Providing support is to give help or assistance, or to hold someone up.

The third time Max faced major surgery due to ingesting a foreign object, his human mom realized she could no longer manage his Pica, a challenging condition in which an animal (or human) will ingest non-food items.

In Max’s case, he is particularly drawn to rubbery items, such as rubber bands, rubber balls, and once, a rubber wine stopper.  Max was returned to MEOW and received the critical surgery he needed.

In our medical diagnostics of Max, which included consulting with a behaviorist, we discovered that Max is most prone to eating non-food items when bored or anxious.

During the months when Max lived at MEOW, we made certain he had lots of daily stimulation from staff and volunteers. We were vigilant about keeping rubbery toys and other dangerous items away from him, only allowing hard, durable toys, as well as lasers and wand toys managed by his caretakers.

We knew Max wasn’t the perfect cat for just anyone and would do best in a home with cat savvy adopters who would not only have lots of time to offer him plenty of attention and enrichment, but also make sure his environment was safe.

Then one day, our wishes for Max came true! Someone came to meet Max in hopes of adopting him as a best friend for her cat – who happens to also have Pica! The perfect home for Maxwell Smart!!

Kindness is marked by acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistance, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return.

Last winter a couple of rescuers were alerted to a colony of nine cats living near an adult family home in Marysville. Yes, they could trap and get them altered, but appointments were scarce and the shelters were full.

When the rescuers arrived to assess the situation, a thin red tabby came running to let them know he was very friendly – and so hungry. They put down food and began talking with the neighbors to get more information.

One woman said she was planning to trap also – to euthanize them. She got amusement from watching the cats struggle in the cold and snow. If the cats were lucky, they’d get a few leftovers from the dinners of the residents. Often they’d eat the compost or something from the garbage. The heartless women had bullied an older gentleman until he stopped feeding the cats for fear of getting in trouble. The cats were starving.

The rescuers began feeding them every day while waiting for spay/neuter appointments and started assessing their level of friendliness.

Kingdom would meet the car each day, teaching the others by example.

Six of the nine cats became MEOW cats, thanks to our heroes, the rescuers – and to that trusting red tabby, Kingdom.