Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers

Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men & women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

We will Never forget you. 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!!

 

Checking out the final strategy plans for the race with my crew.

(Don't you just think those Andretti men are so cute?)

 

Let the race begin.

 

Wishing you a fun and safe holiday weekend!!

Purrs For Oklahoma

Ducky's Gotcha Day Story

I was adopted February 13, 2010. Sort of an early Valentine's Day and Purrthday prezzie for mum. She came by one Caturday. Looked at a few kitties, but I was the only one she asked to play with. So I did my best to impress her. Guess I did OK, cuz soon the shelter peoples were putting me in a PTU and off I went with mum.

This is my second home. My first home didn't want me anymore and I ranned away. When I was found they didn't want me back. So I am now wanted and loved, more than I ever could have imagined.

You can go here to read my whole long story!

Derby's Gotcha Day Story

My official Gotcha Day was May 7, 2005. But mum and I had met on April 26th, after I had been in the shelter for 10 days. Mum just came through to check us out, ask questions of the shelter staff etc. Then she picked up an adoption application and left.

Then on May 6th, she came back in. Played with another cat for a bit, then I got taken from my little apartment into the play room. Well I sold myself! Meowed hello, played with her and just made myself so adorable, she couldn't resist me.

After the one day waiting period, she picked me up for good on May 7th and I took over the place. Loved the space, the windows, lots of places to explore.

I have a long story, four chapters worth. So if you want to read the long version you can read it here.
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

Our Gotcha Day Stories by Spyro and the Gang

 Spyro:  We aren't all members of the club yet, but we are all tabbies and Mom will join us all up eventually.  All of our Gotcha Day stories really begin with Herman because without him, none of us would be here, so I'll start with him.  Mom was sad and lonely and wanted a cat, but wasn't sure she was ready for one yet.  Then she saw a picture of Herman on a bulletin board with a notice saying that he was a sad and lonely kitty who nobody wanted to adopt because he was FIV+ and FeLV+.  Mom researched his diseases and decided that she could handle his care and adopted him. If Herman had let Mom know that he wanted to stay an only cat, Emma, Oja and I would never have been adopted.  However, Herman let Mom know that he wanted kitty company, so when the phone call came about Emma, she acted immediately and brought her home.  When the phone call came about me, Mom acted immediately again.  My family had decided that they didn't want me any more and took me to the County Shelter, who notified Friends of the Shelter, who notified Mom that I was at the shelter and needed a home as soon as possible or they were going to send me to the Rainbow Bridge for being FeLV+.  The nice man at the shelter offered to show Mom the papers my before family filled out to give me up, but Mom didn't want to know why they didn't want me any more.  She didn't care.  Whatever it was, she could handle it.

Mom put me in the safe room, but I didn't want to stay.  The very first picture Mom took of me was my asking to be let out of the safe room to meet Herman.  We were buddies at first sight.  I have been the greeter cat ever since.  I am always the first kitty to make friends with the newcomers.

 Oja:  This is the first picture Mom took of me.  I am in the safe room, getting ready to jump up in her lap.  Nobody knows where I came from.  The city shelter in Espanola has an drop box for people too embarrassed to admit that they are getting rid of their kitty.  I was dumped in the box one night and the shelter people tested me and spayed me and gave me my shots, then called Friends of the Shelter in Los Alamos, where Mom lives and told them about me.  The person they talked to was Herman's foster Mom and she called our Mom who came and got me that same day.  Wherever I had been it was BAD.  I was terrified and clung to Mom for dear life whenever she came into the safe room for days.  I stayed in the safe room for a month, though Herman came in to visit me daily.  I hissed at him every time and Mom put him out again.  When I finally came out to stay, I still hissed at Herman and Spyro whenever I saw them.  Very gradually I became good friends with both of them, especially Herman.  We would cuddle together and groom each other for hours.  I even started kitty wrestling with Spyro, though not with Herman.  He was just to  big for me to want to wrestle him.

 Rocio:  The first picture Mom took of me isn't very good and you can't see my face, so this is a later one.  In January Mom got a call from Felines & Friends New Mexico saying that Austin's and my foster parent was going to college and couldn't foster us any more.  We needed a foster home and fast.  Mom thought about it for a couple of days, then agreed.  The only reason she hesitated was because Oja doesn't like boycats and she thought twice about inflicting two more of us on her.  We moved into the safe room, but wanted out immediately.  We had seen that there was a lot more house and other kitties to meet, so Mom let us out.  We befriended Spyro immediately, but Oja hissed and hissed at us.  By February, Mom decided  to adopt up permanently because we were so bonded to each other and she couldn't bear the thought of us being adopted separately.  Spyro was also so fond of us that to let someone else adopt us would break his heart again, because he was already heart-broken over Herman's going to the Bridge.  Mom couldn't stand that idea either.  Our adoption was made official in March.  Unfortunately, Austin ran off to the Bridge in April and broke my heart anyway.  I was really glad that I had Spyro when that happened.

