We have cancelled our 2020 Catnip & Sip event, originally scheduled for April 11, 2020, due to the potential of COVID-19 and recommendations from the CDC to avoid large gatherings of people. These recommendations are especially directed at our senior population, who have been much harder hit by the virus.
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 46: SUSHI IS A CAT, TOO!
Hi everyone!
I think I talked about new kitties coming to the shelter in my column last week. And—exciting news—we have several newbies now. In particular, a mother/son combo came to Safe Haven. Their names are River (the mom) and Sushi (the son).
Now, you would think, wouldn’t you, that these two would be bonded and want to go to their new furever home together? That would seem logical. Except for the fact that Mom and Son are not the best of buds. I guess you humans prob’ly know what I’m talking about. I’ve heard that happens sometimes in the human world.
He loves to cuddle with people and seems to want to be their new best friend. I think he’d love a furever home where he’s the center of attention, and a new family who has lots of time to spend with him and make him feel real special.
I heard that we are doing pretty well with this ugly COVID stuff, and we are now in something called “Phase 2”, which apparently means that we kitties can now have visitors, although they are very limited—I think we can only have one or two at a time—and they still need to mask up. They tell me that this is for everyone’s safety, and I understand that and think it’s a very good idea. ‘Scept we love to see people! We can recognize the regular volunteers by their scent, and the masks don’t bother us ‘cause we know what you look like. But when we have new visitors who we haven’t met yet, we don’t have a good idea what you look like—just the eyes! (The eyes tell a lot about a person though!) But we like it that y’all are continuing to be real careful, and we can wait until it’s safe to see your nice faces again!
So I’d like to close with a bit of good news, ‘cause good news is always a good thing. (Did I really say that?) Since we’ve been closed, people who really like our shelter and want to help have been real grrreat about contributing, so we kitties have enough to eat and kitty litter to fill our boxes and vet care, if we need it. And of course, every new rescued kitty gets a grrreat vet check to make sure they’re real healthy before they go to their new homes.
And, staff tells me that some of our devoted supporters who have crossed the “Rainbow Bridge” have willed legacy gifts (big words) so they can continue to help us kitties!
Isn’t that just … grrreat?
Lovingly,
SUSHI
Domestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Brown tabby
Size: Medium
Age: Adult
Special needs: none
Given up because of allergies and new to the shelter, Sushi is an exceptionally friendly nine year-old male tabby. This boy just loves to cuddle and wants to be your best friend. He has lived with other cats in the past, and needs a home where his family will have plenty of time to spend with him. If you want a kitty to be the center of your world, give us a call to meet sweet Sushi!!
ADAM
Domestic Longhair, Male
Color: Black/white tuxedo
Size: Very Large
Age: Adult
Special needs: FIV positive
Adam is a very large, very handsome black and white tuxedo boy. (Our photographer had to use a wide-angle lens to capture all of Adam!) He has a beautiful, thick long coat and loves to show it off! He is a very affectionate, very friendly cat – probably likes people a little more than other cats. And, because he is an FIV positive cat, he needs to be an only cat (we think he won’t mind a bit); or, he can be with another FIV positive cat .
SKEETER
Domestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Orange tabby
Size: Medium
Age: Young
Special needs: none
Skeeter is a stray who had been through a Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) program, and as a result, has a tipped left ear. He’s a beautiful young cat, between 1 and 2 years old. At his foster home he got along well with large dogs and the other cats. His foster mom would have loved to keep him, but unfortunately one of the older cats in the household was picking on him. His foster mom had also mentioned that once he trusts you he will be all over you, even to the point of wrapping himself around a person’s neck.
LEO DEO NEO
Domestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Orange Tabby
Size: Large
Age: Young
Special needs: none
Leo is a wonderful three year old–big and happy and friendly! While he does get along with some other cats, he tends to be a bit bossy and would probably do best as an only kitty with adoring humans who want a playful and interactive companion. Leo came to us when his owner passed away, and he was, sadly, separated from his mother and sister when they were adopted by a family member. He was initially quite sad to have lost his feline and human family and the only home he had ever known in one fell swoop, but has quickly rebounded to his normal cheerful self. If you can provide Leo Deo Neo with a forever home that will cherish him for his many remaining years, we would love to introduce you to this special fellow!!
PITTI-PATTI
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Tortoiseshell
Size: Medium
Age: Young
Special needs: none
What an adorable polydactyl tortie!! Exceptionally friendly and always kneading with those cute extra toes (hence her name) this beauty was abandoned and living under a trailer near Forks. A good Samaritan was feeding her, but brought her to PFOA to find a loving home of her own. As do most adult torties, Patti would prefer to be the only cat and the queen of her domain. Probably 3-4 years old, Patti would enjoy a quiet home where she is adored and cherished–she will repay you with lots of love in return.
This girl is a staff favorite. If you are looking for an all-around great kitty, give us a call to meet Patti.
SWEETIE PIE
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Black/white tuxedo
Size: Large
Age: Young
Special needs: none
Sweetie Pie is a cute and tidy three year-old Tuxedo. Given to a retired couple for Christmas when she was only a kitten, severe allergies have forced her folks to give her up. Very sweet and social, this good sized girl will be a wonderful fit for a loving home where she can find the security she needs for the rest of her nine lives. If you are looking for a young kitty to be a quiet and gentle friend who is still playful and fun, perhaps this girl might be just the ticket!
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 34: GINGER IS THE NEW ORANGE
Hi everyone!
We had a wonderful pair of kitties join us last week (or maybe the week before—time flies when you’re having fun!) Their names are Miles and Zoie, and they are orange and white with short hair (just like me, if you don’t count all my brown fur). Actually, Tracy says they are ginger colored, but they look orange to me! Cats don’t get techy about fur color, y’know! Miles is the bigger kitty (after all, he’s the boy cat), and he’s a mostly ginger tabby. Zoie is a beautiful, dainty little tabby kitty with lots of white and gorgeous ginger markings.
They are really active and both play a lot. When Tracy moved Frannie downstairs, she said they sounded like “a bunch of monkeys” running around above her. They play hide and seek under the rug in their playroom. We know that because the rug is always scrunched up! Zoie bounces up and down on the door of the playroom, kinda like a jack-in-the-box, whenever someone walks by. They love, love people and attention!
Oh, and before I forget, I overheard Staff talking about a special event, and it’s here! It’s #GIVINGTUESDAY and it’s all about you generous people helping others. It got started 8 years ago and is a day that inspires people to do good. So, we kitties would really appreciate it if you are planning to donate and would remember PFOA. That’ll help lots more kitties like us! 
All of us here send you thanks, lots of nose-kisses and a paws up (that’s like a high-five, and sometimes a high-six)!
Lovingly,
LUCY-ALICE
One day, in early 2011, a sweet, gentle, affectionate little Manx kitten named Lucy-Alice was adopted from PFOA. Lucy-Alice resembled a very small, very colorful Lynx, with her gorgeous green eyes, pointed tufted ears, and calico tabby markings. It was easy to fall in love with her, and she found the best of homes with a couple who adored her.
What her loving parents didn’t know, was that some Manx cats are afflicted with Manx syndrome, a spinal disorder. The mutation that causes the loss or shortening of the tail also affects the spine, spinal cord and nerves. As a result, cats with this condition may have problems with bowel and bladder control. The condition generally shows up in kittens by the time they are four months old.
Lucy-Alice did not show any signs of Manx syndrome until a year after she was adopted. Of course, by this time, Lucy-Alice was a much loved member of her new family. When she began to have little “accidents”, they hoped that they were just that – simple accidents. But they were attached to Lucy-Alice. She was so loved. “Maybe she will grow out of it,” they thought. “It will just take a little more time.”
After considerable more time, they had to acknowledge that Lucy-Alice would not grow out of it. Their decision was heart-wrenching, but unavoidable. They contacted Nancy, the Shelter Director at Peninsula Friends of Animals. Could PFOA take Lucy-Alice back? This was not a decision to be taken lightly. Lucy-Alice would require a substantial investment of time and money. A generous gift from a very special supporter allowed PFOA to set up a special area, called “Turtle Towers”, for Lucy-Alice and an older kitten, Bobbie Jo, who also has Manx syndrome. Unfortunately, Bobbie Jo, having lived her first years of life as a single kitty, did not enjoy the company of gregarious Lucy-Alice and trouble broke out between the two girls. It became apparent that the best thing would be to separate the pair.
Lucy-Alice is one of the sweetest, most loving kitties anyone could ever hope to meet. Everyone who spends any time with her falls irrevocably in love with her. And that’s what happened when Tracy, Animal Caretaker at Barker House, first met Lucy-Alice in the summer of 2016. On a bright, sunny day, a couple of months later, Tracy came to pick up Lucy-Alice and take her to her new home at Barker House, a small PFOA facility designed for the care of special needs animals. Lucy-Alice will probably remain at Barker House for the rest of her life. There are very few people who have the type of facilities, and the time, money and dedication needed to provide a good home for her. PFOA is committed to providing Lucy-Alice with the best quality of life possible.
We are grateful to the sponsors who contribute to the care of Lucy-Alice, as well as our other special needs animals. While we still hope that Lucy may find her own family to love and care for her, it is not likely. So, for the rest of her days, Lucy will enjoy her life with her beloved caregiver in the sunny warm rooms of Barker House.
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 7: CELEBRATIONS
Hi everyone!
This week we’re celebrating both the Memorial Day holiday and a very special celebration of Tippy’s 16th birthday! He’s been the official office administrator for as long as any of us kitties can remember, and I’m learning a lot from him. He actually has his own fan club of people who come specially to spend time with him when Safe Haven is fully open.
He loves to snuggle into their shoulder and purrs real loud so they know how happy that makes him. There must be an alarm clock inside of him because at 11 am he lets his office staff know it’s lunch time and he’s requesting that his Fancy Feast beef with gravy be warmed to just the right temperature for him.
He usually takes a long nap after lunch in his favorite basket bed with the cushiest blankets to snooze on.
When he wakes up, he usually takes a wobbly walk to check on everyone and make sure everything’s in order. After his walk, he asks to be picked up so he can look out the window at the birds on the feeder. They really fascinate him when they flutter by.
He really enjoys scratching on a special paddlin’ box a devoted fan sent him and it’s amazing to see him use his front paws to pull himself up on the couch. His Cerebellar Hypoplasia affects his balance but certainly not his strength—with his gymnastic ability, he looks like he’s training for the kitty Olympics!
We all wish Tippy the happiest of birthdays and I’m honored to be his new office
assistant.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 8: THE GIRLS MOVE DOWNSTAIRS
Hi everyone!
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I reported about all the good news at the shelter? Well, with all the resident kitties leaving for their forever homes, the shelter is … how shall I say … kinda quiet! But, I hear that new friends are on their way to Safe Haven! Room B2 downstairs is empty, ‘cause each of the three bonded pairs (Hollis and Blue, Jackie and Dubbs, and Ariel and Brewster) found their forever home together. So, I’m working my way down the shelter, and find that B3 now has new kitties. Well, maybe not “new” – Lacie, Lucie and Suzie moved from their room upstairs (normally a kitten room) to B3 after Hannah and Bethany left.
If you remember, Bethany was getting fluids twice a week, and everyone felt that she would be happier at Barker House with other kitties like her. And Hannah – she found the nicest home with a lady who is a first-time cat owner and fell head over heels for Hannah. From the reports we get, we think Hannah feels the same way.
OK … back to LL&S. Now that they have moved downstairs, the girls have a wonderful catio where they can spend outdoor time (when it isn’t raining, ‘cause Lucie does NOT like to get her feet wet!) They really love their outdoor time – on the hot days they can roll around and lay on the cool ground. And they have a neighbor in the catio next to them. Garland moved from the Pole Barn building to B4. He’s learned to trust people again and is very friendly and enjoys petting and attention. And, being a very handsome bachelor cat, he naturally attracted the attention of the girls. Well, maybe not ALL of them. Lacie and Suzie have been kinda flirty with him, but Lucie thinks that boys stink and she’s not having anything to do with him.
The girls have had a lot of fun watching the birds and deer in the bushes around the catio. That keeps them very busy, and they spend lots of time doing it.
I hear that they love it when people read to them. But, when they just sit still and listen to books for long periods of time, they don’t really get enough exercise. At least it seems like that. Staff is really careful not to use the “f” word, but all three kitties are just a tad bit pudgy! I think Suzie is doing a little better than her two older sisters – one of the volunteers mentioned that Suzie looked like she had lost a little weight after she moved downstairs. And she is the most active of the three – she loves to play that game with the ball in the round scratcher. I think she’s taking advantage of all the new activities. And, of course, there IS the handsome bachelor next door!
I know they miss seeing all of you. As you know, they are all very affectionate. They rub against you and love to be petted. We are all hoping that the shelter can reopen soon. Staff is not exactly sure what the “new normal” will look like for Safe Haven. Everyone is using that term these days – we kitties are wondering exactly what it means. I’m sure we will find out – sooner or later.
Hope it’s sooner, ‘cause we miss you!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 9: SAFE HAVEN’S HALL MONITOR
Hi everyone!
Some of you may remember the sad story of the Pole Barn Nine. For those of you who haven’t heard about them, they are a group of nine very skittish, unsocialized kitties who were rescued from a bad situation. Someone had accumulated too many cats and couldn’t care for all of them. They have been at Safe Haven almost nine months now, and even though our staff and some of the volunteers have made a special effort to make friends with them and show them that they are finally safe, many of them are still quite scared and hide a lot.
