March 2023 Adoptions
Written by Julia Persch
Puck
Little Puck showed up on a porch in a neighboring town during the worst cold spell in February. He was rescued and soon enjoying warmth and care at Kingdom Animal Shelter while recovering from a bad respiratory infection.
Puck was hungry like a wolf, sneezing and snuffling, but so happy to be alive and with friends. He was adorable and he charmed everybody with his beautiful affectionate spirit.
Within a month Puck found a new home with Hadley and Wally in Barton. He joined kitten BB, who was just about his own age, and a young dog, Atlas.
Their adoption counselor Nancy Rivet reported:
Puck stayed in a safe room for about 2 days while the family introduced him to BB slowly. The kittens bonded very soon. After a couple of days, they were the best of friends and wanted to play non-stop. The family was careful to not let them overdo it.
BB and Puck are now inseparable. They particularly love the couch, lounging in the sun. Puck also adores Atlas, the dog. And although Atlas is not a cuddler, he allows some affectionate advances from Puck, who is irresistible.
Puck loves to play with just about anything and he particularly likes to carry things around in his mouth. He goes down to the basement, fetches pieces of bark and brings them upstairs. He and BB play soccer with anything on the floor.
Hadley and Wally have a woven laundry basket in which the kittens play hide and seek and jump out at each other.
Puck is eating very well and is learning to regulate himself and not overeat.
Hadley states that Puck is great, very sweet, a cuddle bug and loves to be carried around. They feel so lucky that they were able to adopt him.
“He is a blast and a great guy to have around the house!”
Little Puck showed up on a porch in a neighboring town during the worst cold spell in February. He was rescued and soon enjoying warmth and care at Kingdom Animal Shelter while recovering from a bad respiratory infection.
Puck was hungry like a wolf, sneezing and snuffling, but so happy to be alive and with friends. He was adorable and he charmed everybody with his beautiful affectionate spirit.
Within a month Puck found a new home with Hadley and Wally in Barton. He joined kitten BB, who was just about his own age, and a young dog, Atlas.
Their adoption counselor Nancy Rivet reported:
Puck stayed in a safe room for about 2 days while the family introduced him to BB slowly. The kittens bonded very soon. After a couple of days, they were the best of friends and wanted to play non-stop. The family was careful to not let them overdo it.
BB and Puck are now inseparable. They particularly love the couch, lounging in the sun. Puck also adores Atlas, the dog. And although Atlas is not a cuddler, he allows some affectionate advances from Puck, who is irresistible.
Puck loves to play with just about anything and he particularly likes to carry things around in his mouth. He goes down to the basement, fetches pieces of bark and brings them upstairs. He and BB play soccer with anything on the floor.
Hadley and Wally have a woven laundry basket in which the kittens play hide and seek and jump out at each other.
Puck is eating very well and is learning to regulate himself and not overeat.
Hadley states that Puck is great, very sweet, a cuddle bug and loves to be carried around. They feel so lucky that they were able to adopt him.
“He is a blast and a great guy to have around the house!”
Vincent and Austen
These handsome tabby boys were part of a large group of young, semi-feral cats who were abandoned in a ramshackle house in the middle of last winter. They had to fend for themselves for at least two months until they were rescued.
The two shy boys went into expert foster care with KAS volunteer Nancy Pellegrino for a whole year, where they showed their great personalities. Vincent was a love, always underfoot wanting to be petted and purring non-stop.
Austen took a little longer to relax around his foster mom. But he knew how it felt to be hungry and cold and never wanted to feel like that again, so he said it loud and clear on a daily basis. Food was the way to his heart!
They were very social and friendly with the other cats in the house and loved to play and hang out with them.
But they were still very shy with most people, therefore they moved to the Shelter for several months for additional socialization. Many volunteers cared for them and spent time with them. They became more and more curious and trusting.
Vincent and Austen found a wonderful home with Michelle and Reed in Williston.
On March 30 Michelle wrote:
“Our boys are doing well; they are growing more comfortable in the house each day. Our female kitty Neko is assertive and will hold her ground with both boys who respect her space nicely.
Our white cat Trooper has been wary of Vincent because Vincent is a little more forward and infatuated with Trooper. We're working on giving Trooper his confidence to just hold ground, as well as making sure that there are multiple pathways around the house (ledges, shelves, furniture to use instead of the ground) so that no one can get trapped anywhere. Everything has been passive, and they will eventually cohabitate just fine, we are just taking a little extra time with Trooper who seems to be less confident with the boys.
