May 2023 Adoptions
Written by Julia Persch
Poppy
Poppy is 9-year-old lovely black kitty - with a complicated history…
When she first came to the Shelter two years ago, she had been handed around in her family several times. She didn’t feel safe with the family dogs, and nobody quite wanted her. She learned to lash out and was treated with impatience.
After she was surrendered, Poppy didn’t show any aggression in her foster home. She was calm and sweet. But when she was adopted by a very kind lady Poppy seemed to relive her past and started lashing out at her person’s ankles when she walked by for no apparent reason. The lady was very sad that she couldn’t keep Poppy and brought her back to the Shelter.
For several months Poppy served as the KAS office cat and became very popular with the volunteers. She never scratched anybody and seemed peaceful and content.
Poppy is 9-year-old lovely black kitty - with a complicated history…
When she first came to the Shelter two years ago, she had been handed around in her family several times. She didn’t feel safe with the family dogs, and nobody quite wanted her. She learned to lash out and was treated with impatience.
After she was surrendered, Poppy didn’t show any aggression in her foster home. She was calm and sweet. But when she was adopted by a very kind lady Poppy seemed to relive her past and started lashing out at her person’s ankles when she walked by for no apparent reason. The lady was very sad that she couldn’t keep Poppy and brought her back to the Shelter.
For several months Poppy served as the KAS office cat and became very popular with the volunteers. She never scratched anybody and seemed peaceful and content.
In May, KAS volunteer Fran from Lyndonville adopted her. Fran had worked with difficult cats before and was committed to give Poppy a safe and loving home.
After a short time, Poppy started her old pattern of “stalking and attacking ankles” as if the safety and comfort of a true home triggered memories of her past and made her relive it all over again. But Fran is working on calming Poppy and finding ways to release her pent-up energies and trauma.
On June 8th Fran sent an update:
“Poppy loves looking out the windows and chattering at the birds - there are lots of them around my yard. On the warm days, I open the windows and she gets her sunbath. She looks great and her coat is beautiful.
After a short time, Poppy started her old pattern of “stalking and attacking ankles” as if the safety and comfort of a true home triggered memories of her past and made her relive it all over again. But Fran is working on calming Poppy and finding ways to release her pent-up energies and trauma.
On June 8th Fran sent an update:
“Poppy loves looking out the windows and chattering at the birds - there are lots of them around my yard. On the warm days, I open the windows and she gets her sunbath. She looks great and her coat is beautiful.
She has a little bed on my bed where she quietly spends about half the night - I'm not sure what she likes to do during the other half of the night!
Our new routine is that at about 6 am, she gets up first and has the zoomies and plays with toys by herself, until I get up at 7am. When I get up, I'm working on her "stalking/attack" behaviors - starting out by throwing some catnip toys for her to chase (instead of my feet), and some feather-wand play. Poppy now expects this! Then she settles a bit and eats breakfast.
She is eating very well.
I don't approach her - I let her come to me. She does come to me several times during the day for petting...usually while I'm sitting. She has come on my lap a couple of times but didn't stay long. She seems content while I'm at work and has her big nap in the afternoon.
We keep working on her behavior. It has decreased quite a bit but is not gone.
I do see progress when she comes charging out from under the bed and does NOT attack my feet...just runs by....phew.....baby steps I guess.”
Fran, you are our hero!
Our new routine is that at about 6 am, she gets up first and has the zoomies and plays with toys by herself, until I get up at 7am. When I get up, I'm working on her "stalking/attack" behaviors - starting out by throwing some catnip toys for her to chase (instead of my feet), and some feather-wand play. Poppy now expects this! Then she settles a bit and eats breakfast.
She is eating very well.
I don't approach her - I let her come to me. She does come to me several times during the day for petting...usually while I'm sitting. She has come on my lap a couple of times but didn't stay long. She seems content while I'm at work and has her big nap in the afternoon.
We keep working on her behavior. It has decreased quite a bit but is not gone.
I do see progress when she comes charging out from under the bed and does NOT attack my feet...just runs by....phew.....baby steps I guess.”
