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Dear MEOW 2008 (Jan.-June)
MEOW cats and their families write in to tell us about their new lives together.
Dear MEOW,
We wanted to give you a quick update of how Maia is doing, especially since she will be going on a big trip in a few months. We are going to move to Holland and of course our cats are coming with us. This will be a big change for them, but we are sure they will be fine, especially since they have each other. Tigger and Maia are best friends and where ever one of them is, the other must be close. Tigger is a more serious boy, but he changed a lot since Maia came here. Maia always has a lot of fun and is very active and playful, and he doesn't want to miss out on that! Maia figured out how to climb the stairs into our daughter's bunk bed for a nap, and after a few weeks Tigger finally got that too.
We are very happy to have Maia in our family and Tigger is delighted to have a new friend. We have attached some recent pictures and after we have settled in Holland give you an update of how Maia and Tigger are doing.
Maia and Maia giving Tigger a bear hug
Thanks again MEOW!
Fam. B |
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| Willow |
Dear MEOW,
Willow
(MEOW name Mandala) has been living with me for over a year now and we couldn't be happier. At first she was quite shy and reserved but has firmly established a routine for each and every day. She has gained some needed weight and her fur is so nice and glossy. Every night she sleeps on my toes and each evening she waits for me to sit down on the couch so we can cuddle. I think she would sleep there for hours if I didn't move. She is the love of my life! One bad thing happened about a month ago. I purchased a very cheap rug from Home Depot which had a very bad effect on Willow. She got very sick and was going downhill, luckily I figured out that it was the rug that was hurting and poisoning her so I quickly threw it away. She made a steady recovery from that day. Lesson learned! Please think long and hard about what you bring into your household, our sweet little ones are much closer to rugs and things and can be impacted much quicker and to a greater degree than us adults. She is back to her old self now and she gets extra love and attention. I'm so lucky to have her in my life. Thank you for saving her!
Laura |
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| Abby |
Dear MEOW,
I had given my Adopton Coordinator an update on Abby
(MEOW Name Jingle) a few weeks ago on the phone but thought I would send an email to all. For the first week, Abby hid relentlessly and I was terrified I would never get to see her. She spent all her time in my bedroom closet. It was a great day when she decided to "come out of the closet" - I think she just got bored! She climbed over the laundry basket, came to see me and hasn't looked back.
That was about three weeks ago. Now she makes herself comfortable wherever she feels like it around the apartment and does not get the least bit ruffled by the lack of enthusiasm (ie. outright hostility) on the part of the other two cats. And she is completely affectionate with me - in fact, we have a mad crush on each other. I love to pick her up and carry her around and she purrs like a maniac. Sometimes when I put her down, she bats at me to pick her up - that is one habit I am trying to break her of!
And what a character! She will play all day (I'm not actually sure she ever sleeps!) if you give her enough mice, jingly balls, fuzzy wands, etc... and never gets tired of doing gymnastics, ballet leaps, rebounds, etc... She is quite the sight to see and the other two (older) cats often look at her in amazement and/or derision, as if to say "Oh for God's sake, quit showing off!"
She has graduated to eating out of the communal dry-food dish and using the big-girls' litter box - these things she did on her own much faster than I thought she would (or than the other two would prefer). She also goes out on the balcony and just loves it although I am of course super-protective of my 'baby' and watch her like a hawk. One day a crow that was bigger than she is flew overhead and Abby was back in the apartment in a flash, chest heaving, her eyes as big as saucers!
All in all, we are having a super life together. The other two girls have a way to go before total acceptance of Abby but each day sees some progress and we'll get there eventually. I can't express how happy I am to have Abby in my life - she is fun, joyous, loving and all-round adorable. We had a few rough weeks to begin with but it was all so worth it.
One of my work-mates said that Abby must be pinching herself and wondering how she came to be living in this happy universe after grinding through life under the Harry Hays building. But in fact it's me who is pinching myself, wondering why I waited so long before getting another cat. Guess I was just waiting for the time to be right for Abby to come live with us.
Thanks again for everything you did to help me and for giving Abby shelter for all those months.
I don't have a digital camera so can't send pictures - just imagine the world's cutest medium-haired black cat with golden almond eyes, hilarious "monster paws" and the biggest heart ever!
Abby and Loree send their hugs!
Keep up the great work, Women of MEOW! XO
Loree C |
Dear MEOW,
Just an update on what is happening with Ellie
(MEOW name Alberta) and Maryann.