It’s too bad, because if they would talk to some of us kitties who have been here longer, we would tell them that they are finally in a safe place, like the name of our shelter.
Garland is one of the Pole Barn Nine, and he has learned to trust people. The others are still struggling with trust issues. Garland is kind of a born leader also. He’s really interested in the comings and goings of the other kitties. He likes to keep track of the others. Some kitties think he is nosy and have started calling him the Hall Monitor. I wonder where they heard that name?
So, with the other kitties still scared and Garland doing pretty well, Garland got to move to the main shelter. He’s downstairs in B4, and I think he and Suzie might have a thing going. Remember I talked about the handsome bachelor cat last week? Well, that’s Garland. But now Suzie has competition, ‘cause Miss Pepper just came back to the shelter a couple of days ago, and Miss Pepper and Garland are roommates!
I’m thinking it won’t be too long before Garland finds his furever home. He’s really a nice cat around humans. (I think he likes people lots more than other kitties!) He loves to be petted and scratched under the chin. I was watching Kimmie scratch him one day, and he was really getting into it. He kept leaning toward her hand, and leaned so far that he fell on the floor!
Well, that’s enough about that. We had several new kitties join us at the shelter, and I’ll talk about them as soon as they get moved downstairs. But I saved the best news for last—Nyla and Phoenix went to their furever home last week! Isn’t that great? They have been waiting so long for just the right people to come along, and now they have a nice new home. We will all miss them here, especially Peeka and Boo, but we are all very happy for them too!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 10: REVOLVING DOOR
Hi everyone!
This week I’m not gonna save the best news for last, ‘cause this is, like, totally exciting!
When you think of a bonded pair of kitties who would really love to have a furrever home, who comes to mind? Peeka and Boo, that’s who! These sisters have been through so much change and loss in their lives—way too much for their 8 1/2 years! Well, they now have that furrever home they wanted, and the change in Peeka was really fast. The first night they were home, Peeka crawled up on her new dad’s chest and made herself comfortable! Here’s the first photo we got from her new family—a relaxed, friendly cat, sitting in the middle of the room, watching her mom get ready for the day.
Now, back to shelter news. Last week I mentioned that we had several new kitties come to the shelter. One of them, a very nice young kitty named Mike, moved downstairs a few days ago. He’s a cutie, with a boyish meow and beautiful, long, silky soft fur.
He was a stray, pretty much on his own, until he found a house with a kitty door. So he started going in and out, and adopted the people who lived there. Of course, with a kitty door comes … kitties. There were several of them living there, and Mike must have decided that one more couldn’t hurt, so he immediately made friends with all of them. Well, most of them. He really tried, but there was one cat that did NOT like him—at all.
Well, the cat was there first, so the people didn’t have a choice. They really liked Mike, but he couldn’t stay. So, they brought him to Safe Haven. They knew he would find a great home.
And … guess what? Just after he moved downstairs, a couple came to the shelter to meet Mike, and they decided that he should come home with them. He hasn’t left yet, so we’re still calling this a pending adoption, but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna work out purrfectly for Mike.
Doncha just love it when it’s all good news?
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 11: DON’T STEAL MY FOOD!
Hi everyone!
I know almost all of you remember Miss Pepper. She’s that beautiful calico tabby with the gorgeous green/gold eyes who went home in March. Well, we have to admit that not every adoption works purrfectly, and unfortunately Miss Pepper’s didn’t. No fault of Miss Pepper—unfortunately, some unforeseen circumstances came up in her new guardian’s life and it was best for Miss Pepper to return to Safe Haven.
So, Miss Pepper is back! We think she won’t be here too long, though. A nice couple is coming to meet her next week, and we’re hoping it will be the purrfect match.
But for now, she’s downstairs in B4, making friends with Garland. We think it’s going pretty well, considering that Miss Pepper is quite the independent lady. After all, she’s a calico, just like me! And that’s ALMOST a tortie! She’s younger than me, and her coat is, well, absolutely gorgeous. It’s so soft and silky, with a very cool design. I hafta admit that I’m just a bit green with envy. I think my green eyes are glowing!
Feeding time was fun to watch this morning. Miss Pepper loves to have breakfast in bed. So Tracy has started feeding her in the cat tree. Miss Pepper is quite the lady, with good table manners. In other words, she likes to take her time eating. Garland, on the other hand, is somewhat lacking in gentlemanly manners.
Today, Garland decided he was hungry, so he jumped up on the cat tree while Miss Pepper was eating. She ran outside, ran up her ramp, turned around and stared at Tracy, watching her every move. You don’t have to speak Cat to understand “Bring me my food!” The next thing I saw was Tracy coming outside with the plate of food. And just to make sure Garland didn’t steal the food, Tracy waited outside until Miss Pepper had finished eating.
Miss Pepper loves her catio, even if she does have to share. So, as I write this, we had a slight break in the rain, and Miss Pepper? Well, she’s out there, dodging rain puddles and having a great time. She even coaxed Garland out (even without food), but he got his paw wet, decided that was a bad idea, and scurried back inside.
Even with the rain, it was another wonderful day at Safe Haven!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONTTALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 12: OUR OWN “GENTLE BEN”
Hi everyone!
Back in February, we had a really nice cat named George move in. I called him Sweet George ‘cause he’s such a gentle Ben of a kitty! Many of you may not remember George. He came with Jackie and Dubs, but he didn’t stay long. It seemed like he wasn’t out of quarantine very long before he found a nice home. But this was one of those situations that no one could predict. His former guardian had to bring him back last week because of something called allergies.
Whoever adopts him into their home will have the bestest cat friend ever. I hear he had other cat friends before so he might even find a home with a kitty who needs a good friend. And, he even liked the dog. Can you imagine that? Of course, George and the dog were just about the same size. I think a bigger dog might scare George. When George knows he’s home, he loves to curl up and sleep right next to his person. I don’t think it’ll be very long before George is adopted and playing with his catnip mice and crackly balls in his new forever home.
Our good friend Nancy came into the shelter a couple of days ago and made a video of George. That was when he was still in quarantine—he moved downstairs that same afternoon. So he’s maybe even more laid back than normal. There’s much more room to move around when you are downstairs. The video is on our website now, so you can watch it any time you want.
In other news, last week both Miss Pepper and Mike found their forever homes. Isn’t that great? I’m not sure if my little weekly column had anything to do with it, but I did talk about Miss Pepper last week and Mike the week before. OK, maybe I’ll take just a tiny bit of credit. Can I, huh? Please?
You all have a great week, and stay safe!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 13: OUR FUNNY GIRL – PING PING
Hi everyone!
Last week I talked about George, the bestest cat, who was adopted but had to be returned due to allergies in the family. It was a sad day, both for George’s Dad and George himself. Well, I have good news! (Doncha just love it that most of my weekly columns start or end with good news?) I love it too!
Anyway, George was back at the shelter only a few days when a longtime supporter of PFOA came in, and wouldn’t you know it! That very same day she left the shelter with George in hand. We are all celebrating ‘cause George has a wonderful forever home! I was told that I should get extra credit for this adoption, but I don’t think so. George did it all by himself! He’s such a guy.
We have a new kitty at the shelter, and I’d like to talk about her this week. Why? ‘Cause she’s a really funny girl. She’s a young tuxedo who is a bit chubby at 13 pounds! I’ll bet she drops that extra weight really soon, though, ‘cause she gets a really lot of exercise. This girl is amazing! She zooms around her room, hitting all the cat trees, and finally ends up on a (temporary) resting spot. Naturally, all the humans in the room are laughing!
Why else is she funny? Well, she likes to turn her head upside down in her bed to look at you. She much prefers this to turning her head, like most of us would do. And she loves to be petted. She stands on her hind legs to reach a person’s hand, and rubs her head and arches her back.
When someone comes to visit, she runs to the door for a meet and greet. She sometimes gets meows, growls and hisses mixed up, especially with new people. She loves getting attention, but you need to watch her cat language. I’m thinking she needs an experienced, cat-saavy person, with no young children, and an indoor-only environment. This is one cat you will want to meet. I know you’re gonna love spending time with this quirky, funny girl!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 14: WAITING FOR TUNA
Hi everyone!
We have a great bonded sister and brother at the shelter—relatively new—I think they’ve only been downstairs a couple of weeks or so. Boy, are they entertaining! Their names are Bandy, short for Bandetta C (that’s quite a mouthful!) and Twitchy, whose given name is Twitchy II, named after his Pop. Their mom had to bring them to Safe Haven when she had to move in with family after their dad died.
They are both really sweet kitties, but they sure are different! Bandy is kinda serious, but we all know that’s just for show—she’s really a sweetie, even though she’s a tortie and pretty bossy. And Twitchy—he’s the tuxedo who talks a lot and is like an open book. I’m not real sure what an open book looks like, ‘cause I never learned to read! But that’s what they say.
They are both pretty large cats, but it’s not from wolfing their food down. They actually stop and give kisses to their humans before they start eating.
They both say they really like it here at Safe Haven, even though they spent their entire six years with a nice ocean view. They figured out the trick to the cat door, and now they go outside and lounge about in the sunshine … what there is of it … in their enclosed catio. You may have noticed that we haven’t had much sun lately. Is that an understatement?
And, as cats will do, they provide excellent rodent control for the occasional mouse who ventures into their area. Not a very smart mouse!
Their new next-door neighbor has made them kinda curious. He’s a very big, very loud Siamese. When he gets started, everyone—humans and cats alike—can hear him, no matter where they are.
With all the changes these two have gone through lately, I think they are adjusting really well. And they are soooo funny to watch. Their most fun game is to pretend they are camping out in their blanket tent, waiting for tuna s’mores. Hope someone doesn’t sit on them!
This is one great pair—and they deserve a wonderful furrever home!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 15: OUR GENTLE GIANT
Hi everyone!
One of the things I like best about living at Safe Haven is that, no matter what our kitties went through before they came here, they can look forward to a happy ending. Sometimes the kitties come from a very sad place, and that’s the case with Koko. He was very attached to his human companion for eight people years (a very long time in cat years), and then his person died very suddenly.
Koko was so sad and depressed. To make matters worse, he had to leave his home and was left to fend for himself. I know what that’s like, ‘cause I was in pretty much the same situation and I ended up in a feral colony—a very scary place—and then I got rescued and came here. So I really know what Koko has been through. He was lucky, though. A nice person saw him all alone, gave him some food and called PFOA.
We think of Koko as our own “gentle giant.” He’s a big cat—17 pounds! And he has a shiny black coat, white whiskers, and light green or yellow eyes that look right through you. So he could be a cat that you don’t mess with, but that’s not Koko. When you meet him, he will greet you with a quiet little mew, not the loud, giant-sized MEOW that you would expect. He’s really a very mellow fellow.
His roommates are Bandy and Twitchy—remember them from my last report? And they are large cats, but not nearly as big as Koko. I think he might be a little afraid, or maybe just shy or sad, ‘cause he doesn’t play with them yet. He just stays in his cat tree and watches them have fun, but in time, I’m sure he’ll join in.
I’m so glad Koko ended up here. He’s really a nice guy with a giant-sized heart. I think he would love to have a nice, quiet furrever home where he can just do things like watch TV, stretched out next to his new person. I think he would like that person to come along real quick. We will miss him here. He’s such a sweetie! But I know that our big boy would love to be in his very own home with his very own person again!
We all want the best for Koko, and hope that happens soon!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 16: PEOPLE ARE BETTER THAN BARNS
Hi everyone!
Can you imagine living in a barn? Well, Dash is one of our newest kitties, and he lived in a beautiful barn with lots of mice and four-legged buddies. And while he was well fed and cared for, Dash decided that he liked being around people more than living with his animal friends.
He’s what we would call a real people cat. He just loves to be loved and talked to and give loves back in return. He puts his front paws on your chest and shoulder and kneads … and kneads and kneads. Then he nuzzles right into your neck and gives kisses. Not MY neck, you understand. That would be gross and grounds for a hearty slap across the face, claws retracted of course. After all, he IS pretty young!
So, what did our Dash do when he figured out he wanted to live with people, not mice? He trotted right over to the neighbor’s house and hung around – on the screen doors, on the window, anything he could do to get their attention! They actually had to use the barbecue lid as a shield to keep him from sneaking in the house when they opened the door to go somewhere.
Fortunately, these neighbors are cat lovers, so they were more amused than upset at this little two year-old who was trying to take over their residence. And he is so loving and sweet, and just wants to be with people – how could they be upset? They would have loved to keep him, because he seemed to get along with their kitties. Well, most of them. He was making life miserable for the senior cat, who did not see anything funny about Dash. So the neighbors brought Dash here to Safe Haven so he could find a wonderful forever home where he could be the center of attention. I KNOW he wants that!
And since I’ve gotten to know him, I really do like him, even though he is young, male, and a tuxedo to boot! Not a handsome colorful tortie like me, but just two colors – black and white. He does have the cutest little black spot right beside his nose, though. Kinda makes up for the two-tone look! And you know what? I bet that he could be harness trained! He’s smart, and would figure out right away that he could spend more time with people if he had a harness – people would take him places and he could have lotsa fun!
