep in the funniest places and positions after playing so hard.

I hope my kitty family is as happy with their new homes as I am. Thank you MEOW Foundation for giving me such a wonderful opportunity for a wonderful life!!

Bye bye for now!! Keep in touch!!
Love, Cosmo

July 1, 2004

Ms. Kitty Cat - who was probably abused by a former owner - spent 11 months in a MEOW foster home before she was ready for adoption into a new permanent home. In just three short months in her new home, she has made great progress and is nearly a lap cat!

Read about her progress towards lap cat from her new "parents" in the Shy Cats section.

June 28, 2004

Dear MEOW,

This is to update all the wonderful staff / volunteers at the MEOW Foundation. I have now been an adoptive parent to Willis for the last 7 months. All I can say is Willis has been nothing but a bundle of joy; he warms my heart every day. Being that Willis has a very passive temperament it took him sometime to adjust but with patience and understanding he now knows he is in a very safe and loving home. He is my little “Prince”.

He loves being brushed, loves rolling on his back to have his tummy rubbed, and will always let you know when it is dinner time (he loves to talk). He is so tender and well behaved; my friends and family are so surprised the only things he jumps up on are my bed and couch. Every morning I wake up to his loving face sleeping next to me, his innocence and unconditional love brings such happiness to my life. I can’t say enough about Willis I could go on forever telling you all the good things about him. He is the dearest friend I could have ever asked for, thank you.

Willis and I would like to send all our love to everyone at the MEOW Foundation and all our fellow furry friends.

Yours truly,

Marina & WILLIS

June 17, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Minerva (MEOW name Charlee) has a towel lined box on my desk where she spends much of the time sleeping (read growing). On this particular day Serendipity had had enough of her hogging all the good spots (even though he has his own box on Gervais' desk) and squidged in to hers. I love the look on his face, a tired big brother hoping that she'll just go away!

All the best,
Janice

June 21, 2004

Hello MEOW,

This is the little helper (MEOW name Berkley).

I tried to name him Kato for the house boy in The Pink Panther that always attacked the inspector when he least expected it.

I slept in Berkley's room the first night. He would walk all over me for an hour and then settle down for an hour. Just as I would get to sleep he would jump on me. He then started crawling under the covers and I kept pulling him out. Finally he went under and settled by my feet. I was just about asleep and he attacked my feet with his little claws. This went on all night. I may have had 4 hours sleep in total.

He often comes in to my office and sits on my shoulder while I work or sits on the little golf towel I have on my desk.

Bob

June 18, 2004

Dear MEOW,

Now that Spring and Nixie have settled into their new home, I wanted to send an e-mail saying how things are going ...

... they have taken over and made our house their own, It is now their house, we're just here to keep them company. They spend a good chunk of their time on their scratching post. They play on it, sleep on it and use it to to stare out the window at all of the hussle and bustle going on outside.

... they love to play catch with us. We toss one of their toy balls back and forth and they love to chase after it. They have gotten to the point where they will even catch it or hit it while it is in the air which is so neat to see. Nixie loves this game so much that as soon as she hears the ball she runs to her favorite place and gets in position all ready to pounce and just waits for us to start to throw the ball.

We have come to the conclusion that both Nixie and Spring are most energetic at night when we are fast asleep (well fast asleep when they let us sleep). Although, about half an hour before the alarm goes off in the morning both of the kittens are more than willing to cuddle and are quite upset when we have to get out of bed and stop cuddling.

Nixie has taken over my role as the princess of the house. If there is something that she doesn't like, or if she wants something and wants it right now she lets you know. We have discovered that her favorite thing to do is glare and us and give us a look that just says "princess". She is our little adventurer and wants to investigate everything all the time. It is unbelievable how smart and logical she is as well ...

Spring is the complete opposite. She is easy going and laid back. She is never in a rush to get anywhere, unless of course it is time to eat ... Spring has developed an obsession for hair. At night I have to keep my long hair hidden or else I wake up to a "chomp chomp chomp" and she chews away. She is indeed the most cuddly cat. She is the first to follow you to what ever room you head off to, the first to jump up on strangers' laps and say hello and get some pets and love. She is one of the sweetest cats I think I have ever met.

Both Spring had Nixie have had such a postive impact on our lives. They are such a joy and a pleasure to have around. It is so easy to give them the love and attention that they both deserve.

