If you’ve been following Winter in our newsletter and on Facebook, we’re so excited to share with you her latest adventure, which has given her a cage free life with all of the support she needs and maybe, someday, a family of her very own.

On May 29, 2010, Winter’s life changed. She had been offered a home at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Two MEOW volunteers accompanied her on the flight to Salt Lake City and the six hour drive to the sanctuary. Winter was the perfect passenger, relaxed, patient and quiet. At SeaTac Airport, she enchanted other travelers as she sat contentedly on a chair or stretched her legs on the carpet. She wore a bright red walking jacket harness with matching leash. Throughout the trip, she was cheerful and calm. After more than 14 hours spent mostly in her carrier, she was so happy to be allowed to sleep on the bed the hotel room.

The next morning on May 30, she arrived at Best Friends, rested and ready to meet new people. Cats arriving at Best Friends initially stay at a place called Happy Landings, a quarantine of sorts. Long term, Winter will likely be living at Kitty Motel, where there are two FIV rooms. Her MEOW chaperones met several staff persons and many of the cats in both facilities and they are confident Winter will love her new home. She’ll have room to play, lots of structures to climb and she’ll have other cat friends if she chooses. She’ll have a loving staff and caring volunteers who will attend to her every need. We’re certain she’ll become a favorite there, and we’re hoping that one day she may even be adopted into a home of her very own. Until then, she’ll be living her very best life.

If you’re not already a friend, we invite you to become a Facebook friend of Winter Meow and stay current with her escapades at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Hello –

On February 10, 2001 (almost 10 years ago to the day), I walked into MEOW looking for 2 kittens and walked out with my 2 babies – the loves of my life!  Mia and Margeaux are now 10 years old (Mia soon to be 11) and both are happy, healthy and lively as ever.  We departed Washington for California in 2004.  They loved the cozy, rainy Seattle days but easily adapted to the beautiful Los Angeles sunshine!  They are the best of buddies and still do everything together – eat, sleep, cuddle, play, watch birds & squirrels out of the window.  For the last 10 years, I’ve had the best 5:30 am wake-up calls complete with purrs and gentle swiping of my face.  No matter how long I try to sleep in a little longer, Mama always gives in and gets up to give the Queen Felines their breakfast!  I love them so much and cannot even imagine my life without them!  I just wanted you to know how well 2 of your once-upon-a-time residents are doing.  Thank you, thank you MEOW for my babies – the loves of my life! 
 
Attached is a picture of the girls…Mia on top perch, Margeaux on lower perch.       
 
AAH

Dear MEOW cat rescue:

Wow, it seems like only yesterday that I adopted a fluffy orange and white kitty from MEOW, but it was actually two years ago.  He was named Mikey, and he had been returned to MEOW (after 8 years), due to financial circumstances of his human family.  They had been calling him Bailey, and he seemed to recognize that name more than Mikey, so I have been calling him Bailey as well.  His profile on PetFinder indicated that he was submissive to other cats, and that he was a “private investigator” personality. 

That struck me as an excellent fit with my resident cat, Curie, who had kept a respectful (but companionable), distance from my ruling, aged female kitty (Asterix).  Two years ago, Asterix passed away due to health complications of old age, at 18+ years.  I had looked after her health very carefully, and the vets tried their best, but sadly, it was just her time. 

I didn’t want Curie to be alone during the day while I’m at work, so after grieving for my beloved Asterix, I set about finding a companion for Curie.  At the same age (8 years), the same gender, and with a submissive temperament, Bailey sounded like a good choice.  And after meeting Bailey at MEOW, I decided he was ideal.  🙂  Since it has been quite a while, I thought y’all might enjoy an update on how he’s doing.

I handled Curie and Bailey’s introduction very carefully, following MEOW’s instructions. They got acquainted and comfortable with each other fairly quickly. Curie is still a bit jealous of Bailey, and hisses at him occasionally if he thinks Bailey is getting more attention than he is (as in, I glance at Bailey while petting Curie).  But when they think I’m not looking, they play together, chasing each other up and down the stairs and batting toys around.  When they realize I’m watching, they get embarassed, and walk off in different directions. 

