Keri(gold) is an adorable tortie girl that we’re fostering for Alachua County Animal Services. She is spayed, up to date on shots, chipped, and dying to have her own person to bond with!
She came to us to recover from the sniffles, and was an anxious butterball. But as soon as she felt better, she was running around the house playing, and dropped a lot of weight because she’s so active. She loves all other cats, loves scritches, and desperately wants a person of her own.
Although she’s a little shy at first, she warms up quickly, and she obviously wants to build a loving, trusting relationship with someone who will give her belly rubs! She’s probably going to be a small girl when full grown because of her petite frame, and she has beautiful classic tories markings <3
These babies were at Alachua County Animal Services, and they were getting sick. It was the height of kitten season, and although I had another litter already, they were only a few weeks older… and if you have five kittens, you may as well have ten!
They were already bursting with personality when they arrived, and only developed more while you were with us. There was always a close friendship between Sage and Pepper Corn, while Dill was very independent.
Not long after we arrived, we lost one of the other litter’s babies to fading kitten syndrome, and that was heartbreaking. But then Parsley went downhill very quickly and we lost her too. Soon after that, Basil started to fade, and we had enough heartbreak. We fought with everything to not lose her too (staying up until 3AM syringing her fluids every 5 minutes on her worst night). Basil made it through after a long struggle.
Charlie is a big, sweet goofball that thinks he’s half the size he is. He likes tall perches, dangly toys, galloping around the house, and most of all… he likes to spoon. No really, he likes to lean against you and slide down until he’s curled up next to you like he’s the little spoon. He’s an emotional boy that loves people and petting. He’s a big guy so it’s hard to accommodate him in your lap though!
He will likely do best in a home with dogs and assertive female cats, and of course people. Although he hasn’t been tried with kids, he’s pretty tolerant and loving so we think he would do great with a big family.
Gender: Male
Color: Black & White
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 4/17/14
Mom: Lil Mamma
Family: 6 kittens
Currently available for adoption.
Charlie was the smallest of the litter. A little crusty-eyed kitten that could barely compete for a milky nipple. Of course I’m a sucker for the underdog (undercat?). In the first week of holding them and cleaning their crusty eyes three to four times a day, he broke my heart. Not only did he have such a hard time with being tiny and crusty, but he started to have a personality, and he reminded me so much of Tom, a neighborhood cat that had passed away only a few months before.
He has a very large and lanky frame making him quite a big boy. And he has the short, black and white, coarse fur that makes him seem aerodynamic and almost waterproof. Before I knew he was a boy, I told him he had better be a guy because of the distinct mustache and soul patch on his face. Fortunately he has turned into quite the goofy, cuddly, sweetheart. He loves to talk and purr, and he has the sweet, gentle-giant voice that I knew and loved in Tom.
Charlie (as in Charlie Chaplin mustache, right?) is sweet and playful. He’ll probably do best in a house as an only cat, but he doesn’t seem to mind dogs. He just wants all of your kitty attention for himself. He’s looking like he’s going to be a giant throw pillow of a cat – sweet, mellow, and talkative.
Update 10-21-14: We’re learning to wear a collar now and don’t seem to mind it that much!
Update 4-7-15: Charlie lived up to his ‘Temporary Charlie’ name. After a few months, he came back from his adoptive house. After talking with the family and observing him back home with us for a few weeks, we’re confident that he’ll be successful in a new home now. He needs more attention than he was getting, and he would probably be happier as an only cat because he wants to be the center of your world 🙂 Probably not a good roommate for another dominant male cat.
Health history:
When these kittens came to us, they had very crusty eyes. It took a good week or two to get that under control. Although most colony cats and shelter cats have been exposed to the kitty cold (cat herpes virus), not many of them present issues once they reach adulthood. This little boy hasn’t shown signs of any returning symptoms.
