March 2024 Adoptions
Written by Julia Persch
Peggy
Peggy & Gladys
Six years ago, Peggy and Gladys had made their first appearance at KAS as little kittens who soon found a loving home with a family in St. Johnsbury. But around last Christmas an elderly parent needed to move in, who was highly allergic to cats. With great sadness, the family brought the two kitties back to the Shelter.
The girls were a little afraid and hiding when they first arrived, but after a couple of days they started to make themselves at home. They were very affectionate, playful, and sweet. They loved their caretakers and wanted to cuddle all day. Peggy was full-figured and always trying to get the lion share at mealtimes when she wasn’t supervised. She enjoyed rolling around in a clean litter box and bullying her sister when she got bored.
Gladys
Gladys was a sweetheart, and although she was very attached to her sibling, she was looking forward to a more spacious living situation where she could have some unmolested private time.
Luckily, Ellen from Jericho, Vt, was utterly charmed by the girls during visiting hours on a Saturday afternoon. She adopted Peggy and Gladys on March 5th.
Sula (Gladys)
On April 10th Ellen wrote:
I wanted to send you an update on my beautiful girls. First, I confess to changing their names to Sula (Little She Bear) for Gladys, and Koko (Night) for Peggy. I tried to maintain their other names, but I needed something specific to their attributes.
Koko still acts ravenously hungry in the morning, and I must let her eat first, before feeding and guarding Sula and her food. Koko has, however, lost some weight, making her a little less hefty. I am hoping that with time, they will be closer again, but territory (which includes me), is still something to spat over.
I wanted to send you an update on my beautiful girls. First, I confess to changing their names to Sula (Little She Bear) for Gladys, and Koko (Night) for Peggy. I tried to maintain their other names, but I needed something specific to their attributes.
Koko still acts ravenously hungry in the morning, and I must let her eat first, before feeding and guarding Sula and her food. Koko has, however, lost some weight, making her a little less hefty. I am hoping that with time, they will be closer again, but territory (which includes me), is still something to spat over.
Koko (Peggy)
They also run about the house, genteelly select toys from the toy basket, and bat them about. They quickly mastered the heights of my kitchen cabinets, showing true feline athleticism. And they each use the new cat tree, just not at the same time. They are both eating well, and tolerating wet, grain-free food fine.
Sula met the vet; alas I could not get Koko into a carrier, as she fought like a rabid raccoon! - Must work on that.
Thank you all again, for making it possible for Gladys and Peggy to come home with me. It is clear they have always been treated well, as they are trusting and affectionate. (Amazing that they roll over to expose their bellies for petting!)
Best, Ellen
Sula met the vet; alas I could not get Koko into a carrier, as she fought like a rabid raccoon! - Must work on that.
Thank you all again, for making it possible for Gladys and Peggy to come home with me. It is clear they have always been treated well, as they are trusting and affectionate. (Amazing that they roll over to expose their bellies for petting!)
Best, Ellen
Aurora
Aurora came to the Shelter quite unnerved from her previous living situation. Her owner had reported that the one-year-old cat hid most of the time and wouldn’t come out, being afraid of one of the children in the house. Aurora was said to be unfriendly, and having scratched a young child, therefore she had to leave the home.
It took Aurora a little while to trust her caregivers at the Shelter; hands seemed to be a big threat. But with gentle approaches and encouragement, she soon overcame her misgivings and showed how hungry she was for affection. Aurora turned out to be loving, playful and smart. She recognized her care team quickly and showed her joy when meeting each person again.
When Aurora was ready for a new home, she made it clear that the choice would be hers alone. We knew for sure that she wouldn’t want any children in her life again. Yet, she totally ignored a very nice family of adults who had applied for her, and who found their love match in the next room with Nellie cat.
But a few weeks later, Aurora connected instantly with a retired couple from Whitefield, NH, greeting them like old friends. She did nip Ted’s hand when she was settling on his lap, just to make sure he would conform, and Ted didn’t mind at all. Ted and Nancy had had many cats in their lives. It was obvious that they would let Aurora be who she was and find her way to be her most comfortable self. They had a lovely big house with lots of windows and fun spaces for Aurora to explore. She would be totally doted on.