Thank you so much for allowing us to have the opportunity to start our family with these kittens.

Sincerely, Jackie

June 15, 2004

Hi MEOW!!

We just wanted to let you know that there was a birthday in our family this month. Oscar (MEOW name - Rebel) and Cleo (MEOW name - Cleopatra) celebrated their 1st birthday!! How time flies!! They are both doing so great. They are a wonderful addition to our family. We have had them now for over 10 months and it has been fun. Oscar is a big boy who loves to play with his sister Cleo. She is so dainty and elegant but that doesn't stop her from rolling around with her brother and chasing him through the house. They still love to sleep together and clean each other. Our girls Sarah (5yr) and Katie (3yr) love having them around and threw a birthday party for them. They invited all their stuffed animals to the party. The humans had cupcakes and the cats had treats. The girls even went to the pet store to pick out toys for their beloved cats. It was a fun day for all!!

Thank you again MEOW and Tina for the wonderful memories we are building with our cats.

Grant, Carolyn, Sarah and Katie

June 6, 2004

Dear MEOW,

I just wanted to tell you how happy Esprit is in her new home and how happy we are to have her!

When I adopted Esprit I knew she was one of MEOW’s very special shy cats. Knowing these shy cats make good companions for other cats I adopted Esprit hoping she would become a best friend for my already very outgoing and loving black cat Skylar; little did I imagine she would become a best friend for me as well.

Esprit came to us as a very frightened young cat. Like most shy (often called "feral") cats she didn’t trust people, as she had never had a home of her own where she was loved. I realistically expected Esprit to take weeks, months, or even longer to stop hiding in her starter room and start investigating but with love, dedication, and a lot of coaxing she was soon running after Skylar, playing "king of the castle" on the scratching post, and even sitting beside me on the bed.

Not long after Esprit joined our family Skylar passed away suddenly. While I was accustomed to having a cat that enjoyed following me around the house and being scooped up like a baby Esprit found her own ways of bridging the gap. While she may never feel comfortable with strangers and she may always visit her safe spot under the bed, she now roams about the house freely, chasing catnip mice, peeking out the windows, and my favourite, curling up for a brush and a pet in my lap.

Esprit has come a long way from the hissing ball of fur I found hiding in a cupboard at the MEOW shelter, watching and encouraging this transformation has been one of most rewarding experiences of my life.

Thank you MEOW Foundation for giving this special survivor a second chance when no one else would!

Stephanie

May 12, 2004

A big hi and “meow” to MEOW Foundation!

This is Arwen here (MEOW name Dory) just writing to let you know how my new home is. I was quite scared and didn’t understand why I was being taken from my mommy, brother and sisters at first.

But now I couldn’t be happier! My new mommies, MJ and Jeannie are really great, playing with me, taking care of me and most of all letting me sleep on their laps. But I can’t understand for the life of me why they get annoyed when I try to bite and claw at their feet. How can they expect me to resist those toes!

And best of all, I have a surrogate sister here to play with. Ellie is really fluffy and at first she was a lot bigger than me and rather intimidating. I did invade her territory after all. But now I am the same size as her and still growing and we get along purringly. She grooms me often and we spend hours wrestling. What fun! I am living the life of a cat and I couldn’t ask for better.

So I thank you MEOW for placing me in such a great home and my mommies tell me to thank you for bringing me into their lives.

Arwen

April 30, 2004

Dear MEOW,

I wanted to send you a note of thanks. At Christmas of 2003 one of my cats had to be put down and I was heartbroken. I didn't think I could ever get another little boy. After much thought and consideration, and meowing from my other cat, Malaya, we decided it was time for another companion.

I started casually looking in late January for a new kitty - and that's when I found MEOW and Umberto. He stayed in my thoughts until I took him in on Valentine's weekend.

Umberto came home to me on Feb 15/04 and has had quite the interesting time since being with me. Once we worked out who was boss between my existing cat Malaya and the new boy, Umberto, everything was going great. (By the way - Umberto didn't win that one.)

Lil' 'berto had a bit of a droopy eye, so we had many trips to the vet because his eye was bugging him, and finally, you, the MEOW foundation recommended to go see the eye specialist, Dr. Christmas - and what a saint he was. Little Umberto had his eye surgery on Aril 15 and is doing great. We finally got to take the cone off yesterday, April 28th, and what a happy and excited little boy. Not only can he see with both eyes, but now the walls don't hold him back when he's walking. (We had an adjustment period with the cone - very funny.)

