“Otis, whose original name was U2 when I adopted him, isn’t my first kitty,” Erica explains. “And the reason I chose him is because I simply couldn’t resist his tiny little face and his baby pink pig nose.
April 30th is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and we at Furry Friends ask that you consider saving a life by adopting a pet – purr-eferably one (or two) of the fabulous felines WE shelter.
Don’t let the Easter Bunny forget about your fluffy feline when he comes a hopping down the bunny trail. Remember the kitties with a basket filled with goodies they will like.
For the container, use a plastic basket or bucket, a decorative box or container made with untreated wood. Some of the purchased Easter baskets may be treated with toxic chemicals or paint. Handling the basket may be okay, but if your pet likes to chew on these tempting baskets, he/she may end up with an upset stomach.
“When I adopted Tuxedo Mask (previously Isosceles) in December 2020, he became my beloved foster fail!” says Elizabeth.
“I received my first batch of five 2-week-old foster kittens in late August 2020. Tux instantly became attached to my fiancé and followed him everywhere as soon as he was old enough to free roam.
Although she’s been a Furry Friends volunteer for less than a year, Aly Benson is already involved in working at the Halfway House, fostering difficult to place kitties and adopting. At the house, Aly is part of the “awesome Monday morning crew.” “I really enjoy getting to know these ladies and hanging out with them each week,” she said.
“I had lost my special Jack Jack last year,” explains Tracy. “A handsome black and white tuxedo, adopted at two, he was 16 when we had to say goodbye. It took some time for me to open up to adopting again. When I was finally ready, I searched and searched to find a special boy in need of a home. My search was specific: a young male black and white tuxedo.
When Jack and Rayne, both 14, passed away, Donne was “not in a position to get a new cat”; so she researched volunteer opportunities with cats in Vancouver and found Furry Friends. She has been a member for a year and is a shift lead on Wednesday nights.
“These little black beauties aren’t our first cats,” Tanna explains. “We did, though, change their names from Padme and Rey – too much ‘Star Wars’ in them — to Nova and Luna.
“After losing my 14-year-old brother and sister cats within two months of each other, I was hesitant to adopt because I’m a senior and didn’t want an active kitten. Then, on the Furry Friends website, I saw photos of Bailey, a 6-year-old female tuxedo.
A true animal lover, Lorien Kelly owns five cats and fosters others as needed, and she has a “little back patio sanctuary” where she feeds a family of raccoons and a pair of opossums. Lorien became involved with Furry Friends in April 2018 while she was caring for an injured stray that showed up one day on her patio.
“Frankie, formerly Anubis, is the first cat of my own although I’ve lived with cats my whole life,” Ahnna says. “I went to the shelter looking for a black cat, and when one of your volunteers and my close friend Jazmynn placed him in my arms, he purred and seemed safe and content there. Seeing him so relaxed that way made him the one for me!
“Gideon (formerly Scarlett) and Piranesi (formerly Sammy) are my eighth and ninth kitties,” Freya says. “I’ve been fortunate in that most of my cats have lived long lives. And since they each preferred being the only cat in my home, I haven’t had that many.
Fury Friends and our supporters are ending a most challenging year as 2022 draws to a close. The aftereffects of Covid on the veterinary profession and on animal welfare overall caused many trials, but we have risen to the challenges and look forward to growing and improving in 2023 with the help of our many dedicated volunteers.
“Our last kitty ran away in December of 2021,” explains Farrah. “We are still heartbroken, but being kittyless was pure agony.
“We were originally looking at another cat, but we weren’t her humans. Then they showed us Cleopatra and it was instant love! And although we kept her original name, we call her Cleo most of the time. Her adjustment to our home was so very fast. It only took about four days for her to be completely adjusted because we also have a dog. Other than that, she’s the Queen and we’re her loyal staff. I still can’t believe she was returned for not being able to adjust to someone else’s home. She acts as if she’s lived here all of her life!
When Sandra learned that Furry Friends is a no-kill cat rescue, the animal-lover who has devoted her life to helping animals knew that the organization was the perfect place for her.