Maryann has been with me almost 2 years now and will turn 11 years old in a couple of weeks. She continues to make great strides with all the insecurities she was experiencing. I can now pick her up without her going into panic mode. I have really worked at this and taken very small baby steps. After being abandoned, adopted and then dumped years later she took a long time to trust she would be staying in one place. Taking her to the vet in a carrier stills is very traumatic for her but luckily this doesn’t happen very often. She is an extremely loving girl and I make sure she gets all the love and attention she needs. She is a prime example of adopting a cat who carries some baggage when you get her. Never let this discourage you, when they feel safe they are the most loving animals you could ever hope for. She is a real light in my life. After fostering Ellie since November 2007 when I found her starving, frozen and filthy, she has blossomed into a beautiful girl with a coat that feels like silk! We think she probably is a Maine Coone cross as she just keeps growing! After a couple of showings I realized that I loved this girl dearly and just couldn’t let her go. My own cat Bailey loves his sisters and all in all they get along very well.
Ellie and Maryann Ellie relaxing
Regards,
Bev |
Dear MEOW,
It has been just over a year since we adopted Becks, followed later by Remy
(MEOW name Jairus). We wanted to let you know that both these boys have settled in beautifully, and are a huge part of our family Becks has nothing but disdain for our Labrador, but Remy will try to play with her, and even give her ears a washing once in a while! These pictures show the boys in their favourite places - Becks firmly ensconced on our bed, fluffing the quilt for us, and Remy peeking down at us from his perch on top of the scratching post.
Both boys seem to be constantly full of purrs and cuddles! Becks wakes me up every morning with headbutts if he thinks I have overslept! Remy is quite content to be carted all over the house by our 3 children and loves every minute of the attention he gets.
Becks in bed and Remy hiding in the scratching post
Thank you so much for introducing us to these beautiful boys - we love them both very much!
Sincerely,
The Jarvis Family |
Dear MEOW,
Here are the pics of the two cats together.
Sox and Braxton cuddling in bed, Braxton and Sox sleeping
Jessica G |
I just wanted to send you a picture of Mitsy
(MEOW name Milkshake) and Munroe. They are getting very big... especially Munroe! he is quite the brute. Mitsy is much more dainty and delicate, but quite a little troublemaker! She is VERY curious and it has gotten her into funny "situations" on more than one occasion.
These pictures only go to March (we don't have our most recent ones developed) so they are even bigger. Mitsy is very loving and so is Munroe... when he wants to be. He trusts me the most but will cuddle with anyone if they are sitting very quiet and still. The kids LOVE how they play and leap and fight and run around the house... they are truly hilarious.
Munroe, Carter, Holly and Mitsy Munroe and Mitsy
Hope all is well. Thanks for everything!
Margot, Gary, Carter, Holly, Mitsy and Munroe |
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| Tahiti at work |
Dear MEOW, Mr. T and I both quite like our Island life. I took him for a car ride several weeks ago & he really fussed. I think he was afraid we were going to move again. You would not recognize this cat from the boy you knew at the shelter. He continues to be Mr. Sociability with anyone who comes to the house. He's particularly fond of Shannon & Dale, close friends of mine, and will even sit on their laps when they come to visit.
He gets mad with me every now & then & will put his teeth on my finger - I tell him "no you don't bite any more" and he'll think about it & then let go. A couple of times he forgot himself & bit hard but getting the cold shoulder from me is a great deterrent. Mr. T still comes to work with me every day & sits in the window, on top of my desk, or on the carpet just outside the door. When he's on the carpet its usually because he would like to play a game of soccer which he's very good at. He has this ball that he likes to pass with his feet and will call me to play with him - sometimes quite loudly if he can't get my attention. So of course, I have to take a work break! He likes the long pass. I think he's looking to replace David Beckham any day now! He's also good at fetching the ball.
Mr. T is also very fond of hide & seek or hide & scare depending on his mood. He likes to hide behind the clothes in my closet and jump out to scare me. Of course, I'm duly scared!! He's not hard to find as he always hides in the same places. Sometimes I will hide but I have to have patience because it takes quite a while for him to come looking for me - but he its worth the wait when I jump out & scare him and then he runs & hides again, and so it goes.
I have to watch this boy like a hawk when people come to the door. He just about got away on me the other day when a workman came to the door. He made it to the bottom of the steps before I caught him. Little bugger - I bet that's how he got himself lost. We are going outside on the harness for walks now, but I have to say that he's pretty lousy at it. All he wants to do is drop & roll. We have yet to make it to the end of the driveway under 10 minutes. I try to encourage him with the feather stick but no dice. He would like to come with me when I walk to the mailbox which is about one block away, however, if I took him with me it would probably take us two weeks there & back (he sits in the window & watches for me).
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| Tahiti sleeping on the job |
I'm going to have to put this boy on a diet which I'm sure he will not like but he's becoming a chubby. Eating is still his security blanket & it may take him a while yet before he's secure in the knowledge that the food will always be available. I see that Tayboryn has finally been adopted - I'm so glad. I really liked him. I think that Tahiiti occasionally misses him & some of the others that didn't tick him off. Shannon is going to bring one of her cats for a visit one of these days to see if they can become friends. Tom is a big, laid back pussy cat and not at all aggressive, so we'll see. Maybe someday Tahiti will be ready for a companion.