Austen is a HOOT! He gets the zoomies a couple times a day and we just love watching his acrobatics and playfulness as he tears around the house. He certainly loves the extra room to let loose compared to the shelter space or his "home base" in Reed's office at our house. He will still slink back there for comfort when he gets nervous, but a laser pointer and wand toys have been a great way to break through his interactions with us. Reed has been working with him on treat-pet-treat-pet training to desensitize him to touch which we can tell he's interested in while Vincent is soaking up the rubs, but Austen can't seem to break past the nerves yet. He can take all the time he wants; he'll get there and be a total love once he does!”
Finnegan
Shelter volunteers Tracy and Christine officially adopted their long-term foster cat Finnegan in February, just before he passed away peacefully. They had cared for Finn lovingly for two years.
Tracy shared his story of “The Mighty Finn”
“In December 2020, the Shelter approached us to foster an additional senior kitty with special needs and we agreed. Finnegan took up residence in our guestroom, because our hospice foster kitty, Zola, did not like other cats.
After having Finn for a couple of months he was examined by a specialty vet to get a better handle on his health issues. The news that came back were grim. We knew he had lived a rough life, mostly as a stray. He had lost his eyelids and part of his ears due to frostbite and he was anemic. He might have been poisoned at some point in his life and as a result, his liver was barely functioning, his kidneys weren’t in great shape, his bone marrow wasn’t producing enough red blood cells, and he had lymphoma of his intestines. The specialist gave him about two months to live. We were sent home with a boatload of medication and instructions on palliative care.
After our hospice cat Zola passed away, Finn was given the run of the first floor of our house. He soon showed us his big personality and entertained us with his comedic shenanigans. He loved to watch cartoons and squirrel videos. When I called my family, he would sit by my shoulder eaves dropping and adding an occasional purr to the conversation. Which conversation couldn’t be improved by a little purring?
There were a few times when it seemed like the end was near, but he would rally back. Our Shelter vet Dr. Sally would change up a few meds. When Finn’s kidneys began to deteriorate, Rod Lauman helped us by giving Finn subcutaneous fluids. With all the care he kept on going.
In the beginning of February, he cut back on his eating and then stopped eating altogether. We both hoped it would be another of his Cyrano moments, but he did not recover. We officially adopted him, as we wanted him to be part of the family in every way. We knew the end was near and we took turns sitting vigil. On the morning of Feb 6, he passed away in Christine’s arms.
When we agreed to take Finn home, I told myself I would not emotionally bond with him. After all, he would only be with us for two months. Two years later, Finn proved me wrong. Finn's passing hit me the hardest of all the furry friends I’ve had in my life. I miss him so much. Despite the hurt, I would not have traded away this experience.
I urge people to consider adopting an older and/or hospice animal!
In the beginning of February, he cut back on his eating and then stopped eating altogether. We both hoped it would be another of his Cyrano moments, but he did not recover. We officially adopted him, as we wanted him to be part of the family in every way. We knew the end was near and we took turns sitting vigil. On the morning of Feb 6, he passed away in Christine’s arms.
When we agreed to take Finn home, I told myself I would not emotionally bond with him. After all, he would only be with us for two months. Two years later, Finn proved me wrong. Finn's passing hit me the hardest of all the furry friends I’ve had in my life. I miss him so much. Despite the hurt, I would not have traded away this experience.
I urge people to consider adopting an older and/or hospice animal!
Gina and George
These inseparable little ones were such sweethearts, but quite shy at the start of their adventure of becoming pets, just like their mom Geraldine. But with the help of volunteer Nancy, a feral cat whisperer, they blossomed in her foster home.
Gina was an adorable little munchkin with short legs. After some time with Nancy’s socializing magic, Gina always wanted to be on her foster mom's lap as soon as they sat down on a couch. George would roll over for belly rubs and loved to snuggle. They were very much bonded. Gina would cry if she was left alone and if she couldn’t find George immediately. They slept together, were very affectionate and playful with each other.
It was clear that they would need a special quiet home with cat-savvy, patient humans who would give them time to come along on their short legs at their own pace.
Yuki from Littleton and her adult daughter were the lucky adopter of these precious kittens.
After their first night in Yuki’s home, she reported that George was very curious and came out from under the bed to play with them, but Gina was still hiding.
On March 23rd Yuki wrote:
“George is very comfortable now. He sits with us and purrs a lot. Gina comes out more and more often. She plays with us with her favorite balls. They are eating well, too. Once Gina is more comfortable, I will slowly introduce them to other rooms. So far things are great!!”
After their first night in Yuki’s home, she reported that George was very curious and came out from under the bed to play with them, but Gina was still hiding.
On March 23rd Yuki wrote:
“George is very comfortable now. He sits with us and purrs a lot. Gina comes out more and more often. She plays with us with her favorite balls. They are eating well, too. Once Gina is more comfortable, I will slowly introduce them to other rooms. So far things are great!!”