Details
Litter box: A+ [He’s a large-framed cat who will need a big box, but he likes one of the covered boxes we have]
Other cats: B+ [Best with non-aggressive males]
Cuddling: A+
Food: A+
Charlie soul patch, 5-19-15
Charlie in a hut, 6-7-15
Charlie as King of Laundry Mountain, 6-19-15
Charlie likes to talk, 6-25-15
Charlie likes to cuddle, 7-4-15
Charlie was a little boy 6-13-14
Charlie was a sweet little boy, 6-18-14
Charlie has cute toes, 6-23-14
Charlie is very into people, 8-30-14
Charlie loves his water bowl, 9-14-14
Charlie is a big boy, 9-14-14
Selfies with Charlie, 10-19-14
Charlie was a cute baby, 5-27-14
Charlie was a cute baby, 5-28-14
Posts about Charlie
Another Double Vet Visit(6/3/2015)Sunday evening we noticed Charlie’s nose looked split and raw. The wet, squishy part of his nose. He looked like… Continue Reading
Temporary Charlie(7/19/2014)Temporary Name: Temporary Charlie Gender: Male Color: Black & White Fur: Short Born: Approximately 4/17/14 Mom: Lil Mamma Family: 6… Continue Reading
Caesar is one of our colony cats that has had a few near-tragedies happen to him. He’s a great big lover that is caught between being a street cat and a house cat. He escaped starvation, a dog attack, a hoarding house, and a seriously injured paw. We would like to get him off the street before his nine lives run out!
Caesar loves people, napping on the bed, and sitting in cars. He’s going to need patience to teach him the formalities of a real home, but his is very willing to learn and loves people unconditionally.
Gender: Male
Color: Brown Tabby
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 8/22/10
Adopted!
Despite his rough start, and his rough middle to life, Caesar has remained extremely appreciative of the people that take time to care for him.
Caesar before and after being nipped, 8-23-12
He arrived in our colony quite emaciated. He was a gangly and cantankerous teenager who fattened up and mellowed out after being nipped and accepted into the colony as a friend.
There was a terrible incident with a neighborhood dog that tried his best to kill Caesar. I pulled Caesar out of the dog’s mouth after a long chase and wrestle (I admit I was even biting the dog in a panic). In the ensuing drama with Animal Services, our hoarding neighbor claimed Caesar as her pet, and because I had been bit by both dog and cat, Caesar had to be quarantined for rabies evaluation. Unfortunately, his 30-day in-house quarantine turned into a full year incarceration in our hoarding neighbor’s home. On release or escape, he turned up looking greasy, ill, and emotionally drained.
We were able to fatten him up and get him clean, but he retained his weary, broken look for quite a while. He showed some signs of being trapped in a space with too many animals and too little resources–some cat aggression (being very assertive of his personal space), security seeking, and food gulping. Despite his anxieties, he remained a loving, people-friendly guy who wanted nothing more than to spend time hanging out with humans.
Shortly after another neighborhood dog incident (this time with three cat fatalities), Caesar showed up with an injured paw. Because I’m a worry wart and totally broke, I have a 48-hour rule unless something is obviously urgent. SO after two days and Caesar’s paw swelling to three times its size, I allowed myself to rush him to our vet. He receive basic medical care (thanks to VISA who keeps giving me room on my credit card), and his paw has been slowly healing.
But once he arrived with a hurt paw, he had been moved from a street cat to a pseudo-house-cat in our over crowded house. Our hope is to find a long-term foster, or a happy furever home, so that he doesn’t have to risk his neck on the street again.
I’m not going to lie–he’s going to need some patience to fully convert to a real house cat. It is painfully obvious what his life in the hoarding house had been like while I’ve been watching him find his way around our home. I am heartbroken daily to see him limp around and learn about real life with people who care about him. It is clearly his deepest hope to be a cherished pet, and I hope he can find lovely humans to give him that chance.
Update: We recently discovered Caesar playing with a rattle mouse, and discovered he’s a huge fan of toys! There are a few videos on our Facebook page just for fun!