And you know what else? I bet he will find that purrfect forever home real soon. He has a great purrsonality and makes people laugh. And he will never have to live without people again!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 19: MEET TOMMY BOY
Hi everyone!
So this week I got some feedback on my new photo. It wasn’t a bad comment at all. But I was told, quite candidly, that I am not a “glamour puss” type of cat, and that the old photo showed my purrsonality much better. *sigh* OK—I respect that, and I think he had a point, so my old photo is back to stay now. *sigh*
Guess what I did this week? I interviewed Cheryl, one of our volunteers who comes to the shelter three days a week. She’s been visiting us for almost six years, and before that she was a “mom” to about 60 feral cats. Can you imagine! That’s a lot of cats for one person to love. Cheryl used to be a high school teacher, and she says that she first learned about feral cats by teaching “feral kids” – you have to move on their time schedule, not your own.
I think this is the very first time I’ve ever done an interview with a human – most of the columns I write are just from chatting with the other kitties. But this was very cool, because I got to know a kitty that I never met before.
His name is Tommy, and he was really, really scared when he first came here. People call him “Tommy Boy” for fun. He is Cheryl’s #1 boy. She always goes to visit him first, and stays as long as he needs her to. She says she fell in love with him the first second she met him. The reason I haven’t met him is that he is feral, and doesn’t want to come into the shelter at all. He has his very own little mini-shelter outside, with a fully fenced yard so the raccoons and the bobcats don’t bother him. I think he understands that the fenced yard is a good thing, and that we all want to make sure he is secure and happy.
When Cheryl gets to his yard he runs up the trail, head butts her legs and wanders in and out of her legs. She leans down to pet him until he bats at her, clearly telling her “that’s enough, Mom”.
A couple of years ago she started trying to pick Tommy up and hold him, and now he lets her do that—for about five minutes, max! We even got a photo of that. Isn’t that great?
Tommy never will be a lap kitty. Getting him to take treats off the couch is as good as it gets. Like most of us, Tommy sets his own agenda, and the people who love him respect that. This is Tommy’s permanent home. He will be here all the days of his life. And that’s just fine with us.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 20: RHODES MOVES IN
Hi everyone!
Safe Haven is running real low on adoptable kitties! I bet you didn’t know that, if you haven’t been able to visit in a while. This has to be an all-time low, at least as far as I can remember, and I’ve been here almost three years!
So, this week I get to talk about some of the kitties we have had for a while, but don’t get too much written about them. Yes, I’m talking about the “Pole Barn 9,” a group of kitties that have been through some pretty rough times. They came from a place that people refer to as a “hoarding situation” where their caretaker passed away and the kitties had no one to care for them. They were either never socialized, or have been through so much that they are pretty scared of everything: humans, other kitties (‘specially ones they don’t know), other critters, things that go bump in the night … you get the idea! They arrived last September, so they’ve been here almost a year.
With the shelter relatively empty, our staff had a great opportunity to bring these kitties into some of the play rooms so they could see and hear people—and other cats—and maybe they could get over being so scared. And that turned into quite a project, ‘cause some of them are more scared than others!
The first one of the PB9, Garland, was lots less scared than the rest of the kitties. Remember him? I wrote about him in Week 9—Safe Haven’s Hall Monitor. He’s been inside the shelter for some time now, and some people are coming in a couple of weeks to meet him and maybe take him home! Wouldn’t that be great!
Last week Rhodes got to move to the main shelter! So that’s two!!
Rhodes is doing really well, ‘specially since no one could touch him for weeks! He’s a big orange and white tabby, and he’s gradually becoming much more comfortable at Safe Haven. He does tend to hide from people he doesn’t know, but if you spend enough time with him, he’ll come around … all the time! And when he decides that someone is a good cat person, he does actually relax, and enjoys being petted and scratched.
And if you don’t believe me, just take a look at the video that Nancy made! Nancy is what’s called the videographer. That’s a fancy word for “takes moving pictures.” I had to look that word up, ‘cause we have more than one Nancy and I had to make sure you knew which one I was talking about. And that “vid” word is a really long one. But it was pretty easy to find ‘cause it starts with the letters that it sounds like. Not like that long word for when you get a bad cold that gets worse … sounds like it should start with an “n” but actually starts with a “p”. Try looking that one up, ‘specially if you are a cat!
OK … I got off the subject. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I’m hoping that Rhodes continues to do really well with people. He’s a very handsome cat, and I think people will be impressed with him. He’s orange, too. People seem to like that. (I’m not sure why, ‘cause torties are the prettiest!) And pretty soon we will be able to bring in more of the Pole Barn 9, and I’ll write to you about them too.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 21: OUR NEW SENIOR CATIZEN
Hi everyone!
As much as we would like to get everything purrfect the first time, we all know that sometimes a kitty’s purrfect furever home isn’t … well … as purrfect as we would like. Sometimes it’s a change in the caregiver’s situation, or the caregiver is no longer with us, or, much as we would like to get everything right, sometimes it’s just not a good fit.
She was adopted as a kitten, and had a good life until her human family went through some tough times. Daisy ended up staying in an extra room, and wasn’t getting the amount of attention she was used to having. And Daisy definitely needs attention. She’s really a nice, friendly cat if you give her a chance to get to know you.
Fortunately, her person recognized that this was no longer a good situation for Daisy, and she brought her to Safe Haven so Daisy could find a better home—preferably a mature, single-cat home with no dogs. You see, Daisy is really scared of dogs, and she actually attacks dogs who are nervous around cats. I think people call that a defense mechanism. Sounds right!
Daisy did live with another cat when she was younger, but she can be real bossy. We think she will do best if she can find a nice home where she can be the Queen Bee and get lots of attention. It needs to be a quiet home, ‘cause Daisy is afraid of loud noises.
After she had been at Safe Haven a couple of weeks, she was moved to a room on the first floor, and got to meet Finn. You remember Finn from a couple of weeks ago? He started out life as Blitzen and came back after he lost his “Dad”. I think Finn and Daisy took a little time to get to know each other—they are both very shy—but then Finn was gone for a couple of days because he had to go to the vet and Daisy was the only one in her room.
Daisy has some really cute habits. She loves being up high so she can look out the doors and windows. She loves treats and comes running when she hears the can opener. She also loves to snuggle on soft blankets, and sometimes sucks on the blanket. OK, now I have to say … ICK! Blanket fuzz between your teeth. Double ICK!!
I think Daisy will find the right home real soon. She’s such a pretty cat, with that soft grey coat and green eyes. And she likes people way more than animals, even totally gorgeous, sophisticated, good natured kitties—like me!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 22: THE VELCRO BOY
Hi everyone!
We have a big, sleek, handsome, very outgoing boy at the shelter, and I’d like to tell you about him. His name is O’Henry, and he’s what’s called a Snowshoe Siamese. He’s a seal point, and the main difference between a Snowshoe and a regular Siamese is pretty obvious. At least, it is when someone points it out! Snowshoes have white feet. Like snow. Get it?
Here’s a nice photo of O’Henry. Take a look—you’ll see what I mean.
O’Henry really loves being outside. He goes out on his catio and lays in the sun and watches the birds for hours. Keeps him quite entertained. Which is a good thing, ‘cause he had a bad leg when he came here, and everyone wants to see him get better real soon so he can run and jump with the best of us. And he can’t do that until his leg is all better.
Even though he sometimes acts like a dog and talks real loud and real often, O’Henry is one cool cat. Nancy says he’s a “real hoot,” which is kinda funny, ‘cause he’s a cat, not an owl! So we’re lookin’ at an animal who looks like a cat, acts like a dog and sounds like … an owl? Maybe a screech owl? (I’m so funny!)
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 23: SHARE YOUR STORIES!
Hi everyone!
And if you missed meeting her, here’s a nice photo that our Sara took a day or so before Angel went home. Notice anything? She’s a tortie—just like me. No wonder she didn’t stick around long!
So, instead of writing about Angel Kitty, I’m gonna do something a little different this week. In case you didn’t know, my stories about our kitties have helped many of them find their forever homes. I’m really happy about that! And I found a way that you can help even more of my kitty friends by sharing your own stories. My human friends can say it better than I can, ‘cause it’s from an email that came to the shelter recently, and I don’t read so good. So here’s their message:
From loving head butts to cozier naps, and all the magical moments in between, cats make our lives better. Share how your special kitty or pair of kitties, adopted from PFOA, has changed your life. Your stories will help us earn up to $100,000 from @petcofoundation this Holiday Season and you can win a Petco shopping spree.
Share your story at https://petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes by September 23 and please let us know when you’re submitting the story by emailing us at pfoa@olypen.com.
I know that there are lots of great stories out there about my friends who have found their wonderful forever homes, and we would love to have you share them. Purrsonally, I don’t hear too much about my friends who have gone home, and it would really be great to know how they are doing! I kinda miss them!
So that’s my message for this week. We didn’t get much warning on this, and the deadline is creeping up. If you share your home with a cat, I KNOW you are familiar with the creeping thing! And we would love to hear from you!
One more thing—guess what I did this week? I went to the pet groomer! If you thought I looked great before, I look absolutely stunning now! I even feel better, so I’m walking around the shelter office more, making a nuisance of myself. I just love walking all over Danette and Kimmie’s paperwork! I even sat on the copier and somehow the copy button got pushed, and they have a picture of … well, it’s of where I sit down! I’m not showing it to you, ‘cause this is NOT an “R” rated column!
Danette and Kimmie are so nice. They don’t get upset or anything. They just pick up their papers, clean off my paw marks, and carry on with their work. I love these gals!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 24: SMOKE AND RAIN
Hi everyone!
Well, we had a semi-revolution at the shelter last week. ‘Cause of all the bad stuff in the air, we were not allowed to go outdoors. I suppose Staff would have allowed it if we were willing to wear masks, but that boggles the mind. No self-respecting feline would consider wearing a mask! That would be as bad as wearing a harness—for most of us.
So we woke up Saturday morning and found all the cat doors locked shut and the sliding doors closed. None of us could go out on our sun porches and catios! Sara and John came to take some photos later in the morning, and ended up with a bunch of angry cats on their hands! Not many photo ops that day!
There is good news, though: two of our kitties went home! Kylo Ren has a great extended family: in addition to his new parents, he has three cats and three dogs to play with! And O’Henry found a wonderful home with a very nice young man who has lots of experience with Siamese cats! Isn’t that great?
I’m so happy that we are starting to get more emails from regular readers of our little weekly newsletter. They tell us how much they enjoy having my column in their inbox every week, and they are also very helpful. I received an email last week pointing out that I am really a calico, not a tortie, because I have a coat of three colors, including white. Torties don’t have white, or if they do, it’s just a little spot or two. And, of course, I said in my last column that Angel Kitty is a tortie too—just like me. So I want to correct that! Angel Kitty is really a calico—just like me! I think the whole thing got started because of my purrsonality. Even though I’m a calico, I have been accused of having a generous dose of tortitude, so one day I just decided I could be a tortie. That’s how that got started. And I want to say to Sally: Don’t apologize. I’m really glad you took the time to write! Thank you.
And the best news: After a full week of horrid air, the smoke is finally going away. That should put everyone in the shelter—human and feline—in a much better mood. We kitties can go outside again. Only thing is that it’s raining! And most cats don’t like rain. At least, the ones I know don’t. So we have to schedule our outside play time very carefully!
Oh, and one more thing: the Petco Holiday Wishes campaign ends Wednesday, September 30. If you adopted your animal companion from us and would like to tell everyone how wonderful he/she is, just write a story (500 words max), add at least four (max 6) of your favorite photos, and submit it online to https://www.petcofoundation.org/holiday-wishes/. You get bragging rights, and you might even win a prize!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 25: LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Hi everyone!
It is soooo nice to be able to go outside and breathe clean, fresh air. The cat doors are all unlocked, and everyone at the shelter, cats and humans alike, is in a much better mood. And now that everyone is feeling better, I’d like to approach a somewhat sensitive subject (that’s SSS for those of you who like short cuts!) It’s CLEANING! And yours truly contributes just as much to that need as any one else—including Tippy! Yes, I know we kitties make messes when we are eating, as well as when we make room for more food. (I wonder if that’s where the phrase “tail end” came from?) And, as Danette just pointed out, you humans contribute as much, if not more, than we kitties! Well, I’m not sure about that! But we do need morning volunteers to clean! Much as I’d like to have them just come in and play with me, it’s important to us kitties to have a clean environment. Keeps us healthy.
And the more time she spent around Rhodes, the more she liked him. And Rhodes really liked her. He talked to her regularly through the fence in the play yard (we kitties DO talk to each other—we just don’t let you humans know!) And the nicest thing happened. Lilly fell in love with the boy next door! She moved in with him so they could spend all their time together. I think Rhodes loves her too.
And before I end this week’s column, I’m going to repeat myself from last week: the Petco Holiday Wishes campaign ends this Wednesday. If you would like to write a story about your great PFOA kitty (or kitties), you only have a little time left. And if you need any help or would like someone to read your story before you send it in, I’d be happy to donate the services of my secretary and translator! And since you are reading this, she isn’t objecting … too much.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 26: HOODOO? VOODOO!
Hi everyone!
Great news from the shelter. Finn went home last week! He found a wonderful and patient new mom and dad who understand that he’s really shy, and are OK with that. I think he couldn’t have found a better forever home! Everyone at the shelter is so happy for him.