Soon after I brought Bailey home, I discovered that he’s a budding opera star.  He likes to yowl to no one in particular, and sometimes walks through the house doing so anxiously, as if he’s worried that he’s all by himself and is calling out for others.  He seems relieved if I call his name when he does that.  He sings for his supper, too–especially if he thinks I’m being slow with the food can.  But he also seems to like to sing just for the sake of singing, and has discovered that the stairwell makes an excellent echo chamber for his performances.  🙂  Personally, I think it’s adorable, and I can sleep through it if it’s a late-night show.

Bailey also likes to wake me up in the morning by quietly climbing up on the pillow next to my head, nuzzling me slightly, and then winding his way over the top of my head and back again.  He doesn’t like to be held, but he enjoys being petted and loves a good chin-scritching.  He is wary of new people in the house (i.e., holiday visitors), but after they have been present for a while and he is used to their voices, he comes out of hiding and introduces himself.  When I come home from work, he joins Curie in greeting me at the front door, and they both curl up on my bed with me when I go to sleep.  

Bailey has made a wonderful addition to my household, and I’m sure that Curie is glad of the company.  I was delighted to be able to give Bailey a forever home.
Thanks to everyone there at MEOW for doing such a wonderful job! 

Hi, Everyone,
 
We are really enjoying our new adopted cat, Jusepi. You knew him as Milton.

I sent in the survey, but wanted to let you know that he adapted right away. Our own cat, Lucky, has be unsure and we have been introducing them pretty quickly because the rest of the family (not me) felt they were ready. They were sleeping in the same room, today, with no problems! I am amazed.

Jusepi joined the whole family for hanukkah this week. He hid under some wrapping papper and played tag with Lucky’s tail. Lucky placed herself in that position.

Love and Happy Holidays,
The Liebermans and Meyer

Hello MEOW!

I wanted to share our success story in regards to the adoption of our two beautiful kittens who are now 7 months old.

My husband, 2 children and myself came to MEOW a few months after my beautiful 12 year old Maine Coon, Cosmo, passed away suddenly. He was my first feline “baby” and it was so hard to say goodbye.  After a few months of quiet, we decided to look for a companion for our 11 year old big orange tabby, Handel. After visiting MEOW, we immediately fell in love with and brought home two sisters who are now known as Isabelle (Izzy) and Sophia (Sophie), formerly known as Mindy and Bee. After much growl talking and sulking from Handel, it took about one month for him to accept the kittens. Now they are one big family! They eat together, lay together and frequently groom each other. Handel loves to sit off to the side and watch the two kittens attack each other.

They have brought so much happiness to our lives over the last 3 months!  Izzy is quiet and sweet and loves to sit on our laps and purr.  Sophie is a bit of a maniac with a loud meow, but we love her for it!  It’s quite endearing though when she burrows under the covers with us at night and curls up to sleep.  Both of them love to eat and play. Did I mention they love to eat?

Thank you MEOW for bringing them into our lives!

Jennifer, Jack, Halina and Max

Happy Holidays!

It’s Christmas time again, and for my husband and I that also means the anniversary of when we adopted our youngest cat, Muggles (formerly Braveheart), from MEOW. For those of you who might remember him, I just wanted to send a quick update on how he’s doing.

In all seriousness, I can’t begin to tell you how far Muggs has come. He truly is living proof of how love (and a lot of patience!) can completely change an animal’s life (and ours as well!).

I could go on and on about how he responds to his name now, how he rarely gets startled, how he even allows strangers to pet him…but the thing that has been most striking to me is how – beyond the individual behaviors – it almost seems his entire personality has changed. Compared to even just 6 months ago, he is really like a completely different cat (in a good way!).

For example… the first few months we had him, he would allow me to pick him up and would almost go limp in my lap. Once in my lap, he seemed to really like having his tummy rubbed. He also drooled – a lot! We thought he was always going to be this shy, calm, cuddly lap cat.

However, now he hates being picked up. If he’s going to be held, it has to be on his own terms. He also absolutely hates (he’ll swat at us – politely! – if we do) having his tummy pet…and he NEVER drools any more.  My husband and I are sure now that his past behaviors/tolerances were simply things done out of anxiety and nervousness. We now see his true colors – he is an extremely spunky, playful, outgoing, loyal (he’s ALWAYS wherever I am) and affectionate (but not necessarily “cuddly”!) cat. And we absolutely love him. It’s nice to see that he’s become comfortable enough to be himself!

