Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all my friends at FARS!!!
Hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday season!

With love always,
KiKi

Like a Whole New Cat

The Adoption Center can be a tough place for many cats. It's loud and they are confined with lots of other cats and strangers around. Dustie was one of those cats that did rather poorly. She was very stressed out and it showed in both her appearance and behavior. She's been in foster care for a while now. I visited her recently and boy what a difference! Her coat has filled out and is silky soft. She's happy, affectionate, and playful as this video shows. Now all she needs is a permanent home.

Odd Couple

When Ben & Cooper came to us they were an odd couple - one was shy and the other feisty. Fortunately, they found a perfect home and their new family shared this wonderful video with us:

Royal Home

Laurel and Sedona are settling in just fine in our family. They're still hanging out in Elizabeth's room, but we've had the door open and all the pets have met without incident. Curiosity all around is how I would describe the interactions so far. As you can see in the photos, they seem to have found themselves a comfy place in which to relax and we're delighted to finally see that silly American Girl princess bed put to some good use. When not basking in their royal glory, they seem to favor playing with the cat dancer.

Family of Kittens

Back in September, a family of six tiny kittens came to us. They were so small, they could fit in one cat carrier.



They've been in foster care since and now they are big enough to be adopted. They still insist on playing together, even if they aren't in the same cage.

Love at First Sight

"16 days ago, I walked past the FARS PetSmart adoption center in Cambridge and saw a beautiful calico cat named Penelope. She stretched her paw up to the window, yawned, and looked at me through the glass and I knew she was perfect! Two days later I brought Penelope home. All of you were so caring and helpful during the adoption process and I could just tell the amount of dedication you have for these cats, and I know that you took such amazing care of Penelope because she is just so happy healthy and friendly. Penelope came home and bonded very quickly with my other cat, Peanut, and now they play and cuddle together...they are both very happy. Again, I would like to thank you all for taking such good care of Penelope and all the other cats at FARS."

- Penelope's mom

Good Friends Worth Waiting For

Fitzie was adopted on September 15. He stayed with us at the shelter longer than you would expect a cute 6-month-old to because he had a persistent eye infection. He's healthy now and as you can see from the note below the wait for a new home was worth the wait.

"Fitzie is doing very well and he and Mouse (the adopter's other cat) are now the best of friends! We slowly introduced them to each other, and at first, it was a little rough. Mouse would hiss at Fitzie a lot, but Fitzie would pay him no attention. After a while it got better, and now they are great together! They love having fun playing and getting into occasional (well more towards frequent) trouble. Thanks again for everything and Fitzie thanks you as well!"

Story Telling

TechSoup recently launched a "Digital Storytelling" contest. They challenged nonprofits to tell a story about their mission in 5 photos.

Check out our entry

Photo Caption Contest

Especially for Pets has invited Feline Adoption & Rescue Society to participate in their "adoption initiative." We will be at area stores this fall talking to people about our mission. Here's where we'll be:

444 Great Road, Acton, October 4
1185 Chestnut Street, Newton Upper Falls, October 11
44 Main Street, Wayland, October 18
153 Turnpike Road (Route 9), Westborough, November 21
424 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, December 5
95 Washington Street, Canton, December 6
67 Main Street, Medway, December 17

To make it even more interesting, we kicked of a Photo Caption Contest. We're asking people to give us a donation and create a caption for one of these three photos. Our favorite caption will win the grand prize of a $50 Especially for Pets gift certificate.



Photo 1


















Photo 2



















Photo 3

Best Friends

Last January we got a call to help a family that had 27 cats in a 2 bedroom apartment. They were all very friendly cats and we eventually found homes for all of them. Two of them, Pinky Doodle and Mojo went to a new home together where they made new friends. Here's a video of Mojo and his new friend Taaja.

Harry Has a Home

"Harry" is a black kitten we adopted from the Framingham PetSmart about 1 1/2 months ago. His new name is Wesley and he is 4 months old now. We adopted him under the knowledge that he was not extremely social, that he would take some time and positive reinforcement to come around to us. But by the end of the first day we had him he was curled up with us purring and enjoying a movie. He is doing fine with strangers as well. He is one crazy cat. I know kittens like to play and run around, but he takes it to the next level. He is quite the athlete with the jumps he makes. He gets bigger and bigger everyday and we can't wait to see the handsome cat he grows up to be. Thank you for bringing the little gentlemen into our lives :)

Finally, a forever home

Bootsie has had a particularly hard time. We first met Bootsie last January when we took in 27 cats from a home in Worcester. Everyone, including Bootsie found new homes. Unfortunately, Bootsie wanted more attention than his new home could provide so he came back to us. Then he found a third home but had to come back to us again when his new family had a personal emergency and had to move on short notice.