Update: On 11/8/15 Caesar went for a sleep over with a new family. After two days they were in love with the big guy and he was officially adopted!
Health history:
8/22/12 – I finally was able to trap Caesar and bring him to an Operation Catnip clinic where he was neutered and given his rabies and FIV+ vaccines. At that point he was seriously malnourished (see gallery image).
Caesar’s swollen paw 10-13-15
1/11/14 – a neighborhood dog escaped (a known cat-killer) and attacked Caesar. I personally pulled Caesar out of the dog’s mouth after a long struggle. After much drama, I was able to make sure he was free from major injury. he was quarantined in our local hoarder’s house for 30 day (long story). We did not see him for over a year of imprisonment in the hoarder’s house. Since she claimed him as her pet, there was nothing we could do to even see him.
2/15/15 – Caesar was released from captivity (or escaped) back onto the street. He was filthy and foul looking, and definitely emotionally drained. It took a few months of care and kindness to get him back to his former self. He still has some cat aggression from being confined to a space with multiple cats and limited resources.
10/13/15 – Caesar arrived at our colony (two days after neighborhood dogs terrorized the colony and killed three cats) with a hurt foot. After a 48 hour delay, his foot had tripled in sized and he was in obvious anguish. We took him to our vet where he received pain killers and a long-lasting antibiotic. It took several more days of indoor confinement before he began to finally improve.
Quick Details
Litter box: B [very familiar with a litter box but because of his hoarding past, he is still concerned about safety]
Other cats: D+ [again, due to his hoarding history, he is defensive toward other cats who enter his personal space but he likes being part of a family]
Cuddling: B- [He loves people and being held, but may be emotionally needy at times]
Food: A+
Caesar before and after being nipped, 8-23-12
Caesar’s release from hoarding house 2-15-15
Caesar loves cars 4-12-15
Caesar’s enormous paw 10-13-15
Caesar’s swollen paw 10-13-15
Caesar was such a good boy at the vet 10-13-15
Caesar with hoarding house in background 10-20-15
Caesar’s face 10-20-15
Posts about Caesar
Caesar(10/21/2015)Temporary Name: Caesar Gender: Male Color: Brown Tabby Fur: Short Born: Approximately 8/22/10 Caesar is one of our colony cats that… Continue Reading
Gender: Male
Color: Grey Tabby
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/1/15
Adopted!
When Paulie first arrived in the colony at the end of August, I thought he was a she and I called her Polly. In getting her fixed and checked for a microchip, we found out she was a he, and changed it to Paulie. He is an insanely cute little grey tabby boy, and although he’s skinny right now, has the potential to grow up into a big throw pillow cat. His fur is so soft and almost feels double thick. He’s also very talkative!
Although I originally thought he was a lost or abandoned kitten, in getting to know him I feel like he’s had minimal interaction with people so far. But he is a pretty relaxed dude who seems fascinated by people and living indoors. He loves toys, and he really loves to cuddle other cats. He instantly starts to purr when you pick him up. We’re working on getting him used to snuggles. He like to lay next to you, but he’s not sure laying ON you is such a great idea yet.
He suffered from sores or wounds on his paws. Although we believe the condition is in permanent remission, he should probably be watched for a few more weeks. Right now he is sleeping a lot, and eating even more. He’s at that age where he’s growing like a weed, and he started out kind of skinny so he’s catching up.
He adores ping pong balls, and any kind of dangly toys. He’s taken to our cat trees and likes to sleep in the top perches, preferably upside down and stretched out. So far he seems to like all other cats and is happy to make friends and cuddle with any cats. And he isn’t bothered by our dog. He’s quite independent but is very social and would probably do best in a house with another chill cat.
Health History
8/26/15 – Neutered and given vaccines (rabies, FIV, FeL, etc.) at No More Homeless Pets. He was treated as a stray/feral, so he was also ear-tipped.