I tell everyone I know about Mugg’s transformation, in hopes that it will convince others to take a chance on an animal it seems no one else will. While I’m sure we would’ve loved and been happy with any other kitten we chose, there is something truly amazing about taking in the “imperfect” one and, in our case, watching him grow into the “perfect” loving, happy, and healthy cat we always knew he was.

PS. Our other two boys from MEOW are doing well also! Their days consist of a lot of eating and sleeping and soliciting attention from their owners.

Best Regards,

Michele Gowin

Winston & Leopold have settled in to a nice routine, and seem quite happy:
 
5:00 AM: hang out in master bedroom, wait for somebody to get up
6:00 AM: follow mom to kitchen, wait for food
6:01 AM – 6:02 AM: (meal #1) eat 95% of their food
6:02 AM – 7:15 AM: stay out of the way while the big kids scramble around getting ready for school
7:15 AM – 8:30 AM: hang out, drink water, nibble on the last few bits of food
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM: sleep in cat perch by the window, maybe watch mom do stuff on the computer
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: mostly sleep, but also available to receive attention from kids who should be doing their homework
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: hang out in the kitchen, waiting for food, hoping that dinner food preparation is sloppy and something yummy falls to the floor
6:00 PM – 6:01 PM: (meal #2) eat 95% of their food
6:01 PM – 6:30 PM: wait for dad to get home
6:30 PM – 6:30:30 PM: (meal #3) THE GOOD NOMS! NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM
6:30:30 PM – 9:00 PM: affection and play time, help kids procrastinate
9:00 PM – 12:00 AM: run around like maniacs, stalk and attack each other, etc.
12:00 AM – 5:00 AM: sleep in their cat perch, or occasionally, on mom and dad’s bed
 
Dave R.

MEOW Staff,

I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful job you do and for your help in finding my kitty soulmate, Stella. I knew from the minute I walked into the older cat playroom at MEOW that I had been “selected,” although I admit that it took me a sleepless night to convince myself — this was my cat and I was her person! I brought her home in July, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Although she came home as “McGonagall,” she quickly settled in to her new persona. Stella, the Princess of Everything and Absolute Ruler of Food Provisions. She loves to bird-watch in the window, hide her toys in the coat closet, and lounge around in the sunlight. She’s a natural lap-cat, and greets me at the door when I come home every night. She’s been a wonderful addition to my family, and I am so grateful to you for taking such great care of her before I she found me. Thank you!!
 
Stefany B.

Rudy and Cleo, aka Ginger, found their way into our hearts and home this past March of 2010.  It had been six months since our home heard the pitter patter of paws on our wooden floors and I can honestly say it was a most welcome sound.  Better yet, having adopted two buddies, it was even nicer to hear them running around the house after each other in joyful play. 
 
In the beginning Rudy was a bit cautious of his new surroundings and quite vocal at night.  What was most intriguing was that when I‘d go to find Rudy to see if something was wrong, I would find him completely content sitting on a chair.  To this day, I think he was testing me to see I would come when I was called like he would do when I called him!  Cleo, on the other hand, was quite inquisitive and made herself at home right away.  If there was a lap to be had, Cleo was sure to find it.  Her favorite past time in the beginning was learning how to open cabinet doors….very inquisitive!
 
It has been seven months now and they are truly part of the family and a joy to be around.  They continue to surprise and entertain.  Thank you Meow for taking such great care of them and keeping their spirits so beautifully intact!
 
Karen & Rick Shea

Hello,

We adopted our precious kitties from you and just wanted to give you an update on how they were doing. We adopted Junior(Johnson) from you Five years ago and our other cat Opie (Tyler) from you four years ago. They both were adopted with eye issues, Opie was rescued from a hoarder and developed the Herpes virus in one of his eyes that required surgery and Junior was abandoned by someone at an apartment complex and somehow got an injury to one of his eyes. Their days are now happily filled with playing,eating, sleeping and getting lots  of loving from their mom and dad. We love them both, so much, they bring us so much happiness. They are, our little family. I have attached a few photos of them, to show you how well, they are doing now.      

Thanks,
Craig and Carolyn T.