Last month, 31 cats and kittens found their forever homes! Ranging from approximately eight weeks old to nine years old, two of the kittens adopted this month were born in our rescue and knew the comforts of a warm bed and delicious food and treats from the beginning. Others were strays that needed time to decompress and learn how to become beloved family members over the course of several months. There were five double adoptions this month, and three cats were adopted by their foster families.
The road to adoption isn’t always easy—this month, there were some cases where cats required extensive medical care and extremely dedicated and patient foster families. Our rescue relies heavily on donations from our amazing supporters to help us give the cats in our care the best possible chance at long, healthy lives where they are cherished by their forever families. In response to the cats in our program’s needs, we have created our Forgotten Feline program to help scared and under-socialized cats regain trust and confidence. We have also created The Lazzy Fund, which gives a second chance to those cats who have been neglected and forgotten, including cats in need of critical and lifesaving medical care. Three of our Forgotten Feline program graduates and three recipients of The Lazzy Fund were adopted this month!
Puff, one of our Forgotten Feline graduates, joined our rescue in November 2022 after her previous owner had a house fire. Originally, Puff’s previous owner found her living in the woods in a cat colony; she was spayed, microchipped, and brought indoors a few months before the fire. After the fire, Puff hid within the house and had to be humanely trapped as her house wasn’t safe while repairs were ongoing. Puff’s previous owner told us that while Puff likes other cats, she wasn’t a “cuddly cat” and was skittish around humans. When Puff was picked up by her foster mom, Erin, Puff’s previous owner was very emotional and asked Erin not to give up on Puff.
During her time with Erin, it was discovered that Puff is very food-focused, and Erin was able to bond with her during mealtimes. Puff would be so caught up in her wet food that when eating, the plate would move closer and closer to Erin, and Puff wouldn’t even notice. Erin and her husband also used toys to build Puff’s confidence. String toys seemed to be her favorite, and they kept a comfortable distance during playtime until Puff’s trust was gained. They also would use CatTV on YouTube for a familiar background noise for Puff.
Erin tried to make every interaction with Puff a positive one, usually by giving her a soft treat. At times in the moment, Erin felt the progress was slow, but even just the routine of sitting near Puff helped her progress. Erin compiled a folder of photos of Puff on her phone, and during moments of doubt, it helped her see how far Puff had really come. Erin was also able to share those photos during Puff’s meet and greets with her adopters—Puff spent the majority of the meet and greet hiding in a corner because she was scared of the new noises and people.
Puff was with Erin for about three months and went to her forever home the night before Valentine’s Day. Though Erin says that the three months felt like a long time, it was really only a blip in Puff’s life. Her foster family did a great job setting her up for success! During Puff’s time with her foster family, they were able to understand her personality was much more than just “shy.”
When reviewing Puff’s new family’s adoption application, Erin said one of the family’s reasons they wanted to adopt Puff stuck out to her: “We really believe that with patience, love, and treats, we can help her become comfortable in our home and bring out her playful personality with us.”
Since Puff’s adoption, Erin has received updates from her new family. After Puff’s first night in her new home, they shared “Puff had a very nice evening! She dashed around at first but found a little nook to settle down. She had some treats and, as the evening went on, she let both of us pet her! She moved to another spot near us while we had dinner. She’s very observant and watched our every move! We went into the living room later on and she remained in the dining space, but we could see her (she ate her dinner). She was very quiet overnight, and when we woke up, she was curled up on the chair next to the window—it was so precious! And she still welcomed lots of pets this morning! We really love her and are happy to have her in our home.” Puff has been in her forever home for a few weeks now, and thanks to her adopters’ understanding of Puff’s situation, and following through on their promise of patience, love, and treats, Puff is thriving!
Congratulations to Andrews 6, Beanie, Bruno, Callie-Flower, Caramel Macchiato, Cheeto, Chilly, Derby Shire 2, Emma, Fig, Handsome, Isabela, Lily Pad, Lizzy, Lorena, Maggie, Midnight, Nibs, Nola, Pepa, Peppercorn, Pickles, Piper, Pookie, Prudence, Puff, Pumpkin, Queso, Tofu, Wags, and Wolfie for finding their forever homes!
Are you interested in adopting a cat from Ten Lives Cat Rescue? Take a look at our adoptable cats!
How can you help the cats currently in Ten Lives’ care? Sponsor a Forgotten Feline, become a foster, apply for one of our volunteer opportunities, donate to The Lazzy Fund, or purchase a needed item on our Wishlist.