I cannot believe how well he and Malaya get along and how well he fits in at my home. In fact Umberto has worked himself into a new nickname, we all call him "Puppy" - he follows me around like crazy, plays a good game of fetch and in fact even knows how to give a high five - not to mention he is the biggest cuddle-bug. He really is a loving, energetic boy that gives us a tonne of laughs, and gives Malaya a run for her money. We all go out on our harnesses for walks now and then, but for sure his favourite thing to do is cuddle, with either me or me and Malaya. Every morning when I am getting ready for work, the two of them cuddle up on my lap and we all hang out for some quality time.

Thank you sooooo very much for the phenomenal service you provide and for the love and attention you give the cats while at MEOW. I will forever be grateful! Thank you from my family to yours ...

Spring

April 25, 2004

Dear MEOW;

Sterling came to his new home in August 2002. I certainly have never regretted my decision in having a cat as my companion. I was tentative at first about this decision having had dogs all my life. I couldn’t imagine being so fond of a cat but soon realized they too desire love and affection.

Age limits one from the responsibility of exercising a dog and I soon realized how easy it is owning a cat. I know I am prejudiced of course but my Sterling is exceptional. He has wonderful manners, is social, friendly, caring and a dream to share time with. He rarely has hair balls because I add pumpkin in his wet food and he is not finicky at all.

The volunteers at MEOW are wonderful in tending to these poor abandoned cats. Sterling and I hope that every animal in the shelter is as fortunate as we two. We have completely bonded and our love for each other has grown to great heights.

By the way, my darling Sterling adores his numerous MEOW beds – our bridge club finds it a challenge to find a seat without one in place.

Sincerely Ida and Sterling

Eddie Gaugin (r) and his pal Josh enjoy lounging in the linen closet!

March 3, 2004

Dear Ed at MEOW Foundation:

Your namesake (MEOW name "Gaugin") is doing great.

Not only is his name now Eddie Gaugin, but he also has developed several nicknames that suit his multi-faceted personality ...

• "Side kick", or "Shadow" because Eddie is everywhere our other cat Josh is,
• "Stumpy" - in recognition of his smaller frame and shorter tail than Josh's,
• "Wild Boy" - as Eddie became more comfortable around us and started showing off the wild side to his personality,
• "Hockey Boy" because Eddie loves to body check our legs with full leg rubs.
• "Poncho" - after we noticed that Eddie was getting a bit of a paunch.

I am sure that as the weeks go by Eddie will create more fun antics that will require a nickname. However, he will always first and foremost be Eddie Gaugin. "Eddie" to recognize the fact that you picked out the perfect cat that matches our and Josh's temperaments, and "Gaugin" which honours the wonderful foundation that gives these beautiful felines a second chance.

Many thanks for the opportunity to give another cat the chance to have so many nicknames.

Love, Nancy, Sean, Josh Simon & Eddie Gaugin

March 8, 2004

MEOW foster parents are a special group of people, each and every one of them. They continue to amaze us, humble us, make us laugh, cry, teach us lessons in love and patience, lose sleep, sacrifice their time and give their hearts to the rescued MEOW cats and kittens in their homes.

This picture is of Whiteout. Whiteout was one of the litter of kittens whose mother was found dead at the rescue site in 2003. He and his siblings had a rocky start in life without their mom so their MEOW foster mom took up the challenge. For one full month foster mom Margaret slept on the living room floor in a sleeping bag with this wee litter of kittens making sure they made it through the night. Each kitten was given extreme tender loving care but one kitten remained ill. Little Whiteout could not keep food down and was not growing. A few vet visits later it was determined Whiteout had a rare digestive disorder and would need lifelong care for his health problems.

Without a blink of the eye, Whiteout’s foster family decided the place for Whiteout to live was right there in their home. Each and every meal is a labour of love for Whiteout and his family. He must eat certain food and then be held upright for some time after he eats. This is painstaking and time consuming work but it is all done selflessly. Whiteout is thriving in his loving home and is now the resident big brother to the new foster kittens that move in for their foster time. Whiteout is a true testament to the love and caring our MEOW foster families share with their foster kitties.