So we have really been enjoying the nice weather (with CLEAN AIR!) at the shelter lately. The catios are a really nice place to spend time during the day. The sunshine feels so good! But we have to wait till the afternoon to do that ‘cause it’s been foggy in the mornings. Not as much fun when it is cold and damp and we can’t see each other! Too bad this is all coming to an end—real soon! Kimmie has this really cool phone that she can look at something called an “app” and see if we are going to have a nice day. And what do you think? Her phone says it’s going to rain for four days around the end of this week. No more sunshine! It happens every year about this time, though. You’d think, after all these years, I’d get used to this. It’s called “fall” which is a very odd name for a season ‘cause I can’t figure out what’s falling! I’m not sure it’s worth worrying about, though.
Oh, and before I sign off for this week, I wanted to let everyone know that, in addition to our world-famous purrfect potholders, we also have microwaveable bowls. They are also made by our Potholder Team, and are available from Safe Haven and other shops around town. People say they are really handy for when you are microwaving stuff and want to be able to take the food out without getting burned. I can’t imagine what that feels like! My paw pads (like other kitties) are kinda sensitive to heat. Don’t think that would be fun at all (provided I had paws that could lift dishes out of a microwave). But then, why would I want to do that? That’s one of the many things people do best!this, she isn’t objecting … too much.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 27: BEST BUDDIES
Hi everyone!
I love it when I get to give all of you good news. And I get to do that again this week. VooDoo went home yesterday! Isn’t that absolutely great? And, he’s staying “in the family” – Tracy’s parents met him and fell in love right away, and the rest is history. People say that a lot. I’m not sure exactly what it means, ‘cause I never had to study history. And if some of you out there haven’t met Tracy, she’s really great. She’s the caretaker for the special needs kitties at Barker House, and since COVID she has also come out to take care of us kitties at Safe Haven a couple of days a week.
We had a new kitty join us this week. Her name is Ocean (I’m sure there’s a story about her name) and we are just getting to know each other, so I’m not going to write about her this week. Prob’ly next week. Instead, I have some really great news about two kitties who have been here awhile.
Oh, and before I forget, Nancy took the greatest video of Rhodes and Lilly together. Remember the really cute photo of the two of them in the cat tree looking at each other? That photo was taken from Nancy’s video, and she sent us the whole video, and my secretary processed it so y’all can see it. We didn’t have the video when the “Love in the Air” episode came out, so it’s featured this week on the From The Home Front web page.
One more thing, before I sign off for this week. A really nice couple who support PFOA are moving, and they had to downsize. They have a great TV and entertainment unit that they are selling to the highest bidder, and they are gonna donate all the money to PFOA for the kitties! All the details, with photos, are coming out tomorrow (Tuesday) in the October eNews. We don’t normally send out two emails together, but this is a really nice thing for these people to donate the money to us. So if you could use this set, be sure to look for the email and check it out! I bet you’ll like it.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 29: FOUR MORE AT SAFE HAVEN
Hi everyone!
This is really great! Lately, I get to write about good news EVERY WEEK! Last week we didn’t have any kitties exit the building, but we had four new kitties arrive—together! That’s important too, because there are lots of kitties who need a helping hand and my human friends at Safe Haven help as many as possible be adopted into loving, furever homes.
OK—that’s my “Merryisms” for the week. And before I forget it, Danette just told me that the bottles of CATastrophic 2020 are “flying off the shelves.” Guess a lot of you out there like wine! Or maybe it’s Barky’s cool painting of Tippy! Anyway, thought I would let all of you know, so that you won’t wait too long and be disappointed if you can’t get some.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 30: TEACHING PROPER CAT MANNERS
Hi everyone!
Guess what? Garland and Dash found their new furever home—together! Isn’t that great? I’m so happy for them. They are such a great pair, and get along so well together—even if Dash is a little … shall we say, active? Anyway, they are best buddies and everyone at the shelter is so happy that they are together in their new home.
She’s very gentle, and super patient with him. He’s a little over six months old, and is kinda like a little brother. He follows her around the room, trying to impress her. And she puts up with him very nicely—she is a very patient, low-key kitty—until he gets on a good run and launches himself onto her back. She doesn’t get upset or anything. She just shrugs him off and bats him with her paw, trying to teach him how to behave properly.
I hope she’s very successful with Horus’s studies. I really don’t want her to leave, ‘cause I really like her, but she is so sweet and charming and beautiful that she really deserves her own home.
So, I’ll keep you updated on Ocean’s progress. She’s working hard with Horus, so I’m thinking it probly won’t be too much longer before we all see lots of progress.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 31: ALL ABOUT OLLIE
Hi everyone!
We had a grrreat week! China, Garland & Dash, and Thor & Sweet Pea were all adopted! Thor and Sweet Pea were adopted just before they were scheduled to move out of the Quarantine room, so they never had to adjust to a new room. They are brother and sister, so it’s specially nice that they found their new furever home together. And Garland and Dash got to stay together too! Life is good for Safe Haven kitties.
Since most of you haven’t seen Thor and Sweet Pea, I thought you might like to see photos of both of them. Thor’s the big guy on the left, and Sweet Pea’s on the right—she’s the cutie holding her paw up.
I hafta tell you I’ve been kinda busy this week. When Ollie arrived, I had to help staff fill out her intake paperwork. I’m sure they appreciated it. I really don’t know what they’d do without me! I offered to go check Ollie out—you know, make sure she’s healthy and isn’t sneezing or anything. But they said that was OK—they’d take care of that.
Oh—one more thing. I told you last week that CATastrophic 2020 was sold out, but I have a great deal for you. If you would like a permanent CATastrophic 2020 keepsake, we have a limited number of 18” x 24” posters, and if you’d like one, they are $22, including tax. Just call Danette and reserve one. You can see the poster on my page on the website!
Guess that’s all I have this week. But really, wasn’t it a grrreat week?
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 32: LOTSA GOOD NEWS
Hi everyone!
We had another good week! Ocean found her wonderful furrever home, and Ollie did too! They didn’t go together—I think Ocean has had enough of active kittens, even though she’s just barely out of kitten class herself. But what a nice first birthday present for her! And Ollie! Wow—that was fast! She got adopted right out of Quarantine, just as soon as she got all her vet “stuff” done. I’m so pleased for both of them, and everyone else here at the shelter is pleased too!
Now, for the good news:
The staff were very excited that our Hallowe’en Trick or Treat invitation to local businesses was a huge success. It brought in pet food donations to us kitties and lots of it went to the pet food bank for cats and dogs in need. It’s real important to keep those animal companions together with their owners who are going through a hard time.
The staff were very excited that our Hallowe’en Trick or Treat invitation to local businesses was a huge success. It brought in pet food donations to us kitties and lots of it went to the pet food bank for cats and dogs in need. It’s real important to keep those animal companions together with their owners who are going through a hard time.
And that’s not all. There’s more big news! Actually, I’d call it purrfect news!
For the first time, PFOA has been chosen as a local Hometown Charity by Koenig Subaru in Port Angeles to benefit from Subaru’s annual SHARE THE LOVE Event. From November 19th, 2020 through January 4th, 2021, with every new Subaru purchased or leased from Koenig Subaru, Subaru will donate $125.00 to PFOA if their customer chooses PFOA as their charity of choice. If you’re planning on gifting yourself with a Subaru this Holiday Season, you can also gift us kitties through the SHARE THE LOVE event. It’s a real win-win! Y’know, I’d love to drive a Subaru, except it’s kinda hard to fit my paws around the steering wheel
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 33: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for the paper towels. After I begged for some in last week’s column, we had several people bring paper towels to the shelter. That is such a big help! And with getting new kitties in every week, some of them haven’t figured out yet that they aren’t supposed to make messes! My bad—one of my kitty volunteer jobs is to pass the word to the new kitties about the groundrules for Safe Haven, and I didn’t get the word out soon enough! And in case you can spare any, we ALWAYS need more paper towels!
We had the nicest, sweetest, most affectionate kitty join us this week. Her name is Frannie, and she’s a medium hair tortie (with the kind of hair that doesn’t mat). Here’s a photo of her. Isn’t she gorgeous? Kimmie says she’s between 7 and 10 years old, but I think she looks and acts a little younger. And she really, really loves people. She has the sweetest voice, and greets everyone who comes into her room. She’s nothing like some torties or calicos I’ve met—not an ounce of “tortitude” with this little gal! Yes, some calicos have tortitude too—not me, of course, but some do!
And y’know, the day after Thanksgiving is also called “Black Friday”. I’m not sure where the name came from, but it’s apparently The Thing with humans who like to get their holiday shopping done early. So … we have a great deal for you! On Black Friday, we are 
offering all of our remaining face masks for $10 each! That’s like … half price. It’s also 50% off, according to Danette. I’m not so good at math—it’s hard to count on my paws. Anyway, just call the shelter and order yours. And … holiday shopping with Amazon Smile and iGive earns dollars to help us kitties too!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 35: TUXEDOS ARE KITTIES TOO!
Hi everyone!
We got some good news this week. (I just love to start my column this way!) One of the newer businesses in Sequim asked us about selling our potholders and microwave bowls. It’s called Bag Ladies of Sequim WA, and it’s right on the main drag—161 West Washington. They are joining the eight other businesses in Sequim and Port Angeles who carry our potholders. So as long as the businesses are able to be open, you’ll be able to pick up presents for people on your Christmas list—including yourselves!
And now for our PFOA / FTHF Cat of the Week! Ta Da!! I’ll give you some hints. He’s black and white, and also known as a tuxedo. I think that’s because men generally wear black tuxedos with white shirts when they want to really dress up. He’s fairly young, which means that a) he has a lot to learn, and b) he’s eager to learn it.
Did you guess who this is yet? I’ll give you one more hint! When he started his learning process, he had a great teacher who just went to her furrever home three or four weeks ago.
This is where Ocean really helped him out, and made life easier for staff as well. Because they shared one of the kitty playrooms, Ocean worked with Horus constantly, 24×7, and was able to make a reasonable amount of progress before she went home. And much to everyone’s surprise, he was actually able to remember most of what she was trying to teach him. So he’s gone from obnoxious (my, that’s a big word!) to adorable. He’s finally at the point where staff feels he’s ready to be adopted. And all of us are really happy for him. He’s so cute and such a character; he’s sure to find a great home very soon.
I hope everyone is staying safe out there. All of us kitties and staff at Safe Haven are grrreat! And we really appreciate all the donations and checks y’all have been bringing to the shelter. I do have one minor request, though. From what I hear, this horrid virus is gonna get worse, ‘specially with all the holidays, so we really want to keep the shelter visitors to a minimum.
So that means bad news … it’s gonna be awhile before we can have visitors again. And all of us kitties really miss seeing you. But I really think after it gets worse it’s gonna get better. Fortunately, I have access to a TV so I get to keep up on all the latest. And until it gets better, it’s much safer for all of you to mail your donation checks and drop off your donated cat food and litter and all the other great things y’all bring us. If you call the shelter at (360) 452-0414, ext 3 (that’s Danette’s phone) before you come, staff will know to look for your donations and bring them inside the shelter. And if we all follow the rules (this is NOT one of the things cats do best, but we will try), next year things will start going back to normal. We can hardly wait!
So stay safe. We will too!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 36: ALL LOVE AND ALL PLAY
Hi everyone!
We didn’t have any of the kitties go home this week, although a couple of the kitties have been getting a lot of attention! But, to make up for that, we had a bunch of new kitties arrive.
Skeeter arrived about the same time as Tina and Turner. (You’re gonna meet them in a couple of paragraphs!) He’s out of quarantine now, and in the same playroom with Tina and Turner. He started out being really scared of everything, even his own shadow, but I think he’s getting a little more comfortable with his new room and his roommates.
Next to arrive were Kitty Cat and Leo Neo Deo (Wow! That’s a mouthful!!)
And last Saturday, Dallas (Nancy’s husband) picked up Third and Spats, a couple of cats who belonged to a young woman who ended up in the hospital and was unable to continue to care for them. She was good with them coming to Safe Haven, and glad they were being cared for. Oh, and did I mention, Third is, without a doubt, the biggest cat I’ve ever seen! He weighs 26 pounds!! Can you believe it? He actually doesn’t look that much overweight—he’s pretty well-proportioned—but it was a good thing that Dallas went to pick him up, ‘cause none of the rest of our staff here could possibly lift that much! (And if they thought they could, they shouldn’t!) Just think … that’s almost 3 times what I weigh! But we’re not talkin’ about that … a lady never does!
I usually end this column with some “food for thought”. I’ve heard humans say that, and the first time I heard it I thought, “These people are crazy! You can’t think food, you can only eat food!” But then I kinda understood. They were saying that it’s important stuff.
Christmas is coming, and it’s a great time of year, ‘specially for humans. But for their pets, it could pose some real problems, ‘cause there’s lots of things that some people may not think of. So here’s your food for thought!
I bet y’all could think of some other no-no’s, but these are the main things that frazzle my fur. I think the bottom line is … use common sense, and if you can, think smarter than your pet.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 37: QUEEN OF HER DOMAIN
Hi everyone!
This is so great! I get to report that Rufus has left the building! He went to his new furrever home this week, and it’s just purrfect for him! He gets to be outside (safely, of course!) part of the time, and is going to be his new person’s special indoor friend the rest of the time. I’m soooo happy for him!!! I bet you knew that, though, ‘cause I just used seven of these thingys [!] in one paragraph.