Finally, he's home with a new family where he can stay for good. Here's what they have to say about him.

"We adopted Bootsie two days ago and boy has he made himself at home. We brought him home in the middle of a thunder and lightning storm and I was worried that maybe the noise plus the stress of being in a new environment would really freak him out. It was recommended that he stay in one room for the first night but he managed to make his rounds throughout the whole house. He hid after about a half hour of looking around. He stayed hidden for the rest of the night and into the morning. By that afternoon, he was out and making his presence known.

He is a big talker. I assumed that, being an older cat, he would not want to play with many cat toys. I was wrong. He is very playful. So far, his favorite thing to play with is a small rope cord that came from an old pair of sweatpants. He bats at it and takes it into his mouth and drags it around the house. It is so cute. His favorite spot seems to be in the front windows. He lays there for a while and watches the kids and people walk by. He jumps up there especially when he hears the sound of dog tags rattling as they walk by.

One of the things noted on his profile at the pet store was that he liked a lot of attention. That is spot on. He is always meowing and "talking" to us. He jumps up onto the couch and cuddles with us and also jumps into the bed with us to sleep. He really loves to be pet and scratched under his chin. I have learned a lot about him in just the past two days. Can't wait to see what else he may have in store. I have attached a pic of him in one of our front windows. I had to move the picture frames on the window sill for him.

He has also started to get used to the kids. They are really going slow with him. He rubs up against their legs and they bend down and pat him. They also play with him with the rope cord and feather toy we bought."

Happy Together

According to his new mom, Spence is very wicked and into EVERYTHING. His latest favorite activity is getting underneath the table cloth and pushing things off the table from underneath. He also likes to jump onto the back of the chair and balance precariously on the edge.

Georgia, the house matriarch (an old tortie) has been showing him the ropes and he and the pug named Artemis are best friends. Spence likes to hide behind things and jump on Artemis' back when she walks by. They also like to chase each other up and down the length of the house. They're completely inseparable.


His new family says "We're so happy we adopted him, he's hilarious and cute and he gets kissed a lot more than he would probably like!"

For the Birds

Kiki was a scrawny teenage mother when she was adopted. She found herself a home where she can grow up happy and healthy and a bit spoiled. She loves watching the birds and will make little chirping noises. Her new family loves her so much they have avoided putting the air conditioner in the window because it blocks her view. Here she is on her favorite perch.

Izzy

We adopted Isabella in February 2009 and couldn't be happier. We were a little unsure as to how it would work out because she was such a quiet cat and didn't make a single noise on the ride home! That didn't last long. She is such a talkative and affectionate cat. She loves to give kisses and always comes to greet us at the door. She responds to "Izzy" and will coming running when we call her. She is also very playful and LOVES to play catch in our spare bedroom. We can't imagine life without her!

Hattie

Hattie was named "Hot Top" after the asphalt parking lot where she was abandoned. Her name was recently changed to the more flattering "Hattie." She's had a hard time because, while she likes feathers, she doesn't like cats, dogs, loud noises, and she's probably not fond of children. Unfortunately, PetSmart is full of all the things she doesn't like and she acts out. She does like people, when she's in a calm enough environment to relax and "let her hair down." We're looking for someone who can look past her gruff exterior to see the sweet, playful kitty this pretty girl really is.

Update: Hattie found a wonderful home with a recently married couple. She loves being an "only child."

A Second, Second Chance

Cheyenne was adopted in January and then brought back to us in June when her adopter decided to move to Florida without her. She didn't pout for long and found a new home quickly where she has a new start and a new name.