9/8/15 – Vet visit. Received check up and long-lasting antibiotics to treat his feet. [He suffered briefly from what we can only guess is something called ‘pillow foot’ (Plasma Cell Pododermatitis). It is an autoimmune disorder that vets don’t know enough about yet. It’s not a disease, but likely something triggered by stress. It’s where the immune system goes weird and attacks the pads of the paws causing them to swell and rupture. He was treated and bounced back amazingly well. There’s not reason to believe it will ever come back.]
9/20/15 – After a great consult with a specialist, we’re happy to conclude Paulie probably didn’t have ‘pillow foot’ after all. He likely had a reaction to the stress of being trapped and having surgery, and then being brought indoors. He’s pretty much healed up and ready to meet people finally!
Quick Details
Litter box: A+
Other cats: A+ [He wants to be friends with everyone]
Cuddling: C+ [He is still learning about lap sitting]
Food: A+
Paulie sleeping, 9-16-15
Posts about Paulie
Paulie(9/17/2015)Temporary Name: Paulie Gender: Male Color: Grey Tabby Fur: Short Born: Approximately 5/1/15 Adopted! When Paulie first arrived in… Continue Reading
Gender: Female
Color: Brown Tabby
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 3/1/14
Adopted!
Zoey has had a rough start to her short life, but she has retained her cheerful, playful disposition. She loves all cats. She loves all people. She is learning to like dogs.
In early summer, Zoey was confiscated from a hoarding house in our neighborhood. At Animal Services she was evaluated at 1.5/5 on the body fat scale, and deemed emaciated. She was treated for parasites and infections, and held for adoption. But after 30 days, ACAS needed the space, and since no one showed interested in this tiny cat, they opted to release her as a feral cat to her original neighborhood rather than euthanize her.
When the tech came to release Zoey and her companion Zelda, Zelda took off running as fast as she could. Zoey wouldn’t come out of her carrier. I pulled her out and she tried to go back in. The tech and I weren’t sure what to do because the other options were grim, but Zoey didn’t know that. I carried her to my yard and showed her my colony cats, their food, their shelter. She tried to hide in a corner of my porch and curled up in a miserable, terrified ball. I realized that she probably spent her whole short life inside the hoarding house and the outdoors was too overwhelming for her.
Even though I was at my cat limit, I brought her inside my house because she was breaking my heart. I set her up in a crate for the night. She stayed in her crate for two days sleeping and being too scared to come out. And then little by little she snuck out to explore the house and make noses with the other cats. As soon as she discovered rattle mice, she was convinced this was an awesome new magical place. She LOVES to play. She discovered the kittens and earned a place as their fun big sister. She discovered cuddling on the bed at night. She discovered sunny windowsills and always-full food bowls.
She is now an amazingly happy cat, and she’s ready for a home of her own where she can continue to discover how good life can really be. She’s tiny and active, and would be a great apartment cat. She loves every cats she’s met but would probably do best with another active cat, or even on her own.
Health History
5/13/15 – Alachua County Animal Services confiscated Zoey from a hoarding house. She was treated for malnutrition and evaluated, as well as given FELV/FIV tests. Treated for respiratory infection, ear mites, and tapeworm. She was deemed adoptable and held at Animals Services for adoption.
7/3/15 – After over 30 days at Animal Services without interest, they arranged for Zoey and Zelda to be released to their original neighborhood (rather than be euthanized). First she was taken to No More Homeless Pets for spay and rabies vaccines.
8/3/15 – After living with Zoey for a month, I feel confident about her health and behavior status. She will likely have a minor sinus problem and drippy eye that comes and goes with stress levels. It doesn’t seem to bother her, but she might benefit from vet care in the future. She likely had an untreated infection as a small kitten.
