Friday, August 26, 2011

Princess (Part Two of Four)


by Jamie Morgan, Satellite Adoption Manager

When we last left Princess she’d been adopted into a new home, but sometimes things don’t turn out the way we plan.

Princess had begun her recovery a little reluctantly. While she was able to stand on three legs, the 7 year old had difficulty adjusting. Unlike dogs that can often take to carts or other ambulatory aids, cats being cats, often times resist such devices. Being unable to perform normal tasks can be very frustrating and when Princess gets frustrated she has a very unlady-like habit of taking it out on those around her. I am sure we can all relate to that at one point. Her mouth got her into trouble and she was returned into our care after one too many nips on the hand.

This brings our story up to the week of Christmas and from then until Valentine’s Day she waited for here Prince to come. By February, we figured a change of location might be best for her. She was transferred to our Saratoga Satellite where our staff and volunteers could give her some one-on-one attention.

Her mornings were filled with the bustle of feeding and cleaning, her afternoons greeting visitors and accepting the gentle combing of her long locks. She slowly became more accepting of our hands on her as she learned touching could be soft and kind. She’s not completely gotten over her “cattitude”, but we have been helped her increase her threshold for handling. What really helped her come out of her shell was yet to come, but it was something I know always makes me feel better.

Come by next week and find out more about our lovely lady’s makeover!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Good Luck and Black Cats


Did you know August 17th was Black Cat Appreciation Day? We've been celebrating our most common color of feline all month at HSSV with 45 black cats and kittens already adopted out. It's not unlucky to be a black cat in our adoption program.

Speaking of luck, for some cultures the stigma of black cats is reversed and they are a good omen.
  • In Egypt, people would make house pets of black cats to please the goddess Bast.
  • By the 17th century, Charles I King of England was so endeared to his black cat he kept him under 24-hour guard. When his precious cat passed away, he declared all his luck was gone. The next day he was arrested for treason!
  • For the Scottish, a black cat on your porch will bring prosperity. In Italy, a sneezing cat is good luck. Other parts of Europe consider a black cat crossing your path a sign of good fortune and if the cat walks into your home, you are truly blessed.
Cross paths with one of our black beauties and be lucky for life with your adoption!
Sesame, available for adoption at our Animal Community Center.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Princess (Part One of Four)


By Jamie Morgan, Satellite Adoption Manager

As much as we try to focus on the happy stories we wouldn’t be doing the work we do if there wasn’t sadness to be fixed. Princess’s story starts out like most fairy tales, finding our heroine at her at the lowest point.

It was many months ago in late September that a bundle of black and white fur was brought into our intake lobby. Almost a week had gone by since the fluffy cat had been attacked by a dog and her bite wounds were severe and many. Unable to provide the care she needed her family surrendered her to HSSV.

Our vet staff went straight to work and x-rays told us just how deep her bites went. Her right back leg was too infected to save, but she was able to keep her left ear which had been badly injured along with her neck. Princess may have been down a leg that first night, but she was warm, safe, and had a host of veterinary drugs to easy her pain and rid her of infection.

A month into her stay she was healthy enough to find a new home and was put up for adoption. We celebrated when she was adopted a week later. We had no idea this was not going to be end of Princess’s story.

Want to know what came next for Princess? Come back next week as we continue her story.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Bursting wtih Bunnies!

Patches and Socks available at our Saratoga Satellite
We are bursting with bunnies!

We currently have 17 rabbits up for adoption, 12 of which are bonded with another bunny. That's 6 pairs all looking for love.

Here's a few reasons why you might want to consider adopting a pair:
  • Basic supplies don't change, an extra scoop of pellets and a little more hay won't stretch your bunny budget.
  • Bored bunnies are busy bunnies, busy bunnies figuring out what looks best to chew or dig. Pairs don't get bored, having a buddy gives them someone to interact with all the time.
  • Adopting two rabbits means saving twice the lives!
To find out more about why going plural with rabbits might be the best choice for you, check out this article by our friends over at the House Rabbit Society.



Saturday, August 13, 2011

Puppy Perfection!




Need a cuddle fix? Twinkie, Sprouts, and Lollipop would be happy to oblige! These three pit bull mix girls never seem to tire of snuggle time, although they also enjoy showing off their perfect “sits”! They have already learned to sit politely to receive pats and engage in play. They are also well on their way to having perfect bathroom manners (and they're only 4 months old)! What else can we say? These are some incredible pups! Come down for a visit today!!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Princess

Princess enjoying a lazy afternoon with our cat volunteer Laurie.

Princess has been with HSSV since September of last year, Laurie's been with us a few years more. Even on a busy day it's possible to catch a few quiet moments with one of our adoptable cats, and Princess has made it on to many people's "must visit" lists. Follow us in the next few weeks as we share Princess's remarkable road to recovery. She's currently available for adoption, help us give her story a happily ever after and share her profile.