It was such a pleasure getting to know you & the volunteers at the Shelter. Please send my regards. All of you have such devotion to the cats in your care & it warms my heart to know that your efforts save the lives of so many and give them a second chance at life. Tahiti's "work" photos are attached. Warmest regards,
Allyson |
Dear MEOW,
Hey Guys! This is me
(MEOW name Blackpearl) two days after Kathy, my Adoption Coordinator found me a good home.
Blackpearl sitting in left hand corner of the window
Thanks ever so much,
Blackpearl Cates |
Dear MEOW,
I thought I share with you the progress of Max and Best
(MEOW names Clarence Jr. and Claus). They are doing fine and have come around quite well, and exceeded our expectations including Best. Based on the information we have prepared ourselves to be extra patient with them and do not expect too much for them to be playful, or responding to our love and care. Off course Max, responded quicker but Best appears to come around too. Lots of time we found him playing by himself with the stuffed mouse toy that he's so wild about and playing with Max in and out of the tunnel. They eat well, do their routines in the litter box normally.
They make a riot every night when we sleep. Best choses to sleep under our bed and Max on top of the scratch post. Max totally gives in but Best manages to stay close with and around us; still not allowing us to touch him. He already comes when we serve their meals, and eats the treats from our hands.
Clarence Jr. and Claus Thanks for all your help and I am attaching their latest picture for your collections. Have a wonderful day and let's stay in touch.
Rennes A |
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| Rosa |
Dear MEOW,
We wanted to write and let you know that Rosa, who came to us in February from the MEOW Foundation this year, is doing so well in our home. She is truly a loving, sweet cat that has provided us not only with a lot of love and affection, but also a lot of adventure! When she first arrived, she tended to be quite mellow sleeping quite a bit, coming out for occassional pets and did a lot of inspecting around the house scoping out the place. She has relaxed over the last few months, and her full personality has really come to life - she has some really unique cat character! She loves to play and climb on her scratching post and when we put her toys up top. |
Dear MEOW,
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| Emma |
It has been over a year now that I
(MEOW name Eureka) have been in my forever home and thought I better let you all know how I am doing.
I am having a great time in my new home. I love all my cat sisters and they actually love me too. Misty and I have alot of fun together. I follow her everywhere and do everything she does. Sometimes she gets mad at me but I still chase her anyway. She usually hides by our dog, Tasha, and then I leave her alone. I'm not afraid of the dog anymore but I don't push my luck either. Molly just watches us and every so often she swats me as I run by her. I think you would all be surprised at how playful I am.
I have had many new experiences and one that I really loved was my first Christmas. I LOVED the lights on the tree. Every night I would sit there and just stare at all the lights. They fascinated me. At night Misty would knock the balls off and I would join her in playing with them. It was alot of fun. Mom knows it was Misty because she does this every year and now she has a friend to join in the fun. On Christmas Day we all got new MEOW beds and a whole bunch of new mice. It was great day.
I also had my first "vet experience". Mom was so nervous. She thought I would be all freaked out so, with gloves in hand, off we went. My dad took me in the room (mom couldn't bring herself to come in). I had an exam, she listened to my heart, looked at my teeth and gave me all my shots and I let them do all this without the gloves!!!! They were all so proud of me.
It has taken me a year but I FINALLY found the courage to jump up on my mom and dad's bed. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was something that I just couldn't do before. One day I decided to go on the bed and now I sleep there lots during the day. I also sleep on the couch now. Another big step for me.
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| Emma, Misty and Molly |
Every night we have a treat time. We all sit together and take turns taking our treats. When I want to be REAL cute, I put my paw on my moms knee. She loves that. When it is bedtime, I get my good night pets and my mom tells me how beautiful I am. I like that.
We have adopted another "shy" cat from MEOW. Her name was Checkers at the shelter but we call her Sophie now. She has only been with us for 3 weeks so she is still pretty scared. Mom says she is not as shy as I was but she doesn't want to be touched yet. She LOVES Misty also, so I do have my nose out of joint a little bit, but I guess I will have to learn to share my sisters. She may be my next chasing buddy so I better be nice to her. We'll see how it goes.
I sat at the shelter for 2 years waiting for the perfect home for me and I have found it. I have a wonderful life and my mom and dad absolutely adore me. Mom says I have more personality than any cat she has ever seen. Once again, thanks to all my friends at MEOW who took such great care of me. I'll keep you posted on how Sophie is doing.
Bye for now,
Love Emma
(MEOW name Eureka)
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Dear MEOW,
Just wanted to give you an update on
Savoy. He's such a wonderful addition to my home, and he is exactly what I was looking for in a cat. I think he's enjoying himself as well.
Here's an updated photo :)
Sincerely,
Rachel |
Dear MEOW,
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| Hobbes |
Just wanted to thank you for all your help - and send you a picture of Hobbes
(MEOW name Kahuna). He refuses to lose weight despite our best efforts but is a very content and laid back guy.