"Sophie spent the first night in my sun porch and immediately jumped up onto the cat tree in front of the window. It remains her favorite spot in the house. From there she can watch birds and chipmunks and feel the breeze from the window. She also enjoys making the rounds, investigating all the window sills, marching up and down the stairs, and rubbing all the furniture and wall corners. Sophie is very affectionate, coming often for pets and a good scratch under her chin. It turns out that she is also a lap cat and likes to sit all stretched out covering my legs like a long cat blanket. She is very sweet and settled right in. She is a wonderful and gorgeous cat."

Sweet Dreams

As you can see from the video below, Makenzie looks pretty relaxed. Watch carefully and you can see her back feet twitch as she dreams. I'll bet she's dreaming of a home of her own with a warm lap she can snuggle on. She is a beautiful kitty who is silky smooth, playful, and loves to snuggle up on a lap to be pet. Why hasn't she found a home yet? Well, she's 11 years old and it waiting for that special person who appreciates her for the loving, mature cat that she is.

UPDATE - Makenzie found a wonderful new home the first weekend in June. She may be thoroughly enjoying her new lap at this very moment.

Standing Ovation

Daisy was a semi-famous resident at our Cambridge location because of the "clap dance" she did. She would sit up on her hind legs and clap her front paws together. A PetSmart employee heard about Daisy's antics, fell in love with her and adopted her. She's been re-named Bella and her new mom caught the clapping display on video. Check it out.

Na Nu Na Nu

Do you remember that TV show where Robin Williams played an alien who said "Na nu na nu?" Then you'll recognize two very sweet little kitties named Mork & Mindy. They are siblings and they are looking for a new home together. They were left in an abandoned house with 14 cats and when they came to us they were terrified. I couldn't even get near them. But slowly they've come around. Mindy is alert and curious about everything and will stretch out her chin for pets. Mork is quiet except when he's purring then he coos like a dove. Some lucky earthling will have a chance to share a home with them.

Inseparable

Annie came to PetSmart in Cambridge back in November 2008 looking for a pair of kittens. She met Lily, Gracie, and Katie. How could she pick just two? All three sisters found a home that day. They're growing up fast. Here are before and after photos of Lily and Katie.

Dogs & Cats Sleeping Together!

We took home Betsy in December and she settled in right away! Our puppy Westin instantly gained a new best friend, as you can see from the picture (taken the second day she was home with us) they are quite close. Betsy and Westin will chase eachother around our little apartment for hours at a time, and she LOVES having her ears cleaned by Westin. The best part for us is when we get home from work in the afternoon she is in the kitchen with Westin keeping him company, just like we'd hoped she would! Thank you so much for this wonderful addition to our home!

Home at Last

Azuma, a beautiful Bengal boy, came to us from a loving home in hope of an even better life with space to roam and attention from a family that has time for him. He was adopted right away but had to be returned because the adopter developed allergies. Ironically, he was placed into foster care right away with a family that had a history of allergies but no reaction to Azuma. They fell in love and decided to keep him forever. Here's an update from the family:

"Azuma has become a regular member of our family, including two parents and three kids ages 6 and under. I'm constantly amazed that I actually own a cat now, given the fact that my lungs normally seize up after five minutes in the presence of regular domestic cats! Happily, I've had no notable reaction to him! Azuma's a cat with real personality. We've figured out that he has three distinct moods: sleepy, affectionate and frisky/tiger. Even though he can be quite boisterous with adults, he's actually incredibly patient with my two little boys, who get right in Azuma's face, despite our constant warnings. Thanks to your organization, he's become the perfect addition to our family!"

Bird Watching

It's been about a month now since my friend and I adopted the kitty formerly known as "Precious." His new name is Oliver and it seems to suit him well.

Oliver settled right in at his new home and has the run of two apartments. He spends much of play time time running up and down the stairs chasing after toy mice...having only the use of 3 legs doesn't slow this little guy down a bit. He also fills his time looking out the window, sunning himself, hanging out with his new friend, a pug, named Isaac and birdwatching, Paulo and Franscea, two parakeets who remain in the cage at all times when he's around.

Oliver charms all of the people he meets and brings big smiles to their faces. He is well-loved and adds much joy to our lives. A big thank you to everyone at the Feline Adoption & Rescue Society for the work that you do in saving kitties like Oliver. It's a wonderful thing that you do!

100 Cats!

The Feline Adoption & Rescue Society has reached a milestone! Tonight we completed our 100th adoption. Daisy went home with Angelica, a PetSmart employee. How appropriate.