“We recently adopted Cleo from Furry Friends,” says Bethany. “We’ve had pets before, a Beagle named Baxter and a cat named Lucky, both of whom have since passed. After that, we went without a pet for many years — until our daughter asked us to cat sit for her and we fell in love with her cat! Of course we had to give her cat back, but we sure missed having him around.
Furry Friends is lucky to have hundreds of amazing volunteers who dedicate hours upon hours of their time caring for our cats. Cathy McCanta is one such volunteer; she spends three mornings a week at our Halfway House shelter making sure our cats are fed, their rooms are cleaned, and most importantly that our cats are happy and healthy!
“After the death of our 17-year-old cat in January, we looked at the Furry Friends’ adoption website,” explains Alison.
“Darrell and I were immediately attracted to the photos of Ghost, a young Russian Blue, but he was bonded to an orange tabby kitten named Cheese. We talked it through and decided we could easily expand from a one-cat household to a two-cat household.
“I adopted Lucifee from Furry Friends in October 2021,” Madison says, “and although I haven’t technically changed her name, I honestly call her Lucy for short.
“Having grown up with cats, this isn’t my first experience living with them, but Lucy is the first one of my own. In looking for a companion pet, I knew that I wanted one who was friendly and snuggly. And when I read that Lucy really liked people, I felt that I should meet her. I visited her at the shelter and she was immediately very friendly and wanted pets. She also looked so cute and had such an adorable demeanor that I promptly adopted her.
“Several months after making herself happily at home in my home, I decided to move to another location, and Lucy’s had to re-adjust both to a new environment and to the presence of other cats. They’re more than welcoming and only want to be friends with her but she’s not yet that friendly towards them. Given her naturally outgoing personality, though, and a little more time, I’m sure she’ll feel the same way they do.
“Lucy is the best companion pet. I always look forward to spending time with her. We sit on the couch and she comes and cuddles up with me. When I’m working at home she comes and sits on a stool next to my desk and chills with me. I’m very happy to have her as a pet, and my family and friends love her too.
“Lucy likes to play with a toy on a string and also likes the laser pointer and her scratching stations. But most of all she likes exploring our new home. She was used to carpeting in our previous place and now, with hardwood floors, she slips and slides about in the cutest way. She also loves to flop, and since she’s heavy, she makes a ‘thudding’ sound. When she wants to rub against you, it’s more ‘ramming’ than rubbing, and when she tries to scratch herself, she often ends up scratching the air. In short, my Lucy is as funny as she is endearing.
“I’m very grateful to Furry Friends for taking Lucy in and for allowing me to adopt her. Thank you!”
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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA. She lives with her adopted Maltese named Mini.
Sara Lugo, a Furry Friends volunteer since 2019, often rolls up her sleeves to clean the kitties’ house. She is the Team Lead on our Tuesday morning shift and frequently helps others on their shifts. Sara adopted a cat from Furry Friends several years ago, and shortly after retiring she made the decision to volunteer!
“Bruce, boasting a Batman cape as befits a cat with his name, is the first kitty I’ve had on my own,” says Mike. “And Bruce is and always will be his name!
“As someone living alone, and needing an indoor kitty, the fact that Bruce was FIV+ made him an ideal fit. When I met him, it was love at first sight. His adjustment to living with me was almost immediate. It only took him about 30 minutes to explore his new environment and start making himself at home.
Introducing our new Volunteer Coordinator, Kelli Thompson! Kelli has been volunteering with Furry Friends for a little over a year, and initially started out as one of our kitten foster
parents. In that amount of time, Kelli and her husband, Josh McClellan, have fostered 8 different litters of kittens! You may have also seen them at the Halfway House, since Kelli and Josh have
recently been working as House Shift substitutes as well.
“These are the first cats we’ve adopted since having cats as kids,” Lori says. “And although we’d come up with some new names, we decided to keep the names Salem and Sabrina.
“What a year it has been! We have had many successes and many challenges along the way, but despite those challenges we have saved hundreds of cats and kittens and continue to make an impact on the community we serve.
One of the challenges that we are facing is that we are now feeling the full effect of the veterinarians partial closures from the past couple years of COVID19. With the community having limited to no access to spay and neuter services for 2020 and part of 2021, we are now seeing the result of that. It Kitten season ALL-YEAR-LONG.