Hope to see you in the not too distand future. Wishing you and the Meow Foundation all the success and prosperity you deserve.
Best regards,
Darren and Jamie L (and Hobbes) |
Dear MEOW,
Here are some pictures of our pretty babies. Ari
(MEOW name Kabe) and his little sister Mishka absolutely love each other and are inseparable. There have been no more health problems for Ari and he is drinking and eating very well, in fact he is quite the little piggy. Ari loves the smell of the outdoors so he has his special spot on my counter in the kitchen where he can look out the window and smell the outdoors, he spends a lot of time there. His sister and him are constantly grooming and kissing each other, if one is crying the other comes immediately to see what the problem is.
Thank you again for our beautiful boy he is the perfect addition to our family.
Wilma |
Dear MEOW,
I just thought I'd send you pictures of
Dynamite, she's getting so big!!!
Thank you again, she's amazing.
Kaitlyn |
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| Raisa and Mack sleeping together |
Dear MEOW,
Raisa (dob: July 2004) is the beautiful Manx cat I adopted in September 2007. She previously resided in the evident great care of Eleanor. Raisa took a while to adjust to the new environment and voices but without doubt she has done very well at doing so. It became evident that her strongest characteristic was taking on that motherly role in caring and teaching the kitten I adopted 2-3 weeks later. Raisa is about as gentle as a cat can be, while defending herself when necessary, most often via teaching the kitten or when playing. She purrs lots and likes to be in my presents most times, including sitting on my lap and sleeping near my face at night.
People wonder if Manx's have as good of balance, but Raisa has proved just how great her abilities are at balancing and jumping regardless of not having a tail. Raisa presents very timid, yet once you've build the trust with her, she will purr when you initiate and patiently pet her. As timid as she is with people though, she has never attempted to scratch or bite me or even the vet - so it just shows not all cats deemed feral natured remain that way or are physically vicious under stress. With Raisa it just took time, patience,gentleness and genuine care to build and prove she could trust you.
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| Mack after his operation and Raisa |
Mack
(MEOW name Stripes) (dob: June 2007) has been a bundle of active joy to Raisa & I's daily life. He was born with 3-legs, that lead to physical complications that seemed to last forever (3-months). The final outcome was successful with his 1/2 leg having to be removed (approximately 1-1.5 inches), so from the bottom (knee) to the top of the thigh. I cried many-a tears for this cute feline creature - out of fear he was in pain, but the vets at Fish Creek Park clinic were fabulous. The surgery was successful and he left a permanent positive mark at the clinic with the staff - particularly with his strong social personality. This is a cat that thinks he's a dog. He wore a cone on his head for about 2-months solid, however still played the best he could. He's a confident feline with 3-legs and fetches mice toys and returns them to you awaiting for you to throw it again - this can go on for a good hour. Mack can run like mad with his 3-legs, likely due to his never knowing any different. The only thing he can't do is jump directly onto higher things such as the counter-tops - so he sits with envy watching Raisa do so. Mack also loves to talk - constantly with anyone who will listen. He also loves food - so I have to be careful just how much I give him as he will eat anything in front of him.
Raisa remains fairly quiet and reserved until she thinks no ones looking or everyone's in bed. Then she meows and meows in her soft voice, almost like a calling for Mack to come play or in wonder where everyone suddenly went to. These two have also taken to bathing one another and cuddling, particularly Mack often wanting to be cozied up as close as possible to Raisa.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I truly believe these two kitties were meant to be together - they are a great team; kinda like a mother - child relationship.
Heidi |
Dear MEOW,
We
(Tenzing and Teloni) have been at our new home now for over a month and really love it here. Our big brother Nicky is a great guy and welcomed us into our new home with open paws. We love cuddling together and grooming each other and we also go on adventures around the house together. The big guy is teaching us his tricks and we make sure that he in turn gets his exercise. We help Mom & Dad with their workday and they reward us with pets, play and healthy treats. Our favorite toy right now are some Jacks that Mom found at the dollar store because they are easy to bat around and are easy to pick up with our teeth and carry around the house. We stash them away for safe keeping but then we run out and Mom has to retrieve them for us again. I think we have our humans trained quite well. We hope that everyone at MEOW is doing well and wish that all our friends will find nice homes as well.
XOXO
Tenzing & Teloni (& Nicky) |
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| Fuzzy having a sleep |
Dear MEOW,
Fuzzy
(MEOW name Glen) settled in very well with Sassy. He was running around the whole house in about 4 days. He is a very mellow cat, nothing gets to him. He seems to like other cats because he didn't even freak out when a neighbourhood cat came up to our patio window. He isn't fond of dogs however! He kind of ignored Sassy for awhile, but now he will chase her and try to play.
Sassy thinks this is torture and she will scream like he is killing her!! (he's not-sometimes he is only sitting there looking at her!) She mostly sleeps though. Fuzzy and Trevor are best buddies. That cat will curl up on his chest for hours while Trevor pets him. He purrs really loud!