March 2, 2004

Dear MEOW Foundation:

We can't thank you enough for the two little bundles of love we found through you. Max (MEOW name Ulysses) and Smokey (MEOW name Ursus) are quite a pair, and they are so special to us. Our two little boys (aged 5 1/2 and 3 years) agree wholeheartedly, and I'm so happy that my children are going to be able to enjoy the experience of growing up with cats like I did.

Our dog, Woody, is keen to play with Max and Smokey but the cats still prefer it when he admires from afar. We have caught them all sleeping on our bed together at the same time, so they may learn to love each other yet! As long as the cats don't go close to Woody's food dish, he can tolerate almost anything.

Just today, both cats ventured onto our balcony which is covered with about 4 inches of snow, and to my amazement, they proceeded to pounce and play in the white, fluffy stuff! They can also be found peering up at you from the inside of the open washing machine, or from behind the plants on their "Observation Deck" - a ledge overlooking our kitchen and living room.

Smokey will often come up to join his Humans for some attention with his plume of a tail waving in the air, with bits of foam caught in it. He loves to knead his claws into the foam in the playroom downstairs, and it's funny to see this very regal looking cat covered in bits of fluff. Don't let looks confuse you -- he's a stinker, and will be the first to pounce on Max if given the chance.

Smokey loves to sleep on the end of the bed in our room at night, or in the boys' fluffy down duvets during the day ... funny, this sleeping trend seems to come up again and again! I wish I was a cat!

Max is such a sweetie, and is really starting to bond with us. He now spends many a lazy afternoon on the wicker chair in our bedroom, waiting for attention when we come in. When I pick him up, he starts purring immediately, and butts his head against my chin to say "hi". He even lets me give him tummy rubs without grabbing my hands with his claws any more.

I can't help but wonder about their former owner, who died. I hope that he/she is looking down on these little angels, happy that they are loved and treasured now as much as they were before.

Thank you, Jodi, for helping us to find these wonderful additions to our family, and for being part of such a wonderful organization as MEOW Foundation.

Best regards,
The McMillan Family

February 26, 2004

Sprite's vacation
While John and I took our honeymoon in May 2003, Sprite went on a vacation to my sister and brother-in-law, who had just picked up their new baby puppy that same day. Both Jackson and Sprite were 13 lbs. and fell in love immediately. Sprite absolutely loves dogs and carried on and on whenever the dog was outside, so Jackson took Sprite out on "his" leash. Although the dog leash was too big around the neck, Sprite did not notice and the two paraded around the backyard, much to the enjoyment of my sister! That was Sprite's first outing and he had an instant love for that green grass.

At night, Sprite would sleep on the other side of Jackson 's cage door with a paw reaching for his new friend. Sprite thoroughly enjoyed his vacation, but was exhausted and happy to be home. Three weeks of puppy love were enough. Jackson, who is now 87 lbs, still loves to chew on Sprite and occasionally has Sprite's head or leg in his mouth dragging the cat around. They will remain buddies for life!

Crush - MEOW name Sounder
Crush became Sprite’s newest love and the two were best friends from the moment we received Crush. Sprite was constantly trying to rescue Crush from the quarantine room and the moment that he was released, they were licking each other and purring. For a few weeks, we hardly saw Sprite as he refused to leave his friend’s side.

Sprite shared his favorite spot with Crush ... under the Christmas tree! Sprite is our Christmas Angel and lays quietly under the tree, never disturbing ornaments. Crush, on the other hand, wanted to be our Christmas Tree Top Angel and many times climbed the trunk of the tree. We did hear a rustle early one morning and I found Crush two-thirds up the tree trunk and another day I found him sleeping on a branch. But, being our newest "Angel", all we could do is laugh and shake our heads. Crush won the hearts of all our friends and family. He is now a real angel and we miss him dearly.

Shelley & John

February 16, 2004

Mrs. Perkins is doing fabulously. She loves her new home and is very settled already. The very first night (Jan.30) she was meowing to get out of her room, so I put my cats in my bedroom for the night and let her wander all night. The next morning she was outside my bedroom door wanting to be with us and the cats. I guess she's got separation anxiety a little so she was determined to be with the family. My cats were doing fine with the new cat in the house, so I put her in a kennel and let them meet. They were fine and have been since! Woo hoo!

