This past month, 26 cats and kittens found their forever homes!
- Eight of the cats adopted this month had been with our rescue for 100+ days.
- Five cats were adopted by their foster families.
- Four cats were recipients of The Lazzy Fund.
- Four kittens adopted this month were born in our rescue.
- Three senior cats were adopted.
- There were two double adoptions.
- One cat recently graduated from our Forgotten Feline program.
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.
Mitzi Mittens and Puss in Boots are 13-year-old bonded sisters who joined our rescue in August 2022. They belonged to an older gentleman who was moving to long term assisted living, where he was unable to bring his two cats that he had raised from kittens. Since they are a bonded pair, the man’s family tried everything they could to have them be kept together. However, no one that they reached out to was able to guarantee that for them. The family eventually made the heartbreaking decision that it would be better to euthanize them rather than have them separated. They made an appointment for this to happen, but then, at the suggestion of Second Chance Cats of Kent County, they reached out to Ten Lives Cat Rescue. We immediately agreed to help and took them in, promising that we would keep these bonded seniors together.
At the time, Mitzi and Puss’s foster mom, Cate, already had one foster cat in her care, but we were able to move that cat to another foster home to make sure Cate had space to take Mitzi and Puss in. One hour before their euthanasia appointment, they were dropped off at Cate’s house to begin their time in our rescue.
At first, Mitzi and Puss were terrified. They had lived in one home for 13 years and had never even left the house to go to veterinarian appointments. The first few nights, Cate tells us they hid under her bed and made sweet comforting noises to soothe each other. They are truly bonded!
They didn’t eat for a few days, but eventually started to relax and moved around the room at night when Cate was asleep. They never ate or came out from under the bed in front of Cate for weeks. Once they started to come out and socialize with Cate, she realized that they had the sweetest personalities. Mitzi was like the older sister—a little more outgoing and the first to explore outside the room. She was not too happy to find three other cats and a dog beyond her safe room and had a lot to say about it in the beginning. Puss was happy to stay in their room and stay safe in the “cat cave” (Cate’s bed).
Since their former owner had never brought Mitzi or Puss to a veterinarian, they required some vetting, which included vaccinations, blood work, getting spayed, and dental surgery. In addition to that, Mitzi had a heart murmur and needed an echocardiogram before her dental surgery. Puss also had some hair loss on her tail due to stress or anxiety and needed an extra vet visit. While specialty services can be expensive, we believe funds should not be the limiting factor when making decisions about life-saving care, and we have remained committed to that since we were founded in 2018. Thanks to the generous supporters of The Lazzy Fund, both Mitzi and Puss were able to receive the care they needed in order to live their healthiest lives.
Over her time in foster care, Mitzi discovered that Cate has a cozy gas fireplace, and she learned that she loved lounging next to it. She also started to snuggle with Cate by wrapping around her neck while giving wet nose bumps and rubbing cheek to cheek. Puss prefers her cuddles in Cate’s bedroom, but is always up for a belly rub!
After spending 10 months with these beautiful girls, Cate couldn’t bear the thought of not having them be a part of her family and decided to adopt them! When Cate gets up in the morning now, all five cats mill around the kitchen waiting to be fed, along with her dog. Mitzi and Puss took many months to get used to a large, bouncy, barking dog, but they finally have relaxed around her.
We are so happy for Mitzi Mittens, Puss in Boots, and Cate, and cannot wait to receive more updates!
Congratulations to Binx, Clover McBiscuits, Curtis, Fiddle, Haunting Vanessa, Huxley, Ivy, Jasper, Lavender Lace, Leela, Lobster, Locust Glen 1, Martin, Meowio Hilario, Minnie, Mitzi Mittens, Perfume Puff, Puss in Boots, Shrimp, Sir Angel, Snowflake, Stardust, Stella-Louise, Stuffie, Vanessa 3, and Walnut 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.