At ten years old, Tiger is a middle-aged kitty. She says that means that she’s all done with those busy kitten years and has lots of mellow years ahead. I sure like her point of view—she’s the same age as me, and I like her outlook on life! She’s a night owl and loves to explore and check out things that go bump in the night. OK—I hafta admit that’s not an original Merryism—that’s Kimmie’s description, and it sure fits! I’d say that she’s got lots of jump left—her favorite spot is the highest perch on her cat tree. I think she likes being queen of her domain. And her favorite wish is to go home this year! Wouldn’t it be great if she could celebrate New Year’s Day quietly with her new, purrfect family?
In other news, we have a couple of new cats. Palmer just arrived, and Spitfire will be here next week. My secretary had emailed Danette asking about new kitties, and Danette was responding to the email when I decided that she hadn’t paid enough attention to me and I went over and stood on her keyboard and stared at her (which is kitty-speak for “pay attention to me!”) So the sentence about Spitfire coming next week ended up as “Spitfire next weei.” My secretary thought that was pretty funny! I think Danette did too.
And since this is my last letter to you before the next one, and since the next one won’t go out until a week from now, y’all have a purrfectly joyous holiday season!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 38: THE YEAR OUR PETS SAVED US
Hi everyone!
We had a record adoption week: Frannie, Horus, and Tiger found purrfect homes! And Tina and Turner found their purrfect home together. Isn’t that grrreat? We are so happy for them!
This week I’d like to share a poem from Chewy, who supplies us with lots of cat food and litter. When my secretary read it to me, I knew it was purrfect for our times. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Lovingly,
‘Twas the Year Our Pets Saved Us ‘Twas the year full of questions, COVID, and doubt. Yet each time we felt at the end of our ropes — Some of these critters are new family members. We care for our pets—they need us, it’s true. So in that spirit, friends, let’s raise our voices, all:
by Chewy
For months we wore masks, indoors and out
Social distancing made us feel safe, but alone.
Even our weddings were remote or postponed.
While our kids went to school in ways unfamiliar,
Our own days and nights felt strained and peculiar.
We binge-watched TV — the good, bad, and terrible.
In short: this past year was barely bearable.
Lo and behold! — our pets raised our hopes.
They offered relief for our cares and our worry,
relief that was feathered, or scaly, or furry,
or swam ‘round and ‘round in a tank without sinking,
or sat by a heat lamp, unmoving, unblinking.
Some have been with us for days without number.
Some were adopted as pandemic puppies.
Some are ball pythons, or bunnies, or guppies.
Honestly, though, species don’t matter —
The point is that pets make everything better.
yes, while we must also sadly attest
that at times, this year, we were not at our best,
acting crabby and sullen and often cantankerous,
(Pets: You have the pandemic to thank for this!)
again and again, for reasons inscrutable,
we got back to booping those dog snoots so boopable.
We treated our cats to special cat treats.
We taught new limericks to our old parakeets.
We gave extra crickets to our cute bearded dragons.
Even our fishes’ tails started waggin’
But deep down we know that we need our pets, too.
Their antics make us laugh when we’re tearful.
They comfort the anxious, lonesome and fearful.
We need the sense that their presence provides us:
The feeling that loved ones are always beside us.
2020 tested us in myriad ways.
Weeks felt like months, and hours felt like days.
A new year approaches. Who knows what’s in store?
Who knows what fresh weirdness will barge through the door?
But whatever may come let’s all take a minute
to celebrate our world and the animals in it.
A world without pets would be a cold, dreary place,
like the ocean’s dark floor, or the far depths of space.
We have it in ourselves to shift our attitude
and close out the year with a sense of gratitude.
“Happiest of holidays—to creatures great and small!”
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 39: FOUR FOR THE PRICE OF TWO!
Hi everyone!
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday. I sure did! I kinda missed having staff and volunteers bring food and people play music. And everyone is always so nice to us kitties, ‘cept that they don’t feed us snacks! But I know that last year it just wasn’t possible. We are all hoping for a better year in 2021.
Their names are actually Third and Spec. Spec is the 26 pound kitty (I hafta say—again—”wow!”) He’s called Spec because he’s an all-black cat with just a little speck of white under his chin (or maybe because he’s such a special cat). His brother from a different mother is Third, and I have no idea where Third’s name came from. I just think it’s a cute name. Third has absolutely gorgeous blue eyes—a very unusual color for most kitties (‘cept Siamese, of course). The two of them make up about four kitties, weight-wise. So if you always wanted lots of kitties, this is the easy way—you get four for the price of two! What a deal!!
And before I say “bye for now,” I want to give a huge Paws Up to Koenig Subaru. They chose PFOA as one of their Hometown Charities for their Share the Love event this year, and the event ends January 4! That’s today, if I did my math correctly. And as you know, that’s not one of my best talents!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 40: TWO NAMES GOOD; FOUR NAMES BETTER
Hi everyone!
We have a grrrreat event coming up next week: Miles and Zoie are going home! One of our long-time volunteers, who helps my secretary and me with this column every week, knew they are ‘specially nice kitties and need a ‘specially nice home. Of course, all of our kitties are really special! I’m so pleased for Miles and Zoie and happy for their new family too. I prob’ly shouldn’t take much credit for this, but I did write about them a few weeks ago, and I hafta say I’m really happy that I had a very small part in this grrrreat little story.
She’s real friendly—one of the nicest, most friendly cats I’ve met. She loves to be petted and loved, and she has lots of love to give back. And she’s pretty young—she’s only about 3 or 4 in people years. What’s amazing is that she was abandoned and living under a trailer near Forks. One of the people living nearby was feeding her, and then brought her to us so she could find a home of her own. She says she would really like to be the only cat in her new family. After all, she IS a tortie, and they do like to be the Queen Bee.
So that’s our Kitty of the Week. Glad you can meet her, even though this isn’t in person. And if you think you have the purrfect home for our little girl, be sure to give us a call.
Lots of people ask how they can help during the pandemic. Right now we could really use bleach and high-efficiency clothes detergent so staff can wash our kitty linens. Not that we are dirty! Anything but!! I think they just like to make sure everything is sparkly clean for us. Which is a really good thing, and all of us kitties are glad they are taking such good care of us!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 41: ONE KITTY – THREE NAMES
Hi everyone!
Wow did we ever have a red-letter week! Get that? RED-LETTER! (I’m so cute!) Eight adoptions in one week!! In addition to Miles and Zoie, Lilly and Rhodes went home together, and newbie Coco was adopted as well. Pitti-Patti (FTHF last week) just found her new home (that was fast!) And … Speck and Third just met their new dad, and are going to their new home next week.
Leo’s pre-Safe Haven story is kinda sad. He lost his home when his previous human companion died, and he lost his kitty mom and sister when they went to live with someone else in the family. I can only imagine what the poor guy felt like. Here he is, enjoying life, having a great time, and then, all of a sudden, he loses his feline and human family and the only home he has ever known!
The good news is that you can’t keep a good cat down. Leo was sad when he first arrived, but he’s now back to his normal cheerful, friendly, happy self. All of us kitties at the shelter are really happy for him, and we’re all rooting for him to find a great new furrever home! We think that won’t be a problem. He’s a really cool cat!
So that’s it for another week at the shelter! Pretty great week, huh? I asked Danette if there was anything we really need that I didn’t know about (HIGHLY unlikely—I pretty much know about all the goings-on at Safe Haven.) She did mention one thing that I shoulda thought of. Sometimes when people come to visit and they leave with one (or more) new feline family members, they hafta borrow a cat carrier. We usually get them back, but sometimes it takes a little time. So we could use a few more spare carriers—both medium and large cat-sized. If y’all would like to contribute something for our shelter, that would be grrreat! They need to be top-loading with the plastic tops, ‘cause it’s a lot easier to get us kitties in and out, ‘specially when we’re not exactly thrilled with being there!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 42: ROSIE ROUND-AGAIN
Hi everyone!
Just to follow up from last week, Speck and Third went home on Tuesday. I think they were prob’ly a little nervous—after all, they haven’t been here that long and prob’ly don’t know about how grrrreat it is to find a furrever home. Having been here a long time and hearing from kitties who have gone to wonderful homes, I tried to let Speck and Third know that it’s OK and they will be very happy. I know Speck and Third heard me. I bet they understood, too!
Oops—got off track there. Back to Rosie. We think she would really like to be the only animal companion in a nice quiet, loving home. She’s gonna take a little time to fully adjust. After all, she lived in her former home for almost 50 cat years! And that’s a long time for us. So I’m hoping she can find that purrfect new furrever home with people who love cats and are willing to give her time to adjust. Trust me—she’s worth it!
I hafta say that it’s been so much fun writing this column, ’specially knowing that it brings a smile to everyone who isn’t able to come to the shelter for their “kitty fixes” now. And y’all have been really generous with donations to make the kitties’ lives better, until they can go to their furrever homes. So here’s this week’s suggestion: I know that all of us kitties enjoy listening to the radio. Although we don’t understand much of the talk shows, the music is really nice, and adds a lot to our day. Right now we have radios in all of the kitty playrooms, generously donated by one of our grrrreat volunteers some years ago. Not that they are real old … they are certainly not as old as yours truly. But some of them are starting to break down and they are very crackly and our favorite programs don’t come in so good. Just the other day I was listening to “Cats,” and the radio died in the middle of Grizabella singing “Memory.” So, on behalf of the rest of the kitties who should NOT be subjected to musical deprivation, I’m suggesting donations for good quality radios!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 43: THE MAGIC MONTH OF FEBRUARY
Hi everyone!
We are really doing grrreat with adoptions. Leo of the three names, who was featured in our 41st column, went to his purrfect home on Tuesday. And the very next day, Rosie (our Week 42 kitty) left Safe Haven to go to her furrever home! How about that! Pretty cool, huh?
Right now it’s January, but by the time you read this, it’s gonna be February. Wow! Time flies!! No, not the little bug thing that the younger kitties like to chase around the windows. This “flies” is like, moving real fast. And if you’re a caring, responsible pet guardian, I bet you know what February is. Yep—you’re right—it’s Spay/Neuter Month. So, instead of featuring one of our grrreat Safe Haven kitties, I’d like to talk to y’all about how important it is to spay or neuter your pet. And I’d also like to share one of my favorite funny fotos. The kitty in the picture is one of our own who found his furrever home several years ago.
But not everyone can afford the cost of neutering, or the higher cost of spaying. So, for many years, PFOA has provided help for low-income families who couldn’t afford to “get ‘er done” without help. That’s why it’s the very first thing in our mission statement, and it’s real important. Our Spay/Neuter Coordinator, Sharon Palmer, does a fabulous job of coordinating our special clinics just for low-income families, and she’s done that for over 20 years! Talk about dedicated! 20 years is a really long time, ‘specially in cat years. 20 cat years is about 96 human years! Not many of us stick around that long.
Oops … got off track again! Anyway, Sharon’s clinics are sooo popular that the regular ones are filled up all the way through March. So now she’s taking applications for the April clinic. She has a maximum number of pets that she can schedule for a clinic, based on whether it’s a cat or dog, and in the case of dogs, size matters. Oh, it also matters if the pet is male or female … we girls take longer to get fixed.
We have such wonderful supporters! Generous donors sponsored two additional clinics, and they’re filling up fast. PFOA and some of our donors stepped up to help with Spay To Save’s backlog of cats and dogs, ‘cause the STS staff couldn’t use the van ’cause of COVID-19 restrictions. (There’s that nasty pandemic at work again!) So, if you’d like to sponsor a clinic, just let us know. That would be grrreat!
So I want to wind this up by saying “thank you” to Sharon for her important work, and to PFOA for sponsoring and promoting the spay/neuter clinics. And thank you to all of you responsible people who take such good care of your pets. This really is a wonderful world, isn’t it?
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 44: ACROBATICS AT SAFE HAVEN
Hi everyone!
It’s been a good few weeks at Safe Haven. Lots of adoptions (as reported by yours truly), and just a few new kitties coming in. Not that it’s bad news … it’s really good news for the kitty population ‘cause we have fewer homeless kitties roaming the streets!
I suspect (although I’ve no way of knowing for sure) that with people needing to stay home ‘cause of COVID, there’s more demand (and appreciation) for four-legged critters to share their homes and their lives. After all, when you need to be cooped up all day (‘specially ‘cause it’s cold outside and there’s not much yard work going on), a cat can be grrreat company! Think about it: we kitties don’t have to be taken for walks outside ‘cause we have litter boxes. We sit and listen very attentively when you humans want to talk, and we very rarely talk back. And we sleep a lot, ‘specially if there is a nice fire going, but are always willing to wake up for playtime.
I hope all of you are staying safe out there, and I wanted to wish all of you a slightly early Happy Valentine’s Day, and to thank all of you for being sweethearts to help support all my kitty friends. I know I’m a little early—it’s still a week away. But by the time you read this it will only be 5 or 6 days away. And my secretary just reminded me that if you’re always early, you’re never late!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 45: GOIN’ TO THE DENTIST
Hi everyone!
We got grrreat news today. Spitfire went home!! She was adopted Saturday by the same folks who adopted Horus. So now Horus will have a new friend, and Spitfire will have someone her own age (almost) to play with. I love it when everything works out so well!