Aurora went to her new home on March 3rd.
On the same evening Nancy and Ted sent pictures of Aurora already taking over the house, and they wrote: “Good ride home; she's adjusting and exploring, rubbing all over us. She's happy and so are we!”
On April 11th Nancy wrote: “Aurora has a new name: Roxie. She is doing great, still can't pick her up yet, however, I'm working on her. She loves sleeping with us at night at the foot of the bed. She loves to run upstairs and down the stairs and loves the sliding glass doors.”
On the same evening Nancy and Ted sent pictures of Aurora already taking over the house, and they wrote: “Good ride home; she's adjusting and exploring, rubbing all over us. She's happy and so are we!”
On April 11th Nancy wrote: “Aurora has a new name: Roxie. She is doing great, still can't pick her up yet, however, I'm working on her. She loves sleeping with us at night at the foot of the bed. She loves to run upstairs and down the stairs and loves the sliding glass doors.”
Minou
A veterinarian contacted us in December to ask if we could take Minou, a 16-year-old, gentle kitty. Her elderly owner was no longer able to care for her due to a progressing illness.
The vet told us that Minou was sad and lonely, but that she was a sweet cat, healthy, there was no aggression at all, and she was getting friendlier every day. They had her set up in the utility room at the vet clinic. On January 2nd Minou moved into the “senior suite” at Kingdom Animal Shelter.
Minou turned out to be the absolute sweetest senior cat. She loved to curl up in one’s lap and cuddle. The volunteers joked that KAS could ask for a therapy-cat-fee for spending time with Minou, because she had such a peaceful and lovely demeanor. In her presence one could relax and forget about one’s troubles.
But Minou didn’t want a job; she rather wanted to spend her golden years as a companion cat in a quiet home without other pets where she had her own human to adore and be close to.
Lute, a young man from St. Johnsbury, was the lucky person to take her home. Lute and his mother Marianne had volunteered at KAS in the past and were both great cat lovers. On March 5th Minou moved in with her new friend.
On March 15th Lute wrote:
Minou is eating well, and usually finishes the portions you recommended to me. She loves sleeping in her cat bed that she got from the Shelter, or in my room once I've gone to bed. She is a girl that gets her enjoyment from sitting on my lap no matter what I’m up to, or, if that isn't an option, being near to me. She is just the kitty I was looking for.
On April 9th, Lute’s mom Marianne wrote:
I can say that Minou is just the sweetest kitty. She always greets me when I visit and comes right onto my lap. She enjoys the windowsills to keep an eye on the neighbors. This week she got a new scratching pad, one of the cardboard kind, which is also serving as a little step-stool to help her get up into the big bed. I know she gets lap time when Lute comes home from work, and I can hear her purring away in the background when we talk on the phone.
As always thanks for all you do!
Wendy
Wendy initially came to the Shelter in 2018, after having been on the streets as a stray for many months. She was scared then, but a very nice young girl and was adopted into a good home. Sadly, her person passed away last summer. She was taken in by a relative, but Wendy didn’t like one of the resident cats and bullied her, so she came back to KAS.
Wendy was quite pudgy when she arrived. She quickly became a favorite of the volunteers, being a sweet lap cat with the cutest face and so endearing. At Christmas she got her own virtual fireplace and Christmas tree in her room. And her 7th birthday in March was celebrated with cupcakes and fairy dust, wishing her the best of homes…
Soon after, an application arrived from a retired couple in Johnson, Vt. Carol and Bruce had seen Wendy on Facebook in her birthday outfit with a red bow tie and felt she was the one. They had recently lost their beloved Daisy and were lonely for cat company.
They adopted Wendy and brought her home on March 22nd.
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On April 14th their adoption counselor Helen reported that she had talked with Carol and Bruce twice on the phone, to hear how Wendy was doing:
“They LOVE Wendy. She makes them laugh. She is a character. They say that she is adjusting really well and is a sweet girl.
Wendy has made herself right at home. She has a special mousie toy that she tosses up into the air and leaps as best she can after it. Wendy has totally taken over both Carol's and Bruce's favorite chairs. She also claims open drawers, dining tables and all the rest of the furniture in the house. She sleeps between them on the bed (her bed now!)