Sneak Attack

We brought Thor (formerly Batman) home just 3 weeks ago, but it feels like much longer than that. He has integrated into our home with no transition. Our nearly 8-year-old cat, Loki, was a little unsure, but that didn't last long. We've had no real fighting (one hiss when Thor didn't settle down when Loki was done), and neither cat cowers in fear of the other.

Thor is a sweetheart and a lapcat always wanting attention (when he isn't running around like a rambunctious kitten). The boys wrestle a lot, and take turns being the winner of each match. Here's a short video that makes me laugh every time I watch it.

Happy Homecoming

It's been exactly four weeks since Rio (now named Pikachu) came home with us, and we can't imagine life without her! She adjusted to our household very quickly (in hours, I think!). She gets along wonderfully with everyone--me, my 8-year-old son (who dotes on her), and even our dog! She's been eating well and is putting a little weight on her bony frame. She plays all the time--when she's not sleeping, that is--and is very, very affectionate.

Thank you so much for introducing us to our wonderful new family member!

Collegiate Cat

Duke came from the overcrowded home in Worcester with 26 other cats. He was adopted by an MIT student and now lives in a dorm with a few other cats and lots of admiring college students. Here are some comments from his new "mom"

Duke very much enjoys stealing my food, which means I've hidden much of it. He loves putting his paws in my food, and then knocking it over if I leave it unattended. He loves drinking water from the sink in my room, also. It's quite adorable. He loves to go out and roam the floor, along with playing with the other cats. He's still the cuddly, attention-loving cat from when I first got him. He's actually almost everyone's favorite cat on my floor because he's the friendliest cat (well, he just really loves attention.)

Bootsie is Back

Bootsie thought he had a new home, but it didn't last. There was an energetic five-year-old boy who frightened him and a woman who he really loved but she didn't have enough time for him. He would nibble on her ears and knead her chest while she tried to sleep. He's the first cat I've known who was returned for being too affectionate. I hope he'll find a new home soon where he can get all the love and attention he deserves.

Big Adoption Weekend

The Worcester cats are so friendly, they are getting adopted quickly. Mojo and Pinky went home together as did Noni and Kit Kit. Ebony went home with a friend of one of our volunteers. Bootsie went home with a friend of his foster mom. Finally, Duke went to live at MIT.

The following cats remain in our adoption center and four more will join them this weekend.


Mia and Gizzy who look a lot alike:

































Daisy who is on hold and should go home on Saturday:





















And Precious. This adorable one-year-old has a lame back leg. His patella is off center but it doesn't seem to slow him down:

Nyx is All Grown Up

Nyx was adopted from Feline Adoption & Rescue Society last autumn and has grown into a big handsome boy! His mom, Dorene, wrote us to say: "He now has a new cousin. A little sheltie puppy. My sister got her for Christmas. Nyx's is so good to her and they get along great."

Overcrowded Kitty Update

We're making progress on helping the 27 cats that were all living in a small apartment. Two of them have already found loving homes. Bootsie has a painful condition called "feline oral resorptive lesions." He had dental surgery and is recovering in a lovely foster home. Unfortunately, we suspect more of the cats have this condition. It's painful for them and it will be very expensive for us to treat.






















Thirteen more cats arrived at the shelter on Monday having just been spayed and neutered last Friday. With all they've been through, these cats are amazingly friendly. Once they've all received the care they need to be healthy, I've no doubt they will find new homes quickly.

Spoiled Kitties

Gizmo & Cream Puff were adopted by one of our volunteers. She's re-named them and shared this story about their new home life:

"Watching Leo and Lucy teaches us about love and the quiet tenderness that should always accompany it. They lick, clean and caress each other with such attentiveness that it gives us pause about ourselves. They bring the same attentiveness to us as well--the sudden visit, the purr, the stretch of a paw, the rolling over and the slight trembling of expectation when your hand gets near, the jumping on your lap when you are otherwise occupied, the welcoming at the door, or the sitting on my purse when they see I am leaving, all these signs that we are at the center of their attention are constant.