Adam is an FIV+ kitty, which means that he needs to be an only cat and stay indoors or in a catio. Or, he can be best buds with another FIV+ kitty. But I think he’d really like being an only cat. Of course, he’s been nice to me. But who wouldn’t? I’m such a likeable cat!
So … this is National Pet Dental Health Month. Is everyone ready for the Merry Lecture On The Importance Of Dental Care? Don’t laugh—it’s real important! Lotsa people don’t realize that good teeth are super important to our overall good health. It’s just like good teeth are important to people’s health. Kitties (and doggies) need to have their teeth brushed, just like people do. And they need a once-a-year visit to the animal dentist so their teeth can be checked, and they can get plaque removed. Just like people do! ‘Cause once plaque gets on your teeth, only the dentist can get it off. But unlike people, we animals hafta be asleep when our teeth get cleaned. Why? Can you imagine a 60 or 70 pound dog, let alone a 10 pound cat with claws, sitting still for a teeth cleaning and not knowing why some strange person is prying their mouth open? Boggles the mind! And when we don’t get our teeth cleaned regularly, we could get all sorts of icky mouth diseases that I can’t spell, just like y’all. And if we get icky mouth diseases, we could get other icky, bad diseases and get real sick.
OK—my lecture is done. I think you got the general idea. Bottom line: clean mouth = healthy body.
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 28: TIPPY THE COVER CAT
Hi everyone!
And speaking of drop-dead gorgeous, I just came back from my latest visit to the cat groomer, and my new do is exceptional, even if I do say so myself. I know this because there are several mirrors at the shelter, and I stop at each one and parade around a bit. Of course, everyone at the shelter oohs and ahhs as well, so I pose at the mirror a little longer. The mirror time is really taking time out of my regular busy schedule, but I manage to get all the important stuff done—like this column!
And Tippy is doing really good, ‘specially considering the special conditions he lives with. Even though I know Tippy pretty well, I’m always amazed at how well he gets around as a CH [cerebellar hypoplasia] kitty. When he wobbles and falls down, he picks himself right up and never gets upset or growly. He just takes it all in stride. He was born with CH, so I guess he’s prob’ly used to it by now.
The humans who take care of all of us kitties say that Tippy’s CH isn’t painful and the rest of us can’t catch it, so that’s good to know. I’m real happy that Tippy doesn’t hurt, and I imagine Tippy would feel real bad if he gave CH to one of us! He’s that kind of guy cat. But COVID-19 has prob’ly made more of an impact on Tippy than the rest of us. Of course, we all miss seeing all of you volunteers and visitors to the shelter. But I bet Tippy misses seeing all of you even more than the rest of us. You see, he’s been living at the shelter since he was a kitten, so that makes 16 years of making good friends. He’s really happy more of our volunteers are coming back (with masks on, of course) to spend time with us again.
Purrsonally, and I think I speak for all of us kitties, wine really isn’t our thing, but we know lots of our human friends really like it. So I wanted to share with all of you what we are doing this year to carry on the Harbinger tradition. And I also wanted to tell you that we are sending out invitations to our non-event, and they will be emailed out tomorrow. So, if you are interested, be sure to look for that extra email from us this week!
Lovingly,
MEGAN
Megan was a gorgeous Maine Coon, whom we adopted out as a kitten in 2000. She returned to us when her “mom” passed away and her “dad” could no longer care for her. This sweet, but a bit shy girl, was exceptionally bonded to her elderly person and loved to snuggle in her lap and cuddle with her in the sewing room. She was in early renal insufficiency, and we gave her sub-q fluids once a week.
When Magnificent Megan’s needs because too great for shelter life, she moved to a wonderful permanent foster home, where she was dearly loved. We are happy that she was blessed to spend her last year surrounded by love, and given every comfort. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge on March 26, 2019. She is greatly missed by her foster family, as well as her many friends at PFOA.
FROM THE HOME FRONT
STORIES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FLICKA AND FRANKLIN
WEEK 3: WATCHING PEEKA AND BOO
Hi everyone!
Welcome to Week 3 of our reports from the shelter. It’s a little bit late, because the lady who writes down our stories lost her laptop and was unable to talk with us for 5 days. Well, she didn’t actually LOSE it — more like it stopped working. She was NOT a happy camper!
Anyway, all is well, and we are here to report on Peeka and Boo. They are in the closest room to us (B1) and we have a nice cat’s eye view. It seems that Boo is starting to get a little stir-crazy, after watching all her favorite videos. So she’s trying out new yoga poses to teach Peeka, who would rather have quiet meditation time inside her hidey hole.
We had heard that Peeka was shy when she first arrived at Safe Haven, but after receiving a lot of attention from volunteers, she enjoys soft pets on her lovely fur.
They sure are fun to watch. We’ll keep you updated on more of our feline friends next week.
FROM THE HOME FRONT
STORIES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FLICKA AND FRANKLIN
WEEK 4: WATCHING NYLA & PHOENIX
Hi everyone!
We’ve been watching Nyla and Phoenix this week, roommates of Peeka and Boo. When we listen carefully, we can almost hear the deep, rumbling purr Phoenix makes when he’s happily playing King of The Mountain with Peeka on their play structure.
When Peeka’s at the very top, Phoenix sneaks up from behind and bats at her leg so she’ll run down and he gets to be King at the top.
His sister Nyla is much more sedate and prefers watching the frogs jumping under the bushes from her window. She kind of looks like a sleek panther with a shiny black coat and is the first one in the room to line up for a treat.
Their very favorite toy is a cardboard scratcher which Phoenix likes to keep to
himself. But since today is Giving Tuesday, which we hear is all about being kind and grateful, he’s going to share it with Nyla.
We’re hoping everyone will share a kindness with a friend today!
* * *
On this #Giving Tuesday, we thank you for sharing your generosity with us in so many ways. Your Acts of Kindness are an inspiration to our vital work.
Passing on kindness to each other and, in turn, our communities does make an extraordinary difference and gives us hope in this challenging time.
Each of you are truly appreciated.
Affectionately,
Flicka and Franklin
RHODES
Domestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Orange/white tabby
Size: Large
Age: Adult
Bonded with Lilly
Special needs: none
Rhodes arrived at Safe Haven as one of nine cats from an “unhealthy hoarding situation.” The outstanding characteristic of these kitties was their poor socialization and fear of strangers. Rhodes, like the others, was initially uncomfortable with people. He was extremely shy, and tended to hide from people he didn’t know.
However, he has gotten over his initial shyness. Once he gets to know someone, he genuinely enjoys being petted and scratched. It takes a very special cat to have gone through what Rhodes has and be able to tolerate affection. He now genuinely enjoys being petted and scratched. Anyone willing to put forth a little extra effort will enjoy a quiet, gentle, easy-going fellow who will offer a lifetime of warm companionship. And … there’s a bonus! Rhodes has become very attached to his roommate, Lilly, who is very shy but LOVES Rhodes; the two of them MUST be adopted together!
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If you have a favorite fabric and would like to order custom potholders, contact Safe Haven at (360) 452-0414. We will do our very best to accommodate you.
ROSIE
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Brown Tabby
Size: Medium
Age: Adult
Special needs: none
Rosalee (Rosie) was adopted from our shelter as a young adult almost eight years ago. Unfortunately, she was recently returned, and is now looking for a new home where she will be treasured for the rest of her life!
Rosie is a very pretty, tidy little girl with her snowy white bib and feet–she is quite social and friendly. Rosie is not a lap cat at this point, but she does like pets and attention. She enjoys a safe outdoor area, but prefers to spend the majority of her time indoors. She is a somewhat reserved and quiet girl at this point, but we can see her personality starting to emerge.
Rosalee would do well as an only pet in a quiet and loving home. If you know cats and are willing to give this girl the time to adjust to her new life, we think she will make a great addition to your world!
HORUS
Domestic Medium Hair, Male
Color: Black & White – Tuxedo
Size: Medium
Age: Young
Special needs: none
Horus is a cute little eight month-old black and white tuxedo. He is energetic, loves to play, and really needs instruction in proper manners and boundaries. As a result of being taken away from his mother and siblings when he was far too young, Horus tends to playfully nip and grab hands and legs when he wants your attention and interaction. Fortunately, along with his rowdy ways, Horus also is friendly , loving and melts on your chest for purrs and nap time.
Fortunately for all of us, a slightly older cat, Ocean, has volunteered to take on the teaching task. She’s been working with Horus constantly – they share one of the Safe Haven kitty rooms – and has made some progress. We are not sure how long it will take to whip this adorable boy into shape, and, of course, he needs to complete his schooling before he can even think of looking for a forever home!
LILLY
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Tricolor
Size: Medium
Age: Young
Bonded with Rhodes
Special needs: none
Lilly was a feral kitten who lived her first year of life at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. She was rescued when she showed up with a damaged paw and a litter of kittens, and after a bit of a journey, including a week at the vet and several weeks at another shelter, she ended up at PFOA.
Lilly is a stunning cat, with a gorgeous white coat with orange, gray and brown patches. She is very sweet and she does like other cats. Unfortunately, she is extremely shy around people. Staff and volunteers at PFOA are working to socialize her, but progress is slow and she is still not able to be picked up. However, she has become very bonded with her roommate, Rhodes, and the two of them LOVE each other. Just check out some of their photos! They must be adopted together!
Maggie is a four year old border collie mix with a tragic history. In her short life, she has been in six different homes. A short time ago, she was significantly overweight, but with a great exercise program she has dropped over 25 pounds and now weighs in at a trim 55 pounds. She is currently in foster care at the Dungeness Ranch Pet Resort in Sequim, on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.
She resource guards humans, food and toys. We think this over-guarding is because she has developed “kennel syndrome” which is common with some shelter dogs. She was evaluated by an experienced trainer in January, who said that Maggie was the most fearful dog she had ever seen. However, in the time she has spent at Dungeness Ranch, she has been very happy. Although she has demonstrated aggressive behavior toward some dogs, she loves to play with Jedi, another foster dog at the ranch.
Given the proper environment, Maggie should develop into an ideal companion. She is spayed and house-trained, with great car and leash manners. If you can provide the right home for Maggie, please call Mary Carter at (404) 326-0249 or email her at marybridgetcarter@gmail.com to make arrangements to meet Maggie.
Posted 9/24/2020
LACIE, LUCIE & SUZIE
Seniors Lucie (above) and Lacie, plus their “kitten” Suzie, found a wonderful new forever home together! Their new family, “The Motley Misfit Pack” sent us a great update and lots of photos. We wanted to share them with you. Here’s the email, with photos below:
Hello!
I am not entirely sure who runs this account but I was just hoping to let you know the three lovely girls we adopted from you recently are doing wonderful. I’m very grateful to know they were well taken care of before we got them and I hope we can continue to provide a home they thrive in. The three senior ladies we adopted were named Lacie, Lucie, and Suzie. I just wanted to check in and have you know they are in a good home and seem to be very happy. They’ve already made a little bit of progress with their weight loss and seem to love to walk around and explore the house. There are some recent pictures of them on this profile in the more recent posts and the “cats” highlight. If you would like, you are welcome to check those out and I can send you some other pictures if you want.
Thanks for taking good care of the girls,
The Motley Misfit Pack
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 18: BLITZEN RETURNS!
Hi everyone!
Do you like my new photo? I love it! We have a wonderful photographer named Sara and her photographer’s assistant named John, and they come to the shelter every week and talk to us and play with us. And they even have time to take pictures of us!
Last week we had a really fast adoption! It seemed like Daisy just got here, and then she went to her new furrever home! I bet she wasn’t here more than a couple of people weeks … just long enough to get checked out … and then she was off to her new life! This is a picture of her while she was still in Quarantine—that’s what we call the room where kitties get checked out before they can go to the kitten or adult cat rooms. She looks kinda nervous, but I don’t blame her. This was all new to her and she doesn’t really understand what was going on. I bet she’s happy now!
We have what I would call an “oldie/newbie” for you to “meet” this week. His name is Finn. That’s short for Findley. But that wasn’t his original name!
He first came to the shelter about 4 years ago with his 3 brothers. Our Nancy named him Blitzen, and his siblings were named Prancer, Comet and Dasher. And so, the litter was called—can you guess? Of course! The Reindeer litter.
This was a great group of kittens! Being all boys, they were naturally show-offs! They had a great time chasing each other all over the kitten room, climbing the cat trees, and occasionally climbing the walls of their outdoor deck, where they could look down on all the adult catios. They were so cute! They all quickly found their furrever homes, where they hoped to live happily ever after.
But sometimes that doesn’t work out. For Blitzen, who was now named Finn, it was a great 4 years. He had his Dad all to himself, and grew up to adult cathood in a nice quiet home. He and his Dad spent long hours together, and Finn was really liking the “just Dad and me” life. But then his Dad died. When he came back to Safe Haven, Finn was really sad, and just a little bit scared. OK, I know he’s a big boy now, but I think he was probably a lot scared.
Next week he will get to move from Quarantine to a nice big room all by himself. We don’t have any kittens right now, so he will get to go to one of the kitten rooms on my floor. That will be good for Finn—he’ll get to have lots of attention, and he’ll see (and hear) people walking around, and I bet he won’t be scared (as much) any more. And I hope he finds his new furrever home soon, where he can have a new Mom or Dad (or both) all to himself. I bet he’ll be happy then!