 Bambino:  This is a much better picture of me than the first one Mom took.  When Mom emailed Felines & Friends to tell them about Austin, they told her in their reply that I had been waiting for a home for months.  Actually I was the original choice to pair with Rocio, but Austin came along just then and they were only four days apart in age, while I am a month younger.  My Mom said that she would love to have me come and live with her.  I was found as a tiny kitten wandering down a busy street in Santa Fe by my foster Mom, who is a vet tech with other animals, including another cat.  She brought me home with her and cared for me until I was old enough to be fixed.  That's when she discovered that I was FeLV+ and I spent most of the next few months mostly in a play pen, so I wouldn't infect the other cat.  I was delighted to have a whole room to myself, but I wanted out the first day.  It was scarier out there than I expected.  There was a friendly cat, Spyro, but there were two other cats who hissed at me.  I stayed in the safe room for two whole days, then I wanted out to stay.  When Rocio saw how much fun Spyro and I were having together, he stopped hissing at me and joined in the fun.  Oja has mostly stopped hissing at me, but she isn't my friend, either.

Jose:  I am camera shy and don't like to look at the camera, so this is the best picture Mom has of me so far.  A few weeks after Mom told Felines & Friends that she wanted to adopt Bambino, they emailed her about me.  I was in the Santa Fe City Shelter and was doomed unless I found a foster home immediately.  The only other possible foster home was an elderly lady in Albuquerque who already had a houseful.  Mom said the more the merrier and here I am.  I was found wandering around the streets of Santa Fe and picked up by Animal Control.  No one claimed me, so here I am as a foster.  Mom thinks she might officially adopt me, too, if Oja warms up to me and makes friends.  I spent an hour in the safe room, then wanted out to meet the other kitties I had seen upon arrival in my carrier.  I slunk around the living room the first night, just watching and staying under the furniture, out of the way.  The next day, I started playing THoE with the others, except for Oja.  Now I wrestle with Spyro a little, but mostly play chase.  Oja tolerates me near her now and can get really personal smelling me.  I gave her a little whap for that once, because she has a cold wet nose and I am sensitive back there.

Tabitha's Gotcha Story

Me now.

You just heard from my brother from another litter Woody from Cats of Wildcat Woods.   Now it is my turn.

My mom Lily had me outdoors in her second litter during the fall of 2006. My bean Mom had tried to catch Lily before she got pregnant again with another litter but it didn't happen. She caught all the cats in the litter before me and brought them inside before we were all born. She was afraid the first litter would disperse throughout the neighborhood and she wouldn't be able to catch them to spay and neuter them.

Me with Twospot and Only

We (Only, Two Spot, Smidge and me) were born under the house in the crawlspace. I was very feisty. Mom bean picked me up when we came up to eat on the deck and I just hissed and spit at her even tho I was just a tiny ball of fur at 6-8 weeks old! She wasn't sure we were all done nursing and didn't want Lily to go into heat again so she left us outside with her for a little longer hoping to catch us all together.

We spent the next few months lounging on the back deck, playing with toys Mom bean left out and living a very nice life. Mom bean was going to be moving to another town and wanted to take us all with her. Mom bean had TNR'd the other feral cats and let them live out their lives in the yard but this time was different. She asked everybody but none of the neighbors would take on the responsibility of feeding and caring for us if she left us behind to live outdoors. She couldn't do that.

We had gotten very used to her by now but still wouldn't let her pet us. She would prop open the porch door and stand inside and we would come in to explore. Only and Two Spot either were dumber or smarter than us (not sure which) but she caught them first by closing the door while they were busy exploring and they were caught on the porch. We got all upset at first but then went back to life as usual.

One day Mom bean put Only in a carrier in the porch and opened the door for us to see. Even Lily went inside to see what was going on. Smidge and I followed Mom Lily and Mom bean closed the porch door! We were inside but not very happy. It took Pop and Mom beans hours to catch us all and put us safely in one small room so we could get used to them and being inside.

We all got moved to the new place and all my litter mates and Lily live with me in a cool shelter the beans made for us. Their house is smaller here than the old one so they converted the workshop and carport into a indoor playroom and screen porch for us to live in. We have all sorts of shelves and chairs to sit on and they spend lots of time out here with us. Pop bean uses the workshop - we gave him a small corner of it to putter around in.

