Reddy Freddie - Meet lovable lap cat at PetValu!

12/29 - Hi Annette, Freddie is doing well. I expected him to be skittish at first. But no, he made himself at home like he's been here for a while. He ate and used the little box shortly after arrival. He likes to spend time in the window, watching the birds, squirrels. I knew something REALLY piqued his interest outside the window yesterday. Upon investigation, a feral cat. He sleeps a lot -- usually on my bed -- during the day AND at night. So far, he hasn't shown interest in sitting on my lap. He just approaches me to be petted and nuzzled. Shows no interest in playing with toys. He has such a meek meow for a big cat -- just fine with me. He's a really cool, laid-back cat and I think we have a successful companionship and adoption. Nancy

ROMEO the KITTEN

8/8/16 - Hi Barb, Getting back to you has been on my to-do list during a busy time. Lots of good news for you, though. First, as an aside, we took the liberty of renaming Romeo. Given the fact that Romeo (as a name) had a particular significance in literary matters, it seemed problematic to explain that name for a neutered cat. We have named him Charley, and he is just the dearest, most wonderful kitten. What a blessing! It's been a long time since we have had a kitten and we had forgotten how cute (and devilish) kittens can be. But Charley is a joy in every way, and he is learning, as all of our cats learned quickly, that he is in charge around here. He is developing his routine now. He sleeps on our bed (usually between us) or in a chair beside the bed, but we don't keep the door shut so this is strictly his choice. We took your good advice and kept him in our bedroom for a couple of days at first. However, we tried to make sure he couldn't get under the bed by placing items there that would prevent him from hiding. That was a mistake. I had forgotten that kittens are smarter than I am. But he is in command of the whole house now, and he seems to be very happy. I haven't met a cat that I couldn't get along with, but Charley is a particularly good match for us, and we are grateful to you and the Castaway Critters organization for placing him with us. I remember my grandmother teaching us to be kind to animals, but what I learned later was that a pet is a member of the family and, accordingly, needs to occupy a very special place within the family. We are sharing these lessons with the future generations. I have made contact with out veterinarian and have scheduled an appointment om Saturday, August 20th. Having the records you gave me is very important. Thank you for all you have done for us and for all you do for the pets you "rescue". Sincerely, Bob P.S. we are blessed to have Charley! He has warmed up to everybody, including the grandchildren and friends who have visited as well. The wonderful work you and the Castaway Critters do has brought him into our loving family. I hate to think of the alternative for him without you and the organization being there to "rescue" him. Kudos to you!

Richard

12/17/13 "We adopted Jackson formerly Richard in February of this year. His foster mommy is Dani. She is great. Jackson was rescued from Jackson County, Wv, he had his collar grown into his skin and as a result had a funny bark. Jackson is a wonderful dog whom has made our pack whole. He learned commands faster than any dog I've ever trained and is a delight to have. Thanks for your hard work!"

Ria - Friendly lap snuggler!

12/12/13 - Thought I would send you a little update! Ria (I often call her RiRi) continues to keep me on my toes! We have wonderful snuggle time in the evenings when I am working on my computer and/or watching tv! She also has amazing bursts of energy and races around the house throwing toys everywhere! One of the toys she managed to find under a cabinet (who knows where!!) is one of those plastic balls with a bell inside it...it is SO ANNOYING!!! I would take it away and hide it if she didn't love playing with it so much!! It's very funny to watch! I don't think that Minna and Ria will ever be best friends, but I can see that they are becoming more and more accustomed to each other. Ria chased Minna the other day and I cheered her on!! I hope you are doing well!!! Happy Holidays! Catherine, Ria & Minna

Riley the Romantic

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 Hi Nancy, We started Riley in a bonding room, so he would not be overwhelmed, and get used to us, his food dishes, litter box, new toys, and the sites and sounds of his new home. Every day we see progress with him...he is coming out more. From all I have read, these things take time, and we are patient and want him to do things in his time....but each day he is out more and he has started to play a bit, and come out of hiding. From the beginning he took treats from our hands, and seems to love to have his belly rubbed. He is the most loving and gentle cat that I have ever had a privilege to know. He truly is a gentle giant. He has an amazing purr with little squeaks in it, but never once has there been a growl, a hiss, or a swipe. Even with my older cats, when they felt in a strange situation, or a new cat was introduced there would be one or two of those, naturally, but not with Riley. He is just an amazing guy. Last night was a huge step....he laid down on his bed, and I petted him asleep and I believe he is learning to sleep on his bed, where I made him a little tent. He was lying on my lap the other day, and he could not fit his whole body....and he kept curling up to make himself smaller and finally just rolled on his back and wanted his tummy rubbed again. Here are some pictures of him, on his new window perch that we introduced to him. I also bought a natural diffuser that helps reduce stress. It introduces pheremone smells in to the room, similar to what a mommy cat gives off to comfort a kitten. We hope this will help support and ease his adjustment, as well as that of our older guy. We simply love the blessing of this special gentle giant. We are excited to be his parents. We are making a vet visit for next week, but just wanted to get him settled in first. Please let us know if there is something we should be doing differently. I hope the pictures will show you the bigger story. Thank you again so very much. We truly love our big boy, and feel that God brought us this precious soul to nurture and love. I truly never have known such an exceptionally gentle cat. We have yet to hear a meow, but just love his purring squeaks. We will send you the Petsmart paper sometime this week, when we get back over there, with an additional donation. Blessings to you Patricia, Dennis Jazzie, Beanie, Linus and Riley