Quick Details
Litter box: A
Other cats: A+ [She wants to play with and be friends with everyone]
Cuddling: B+ [She loves attention and is still learning about lap sitting]
Food: A+
Zoey loves sunny windowsills, 7-615
Zoey has a cute stubby snout, 7-6-15
Zoey adores rattle mice, 7-9-15
Zoey likes to find small places to nap in, 7-13-15
Zoey loves attention, 7-27-15
Zoey really loves the bed, 8-8-15
Zoey has a little squint to her left eye, 7-6-15
Zoey is a tiny cat, 7-31-15
Zoey loves cuddling at bedtime, 7-15-15
Posts about Zoey
Zoey(8/3/2015)Temporary Name: Zoey Gender: Female Color: Brown Tabby Fur: Short Born: Approximately 3/1/14 Adopted! Zoey has had a rough start to… Continue Reading
The Hard Days(7/3/2015)I don't get paid to do what I do for animals. I do it because I care. And I think… Continue Reading
The Cathouse Three(6/3/2015)As part of the ongoing saga with my hoarding neighbor, I’ve been waiting to hear what happened to the three… Continue Reading
Gender: Female
Color: Torbie & white
Fur: Long
Born: Approximately 6/9/15
Mom: Unknown
Family: Unknown
Update: Adopted!
Izzy came to us suddenly on a hot Sunday. A friend found a kitten in her apartment stairwell and didn’t know what to do. After a few hours, the kitten had moved up to the third floor landing, with little intention of going down again. She was filthy and starving. I drove over to pick up the single kitten who was much smaller and dirtier than the pictures.
Now Izzy has had a spa break at a foster mom’s house, she’s back in action and ready to meet potential new friends. This little girls is a firecracker, and will tell you exactly what’s on her mind. She is bold and adventurous, and even when she’s nervous, she’ll charge full blast into a new situation. But when she slows down from her wazzies, she’s aggressively cuddly.
If you’re interested in bringing Izzy home, make sure you’re prepared for a super energetic and active kitten. She’s going to have long fur and will need some help with that throughout her life. She’s getting used to lots of other cats, and a dog. And she spent a few weeks with toddlers. So she’s going to be a great kitty friend to you!
Update 8/26/15: Izzy was officially adopted by her new mom and re-named Jade because of her amazing eyes!
Health History
7/5/15 – On arrival, Izzy got a bath, but she still had sap or something in her tail. She was very hungry and skinny, but otherwise looked to be in great health. There was the usual crusty eyes and nose of a street kitten. I would estimate that she was almost three weeks old and probably away from her family for a few days.
8/19/15 – Izzy was spayed and given a rabies vaccine at No More Homeless Pets. Ready for adoption!
Izzy, 8-4-15
Izzy’s ride home, 7/5/15
Izzy update, 7/15/15
Izzy cuddlebug, 7/15/15
Izzy’s first bath, 7/5/15
Izzy in stairwell, 7/5/15
Izzy in a little box, 7/5/15
Izzy in stairwell, 7/5/15
Posts about Izzy
Izzy the Sassy(7/5/2015)Temporary Name: Izzy, (a.k.a.) The Sassy Gender: Female Color: Torbie & white Fur: Long Born: Approximately 6/9/15 Mom: Unknown Family: Unknown Update: Adopted! Izzy… Continue Reading
Gender: Female
Color: Gray & white
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens
Update: Adopted!
Katana has been a brave and outgoing little girl since she arrived. She is super energetic, loves to play, and keeps her sisters going. She’s not afraid of much. Although she enjoys the kitty hammocks, she loves stretching out on the floor and sleep all sprawled out.
Health History
When Katana arrived, she had a very crusty left eye. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days she was with us. We still keep a careful watch on her left eye, and clean it regularly just in case. It seems to be healing well and is less puffy every day. Otherwise she seems very healthy.
Update 8/28/15: Katana was officially adopted by her new family and loves her new friends!
The Littles together, 6-17-15
Katana 6-22-15
Steve & Katana
Katana in Hammock
Posts about Katana
Katana “The Brave”(6/23/2015)Temporary Name: Katana, (a.k.a.) The Brave Gender: Female Color: Gray & white Fur: Short Born: Approximately 5/10/15 Mom: Magnolia Family: 4 kittens Update: Adopted! Katana… Continue Reading
Trapping The Littles(6/18/2015)The same day I saw a kitten playing with mom cat on the abandoned car in my neighbor’s driveway, a… Continue Reading
Gender: Female
Color: Black & white
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens
Update: Adopted!