Me with Only and Twospot all growed up.

Woody's Gotcha Story

Me out on the deck

 
Hey!  I am Woody from Cats of Wildcat Woods.  My cat mom is Lily and she was one wild smart feral.  No one could catch her so she had three litters before they got her spayed.  I am kinda glad cuz I would not be here if they had!

Me and one of my brothers.

Lily had already had her third litter and those kittens were real small, living under the deck on our human's house.  My human Mom was scared Norm, Snowball and Sam  would all wander off before she could get us fixed.  She had already taken in my sister Georgie.

So long story short,  she put a dog kennel cage on the deck with lots of food and treats in it.  What we did not know was that she also had tied a string to the cage door and was holding the other end!  All three of us went inside the cage to nom on the yummy food.  BAM! The cage door shut and were went nuts!  Mom managed to lock the door before any of us got out.

Me now seven years later.

We all got fixed (I didn't think I was broken!) and now all live together with our mom cat Lily in a safe forever home.

My Gotcha Days

It is an interesting story about the day I picked out my mom and dad. Yes, I picked them out, as soon as I saw them I knew they were the chosen ones. Actually I have two Gotcha Days, the first is when I picked them and the second is when it was official that the daddie said I could be an inside kittie. I like to say I picked the folks and they never saw it coming. Here is my story.

It was way back on the 7th of July, when I was wondering around the countryside, that I heard a lot of laughter and talking, and smelled the aroma of good food. I immediately headed in the direction of all of the commotion and suddenly came upon what looked like a family picinic, a great find indeed. I immediately made my precence known and started to work my magic to worm a way into their heart I mean to have them love me bunches. The mom didn't want to even touch me. This is not a good thing but then later I learned that she had her heart broken many times by outside cats. She would offer them food, water, play, anything that an outside kitty would want. But several of her cats, Sassy, Punkie, and Guy, just left and didn't come back. I didn't know at that time but she told the dad that she didn't want to get attached to anymore outside cats because of the sadness that she would feel when they would never come back to see her. I'm glad I didn't know all of this because I might have decided not to even give them a try.

This is the first photo taken of me.

I decided that I liked this family and that I would hang out and try to mooch some food off of them. The mom still wouldn't pay me any attention but I didn't care because there were plenty of other folks there who did. After the dad noticed me he started petting me, then he would kind of play with me, and the best yet was that, before I knew it, he brought out some food and water just for me. Well, that was the window of opportunity that I needed. The mom said to dad that now that the cat was fed, it WAS HER CAT! My hears perked up when I heard that!  It was music to my ears.

Weaseling, I mean tugging at the dad's heart strings.

Dad told mom that he fed me as he could see I was starving and pointed out that my little ribs were sticking out through my skin and fur. Try as I might during their conversation I could not get a tear to roll down my furrie cheeks though I tried. By then it was too late for mom anyway because she was hooked on keeping me around!

The mom was sold! I was fed, named, held, and given kisses!!

Don't you think we make a cute family?

It took me all of maybe several days to know that I was a shoo in and they were going to let me stay thought I did not hear the words "inside kittie" yet. The mom did have some rules for the dad, which included a visit to the vet, surgery so I wouldn't bring any more little kittens around once I grew up, shots to be given, and a chip put in so if I ever got lost they would have a chance of finding me again and he would have to build me a big shelter so I wouldn't run out into the road or woods. Yes, life was good but guess what? It got better.

After my surgery, on October 15, at the vet's office it was mentioned to the mom that I cannot go outside for ten days. When I heard of this wonderful idea again I could not keep the smile off of my face. During the day I had the run of the house and at night was put in a special cage so I wouldn't get into trouble. Well one thing led to another and before they even realized what was happening I was sleeping in their bed at night with them. As I mentioned before they never saw it coming. I guess you could say I have two Gotha Days! The one when I got them and the second one when it was official . . . I would be their inside kittie.

The rest as they say is history! I don't miss being outside at all and when the doors are open I don't try to run outside. I was so young I have forgotten about the outside and am happy to watch the outside from the inside.

That that's how I picked my folks and found my furever home. I am so lucky to have such a great mom, dad, and new friends that I have met while blogging.

