May 07, 2008
Sassy’s Spring Break
Here is a story submitted by the adopter of a cat in the HOPE program. Although the adoption didn't quite work out, it does go to show that sometimes it is just that: things don't work out. When people talk about "failed" adoptions, it is the wrong message: like people, pets have personalities, likes and dislikes. Sometimes, the new pet or the new family just don't get along and... Well, it isn't a problem -- we gladly take the pet back and work with the family to find the right match.
In this story, we learn that even the most wonderful cats and wonderful families can sometimes prove to be incompatible, move on, and learn something for the next time. Pets do surprise us.
May 6, 2008
I adopted Sassy with the hope that she would join our family of me and my four cats. Adult cats are so much more settled and secure in who they are. Sassy proved to be no exception. She is truly “her own gal”. I never saw a cat adapt so quickly to new surroundings and new beings.
She is clearly a “people-centered” cat… more like a dog really. She comes when called. And when you just pat your lap and call her name, she comes running and jumps right up. And don’t expect her to leave your lap any time soon. Once she settles in, she’s there for the long haul. Everywhere I went in the house, Sassy just waited for the sign to jump in my lap. What a wonderful companion!
At bed time, she slept on the bed next to me and was quite a well-behaved individual. She never woke me up early to be fed or to demand anything. She is very self-entertaining and self-assured. She is content just to find her own way and never makes trouble. But always wants love.
She responds immediately to friendly, happy voices and runs towards them. I had several visitors in my house during this time and she always greeted them immediately. People were amazed! And she even likes dogs (after she lets them know who is boss, of course)!
We were all settling in nicely when I discovered that someone in my house was not so happy after all. I never did determine for sure who the culprit was but someone was spraying. So, to make peace in the household once more, Sassy went back to her foster Mom and my four are chillin’ once again.
So, what I had hoped would be a "forever addition" turned out to be just a great holiday for both of us. But I can unequivocally say that if you want a true companion animal who will be devoted and by your side forever, Sassy’s your girl!
J.P.
Posted by cwirving at 10:27 AM
May 04, 2008
Stocking the HOPE Amazon Store
After years of wanting to do so, we've finally taken the plunge and become Amazon.com affiliates. Of course, we're hoping that this will provide us with some additional donations but another advantage to us is that it allows us to put together an Amazon Store that actually contains in one place all the books, training DVDs and supplies that we have learned are good resources for dealing with pet training, behavior issues and many of the other facets of pet ownership.
As we've been stocking up the store, we've been looking into our volunteers' book and DVD collections to find those that we like and recommend. As it turns out, we have some pretty extensive pet-related book collections in some of our homes! There are quite a few well-worn covers on shelves as we experience new challenges with the pets in the adoption program.
One thing is for sure, you can't do this for long without learning something about pet behavior -- which is another reason why we are excited about the HOPE Amazon Store: we finally get to share what we learned and the sources we learned from.
Posted by cwirving at 03:45 PM