Fuzzy likes to watch TV with us too, he will lay on his back on the couch. He recently watched almost all of "A Bugs Life" with us:) Fuzzy is really smart as well. He can learn tricks. I have taught him how to "sit". It took about 2 tries with a treat for motivation. Now he will sit before I give him his wet food, and when I have treats. I am trying to teach him "down", but when I bring the treat down, he won't lay down, he will follow it! So maybe he will learn "crawl" instead! lol Fuzzy is the best cat we have ever had!
We are actually thinking about getting a friend for Fuzzy soon...we want another big male for Fuzzy to wrestle and play with...speaking of big, Fuzzy used to weigh 20 pounds! He went on a diet and now has to eat special food. He got down to 16 pounds in a month! Yay Fuzzy! He will probably have to stay on his diet food for the rest of his life though. He has an automatic feeder that he has learned the sound of. He can hear it and will come running no matter where he is in the house. He also waits for it, it he knows its close to his food time:)
I want to thank MEOW again for letting us have this great kitty in our lives! He has made us really happy! I can't get enough of his cute little mitted feet and his big green eyes. I am so happy MEOW rescued him for us! Thank you soooo much!
Lindsay, Trevor, Fuzzy (and Sassy!) |
Dear MEOW,
Hello everyone at MEOW Foundation this is Sebastian
(MEOW name Floyd). I came to my forever home almost 7 months ago and am doing well. I have put on a little bit of weight and my coat has become very soft and shiny. I have a wonderful Mom and a cat friend named Kidgee. We enjoy wrestling and playing with our toys. Here is picture of us in our cat bed our Cat Grandma bought for us. We like sleeping in it and often disagree about whose turn it is. Thank you for helping my Mom pick me out and taking excellent care of me while I was at the shelter.
Sebastian Sebastian and Kidgee sharing
Sebastian
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Dear MEOW,
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| Alida |
I saw your article in our community newsletter so of course I thought I would give you an update of Maddie
(MEOW name Alida) since she had just been to the vet. We are getting her blood glucose checked every six months and she has been fine ever since she was first diagnosed with diabetes and only had to take the insulin for six months. However our vet has been keeping track of her kidney function and they are starting to fail her. She is now on medication for that and we'll check again in six months. She is going to have to get a paper route :).
Hard to believe that she is going to be 17 years old in September. Now that it is getting nicer outside she is hinting that she wants to go out. I might take her out after all she has a collar, a harness and a leash plus her license tag on them. Maybe I should try using them instead of hanging them on the doorknob.
Other than the run to the vet Maddie is doing just fine. She seems to be one big, happy furball and she is certainly spoiled rotten [by all of us].
Hope everything is going well for you. Maddie still looks for you from her perch.
The Tucker Family |
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Dear MEOW,
I got my beautiful kitty from you guys in January. She was born a little premature baby and was the only survivor of her littler, so you guys named her
Survivor. I have renamed her Isis, and she has become my little baby girl.
She is doing so well and is the princess of the house. She is the ruler of the upstairs in the house and her favorite thing to do is cause some trouble. She loves taking naps and always trys to find a way to sneak her way under the covers when you are making the bed.
She has two doggie sisters named Lucy and Chyna (both pugs) who she is getting along with very well. She lets them know she is the boss and pounces on them any chance she gets.
When I first brought her home she was a very scared timid baby who would not get out from underneath my bed. She now runs all over and plays with anything she can find.
I believe I have made a great home for her and she seems to be really really happy and I am really really happy too!
Annette |
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| Chewy and Charlie |
Dear MEOW,
The end of January was the 1 year anniversary with our fur-babies, Charlie
(MEOW name Charlie-Lou) and Chewy
(MEOW name Georgie-Anne).
I can't believe it's been a year already! The girls have blended in with our lives like they have always been here. They meet us at the door when we come home and still follow me everywhere in the house I go.
They have taken over my computer chair (the nicest, newest one) because they can both curl up on it together, how can I say no to that. Charlie and I still share cuddle time everyday and Chewy has become a little cuddler too. It took her months to get comfortable with us touching her but now she enjoys sitting on us whenever she likes. She especially likes sitting on her Dad's shoulders and chewing his hair. Charlie has put on a little weight while Chewy hasn't so we watch to make sure that they both get breakfast and Charlie doesn't hog all the food!
We have built them 2 different activity places in our home, both looking out different windows,which they love play on or just relax. They have their own beds but often snuggle up together in one. Boxes on top shelves are no match for them and they have hit the floor on more than one occasion. They both love to bask in the warmth of the heat lamp in our bathroom, especially while I soak in the tub.
It's so wonderful to have them both as part of our family, Thank you for the great work you all do for without you, who knows where my babies would have ended up.
