Chessie’s Story

When the car window rolled down at the drive-through coffee stand, the barista expected to hear an order. Instead, a young tabby cat jumped out as the car drove away.

Just seven months old when abandoned, Chessie was brought to MEOW by a kind bystander. Soon adopted, it seemed her happy ending had come. But two years later, when Chessie’s adopter’s circumstances changed, she was returned to us. Once a MEOW cat, always a MEOW cat, we welcomed our friend back with loving arms.

A quirky girl, not fond of other cats, we knew it might take time for Chessie to find her perfect match. We would be there for as long as it took, gently caring for her on her own terms. Settled into our Summer suite, Chessie loved playing with staff and volunteers, settling into laps and always letting us know when she’d had enough.

Winter passed, then Spring, then Summer. By Fall, Chessie had become our longest-term resident. It’s not always easy for cats to spend long periods in the shelter, so we ensure they receive plenty of love, attention, and enrichment. Chessie especially enjoys her CatTV tablet kindly donated by our supporters.

Even a wonderful feature on KING 5 News didn’t find Chessie’s new home, although she was much admired.   We’re hoping Chessie will be chosen soon by that special person, but until then, she is welcome right here with us.

Draco & Sable’s Story

At MEOW, we have valued relationships with several kind and dedicated independent rescuers who commit their time, energy, and funds to helping cats in need.

Often, this can be a long and delicate process. Rescuers work with families and pets in complex situations, where finding the best way to help everyone can take patience, persistence, and kindness.

When rescuer Sara was asked to help a family struggling with too many cats in an apartment, she was shocked to discover over 100 cats and kittens in dire need. Many of the females were pregnant, nursing kittens, and struggling with parasites and infections. Despite this, the cats were sweet and friendly, but the family was truly overwhelmed and had been unable to access other support.

At the shelter we marveled at their responses to the care and kindness they had so desperately needed. One brave mama cat, Sable, was nursing her kittens while also struggling with a severely injured eye, perhaps due to a run-in with a resident dog. She urgently needed veterinary attention. Another, Draco, with his dashing pirate looks, was also missing an eye and had dental issues.

Sara reached out to MEOW, and we were honored to help. Slowly but surely, Sara worked to ensure each cat would be neutered or spayed and placed with rescues or in foster homes. MEOW went on to offer 30 of these cats a soft place to land, along with the medical and loving care needed to prepare them for brighter futures.

Sable and Draco went on to spend quite some time recuperating in one of MEOW’s experienced and loving foster homes. Both underwent eye surgery, and Draco had much needed dental extractions. Ultimately, we were grateful to ensure all 30 cats were gently cared for, spayed, neutered, treated for parasites, vaccinated and microchipped and when ready, all found loving forever homes.

We’re fortunate to work with our kind rescue partners, who devote themselves tirelessly to this often-overwhelming mission, to give cats like Draco and Sable the happy lives they so deserve.

Razzy’s Story

There was sadness in the eyes of the soft-spoken young man as he placed the carrier on the counter. Close to his side, his 3-year-old daughter, in a ruffled dress and lace-trimmed stockings, watched quietly. The man explained that they had lost their home and would be temporarily living in the family car. Knowing their 9-year-old cat would not do well with this, they had agreed to surrender Razzy to allow him a safer future.

During Razzy’s intake, the man smiled as he talked about his big personality, his likes and dislikes. Someone asked dad if we could let his little girl pick out some cookies and treats from our snack table. Her eyes lit up. While she placed sweet treats in a small brown bag, the staff and volunteers secretly passed an envelope, collecting their own gift cards and cash, a treat for dad to discover later, to help on this new journey.

Razzy went into foster care, to wait to be chosen.  Although FIV positive, overall, he’s a big, healthy character, talkative and curious. He likes windows and enjoys canned food. He will sit on a lap or allow being held on his terms and will express his opinion about that when he’s over it.

After his foster mom got to know him, she knew he was there to stay, the King of his new Castle. 

Razzy’s story reminds us how a little bit of kindness can have a huge impact.

Cats like Razzy, who come to us with a tale to tell, inspire us every day to remain committed to our motto, “all nine lives are precious.”

Madge’s Story

Madge was a stray, brought to us by a good Samaritan. She was emaciated, critically dehydrated and was found to be severely hyperthyroid, with high blood pressure, an ulcerated mass on the base of her right ear, an ear infection and stage 3-4 (out of 4) dental disease.

After several weeks of supportive care and medications, she became stable enough to receive Radioactive Iodine (I-131) Therapy for treatment of hyperthyroidism. She did very well. Though she still has a ways to go and further treatment for her other issues, she is getting stronger every day and we hope will soon be healthy enough to find her forever home.