She still sleeps under my bed for security and she likes to be alone to sleep. She is also a bit jumpy when you walk by her. Other than that she's just great. She's a cuddle monster and loves to be on my lap now. All the cats chase each other up and down the stairs too ... it's just great. She doesn't mind the baby at all either. So it looks like she's perfect to be a member of our family. You can tell she's happy and that's the most important thing.

She's very proud that her painting was chosen for the MEOWart poster. But she finds the paint makes a mess of her perfectly white paws, so I don't think she's going to make a career of it.

Laurie

January 13, 2004

This was taken on Christmas day, after tons of turkey for all. Comet and Linus are quite happy here, and Kristian has grown to love them both. Linus has turned out to be the "cuddly" one and Comet is more independent, but still will cuddle, but only on her terms.

Thank you MEOW Foundation
and Happy New Year!

JB, Val, and Kristian

January 8, 2004

Happy New Year ... it's me Joey! (My new Mom changed my name a bit, I was Jowly at the MEOW home.) I am having a great time in my new family. It did not take me long to settle in. There`s Mom, her two really tall sons and Sarah, the border collie. I have been a good cat and have become friends with Sarah. We sleep together on Mom`s bed at night and we kind of playing together during the day. ...

Mom talks to me alot, so I answer her and follow her around the house. When she gets ready for work, I like to lie in the bathtub and wait for her Actually, I think my new family really loves me. They let me cuddle in their laps while I purr. I do alot of "kneading" too. I've overheard my new family say that they are very lucky to have such a wonderful and affectionate cat and to be able to give a cat such a good home! But honestly, I am the lucky one. Thanks for choosing them!

Cheers ... Joey

January 7 , 2004

Dear MEOW Foundation,

At the beginning of Sept. 2003, my husband and I adopted two of Cher's kittens, Harlequin (Harley for short) and Sleet (Meow name Snowflake). We got them specifically as companions for our 3-year old cat, Ash. They were both extremely skittish and would hiss and run away from both of us "big bad" humans. However, they would hear Ash through the door of their room and seemed to want to get close to her. Ash was also curious about the kittens, so we let them interact after about 3 days (supervised of course!). Well, the kittens found in Ash their surrogate mom, though Ash didn't want anything to do with them! She would hiss and bat at them if they got too close (she still wasn't sure of the pesky little things), but they followed her around like she was their idol. Everything Ash did, the kittens had to do as well. Within a few weeks, she tolerated their intrusion into "her" territory, and even started grooming them. The funniest thing to see when she's grooming Sleet is when Sleet tries to nurse off Ash. She really thinks of Ash as mommy. Being fixed and never having had a litter of kittens, Ash does not tolerate this and is quick to let Sleet know. I am happy to say that three months later, Ash, Harley and Sleet are one big happy family. There are still some clashes here and there (Harley is starting to challenge Ash as leader of the pack), but there have never been any fights, so all is good.

I have never taken "feral" or shy cats into my home before, but couldn't resist their cute little faces when I saw them on the your website. Once we finally got them, though, I knew that I was in for a challenge. Harley was the runt of the litter, and the shyest of the two, but I was determined to win her affection. She still hides when new people come to the house, but she has turned into quite the little love-bug, begging attention from me whenever she is awake. She still hisses at Sean if he moves too quickly and startles her, but over all, she's accepting of the "monsters" she shares her space with.

Sleet, who was the more friendly and outgoing of the two in the beginning (if one can call a scared, timid cat outgoing!) has had a minor setback. At the end of October Sean had a diabetic attack and had to be rushed to the emergency room via ambulance. I was able to get Ash and Harley closed up in the spare bedroom, but couldn't get Sleet in there before the paramedics came. Needless to say all the scary goings on with paramedics and fire fighters invading the house gave poor Sleet quite a fright. She was so scared she got herself up into the rafters of our undeveloped third level and wouldn't come down until about an hour after all the strangers had left. Since then, she is scared of any quick movement, even from Sean or I, and she doesn't like to be picked up. We're working with her though, and she makes progress.

It's amazing that these little two hissing, cowering scaredy-cats have turned into such affection hogs. All three of our cats love to be petted and try everything they can to get all attention directed towards themselves. ...

Again, thank you for letting us adopt these two wonderful kittens. They've added much joy and mischief into our house, and our older cat has re-discovered the joys of playing again (she was getting rather sedate and lazy, I fear!). May you continue to provide cats and kittens with a second chance in life.