Lovingly,
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
WEEK 17: REMEMBERING PATRICK
November, 2006—July 24, 2020
We first heard of Patrick last January, after receiving a call from a Good Samaritan regarding a nameless Siamese cat. His elderly owners had both passed away and this fellow had been turned out and was wandering the streets of a local mobile home park. She had taken him to rehome, and we, luckily, had an opening. We named this handsome boy Patrick, and he came to live with us.
When Patrick arrived at Safe Haven he was quite thin and unkempt—obviously something was wrong! Subsequent blood work revealed that he was hyperthyroid and had early renal failure. He was started on Sub-Q fluids which continued daily for the rest of his life, and treated at the Hyperthyroid Center in Tacoma. With the excellent guidance and care from our wonderful vets and staff, Patrick was on the road to a much healthier and happier life!
Patrick proved to be a cat with a large body and an equally large presence. He had a true sense of who he was and expected all visitors —both feline and human—to respect his boundaries. He was also loving and affectionate and won the hearts of everyone who spent time with him. He loved to lounge in the sun on his cat-walk, and groused about his lady roommates. He became an integral part of our shelter family, and while we weren’t sure he would ever be adopted, we loved having him with us.
Patrick was doing wonderfully well—gaining back his weight back and looking good! We really thought this special boy would be with us for years to come, but that was not to be. Just a few days after showing signs of illness, Patrick was diagnosed with cancer, and we sadly had to say goodbye.
Patrick parted this world with the same grace he exhibited while living in it. A stoic gentleman to the end, he passed peacefully in his sunny apartment surrounded by the people he loved and his favorite things. Patrick’s Siamese voice is missed, but the sweet echoes of his life will remain in our hearts forever.
PATRICK (November, 2006 – July 24, 2020)
We first heard of Patrick last January, after receiving a call from a Good Samaritan regarding a nameless Siamese cat. His elderly owners had both passed away and this fellow had been turned out and was wandering the streets of a local mobile home park. She had taken him to rehome, and we, luckily, had an opening. We named this handsome boy Patrick, and he came to live with us.
When Patrick arrived at Safe Haven he was quite thin and unkempt—obviously something was wrong! Subsequent blood work revealed that he was hyperthyroid and had early renal failure. He was started on Sub-Q fluids which continued daily for the rest of his life, and treated at the Hyperthyroid Center in Tacoma. With the excellent guidance and care from our wonderful vets and staff, Patrick was on the road to a much healthier and happier life!
Patrick proved to be a cat with a large body and an equally large presence. He had a true sense of who he was and expected all visitors-both feline and human- to respect his boundaries. He was also loving and affectionate and won the hearts of everyone who spent time with him. He loved to lounge in the sun on his cat-walk, and groused about his lady roommates. He became an integral part of our shelter family, and while we weren’t sure he would ever be adopted, we loved having him with us.
Patrick was doing wonderfully well—gaining back his weight back and looking good! We really thought this special boy would be with us for years to come, but that was not to be. Just a few days after showing signs of illness, Patrick was diagnosed with cancer, and we sadly had to say goodbye.
Patrick parted this world with the same grace he exhibited while living in it. A stoic gentleman to the end, he passed peacefully in his sunny apartment surrounded by the people he loved and his favorite things. Patrick’s Siamese voice is missed, but the sweet echoes of his life will remain in our hearts forever.
MISS PEPPER
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Calico tabby
Size: Medium
Age: Adult
Special needs: none
Miss Pepper is a beautiful calico tabby with interesting markings and striking green/gold eyes. Her fur is unusually soft and silky. She’s a very cool cat and easily adapts to changes in her environment. She is independent and will do well with either a retired couple or person(s) who work out of the home. Quite capable of entertaining herself when her people are gone, she nevertheless will be glad to have human company at the end of the day. Come meet our Miss Pepper!
MARTHA
MARTHA was born in May, 2001 and came to PFOA in February, 2002. She loves attention and “talks” to the volunteers who regularly visit her. She was recently placed in a foster home, where she has adjusted well and has a happy home.
BOBBIE JO
BOBBIE JO is an adorable special-needs Manx kitty. She came to us in the fall of 2012 when we received a call from an elderly gentleman that there was a kitten dying under his deck. When we arrived, we found a tiny kitten in a real mess, but she had no intention of dying – this little girl is a fighter! Bobbie has done very well, but as is common with some Manx cats, she does not have good bowel and bladder control. While this has greatly improved, she still requires special care and attention, and will probably do so for the rest of her life.
BUCKY
BUCKY is a male Lhasa Apso purchased from a pet store and sold as an 8-week-old puppy. Originally from a puppy mill, Bucky chased cats, fought with other dogs, nipped care-takers, resisted potty training and generally misbehaved. After 11 homes, he has found a wonderful foster home willing to accept his naughtiness and keep him from harm’s way. While mostly loving and affectionate, Bucky’s unpredictability makes him unsuitable for adoption, so he will remain in PFOA’s care for his protection.
FAGIN
FAGIN was born in April, 2003 and has been at Safe Haven since July, 2003. He is a green-eyed, short-haired black male who can best be described as a “big lug” full of love. He “head butts” and leans into his human and feline friends to show his affection. He likes brushing and belly rubs on occasion, too. Fagin is currently under dietary restriction in an attempt to lose some excess weight. He currently lives out at Barker House.
MERRY
Merry is an elderly kitty. Because of her extremely friendly nature, we believe she was someone’s pet. Sadly, she ended up in a feral colony, having to fend for herself. At the colony, the wonderful woman who provided food for the cats developed an attachment to her – Merry would hop into her car every time the woman came to feed the cats. During one visit to the colony, our caregiver noticed that another cat with whom she had bonded was missing. She began to fear for the safety of our Merry. She decided that, since Merry had already jumped into her car, she would just drive away and take Merry to safety.
Unable to take her to her own home, our caregiver brought Merry to stay with a relative. Merry was infested with fleas, seriously underweight, and in need of some very necessary, basic care. Before a veterinarian had the opportunity to examine her, Merry got into a minor scuffle with the relative’s dog and disappeared for a few days.
When our caregiver found Merry again, someone had attempted to wrap this poor girl in duct tape! Using coconut oil and tender loving care our caregiver was able to remove the tape, but much of the sticky residue remained, creating mats that had to be removed by shaving her belly.
During her first vet visit Merry was diagnosed with severe hyperthyroidism. PFOA made arrangements to have her treated at the hyperthyroid clinic. Before she could be treated for hyperthyroidism, she was returned to the vet for additional testing. On the second visit the vet found that Merry had fluid in her abdomen. An ultrasound showed a suspicious shadow in her liver that looked like it could be cancer. PFOA has set her up in our isolation trailer with comfortable beds, cat trees and all the food she can eat. We will support her with steroids and methimazole for her hyperthyroidism, along with all of the love and affection that our staff and dedicated volunteers can provide.
Despite all she has been through Merry is very affectionate. She loves attention from people, rewarding them with purrs and soft kneads with her paws. We hope that everyone will visit Merry and share in giving this little gal all of the love she so richly deserves. Every day with sweet Merry is a gift, and she has been doing much better than we ever expected. Perhaps she will be with us for much longer than we anticipated. Nothing would make us happier.
SPATZIDomestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Brown w/white
Size: large
Born: January 12, 2005
Special needs: none
These two boys, while not brothers in the strictest sense of the word, are very bonded to each other. Spatzi is a beautiful Siamese mix, and his companion of the last ten years is Spanky, a very handsome tuxedo cat. These are two of the gentlest souls you will ever meet. They are the text book example of well-behaved, loving cats. Spatzi is the more outgoing of the two, often greeting you at the door with a friendly meow and a leg rub. Spanky tends to be more laid back, often lounging in a bed or cat tree. He is easily approachable and loves to be petted and fawned over. Spatzi is in early renal insufficiency and is easily maintained with the fluids he is given twice weekly. Come and meet these two handsome boys and you will discover their purrfect personalities for yourself!
SPANKYDomestic Shorthair, Male
Color: Black w/White (Tuxedo)
Size: Medium
Born: July 1, 2008 (approx)
Special needs: none
These two boys, while not brothers in the strictest sense of the word, are very bonded to each other. Spatzi is a beautiful Siamese mix, and his companion of the last ten years is Spanky, a very handsome tuxedo cat. These are two of the gentlest souls you will ever meet. They are the text book example of well-behaved, loving cats. Spatzi is the more outgoing of the two, often greeting you at the door with a friendly meow and a leg rub. Spanky tends to be more laid back, often lounging in a bed or cat tree. He is easily approachable and loves to be petted and fawned over. Spanky has diabetes and receives twice daily insulin shots, but is quite well regulated. Come and meet these two handsome boys and you will discover their purrfect personalities for yourself!
CATNIP & SIP at our new venue: Fox Bell, April 6, 2019
EVENT PHOTOS
LUCY-ALICEShorthair Manx, Female
Color: Calico Tabby
Size: Medium
Born: October 8, 2010 (approx)
Special needs: Manx Syndrome (mild)
Lucy-Alice is an adorable, outgoing little short-hair calico mackerel tabby Manx with a white bib and green eyes. Born in October of 2010, Lucy-Alice was originally adopted from Safe Haven as a kitten. She returned to Safe Haven in March of 2014. She is very sweet and loving, craves attention, and is a gentle soul.
She did not display symptoms of Manx Syndrome, a condition affecting many Manx cats, until she was a year and a half old, and her issues are relatively mild. She loves having visitors, and thrives on the attention readily given to her. She is such a sweetheart and so full of love for people that it’s hard to leave after spending time with her. While we still hope that Lucy may find her own family to love and care for her, it is not likely. So, for the rest of her days, Lucy will enjoy her life with her beloved caregiver in the sunny warm rooms of Barker House.
BETHANY
Domestic Shorthair, Female
Color: Tortie
Size: Medium
Age: Senior
Special needs: Kidney disorder requiring fluids twice a week
Bethany is a beautiful blue tortie who is very sweet natured and has a wonderful personality to go with her good looks. Bethany previously shared a home with some golden retrievers so she is a cat who has demonstrated the ability to get along well with dogs. If you are a fancier of tortie girls you will want to meet our Bethany. She is quite the charmer and totally irresistible!
LEO
When Leo went home, his new mom created a wonderful booklet of Leo’s first few days in his new home. Click on the first photo to the right to see the slide show. We think you will enjoy it as much as we did!
PATRICK
Siamese, male
Color: Sealpoint with white mittens
Size: Large
Born: January, 2007 (approx)
Special needs: Hyperthyroid, stage 3 kidney failure
Pat the Cat was left out in the cold when his owners passed away. A good Samaritan give him a place to stay on his way to Safe Haven. Pat is a handsome Sealpoint Siamese. He is in stage 3 kidney failure and requires fluids daily.
FROM THE HOME FRONT
STORIES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FLICKA AND FRANKLIN
WEEK 2: FROM POTHOLDERS TO MASKS
Hi everyone!
We have noticed a lot of activity at the shelter lately. Something to do with masks and the Potholder Ladies. So we investigated, and here’s what we were told:
For almost 15 years, a group of hardworking, talented seamstresses has produced what is now well-known as PENINSULA FRIENDS OF ANIMALS World-Famous Purrfect Potholders. From their grassroots beginning in 2006, when two founding members made and sold over 500 potholders, a net of $5,000 for the kitties, the team has expanded to sixteen members. Net revenue from potholders last year brought approximately $23,000 to benefit the PFOA rescue animals. Over the last 15 years, this hardworking group has produced over 18,000 sets of potholders. The revenue from these potholders totaled almost a quarter of a million dollars for the kitties!
Now, within the space of a few months, another priority has emerged. Thinking about what PFOA can do to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, several PFOA members came up with the same idea, almost simultaneously: can the Potholder Ladies make masks instead of potholders? When Danette Grady, our Executive Director, checked with them, she found that a core group of Potholder Ladies was already on it, with one of the team also making gowns.
They had obtained the mask pattern from Clallam County Emergency Department, who is collecting finished masks and distributing them to local first responders and to the hospital. Potholder Central has a supply of donated cotton fabric, but they ran into a glitch trying to obtain the right type of elastic. Not a huge surprise when they found that most places were sold out. However, they found an online source and ordered enough to make a good beginning, with a follow up order in process.
From one yard of fabric and just under 5 yards of elastic, they can produce 12 masks. Working from their homes, they prewash the fabric using hot water and dry it on the hottest setting to eliminate any future shrinkage. Their goal is to produce 1,000 masks.
In addition, one of the team members made gowns, which are worn by doctors and other health care workers in non-surgical settings.
This hardworking team of 9 people produced 1007 masks and 20 gowns for Clallam County Emergency Management; 16 of the masks were donated directly to a medical clinic in dire need of masks. They also produced 277 masks for PFOA. Their efforts supported so many individuals in our community and beyond who are on the front lines working to combat this disease. To the team: thank you for all that you do. Stay safe. Stay healthy!
We think this is amazing, and we hope you do too!
Affectionately,
Flicka and Franklin
FROM THE HOME FRONT
STORIES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 5: INTRODUCING MERRY
Hi everyone!
We just got very good news from the shelter: Flicka and Franklin were adopted together, and are now in their furrever home! Isn’t that great? And, before they left, they wanted to make sure that our little weekly newsletter was in good hands. I was really pleased when they asked me to take over for them! Maybe it was because I used to talk to them every morning through their window. The shelter staff called it “yowling for several minutes” but we all knew it was just “good morning” and “how y’all doing” in cat speak.