Sincerely,
Kari W |
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| Sassafrass's idea of helping clean |
Dear MEOW,
We adopted
Sassafrass, now Frass, as a kitten last spring. We have a dog and 2 adult cats and thought that Frass would fit well in our household. We were wrong. She has not adapted at all. To the contrary, we have adapted very well to Frass's way of thinking and seeing the world. She even has Happy, the dog, truly believing that he is in fact a cat. Frass's place in our home is any where she thinks she might like to lay but especially right inside the front door and she only moves when she feels like it. Frass's toys are the whatever paper products she may find that have been "carelessly" left around, like the toilet paper in bathroom or the kleenex's that are in the box on the table or the paper towel on the rack in the kitchen, which she then sets to shredding within a inch of its life. With all that I have said you would think that I was complaining but truth be known Frass has brought to us a constant sense of humour, a best friend for Happy, a form of exercise and tolerance for the older cats (they never really complain about her practical joke they too have accepted her for who she is) and a warm fuzzy bed warmer for my three children. We couldn't be happier.
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| Tikki (I love my tree house) |
Dear MEOW,
This is me Tikki
(MEOW name Minerva) and I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing great and I love my home and my brother (Scooter - Cat) and sister (Reggie - Dog) and we have lots of fun times together.
Mom and Dad were having a problem with my scratching the walls and now I have a pretty set of Blue Soft-Paws which match my collar and my beautiful blue eyes. I don't mind them a bit and I sure am glad Mom and Dad do not believe in de-clawing as that would have hurt.
I had a great Christmas and got lots of new catnip toys and treaties (yum) which are my favorite since you first gave them to me when I was at the MEOW Foundation.
Thanks so much for taking such good care of me and finding me such a great home. You are all great and Mom and Dad thank you too. I hope you have great successes in finding lots of wonderful homes like I have for all the cats you have in 2008.
Scooter and Tikki Reggie and Tikki
Wishing you all the best and keep up the good work. All the stray cats sure need more great places like yours.
Signed a very happy Cat
Tikki |
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| Cricket and Bear |
Dear MEOW,
It was early June when we brought Cricket
(MEOW name Hans) home for our trial run. We followed the sheet carefully to insure an easy introduction to our cat Bear. After a few days of hissing under the door and a few refereed fights, Bear(black) and Cricket (white) started to get along. It took Bear a while to fully accept Cricket as a part of his life, but when he
realized Cricket wasn’t going away, he made the best of the situation.
Although Cricket started off as a shy cat, he soon blossomed into a cuddly, mischievous little boy.
He can and will get into everything he can. He loves sleeping in laundry baskets or on the top of the couch, or chewing on toes when the parents are trying to sleep. He cuddles with mom and dad every chance he gets. And he spends most of his days looking out the window, being chased by Bear or spreading the bucket of cat toys all over the house.
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| Cricket sleeping |
Cricket is our little model and is always having his picture taken (although, mostly to just document the trouble and adorable places he gets himself into.)
When we first brought Cricket home, he was very quiet but he turned out to be a very chatty kitty. He meows when he wants to be picked up and cuddled, or when he wants food, and even sings along when he watches daddy play guitar.
Thanks MEOW for giving our whole family a new life-long companion.'
Nico B |
January 24, 2008
Dear MEOW,
Cindy,
Erik & Chloe |
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| Oscar and Olive cuddling |
Dear MEOW,
Here is a picture of Olive
(MEOW name Anna Marie) and Oscar, this was taken last week. One of their first cuddle sessions ever! They are already drinking from the same water bowl, and using the same litter. Olive needs to do everything that Oscar does, and when Olive finally wants to sleep, Oscar bugs her to play with him. They run around the house like wild animals, Oscar is going to lose so much weight! Olive is turning into quite the cuddler, and likes to wake us up about an hour before our alarm goes off by sleeping on our faces. Oh, and she has this funny thing about chasing her tail.
Anywho, were all doing good. Hope that everything is well with your bunch of kittens!
Rob, Jolene, Oscar and Olive
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| Alejo |
Dear MEOW,
Happy New Year! Just a short note to wish you well and see how everything is with the Foundation? Is Taz still around? I hope he's found a good home. Alejo is doing very well. I brought him to the vet 2 weeks ago to have the soft paws attached. We feel quite bad that it restricts his freedom in some way but he's getting used to them. It's been 4 months since we got Alejo and both Erik and I have grown very fond of him. He's become my baby although he is supposed to be Erik's cat. Alejo is very affectionate and I cannot tell you how much I look forward to going home and seeing him. He's brought a lot of joy to our lives. Mind you, I did question myself initially when we took him in what with being scratched and bitten, remember?
Anyway, I still owe you a photo or two of him asap in the bathtub. Oh yes, I finally did manage to give him a quick bath a few weeks ago!! He loves the water!! He says "hi" to you too.
Regards,
Bernie, Erik & Alejo |
Dear MEOW,
Bill and Peony here to fill you in on some fantastic news! We have a new house and a Daddy now!
Check us out! Thanks again for taking care of us - you folks are the best!