Always, Tina and Sean

P.S. We can't forget the wonderful service and personal assistance rendered to us by your volunteers. Both Tina (our adoption person) and Christine (the foster mom who nursed our babies to health before we even laid eyes on them) are both wonderful people whom go above and beyond the call of duty. Their love of, and dedication towards, these cats were readily evident and truly appreciated. Thank you again!

December 2003

Smooch, Boo (MEOW name Adrienne) and Annie (MEOW name Hermoine) are doing so well. Smooch is our princess. Boo sat on my lap and snuggled for the first time about 3 weeks ago and now she wants to hug all the time. (Ed. note: Boo was adopted in March 2003.) Annie is timid but so sweet. She talks and purrs and loves to have her tummy rubbed. She gets braver every day. Thanks for being there for the kitties.

Patti, Doug and the Girls

December 26, 2003

Charlie (MEOW name Basie) and baby Sydney just love each other, as you can see from this photo!

December 22, 2003

Benson (MEOW name Kit) has fit in so well with Karma (right) and the other cats and dogs. Karma (MEOW 2002) and Benson have become super good friends. They chase each other and play wrestle all the time.

Benson was not sure of the long-legged Greyhound and the interested Lab at first and he stayed out of their way for a few days. ... All in all,it took only three weeks before Benson was loose in the house with the others all the time.

Tineke

( Read about Benson's housemates and how Karma became a PALS cat.)

December 22, 2003

Tonkah (MEOW name Marcel) is doing wonderful. He's grown a whole bunch over the year. He is a very big boy - not fat though! ... We just wanted to say thank you again for bringing Tonkah into our lives.

Shannon, Shawn, Jadin

December 22, 2003

Hello friends at MEOW Foundation. Just a quick note this year (apparently, the girl is behind on her Christmas letters) to say hello and wish you and all MEOW cats joy and happy homes in 2004. I am also sending along my latest photo, where I am striking my very best "artistic" pose. The girl still thinks that I am the most beautiful cat in the world - and she's right!

Purrs to all - Katja

December 18, 2003

Look at me! I'm a big boy now. Remember me? I'm Dilly the famous kitten with the baby food all over my face. I have grown into a gorgeous boy with smoky gray and black fur. And I sure can strike a sophisticated pose.

December 16, 2003

Bagheera has taken quite a positive attitude to his new home and is very active and playful! He loves sleeping with me and enjoys cuddling on the couch and watching television. Thanks again for all your help!

Britany and Bagheera

December 15, 2003

Dear MEOW,

I have been home for a year now, thanks to the wonderful volunteers at the MEOW Foundation who helped me find my way home after being lost for over 3 years.

I thought you might be interested in knowing how the past year has been for me. Well, it has been just great! I look like a pet cat again and not like the stray that I was when I was first captured after living in the Gault's garden shed for so long. I weigh 10 pounds, so have gained 3 pounds since returning home. The downy fur has grown back on my ears and the fur on my tail has once again filled in. I lost my fur because of the stress of being a stray cat for so long. My family still doesn't know how I survived the first winter I was lost before I found my way to the Gault's garden shed.

The 3 female cats I live with still don't like me a lot but they do tolerate me. Lily, the tabby cat, and Belle, the one who looks just like me, seemed to remember me when I first returned home. They did not hiss and growl at me as much as the newest addition to the family, Aggy the kitten, did. I remembered my home too, as I did not hide under furniture when I first returned and, in fact, went through the entire house, sniffing everything! Lily gives me a playful smack once in a while, and Belle and Aggy still hiss at me occasionally. I like Belle the best because she reminds me of my mother and my siblings when I was a kitten, and I often try to "talk" to her. My favourite thing to do is to sit on my human Don's newspaper in the morning as he is trying to read it. In fact, when I hear his voice in the morning, I jump up onto the table and onto his newspaper and he brushes me until I've decided I've had enough. I have also turned into a very fussy eater, but my humans think I deserve to be spoiled.

My family still doesn't know how I got lost in the first place. They think, because I am such a friendly cat, maybe teenagers picked me up and then dumped me. Thankfully, the Gaults took pity on me and allowed me to live in their shed, and fed me and gave me water for 3 years. They really are amazingly compassionate people!

Merry Christmas,
Buddy and family