Archie's Gotcha Story

Hi Friends,

We Gotcha'd Archie on February 9, 2010.  Robert and I had just returned from visiting my brother in England and out of the blue he said to me "I think we should get another cat."  We were already a three cat family but Robert reasoned that cats make me happy so why not get another and because one never knows what life holds, it is silly to put things off.  I happily agreed with his logic so off we went to the shelter (little did I know we would get two more cats in the following two years!).  Young Master Archie, who was named Marshal at the time, sat quietly at the front of his cage and stole our hearts with his happy little ginger face.  I decided to change his name to Archie because according to a website of Scottish names and their meanings, Archibald/Archie means bold one or brave warrior, and he was the most fearless kitten I had ever met!!!

Here is Archie as a six month old baby....

Archie Day One

and this of course is the mancat you know today.

Archie all grown up

My Gotcha Story - Kjelle Bus aka Charlie Rascal

I was gotchad when I was 6 month´s old.

My mom and dad´s old old and sick cat Sixten have gone to the bridge and my mom wanted a new cat.

Since my dad is allergic to cat´s , dog´s , rabbits , horses , pig´s and you name it. My mom was looking at Sacred Birmans since a friend to us had one and dad didn´t react so much on that breed.

She found me in an add on the internet and she thought I was soooo cute and dad thought I looked like a goofball.

The breeder had a litter with small kittens too and dad would like to have one of them instead.

Mom called the breeder and a couple of day´s later mom and dad drove south to see me and the small kittens and the breeder too of course. I was a sleepyhead back then too , so the breeder had to go and wake me up :)

As soon as I saw mom I started to purr and purr and when the humans had coffee and cinnamon buns ,

I sat on the chair next to mom the whole time.

The breeder said that mom and dad should take a lot of pictures on me and on the small kittens so they could go home and think about wich cat they wanted. My dad said that my mom already had made her mind up about me and asked if they could bring me home the same day ?

She asked mom and dad if they had brought a PTU ?

Yes they had and she said OK bring it in the house and let´s see what Sherikaan think´s.

Yes my name was Sherikaan back then :)

They brought the PTU and guess what ?

I walked right in and refused to come back out again :)

So now I have lived with my humans for 2 1/2 years and I have never ever regret that I chose to get in that PTU and go with them home.

Me the first day in my home 

Hope you like my Gotcha story :)

Gotcha Day for Grace & two babies

Like Timmy, Grace's gotcha-day story is pretty much tied up in her "how I got my name" story, so we'll tell you about who else has the same gotcha day in the same forever home ... two of her four babies!!

Grace had four tiny babies, and all five of them were rescued and housed by Deb and ML ~ and then Grace's blog was begun, to advertise that she and her babies needed forever homes.

Brutus (the BIGGEST of the kittens) and Marigold (the smallest of the kittens) were immediately claimed by Rose in New Jersey. 

Grace was immediately claimed by Marilynn in Texas ... but she couldn't get those other two kittens off her mind. So guess what? She took MommaGrace AND the two middle kittens, Pete and Foster. Gotcha Day itself was June 6, 2006 ... a wonderfully fun-filled day!!

 Baby Pete, at about 6 weeks; he was re-named Audace.

Baby Foster; he was re-named Ruse!

And here are some places to see them when they were just beginning to grow up and still hung out with their momma!

Sept 2006 <~~click here

My Gotcha Story

The first photos of Oui Oui.

Years ago, I was a tiny kitten in a scary place with cages and loud, noisy cats and dogs.  For a while my brothers and sisters were there, but they left one by one, then I was all alone.  I hollered and yelled cause I didn't like it.  A man put his finger in my cage and I tried to hold on but couldn't.  So I yelled some more, but no one came.  A girl looked in.  I was still yelling when a little later a lady looked in.  She had a person open the cage and she held me and scratched me.  I could hear her heart and it sounded good, so I purred and purred.  She was showing everyone what a nice kitty I was, but no one looked and the man was following, telling people I was a bad scratching kitty!  She told the man it was only cause I was lonely and he shouldn't have pulled his finger away.  But still no one was interested in me, so the lady got mad and said she'd "take" me.

A couple days later I went home with the girl who looked in and the lady.  I was SO HAPPY!  When they let me out of the cage, I ranned and ranned all around the room for 15 minutes cause it felt so good!  I did stop to look at some toys, but then I ranned some more while they laughed at me the whole time.  But I didn't care.  The lady wanted to call me Jubilee, and the girl insisted my name be Sweet Pea (Oui Oui is only my nickname).  The lady, who was now the mom, and The Girl laughed cause they were there at the loud scary place to help The Girl's granny find a dog, so this is also the story of how they helped find granny's dog.

Thanks to everyone who posted!

We just love reading Gotcha Stories.