At first, Wendy was nervous about their screened in porch...but now she loves it because she can go out and watch the birds and squirrels running, flitting about. They feed her a special diet for overweight cats, wet and dry, and she loves it.
Carol and Bruce are thrilled to have Wendy with them in her new forever home!!
Sabrina
In the beginning of November three tiny black fluff balls were found in a barn and brought to the Shelter. Jet, Jack, and Sabrina were full of life and ready to explore the world on their stubby legs.
Little Sabrina was the leader of the pack and in charge of playtime. Her gentler brothers, Jet and Jack, followed along. Sabrina was a gorgeous silky girl with a very loud purr every time she was picked up. She was totally fearless and very energetic, but she was also a socialite who loved to be close to people when she was playing with her toys.
Jet and Jack were adopted in February to a great home, and Sabrina went into a foster home with the Tucker family. Their kitty Wart was an experienced foster assistant. He took Sabrina under his furry wings and the two of them got along splendidly.
Sabrina
In the beginning of November three tiny black fluff balls were found in a barn and brought to the Shelter. Jet, Jack, and Sabrina were full of life and ready to explore the world on their stubby legs.
Little Sabrina was the leader of the pack and in charge of playtime. Her gentler brothers, Jet and Jack, followed along. Sabrina was a gorgeous silky girl with a very loud purr every time she was picked up. She was totally fearless and very energetic, but she was also a socialite who loved to be close to people when she was playing with her toys.
Jet and Jack were adopted in February to a great home, and Sabrina went into a foster home with the Tucker family. Their kitty Wart was an experienced foster assistant. He took Sabrina under his furry wings and the two of them got along splendidly.
Sarah from Lyndonville had been looking for a companion cat for her 1 ½- year-old grey tiger Loki. They had rescued him when he was 2 weeks old. He was very energetic and sweet, and they felt he could use a friend to play off all that youthful energy.
It isn’t always easy to find a friend for a cat who grew up as a single kitten. Since Loki didn’t learn how to play with feline siblings, nor how to behave properly with a mama cat when he grew up with humans, he couldn’t know how to get acquainted with another cat. And if the other kitty was timid, he might mistake it for a wonderful squirrely thing to hunt after.
Therefore, all the social skills had to be with the new feline buddy, who would have to be super confident to teach Loki how to speak cat, how to play cat, how to cuddle a cat, and how to keep proper boundaries.
Sabrina was up for the challenge and got adopted by Sarah’s family on March 23rd.
On March 25th Sarah wrote:
“Things are going well here. Sabrina is very sweet, and the two cats are getting along.“
On April 4th Sarah wrote:
“We are doing well! We have decided to change Sabrina’s name to Luna, and she’s coming right to it already when we call her. She and Loki like each other really well, and she truly has fit into our family. We are all completely in love 🩷
I just took a few pictures of them snuggling yesterday so I have attached those. Have a great day and be safe!”
It isn’t always easy to find a friend for a cat who grew up as a single kitten. Since Loki didn’t learn how to play with feline siblings, nor how to behave properly with a mama cat when he grew up with humans, he couldn’t know how to get acquainted with another cat. And if the other kitty was timid, he might mistake it for a wonderful squirrely thing to hunt after.
Therefore, all the social skills had to be with the new feline buddy, who would have to be super confident to teach Loki how to speak cat, how to play cat, how to cuddle a cat, and how to keep proper boundaries.
Sabrina was up for the challenge and got adopted by Sarah’s family on March 23rd.
On March 25th Sarah wrote:
“Things are going well here. Sabrina is very sweet, and the two cats are getting along.“
On April 4th Sarah wrote:
“We are doing well! We have decided to change Sabrina’s name to Luna, and she’s coming right to it already when we call her. She and Loki like each other really well, and she truly has fit into our family. We are all completely in love 🩷
I just took a few pictures of them snuggling yesterday so I have attached those. Have a great day and be safe!”
Peter and Evelyn
Peter and Evelyn were adopted on March 30th. They were such star kitties that they got their own special article in this Newsletter!