Bill: I love napping with my daddy Bill: Cuddle me!
Peony: I am the cutest present ever! Bill: Check out my cool bed!
Rebecca
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| Hanalei getting comfy |
Dear MEOW
The Story of Hanalei
(MEOW name Chablis) and Scruffy
When our 19.5 year-old cat died last January 30, 2007, we started thinking about the MEOW Foundation, and casually began looking at the different cats online. It was April when we filled out the on-line application, and within a day or two came our interview.
We hadn’t expected everything to be so quick, but within the week we had a new cat in our home -- a medium long-haired black cat named Chablis, 2 years old. We re-named her “Hanalei” after our favorite spot on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. We had decided even before our first cat had passed away that if we got another cat, we would get one a bit older, who wasn’t as likely to be adopted as quickly as a kitten.
Coincidentally (or not really!), our first cat had also been a black cat, and was a shy cat. So was Hanalei. My husband was the one who spotted her. There were so many wonderful cats at the shelter, it was really overwhelming to choose, and we could have been there for days, but decided to go with our gut feeling and picked Hanalei. When Hanalei first arrived, she hid underneath and up inside a lazy-boy chair for about 4 or 5 days. We closed the door of the room she was in so while we were at work she could start to roam about in the room to start to get comfortable. She lost some weight in the first few days by not eating much! Finally, we noticed her food disappearing and her litterbox was being used, so we knew she was okay. Once she was comfortable in the one room, we left the room door open a bit and she discovered the house slowly while we were at work. Within two to three weeks, she was quite comfortable. We discovered how much she loved to be petted! She did somersaults and purred loudly and lifted her head up to anticipate the pat! To this day, she squirms with pleasure when being petted. She is a sweet little thing – her fur is now amazingly shiny and soft, and she used the litter box from day one.
We did worry from the beginning about her maybe needing another cat in the house for company and recreation, since we’re away at least 8 hours of the day. But, we weren’t keen on having two cats, so we let it ride for a while. Over time, we both agreed Hanalei seemed somewhat bored in our quiet home, and we saw her energy increase as she got healthier and more comfortable.
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| Scruffy (lying down) and Hanalei |
We attended the MEOW Foundation Fundraiser in October, where there were about 30 cats on show. Our mission was to buy a calendar and homemade cookies…..but we left with dibs on another cat! The new guy – Scruffy – was a favorite of the volunteers. He’s a well-named long-haired, 2.5 year-old black (again!) cat, with a weird body shape and one eye with the pupil aimed upward to the eyelid. It wasn’t hard to see he’d had a hard life! But we could tell a couple of the volunteers were greatly attached to him and kept talking about his gentle and sweet character. My husband is more of a “save the underdog” – oops, I mean “undercat”— type of person than I, so he was keen on Scruffy. (Also, I had named our first cat “Scruffy”, so he thought this might be a sign!) Again, we went with my husband’s intuition and the volunteers’ character witnesses, and we weren’t steered wrong!
We had never had two cats before, and were worried about introducing them, and worried they might never get along... But, MEOW Foundation gave us excellent advice once again. Within a week and a half, the two cats were roaming around freely in each other’s company. Hanalei wasn’t exactly thrilled with the new addition at first, but has come to really enjoy Scruffy’s company. Scruffy was easy-going from the start, and acted like he couldn’t give a darn. So, a bit of warming hearts on both sides eventually brought this pair together amicably. They play and chase each other around now. Hanalei is still a bit shy, and hides when other people are over, while Scruffy climbs up on anyone’s lap. Both of them enjoy their “people” (us) a lot, so we have to be careful to divide our love and attention equally.
It’s been a great experience, and MEOW Foundation does fantastic work! Our adoption counselor, Tina, was knowledgeable, caring and so hardworking. Thanks to everyone for the work you do!
Ken & Jody
(P.S. We managed to make it through the MEOW Christmas Party without adopting another cat!) |
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| Bowser |
Dear MEOW,
Initial thoughts about acquiring a kitten started with our 8-year-old ‘animal mad’ daughter’s request for a hamster. After receiving adamant ‘no’s’ on that front, she proceeded to wear us down with alternatives. Having rejected puppies, ponies and numerous other options, when she arrived at a cute, cuddly kitten, we weren’t so hasty to rule it out. We already had two cats (and a cat-friendly dog), so what was a third? In addition, there is quite an age distance between our existing felines (Hobo -14 ½ and Pippy - 3). If something happened to Hobo, we felt Pippy would be better adjusted to a friend closer to her own age rather than introducing another cat as she matured. Thus began Claire’s quest for ‘the purrfect friend’. She wanted a kitten that was ‘cute, cuddly, would sleep with her at night and would let her carry him around like a rag doll’. Whilst our son, Liam, and I took a closer look at pet stores that worked closely with rescue foundations, Claire limbered up her fingers and hit her favourite realm – the internet. Past forays into the web meant she had bookmarked nearly every animal adoption site in and around Calgary. It didn’t take her long to hit the Meow Foundation…
We were impressed with the details on the site, the pictures, and the work of the Foundation itself. Whilst we could easily have adopted half a dozen needy felines, we stuck with male kittens thinking our temperamental little princess, Pippy, might adapt better. She had a past habit of ‘watering’ duvets when her nose was out of joint. Claire rapidly honed in on Bowser – and stuck to her guns despite us pointing out ones we felt were equally as cute. After completing the questionnaire, we were quickly put in touch with Johnnie, our enthusiastic adoption coordinator. Within half an hour of being approved, foster mom Linda had called us to set up a viewing for Bowser the next day. She raved about his laid back personality and warned us that he’d been rejected earlier in the week because he was a bit shy when the stranger initially turned up. To us, this was a ‘street kitten’ and initial trepidation was completely normal.