Fran, you are our hero!
Nevada and Dakota - now Miley and Lily
These shy young girls were rescued from a hoarding situation in an abandoned trailer. They were so happy to move to the Shelter into a clean and caring space with regular meals. They were skittish but gentle kitties. Amber eyed Nevada was more outgoing and came running to the door when someone was arriving and would occasionally eat treats out of one's hands. Dakota was more nervous about noises and lots of activity, but she was getting more and more brave and cheerful at the Shelter.
Samantha and Darrell from Rhode Island had spent the weekend at their nearby summer camp in New Hampshire and spontaneously stopped at the Shelter. They had been looking for a new feline friend. Samantha’s beloved kitty had passed away several months ago and she started to feel ready for a new cat.
They loved playing with the two black kitties, applied to adopt, and took them home on May 29th.
On June 5th Samantha wrote:
“The girls are doing GREAT!
The long ride home was uneventful, quiet with no “accidents.”
I spent the first day with them in their room. It didn’t take the amber eyed girl (now named Miley) long to come out and explore. She loves the window in their room. She also sniffed me a few times and by the evening was taking treats from my hand and licking my fingers.
The yellow eyed girl (now named Lily) took longer to come out and spent the day snoozing in their cat condo. She did come out in the evening and was very curious and didn’t seem nervous.
They are eating well and using their box. The next morning, they both came out to say hi shortly after I sat down, and Miley even jumped up on the chair for a moment! Miley is so inquisitive and loves to play. Lily enjoys sitting in the windowsill in the upstairs bathroom. Both will let us approach them and come out when we come upstairs.
We are quite smitten with them and grateful to you for letting us love them!”
“The girls are doing GREAT!
The long ride home was uneventful, quiet with no “accidents.”
I spent the first day with them in their room. It didn’t take the amber eyed girl (now named Miley) long to come out and explore. She loves the window in their room. She also sniffed me a few times and by the evening was taking treats from my hand and licking my fingers.
The yellow eyed girl (now named Lily) took longer to come out and spent the day snoozing in their cat condo. She did come out in the evening and was very curious and didn’t seem nervous.
They are eating well and using their box. The next morning, they both came out to say hi shortly after I sat down, and Miley even jumped up on the chair for a moment! Miley is so inquisitive and loves to play. Lily enjoys sitting in the windowsill in the upstairs bathroom. Both will let us approach them and come out when we come upstairs.
We are quite smitten with them and grateful to you for letting us love them!”
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It's always a special boon to our rescuers’ hearts when shy black cats are adopted and cherished by their new family. Thank you, Samantha and Darrell!
Addie and Becky
In January the Shelter received two friendly young lady cats who had lived as strays in a neighboring town for several months. A good Samaritan had taken them in during the cold but couldn’t keep them. It turned out that Addie was very pregnant, so the two sisters went into foster care with Dr. Melora in Barnet, where Addie gave birth to 8 kittens.
Like mom and auntie, the kittens all had extra thumbs. Only one kitten was black, and the others were all grey and brown tigers.
Aunt Becky loved her nieces and nephews and helped her sister take care of the lot, which was very much appreciated. When the littles turned into energetic fur balls and started bouncing off the walls, the kindergarten became overwhelming for all the moms involved. Therefore, Addie and Becky came back to the Shelter, and the kiddos moved in pairs to various foster homes.
Mama Addie
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Aunt Becky
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Addie and Becky soon caught the eye and heart of Colleen in Woodsville, NH.
She adopted them and took them home on May 2nd.
On May 17th Colleen wrote:
Addie and Becky say: “Good morning. Our new mom says sorry for taking so long to write. We love it here, thank you for finding us such a good home! We are excited that you will be coming to visit for tea, soon.”
Once again, I so want to thank you for trusting me and trusting in them to bring such joy to all three of us!
Love, Colleen
She adopted them and took them home on May 2nd.
On May 17th Colleen wrote:
Addie and Becky say: “Good morning. Our new mom says sorry for taking so long to write. We love it here, thank you for finding us such a good home! We are excited that you will be coming to visit for tea, soon.”