Madge’s story shows us what perseverance is and reminds us how far a bit of patience and empathy can go.

This sweet girl thrives on attention and pets. Her voice is powerful and sweetly raspy, and she uses it frequently to remind us that she has a story to tell us about the life she has led.

We do not shy away from sick, elderly, or special needs animals. Although they may require more from us and take a bit longer to find their forever home, each life is precious to us.

Cats like Madge, who come to us with a tale to tell, inspire us every day to remain committed to our motto, “all nine lives are precious.”

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.

Kittens are adorable, but there are just too many! We are absolutely committed to reducing the population of homeless cats, and we’re convinced that the solution is spay/neuter for every single cat and kitten, every single dog and puppy.

Although it has become more expensive, and more difficult to even secure appointments, spay and neuter surgeries are a vital part of what we provide through our Public Spay/Neuter Voucher Program for low-income pet owners. 

$50 today can ensure that one female cat will never again go through pregnancy and eliminate the possibility of up to 3 additional litters, about 15 homeless kittens per year.

A $25 donation today will ensure that one male cat is no longer able to impregnate female cats and will eliminate the possibility of countless homeless kittens per year.

Recently, one of our amazing trappers was offered the opportunity to buy a tiny one week old kitten which a man said he had found in a log.  For $40, a life was saved. Nimbus became part of our MEOW family.

“Isn’t kitten season over?”, you may ask. Not this year. Whether it’s due to global warming, the lack of spay/neuter services during the pandemic, or just Mother Nature, baby kitties are still coming and still in immediate need of nutritious kitten formula, then high quality kitten canned and kibble foods, vaccines, and alter surgeries.

Although kittens don’t often spend too much time in the shelter, their needs during foster care can be quite extensive. We promise we’ll be there to care for them tomorrow, and for as long as they need us, with your help.

Your donation of $100 today can provide formula, food, core vaccines, microchip, and alter surgery for one kitten, readying him or her for a forever family.

These boys are unrelated but have very similar stories. Each one came to MEOW as a result of a plea from an emergency vet hospital. Each one had been experiencing repeated urinary blockages.

Each one would require a life-saving surgery called PU, or Perineal Urethrostomy. In both cases, the owners were unable to afford the very expensive treatment and made the kindest decision, to relinquish their cat.

Thanks to MEOW’s Mercy Fund, both Van and Maurice have recovered from their surgeries and now have new forever homes. 

Your donation of $500 today can help re-build our Mercy Fund coffers, so that in 2023 we can continue to be there for cats like Van and Maurice.

The underlying causes of seizures in cats are often hard to diagnose. This was the case with both River and Orange, two lucky kitties in our Ninth Life Foster program. River began having seizures as a kitten in 2019.  Since then, she has experienced many ER hospital stays and extensive diagnostics, causing her specialists to believe she has primary epilepsy. With the diagnosis confirmed, the challenge now is to control her seizures by adjusting her medications as her needs change. River is loved and thriving in her Ninth Life foster home, determined to be like the other cats despite her challenges. 

In another foster home, a blue kitty named Orange also began having seizures as a young kitten. More than a year later, her seizures are controlled, and she is doing well. Cats with seizure disorders can have a very good quality of life provided their seizures can be controlled. At MEOW, we’re committed to special needs cats like River and Orange. Because, you know, all nine lives are precious.

Thanks to your support today, our Ninth Life program can continue to provide the critical financial support for cats like River and Orange who have limited adoption options but no shortage of love and care in their Ninth Life foster home. Your donation of $200 today can provide a routine but necessary follow up veterinary exam for a Ninth Life cat.

The underlying causes of seizures in cats are often hard to diagnose. This was the case with both River and Orange, two lucky kitties in our Ninth Life Foster program. River began having seizures as a kitten in 2019.  Since then, she has experienced many ER hospital stays and extensive diagnostics, causing her specialists to believe she has primary epilepsy. With the diagnosis confirmed, the challenge now is to control her seizures by adjusting her medications as her needs change. River is loved and thriving in her Ninth Life foster home, determined to be like the other cats despite her challenges. 

In another foster home, a blue kitty named Orange also began having seizures as a young kitten. More than a year later, her seizures are controlled, and she is doing well. Cats with seizure disorders can have a very good quality of life provided their seizures can be controlled. At MEOW, we’re committed to special needs cats like River and Orange. Because, you know, all nine lives are precious.

Thanks to your support today, our Ninth Life program can continue to provide the critical financial support for cats like River and Orange who have limited adoption options but no shortage of love and care in their Ninth Life foster home. Your donation of $200 today can provide a routine but necessary follow up veterinary exam for a Ninth Life cat.