They are wild game players as well. Leo comes in the morning and stands on my chest, face to face with me, staring me down as if saying, "well are you up yet, are you ready to play?" If I open one eye, I am done--he settles down with a fat purr to start with, half an inch away from my face, eyes into mine, his whiskers tickling my cheeks. If I close them again, he'll eventually leave but he comes back repeatedly, walking up my body like highway 101 until I am so disturbed I give up and get up. Lucy sits at the foot of the bed, waiting for the stunt to have its effect. If I get up, she squeaks with pleasure and runs to the living room where the furry mice wait--that's the favorite game--I toss one mouse across the entire length of the apartment and they charge after it with amazing speed--I go pick it up and toss it the other way--I always tire before they do. They also like to jump up in the air to catch it. Leo is amazing in the accuracy and height of his leap. He thinks he is a dog. He comes when you whistle. He seems constant and loyal as a dog; Lucy is delicate, subtle, a gentle spirit. They adorn and enrich our lives in a very distinctive way."

Allergy Attack

Poor Azuma, our beautiful Bengal. After the trauma of being separated from his home, he thought he found a wonderful new family and now he's back at the shelter in Cambridge. His new owner developed allergies and couldn't keep him. He's pretty miserable right now and I'm hoping we'll find him a the right permanent home soon.

Update: Azuma is in a foster home with two adults and three children and happily climbing on all the furniture.

Houston, We Have a Family

Sox is one of the first cats to get adopted from the amazingly friendly group of 27 cats that were all living in a small apartment. His son and brother are currently at the Cambridge PetSmart shelter and the rest are going to be spayed/neutered later this week. According to his new family, he is fitting in nicely:

"Sox has a new name: Houston (I name all my cats after places in Texas) because he's got a big personality and is also a touch oversized, goofy, sweet, attention-getting, quick to defend what he thinks is his (namely me), and not afraid to just sprawl in every direction (seriously, at times, he's basically a living puddle of velvet)."

Fitting into the new family

From Mimi's new family:

"For family/sentimental reasons (the name Mimi was already dedicated to the memory of a dear cat we lost many years ago), the Shelter's Mimi became our Mia.

Since her arrival, she has brought our household to life. Our two older, staider, neutered males have -- in the end -- completely taken over the education of their new little sister, and she adores them. She fearlessly coaxes them into play whenever she thinks they aren't paying her enough attention, and she's many times fiercer than they. And when she has worn herself out, she climbs into our laps and cuddles herself into sleep. Here's a picture of her stretched out in utter exhaustion after her first, incredibly busy, Christmas morning.

Many weeks ago, Mia had her first well-kitty visit to Angell Memorial and now has her own portal page! She charmed the socks off the medical staff. We are incredibly grateful for the happy accident that brought us to the shelter program on exactly the right day, and we love our Mia so much. If she ever grows out of the cutest-kitty-on-the-planet stage, I'll let you know, but it doesn't look very likely!"

Happy Homecoming

Jackie has been re-named Bella. She must like her new name because she comes when she's called. Her new family says she's very smart and she rules the house.

Bad Day for Sinatra

The good news today is our Bengal cat got a lovely new home and has already settled in nicely.

The bad news today is our elderly Siamese mix, Sinatra, is very ill. His foster home reported that he'd been vomiting blood and brought him into Banfield. He spent the day at the vet getting fluids and x-rays and then I took him to the emergency vet. They are going to monitor him for the night and let us know tomorrow if he needs surgery. The whole thing is likely to cost us thousands of dollars but we are hopeful that he will make a full recovery.

Update: Sinatra had exploratory surgery and biopsies which all turned out negative. He's on a special diet now and seems to be feeling much better.

House of Cats

We went to a house today in Worcester where a family has 27 cats. They realize that's way too many in a small apartment and want help finding new homes. To my surprise, the cats were all healthier and much more friendly than I anticipated. In about two hours we cataloged, photographed and put collars on all the cats. We also tested three adult neutered males and two kittens for feline leukemia and FIV. Fortunately, they were negative so the three males - a gray cat named Duke, his father who is a black cat named Sox, and an orange tabby named Tikky - came to our adoption center in Cambridge while the kittens went to a foster home so they can be cared for until they are spayed/neutered.

Next week we will start getting some of the other cats neutered. We can't take all the cats ourselves, so we will also be looking for partner organizations to help place these lovely cats.

Cat Wheel

I'm learning that Bengals need a lot more exercise than other house cats. Here's what some people do to exercise their Bengals.