Once again, I so want to thank you for trusting me and trusting in them to bring such joy to all three of us!
Love, Colleen
Selena - now Fuwa Fuwa
One morning in April a person stopped at the Shelter with a stray cat zipped in a backpack and with a cardboard box full of kittens who had been picked up by a roadside. The pretty tiger cat in the backpack claimed that she wasn’t the mother, so the kittens went into a foster home and Selena stayed with us at the Shelter.
She was a friendly, bright little kitty who made herself home in an instant.
It didn’t take long for her to charm a young gentleman to take her home. Selena was adopted by Oleg from Irasburg on May 13th.
Oleg grew up with a strong-willed Siamese who had taught him well how to serve a cat. He had waited to adopt a kitty as an adult until he was settled and had the time, space and means to offer a great home to a feline companion.
On May 13th Oleg wrote:
“We safely made it home. She was very shy at first. She hid behind a curtain, basically, wrapped it around herself, but then she quickly got comfortable. She jumps on the bed when I call her or tap on the mattress. Right now, she's eating. I think she's fine. Thank you!”
On May 20th Oleg wrote:
“It’s been a week. A lot has happened! Selena, now called Fuwa Fuwa, is not shy anymore. She even goes to the basement by herself sometimes.
She’s a very smart cat. It took her only 2 days to learn that she should use the scratch post and not the bathroom door frame :) Then in the middle of the week we had a standoff over the chair in the loft. She found out she can get inside the chair (yes, literally, inside). But it’s not a normal chair - there is a motor and if I switched the chair between “seat” and “lay down” positions, Fuwa Fuwa might get hurt.
“We safely made it home. She was very shy at first. She hid behind a curtain, basically, wrapped it around herself, but then she quickly got comfortable. She jumps on the bed when I call her or tap on the mattress. Right now, she's eating. I think she's fine. Thank you!”
On May 20th Oleg wrote:
“It’s been a week. A lot has happened! Selena, now called Fuwa Fuwa, is not shy anymore. She even goes to the basement by herself sometimes.
She’s a very smart cat. It took her only 2 days to learn that she should use the scratch post and not the bathroom door frame :) Then in the middle of the week we had a standoff over the chair in the loft. She found out she can get inside the chair (yes, literally, inside). But it’s not a normal chair - there is a motor and if I switched the chair between “seat” and “lay down” positions, Fuwa Fuwa might get hurt.
First thing I tried (besides constantly getting her out of it) is turning the chair on its side. That didn’t really help. At about the same time the cat furniture arrived that I put next to my work desk. Of course, she ignored it, until I used a fitted sheet to wrap the chair so there was no more way for her to lay inside the mechanisms. I put some old socks and my old backpack that she likes to sleep on inside the piece of new furniture and she finally started sleeping inside! Great success.
Another thing: the first time I met her in the shelter, I noticed that she would switch between licking and biting my hands and fingers. At first, I thought it was alright. But then one day it became an issue - she started biting my legs as well and it was painful. I looked up on the Internet what to do. So now every time she bites me, I make a loud sound and ignore her for a few minutes. This seems to work! She is not biting my legs anymore and today she only tried to bite my hand once.
Another thing: the first time I met her in the shelter, I noticed that she would switch between licking and biting my hands and fingers. At first, I thought it was alright. But then one day it became an issue - she started biting my legs as well and it was painful. I looked up on the Internet what to do. So now every time she bites me, I make a loud sound and ignore her for a few minutes. This seems to work! She is not biting my legs anymore and today she only tried to bite my hand once.
I am not 100% sure, but I think she gained some weight. I’ll check her weight tomorrow.
And we play every day. Probably not as much as she would prefer (she’s young and playful after all), but I do my best. And the last thing: I trained her that when the bell sounds it’s time to eat :)”
And we play every day. Probably not as much as she would prefer (she’s young and playful after all), but I do my best. And the last thing: I trained her that when the bell sounds it’s time to eat :)”