Snow Tiger

I braved the snow storm today to meet a woman at the Cambridge PetSmart who surrendered her 3 year old Bengal cat named Azuma to us. It was important to get him today because all new cats must be isolated for the first 48 hours and I wanted him to be available to find a new home during adoption hours this weekend.

He is stunningly beautiful and he's very affectionate and curious. He gave me a good scare this morning. I left him exploring the room and went to get something and when I came back I couldn't find him. I thought he had escaped but he was just curled up in his cat carrier with his toys. Unlike most cats, Bengals tend to really like water, so he spent lots of time in the sink too.

He's "mom" gave him up because she wanted him to have a better life. She has a small apartment and travels frequently. We'll find him a home where he has lots of room to roam and lots of attention.

Great Night at Our Adoption Center

Do you see anyone here you recognize?
(They are Wicker, Bobby & Cleo)
It was a wonderful evening at our Cambridge PetSmart Adoption Center last night. Six kitties found homes! Wicker, Betsy, Bobby, Nugget, Smokey and Cleo all went home for the holidays. Minty and Stevie also went home recently.

Bath Time

Here's an example of why Bennie & Jerrie need to find a home together.

Kittens!

We have four adorable new kittens at our PetSmart Adoption Center in Cambridge. Here are two of them exploring their new temporary home.

Holiday Fundraiser -- Pet Photos with Santa

Santa made a special trip from the North Pole to visit FARS and pose with some local pets. Here are a few photos from last weekend's Santa Photos Holiday Fundraiser (Dec 6 & 7). Santa will be visiting us again at Cambridge PetSmart December 13 & 14.

Mittens (aka Vinca)

Mittens has been rechristened Vinca.
She is a busy little soul, playing and exploring. Vinca likes to catch up with us after a day of work by sprawling on the kitchen floor while we cook dinner. To make an especial point, she will stretch her little black paws up the cupboard doors, to make sure we notice her. Vinca thinks the fish tank is the best thing on TV and milk rings the best invention since, well, since the fish tank. Our older cat, Cali, is still not convinced Vinca is the best idea we ever thought of, but they are easing into something of a truce.

Garfield

Garfield was adopted in October. He is settling into his new home nicely. According to his new "dad":

"He has grown more loving and affectionate over the few weeks that he has been here and always welcomes me at the door when I've been away.

My friends love him and he readily takes to strangers. When my daughter visits, Garfield gets even more attention.

That simple act of adopting him has made my life so much better. Thank you for Garfield."

Bennie & Jerrie

Today I saw something I thought I’d never see. Bennie, the white and black kitten, was not only being combed by our volunteer Annie, but she was loving every minute of it and asking for more. Then her sister Jerrie, the black and white kitten, actually sat still and let her self be combed as well.

Bennie and Jerrie did not have an easy start. They came to us as small kittens and spent longer than usual in foster care as they passed conjunctivitis back and forth. When they finally came to the shelter in the Cambridge PetSmart, they were terrified. When we cleaned their cage, they would scatter to find the best hiding place they could. The foster home where they had lived for weeks said they never warmed up. They are gorgeous cats, but they need to be adopted together. It’s hard enough to find a home that will take two kitties at a time, but adopting ones this shy would be a big challenge.

In the weeks that followed Bennie and Jerrie have actually blossomed at the shelter. I’ve never seen anything like it. All the time they’ve spent in forced proximity to their caregivers has made them less afraid. Bennie now regularly asks for affection and once when I sat down she came and climbed in my lap. Jerrie still hides but she’ll come out to play. (See the video below for evidence of them playing.)

Last week I thought we’d finally found a great home for them with a patient, loving couple. But, their landlord objected. So, the sisters are still looking for their forever home and I’m more hopeful than ever that they will find it soon.

Karen
Feline Adoption & Rescue Society Shelter Manager

New places to see our cats

Check out the links on the right [over there ---->] to see our adoptable and our adopted cats. We have to correct some of the information listed on these national search sites (like we are listed in Natick (where our P.O. Box is), rather then in Cambridge (where most of the cats are). As we notice these things we'll try to get them corrected. If anyone sees anything that I miss, please e-mail us.

Cats who got adopted over the weekend

This past weekend 3 cats went home: Desiree (photo above) went as a foster-to-adopt. She has an ear-infection and will need meds. A visitor to the Adoption Center was interested in her, but didn't know if she (Desiree) would get along with her cat. Karen sent her home as a foster-to-adopt, which will be a great arrangement because the adoptive mom can see how the cats get along in her home and also can treat Desiree's ear.



Eva (that's her above) also got adopted on Saturday.



Princess (photo above) got adopted on Sunday.

Test post to the FARS_Community Blog

This is a test post to the FARS_Community Blog