Kawaii was the third of the four caught. Her name is a Japanese pop-culture word for ‘cute’ or ‘super cute’. She is also the smallest of the four, as well as the most calm. Her facial markings are very unique. She loves napping in her kitten hammock the most!
Health history:
On arrival, Kawaii had clear eyes, but on the second day, she seemed to get a little crusty like her sister’s. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days and they cleared up. Otherwise she seems fairly healthy.
Update 8/30/15: Kawaii was snapped up suddenly by a friend of another adopter, and quickly won over her new family’s hearts!
Kawaii sunlight 8-8-16
Kawaii is super cute, 7-16-15
Kawaii’s first day
Kawaii in a small litter ox
The Littles together, 6-17-15
Kawaii belly 6-20-15
Posts about Kawaii
Kawaii “The Cute”(6/23/2015)Temporary Name: Kawaii, (a.k.a.) The Cute Gender: Female Color: Black & white Fur: Short Born: Approximately 5/10/15 Mom: Magnolia Family: 4 kittens Update: Adopted!… Continue Reading
Trapping The Littles(6/18/2015)The same day I saw a kitten playing with mom cat on the abandoned car in my neighbor’s driveway, a… Continue Reading
Gender: Female
Color: Black & White
Fur: Short
Born: Unknown/aprox 8 months
Mom: Unknown
Family: Unknown
Update: Adopted!
This is breaking news to everyone, including Sophia. I just stepped outside to shoo an opossum away from the colony cats’ food bowls, and an unfamiliar kitty head popped out of one of the kitty huts. I’m used to new cats scurrying away and hovering in the distance until the food bowls are filled up and I’m gone. But this little one joined the herd of regulars swirling around my ankles. I was first surprised by how friendly she was, and then by how small. I’d be surprised if she is six months old. Our current fosters are all around six months, and she’s tiny compared to them.
Since I still have quite a few fosters still needing homes (and my own cats) I was torn about what to do with her. But then I realized she was a girl, and I just couldn’t leave her out there to wander off and start cranking out more kittens (if she made it that far). Much to the dismay of my significant other, and my own cats, I brought this little girl inside. She was very polite and sweet, didn’t mind being held, and hasn’t said a peep about the other cats trying to sniff her all over. She will have to bunk up with Ginger and Saffron for a few days until I can get her in to be seen by a vet and nipped right away.
In the mean time, I need to get her fattened up a little, and cleaner. And hopefully I can find a home for this adorable little mustached girl!
*Update 11/21/14 – Sophia is recovering nicely from her surgery. She has a heating pad to keep her warm, and a nice quiet room to recuperate in. After a few days now, she is starting to show interest in all of the other cats in the house (but still nervous around the dog). She is eating well, and is mostly getting the hang of the litter box. She loves loves LOVES being held and pet and cuddled.
Health History
11/19/14 – Sophia got the full treatment by Operation Catnip. She got spayed (she was in heat), rabies shots, and treated for parasites. She also got a tiny bit of her left ear nipped as part of this free service. The vets didn’t find anything seriously wrong with her. They agreed she needed a good home where she would be fed and allowed to exercise since she is thinner and smaller than cats her age, and she lacks some muscle density.
1/1/15 – Sophia was adopted by a friend who has been sending updates on her improvement. Sophia has blossomed into a sweet and inquisitive kitty, and all it took was one big-hearted person willing to take a chance on a little furry face 🙂
Sophia loves the cat tree!
Sophia is learning about kitty toys
Posts about Sophia
Sophia(11/16/2014)Temporary Name: Sophia Gender: Female Color: Black & White Fur: Short Born: Unknown/aprox 8 months Mom: Unknown Family: Unknown Update: Adopted! This is… Continue Reading
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