The whole family headed down to meet our prospective new family member. Sure enough, he disappeared as soon as we arrived. After a few minutes of socializing with Linda, and watching the rest of the cats and kittens play, we noticed him peering around the corner expressing his curiosity. A sly sidle on our part soon had us scratching his ears. A few minutes later he was lying on the sofa, snuggled into Claire, having his back rubbed. She was sure this was the kitten for her. The whole process was very smooth as we managed to view Bowser on the Saturday, and took him home with us on Sunday. He spent the first week in Claire’s bedroom during the day while we were at work, and again during the nights. She had her cuddly bed companion and his motorboat purring was an added bonus. We gradually introduced him to the other animals and, much to our amazement; he headed straight for our 3-year-old Corgi-X, Ohinga, to make her his best buddy.
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| Bowser chewing on Ohinga |
He rubs himself around Ohinga’s chest first thing in the morning, purring loudly, and has no objection to being dragged across the floor by his head during a play session. He can be seen chewing on Ohinga’s tail on a regular basis and the two of them regularly gallop through the house chasing each other. Bowser heads into his kitty tunnel if he thinks things are getting too rough. The other cats settled in well. After a month of washing duvets even Pippy now plays. His favourite past-time is eating. Over Christmas we discovered he has a sweet tooth – particularly for icing and candy off gingerbread houses, and chocolate. We returned one evening to find a packet of chocolate money, removed from a gift bag, stripped of its mesh bag and neatly unwrapped – each foil liner with two kitten-sized puncture wound in it. We believe his canine buddy may have been the recipient of some of the gifts, but he was definitely the lead criminal in that raid. Purdy’s chocolate with caramel in the middle was also found bitten through and licked clean. We fast learned to lock the goodies away. We don’t know how big he’s going to be but, at 5 ½ months old, he weighs 9 lbs and has feet the size of a bobcat. If he grows into those, we’re in big trouble! He loves to lay on his back and snooze, he’s the perfect ‘rag doll’ and is loads lot of fun… a perfect fit to the McEvoy clan.
Thank you MEOW Foundation!!!!
Suzan |
Dear MEOW,
We thought you would like to see some pictures of Joker and Cuddles. At first we weren't sure if Cuddles would get along with Joker. Were we in for a pleasant surprise! It was a match made in heaven. This was taken shortly after Joker came into our lives. He is so precious. They totally love each other.
Both Joker and Cuddles still sip water from the bathroom sink. The sink is one of Joker's favorite resting/sleeping spots.
Cuddles and Joker, Caught Red Handed, Joker's favourite spot
Thank you so much for allowing Joker to come into our lives! It has been a wonderful 2007.
Denise and Roger K and family
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Dear MEOW,
Hello everyone at MEOW. It's been almost a year since we adopted Francesca and what a year it's been! I never thought our little feral girl would come out of her shell but she has. We got her as a friend for Harley, my 14 year old cat. In September last year Harley got sick and we had to have him put to sleep. Francesca was devastated and so was I. Together we grieved and now the bond we have is very strong. She enjoys pets, being brushed, and giving head butts. She's learning to communicate with us and has a strange meow that lets me know she needs me to come down to her level and give her some love. My goal was to turn her into a lap cat by Christmas and we're still not quite there yet. However the reward I got hearing her purr for the first time was definitely one good enough for the time being. She still loves to play but also enjoys taking breaks for head butts and pets.
Francesca and Harley and Francesca and Mommy
Her personality and assertiveness are blossoming with being the only cat in the house and not being able to rely on someone else to speak for her. We've been reprimanded several times for coming home late, but she's always quick to forgive. We love her dearly and will continue to work with her to build her trust in us.
Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to expand our family.
Eileen C |
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Dear MEOW,
Thank you for calling to see how Savoy is doing. He is a beautiful cat and I am so very happy to have him in my home. I think he is making himself at home as well. I'm sure I'll be hearing from you soon, as my month 'trial run' is almost up, but I wanted to send you some pics to see how well he is doing.
Cheers! Rachel
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