Purrs,

Your Furriend Oui Oui

TwinkletoeTails

My Gotcha Day Story - Fitz Tomcat

Hi Tabby Cats. Timmy here.
Since my Gotcha Day was an integral part of my Whats in a Name story I figured it is high time to introduce the other Tabby Cat who resides at the Tomcat Home. She has a great story so...
Take it Away Ms Fitz!

Thanks Timmy!

Hello to all the TCC members. I really hope I meet the very competitive requirements to join your esteemed organization, but, watch your paw steps Man-Cats, I am one tough Kitty.

My story starts after I was abandoned at a farm in Gilbertsville Pa. My brofurs Buttons, Fred and I were lucky as this is a Barn Cat farm and the nice lady who lives there works with Spay and Save. She saw that we were somewhat friendly so we went into the socialization program. Dad had just finished fostering a litter and took us  in July 8th 2011.

I was just 7 weeks old and I was really sick. In fact, if I had not been sick I would never have gone with the nice lady. Nothing personal. I was a bit wild compared to Fred and Buttons who are all Happy-Go-Kitty. I said in a little voice: Hiss.

I did not feel good. Dad was very worried. See my Box? Hiss!

So there I was in a big cage while my brofurs had the run of the place. Hiss.

I got medicine every morning. Hiss I got medicine every evening. Hiss.

Every day Dad cleaned my pan and gave me something to eat. Hiss, Hiss, Hiss.


Whenever Dad came into the foster room, Zip, I was in my box. Hiss.

As time went by Fred and Buttons were working with Dad on socialization and started going with him to Spay and Save adoption events. Traitors! Hiss.

I had to have a second course of stronger medicine which, finally, made me feel a bit better. I still was not happy with anything and Dad was trying to figure out how to get me to lighten up a bit. Hah. No Way. Hiss.

Well I must admit that Dad is a pretty smart guy. When he was playing with Fred and Buttons he would wave the feather toy really high so I could see it over the edge of my box. After a day of seeing it I just had to peek. I would look over the edge of the box and watch. Dad totally ignored me. Curiosity did get this cat and I climbed out to see and play a little.

I came out and started to play.

Dad started leaving the cage door open and I decided to come out. I hid for a few days, but, slowly and surely started to come out to play. Whee! I LOVE to play.

Hi Dad. Can we play?

Dad said: "Well little Miss Hissy-Fits since we are friends you need a name. How do you like Ms Fitz?" I liked it! Meow!

So time went on. Fred said goodbye and went to his forever home. Mr Buttons did too. We had another litter of kittens move in. Buttons came back due to FIV. (that is another story) Through it all I would go to events and lay there in the meatloaf position.

Dad took videos of me to show how fun loving I was at home. People would come by on adoption days and ask if I was sick: "Is that cat sick? What's wrong with that cat?" Dad finally stopped taking me to events. The new kittens were adopted and it was just me and Buttons again.

Adoptions drop off steeply after New Years so Dad decided to give Buttons a home on Jan 21st 2012. I was now alone in the foster room. Wonderful. Purrfect. Just the way I like it. Dad would come down a couple times a day and we would play.

Dad saw no sense in just keeping me in the foster room so he decided to give me a try in the Tomcat Home. He introduced me and after a few quick Hiss, Hiss, Hisses I decided to stay. He made it official on Valentines day 2012. He said I was going to be his Forever Valentine and this was now my home. Thanks Dad. 

So my story is a bit long, and a bit sad, but it has a happy ending. In fact I can still do what I like best, Play!

Grrr! My Rabbit Head Toy from Etsy - Heather Bays

One of my Favorite Toys of all times. Dad laughed a lot that day.

I Love my Forever Home this much!

Even Brofur Rumpy, sometimes, a little tiny tiny bit.

So that is my Gotcha Day story. I really hope you liked it.

PS. Tomorrow is a big day at the Tomcat Home. Stop by and see!

Bye for now Tabby Cats.
Ms Fitz

My Gotcha Story

I was rescued along with Hannah and

100 other cats from one house by the RSPCA.

We were taken to their cattery and given our

lady operations and suffered lots of stabbing

with needles so we weren't going to be sick.

Mum came into the Cattery as her beloved Emma

had gone to Rainbow Bridge and she wanted to

make a home for another cat or two.

The above picture of us was taken on the day we

arrived in our furever home.


We had never known such peace and quiet

and we could go where we wanted!

Here I am on Mum's lovely quilt

it's where I snuggle with her and Hannah every night now

when she sits to watch some TV or to read,

but we'd never been loved before.



I hope every cat finds a loving home and has a full tummy.




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