Being a tortie, I KNOW I can do a good job. Perhaps not as good as Flicka and Franklin did, but I’m going to try my best to walk in their paw prints. I have lots of experience on computers – I love adding comments to whatever Danette is working on. Not sure if she likes that though – she goes back and erases all the 00000000 and xxxxxxxxxxxx I add when I take a short cut across her desk.
I’m not a young cat any longer – some people say I’m elderly, but that sounds so OLD! I do have some medical issues, so I have a different way of looking at life. As one of the official office cats, I can go out on the deck fairly often, specially when it’s nice weather. And I have lots of fun watching the adult kitties downstairs.
Also, I will hopefully have help from my roommate Tippy. I haven’t quite figured him out yet – he walks differently from me, and is affectionately known as a “wobbly” kitty. He doesn’t go out on the deck as much as he used to (he’s almost 16), but when it is really nice and warm, I think I can coax him outside and he can help me with my weekly reports.
So, I’m looking forward to reporting on life at the shelter. I really miss seeing all of you, and I miss all the attention you gave us, specially the nice man who came and read to me every week. I’ll be really glad when the shelter is open again!
Lovingly,
p.s. My friend Nancy is working on a video just for me! Be sure to check back this week – I think you will like it!
FROM THE HOME FRONT
TALES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERRY
WEEK 6: LOTSA GOOD NEWS
Hi everyone!
The news from the shelter keeps getting better and better! You all remember that last week I took over as Shelter Reporter when Franklin and Flicka went to their new furever home. Well, I have lotsa more wonderful news for you.
A couple of days ago, some really nice people came to the shelter— I think this wasn’t their first visit here, because they seemed to know all about us kitties and how much every staff member and volunteer loves us. They made a beeline straight for B2 (I watched them), and after a while, came back up the stairs with Blue and Hollis in carriers! Everyone seemed really excited, specially Blue, who had a home before. I’m not sure Hollis really understood, although Blue tried to tell him that this was a great thing, and they were going to a wonderful new home and live happily ever after! The people who were taking them home seemed like really nice people. I think Blue and Hollis struck gold—big time!
The very next day, Carson and Spenser went to their new furever home together! It was really cool to watch these two get ready to go home. Carson had been adopted earlier this year by a really nice couple, and it’s too bad that it didn’t work out with the other cat in the family. I guess the other cat just didn’t want to share! So Carson came back pretty recently. And Spenser is also pretty new to Safe Haven—both of them just got moved from Quarantine to B1 a week or so ago. Since the two of them got to know each other in Quarantine, they kinda hung out together in B1. That was good, because the other two sets of kitties in the room were already bonded and didn’t pay too much attention to the newbies.
And now, for my report on Garland, the kitty I’ve been watching this week (when I’m not watching other kitties leave!) He is such a sweet cat, and loves to snuggle on people’s laps. He loves people, and was so sad when almost all of his human friends had to stay away. He had the best time filming his video for the Video of the Week on PFOA’s website. He got to snuggle and give kitty kisses, and he was a little sad when Nancy got done and had to leave. I’m thinking he’ll have a lot to say to our volunteers when they finally come back to visit. They should expect lots of hugs and kisses, unless, of course, Garland also finds his own furever home!
Lovingly,
THISTLE was born in March, 2003 and came to PFOA in July, 2003 with his twin brother, Fagin. He was a sleek, poly-dactyl neutered male with magnificent copper colored eyes and a sweet expression. Thistle especially enjoyed sitting on the back of the couch, both for the view and the closeness to his human friends.
As a special needs kitty, Thistle received regular medication to control his diabetes, kidney failure and hyperthyroidism. Sadly, on April 2, 2020, our beloved Thistle crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He will be very much missed by his past and current caregivers, as well as everyone at PFOA who knew and loved him.
His current caregiver, Tracy, was especially close to him. In her own words, this is how she remembers him.
Fagin & Thistle
“When I got to Barker House, Thistle was a very scared cat. I locked eyes with him on the second day I was there and I was in love. He was such a loving, kind and gentle boy. It took time but the trust he gave me melted me. We would go on walks around the house on the game trail, and say hi to the neighbors and their dogs. Thistle knew I would never let anything happen to him. I got very hard head bonks and cheek rubs on my face. He was a true house panther: sleek and mysterious, beautiful inside and out. I know he tried to stay with me and his brother Fagin. At the end, when he let me know it was time to say goodbye, I promised him I would take care of his brother. Not only did he have diabetes he was in kidney failure and hyperthyroid. We fought hard for a couple of months. I was privileged to spend an amazing 4 years with a truly amazing animal. He will forever have a place in my heart.”
FROM THE HOME FRONT
STORIES OF THE SAFE HAVEN KITTIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FLICKA AND FRANKLIN
FROM THEIR SECOND STORY PORCH
OVERLOOKING THE DOWNSTAIRS CATIOS
Hi Everyone!
As you all know, our shelter is closed, which means that none of us kitties can have visitors, and our visitors can’t see how well we are all doing. So, we decided to write to all of you so that you would know we’re all OK, safe and healthy. And we hope you are too!
From our kitten room on the top floor of Safe Haven, we can go out on our screen porch and look down on all the adult kitties as they relax outside in their catios, enjoying the spring sun. When the sun shines, that is. It’s been pretty rainy lately, but occasionally we can catch one of our buddies sneaking out for a quick run in the catio.
We thought we would send this out every week to our volunteers and supporters. We miss seeing them, and we’ve heard that they feel the same way So stay tuned for weekly updates on life at Safe Haven.
We hope, for everyone’s sake, that this horrible virus won’t last too long! We miss all of you!
Affectionately,
Flicka and Franklin
July—the name evokes memories of warm sunny days and bright fireworks and holiday fun. However, when this little tortie showed up at our doorstep late on a July Saturday in 2011 she was as quiet and cold as a January snow. Found under a bush in Carrie Blake Park, she was limp and dehydrated and suffering a traumatic injury to her spine—her rescuers thought she had been hit by a car. Already a middle-aged cat, we were not sure she would survive. We hoped for the best, and named her July.
After extensive emergency treatment, July’s condition stabilized, and she became a shelter favorite. She was sweet and funny and loved to lie in the sun in her catio. We rejoiced when she was adopted and were saddened when she came back to us several years later when her back injuries and subsequent arthritis became too severe for her owner to deal with.
With good meds and pain management and lots of TLC, July once again regained her mobility and lived with us for three more years. She became an office cat—living in harmony with Tippy and being pampered and spoiled by staff and volunteers. Many of our members came in just to say hello to July, and her last months were spent in her special orthopedic bed next to Danette, our Executive Director, who loved her dearly, as did all of the staff.
Though in hospice care for the past several months, July still enjoyed her pets and attention, a good meal, and lying in the sun till her last day with us. She happily meowed a greeting to us each morning and chatted her demands throughout the day. Her will to live and her indomitable spirit were an inspiration to us all. July was a ray of sunshine who brightened all of our lives, and Safe Haven seems a bit darker today without her warm presence.
President: Call to Order: Welcome Guests.
Secretary: April Minutes request for approval
Economic/financial update – Kurt Anderson
Approval for purchase of propane tank – Danette
Approval for distribution of Walker Max lifetime care fund – Marilyn
Spring/Summer Pet Tidings – Marilyn
Change of CPA – Marilyn
Annual Meeting Preparation – All
Executive Director: Danette
Treasurer: Marilyn
Media: Marilyn
Shelter: Nancy
Spay/Neuter: Sharon
Donate safely through PAYPAL PFOA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Fed ID # 91-2127240
Or, send your check or money order to:
PFOA
PO Box 404
Sequim, WA 98382
Our rescue animals thank you!
He was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after his arrival, and the shelter quickly got it under control. “He’s my boy,” said Nancy Campbell, Shelter Director. “He’s so loving and so gentle. He’s very laid back.” Marcus had a quiet, easy going personality. For many of us, he was the all-time favorite PFOA cat.
Marcus spent the last few years of his life at Barker House, our home for special needs kitties, where he was adored by his caretaker, Tracy, as well. You just couldn’t help but love this gentle giant. He went about his day quietly, never complaining even though he received twice-daily shots of insulin. He got along with all the other cats in the house and the many hugs and rubs he received from everyone who knew him were rewarded with warm purrs and unconditional love.
As he approached his 17th year, Marcus began showing signs of his age. His medical needs were slowly increasing, and this senior gentle kitty was slowing down. But, in cat years, he was about 85 years old. He had earned the right to take life easy.
Marcus never met a stranger—human or feline. He would quietly walk away from a new hissing cat quietly as if to say “What is your problem?”. He was a wonderful ambassador for felines in general—in the kitty world Marcus should have been King!!
We are sad to announce that Marcus crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on October 16, 2018. He was very much loved by everyone whose lives he touched. He will be greatly missed.
We had a great turnout of supporters for our Harbinger Winery Benefit and hope to see even more of you at our next Summer Fundraiser. We are most grateful to have been chosen as a beneficiary of one of this year’s well-known Summer Concert Series at Olympic Cellars Winery.
The popular Olympic Cellars Winery’s Summer Concert Series will support Peninsula Friends of Animals on Saturday, August 4th. Enjoy great music and wine and relax under the stars as you groove to Nick Drummond and his legendary band, The Senate. Their shows have sold out across the Pacific Northwest for the last few years, so get your tickets early!
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and show time is 7:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $13 and can be purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com or at the winery, 255410 Hwy.101, Port Angeles. Tickets are $15 at the door. Please join us for the evening and benefit our loving rescues. For additional information, including suggestions for seating and what to wear, check Olympic Cellars website at www.olympiccellars.com.
The shelter has been very busy with welcoming new kittens who always entertain with their playful antics and adult cats who show off their purrfect personalities. Please check our Facebook page to see the newest arrivals.
Renovations are in full swing for our Isolation Trailer and Turtle Towers. We thank Hartnagel and Angeles Millwork for their generous discounting of needed materials and a huge, heartfelt thank you goes out to Kevin Rose for volunteering his expert skills on this project as well.
Our potholder team has been working feverishly to complete potholders for the Sequim Lavender Festival this weekend, including over 200 lavender themed sets. They will also be selling specially made items for this event. Lovely purses and totes will be available in limited quantity so you may want to get there early. Our booth number is 329. Look for the green and white striped tent top at Carrie Blake Park. Hours are Friday and Saturday 9-7 PM and Sunday 9-5 PM.
A FEW CURRENT SHELTER NEEDS Enjoy working outdoors? We’re in desperate need of volunteer mowers, weedwhackers and weeders. If anyone has one or two used chaise lounge size cushions we could use them for kitties who enjoy sunbathing on the lounges. We’re also in need of Feliway refills to lessen stress levels of new rescues.
Thank you for your continuing support of our advocacy efforts on behalf of the animals. We look forward to visiting with you at our upcoming events.
After a rough start in life, Emmet was a very shy boy. No one could get near him. He spent his time at Safe Haven hiding. In warm weather, he had a hiding place in one of the cat-friendly structures in the patio area outside his room. When it turned cold, he hid under the couch inside. Finally, he found his forever home with a couple from Port Angeles, who was able to see through the shy exterior. They decided that Emmet should come home with them. Although it was difficult for him to adapt to new places, the couple was very patient with Emmet, and gradually he became more comfortable in his new home.
Then disaster struck! The couple had to move to Oregon and would be living in a camper. Concerned that the change in environment would be too difficult for Emmet, they reluctantly returned him to Safe Haven, where he resumed hiding under the couch. Gradually he would come out – mostly for food. Occasionally he would tolerate limited petting.
Many months later, Emmet was readopted by his original family, now living in a permanent home. On a sunny Sunday they made an all-day trip from Oregon to take him home. A few days later, we received an email from his new family: “We are very excited to report that tonight Emmet came out of his ladder cubby and sat with us to get some much needed petting and brushing … lots of brushing … fur everywhere. He even followed me out into the living room and looked out the patio door. He purred the whole time. He did not even jump when one of us got up to leave his room. But the most amazing thing is that he actually climbed up on our laps to be petted while we were sitting on the floor. He meowed and purred like before.”
Today was a very sad day at the shelter as we said goodbye to one of our beloved office cats, Tony the Tiger. Tony came to us five years ago after his owner died in a tragic fire, and it was believed that Tony had perished as well. Amazingly, Tony, minus one of his nine lives, surfaced a few days later covered with grease and soot, and came to live with us at Safe Haven.
Tony was quite depressed upon arrival and refused to eat. We soon discovered that his English caretaker had fed him only people food, and Tony felt that he should continue with that menu! After some negotiation, we worked through the diet dilemma, and Tony settled into shelter life with us seamlessly. With the exception of a short adoption when Tony “peed his way home,” he spent the rest of his years at Safe Haven. His days were spent sunning himself on the deck and lounging on the love seat or in his heated bed receiving pets and love from all comers. Kind and mannerly, Tony was a shelter favorite and a wonderful companion to Tippy and then Lexi, as well.
Shortly after coming to us, Tony was diagnosed with early kidney failure. Due to the best vet care and wonderful support provided by our staff, we were able to keep Tony doing well until the end. Always a sweet and gentle cat, Tony departed this life as graciously as he lived — in his home and surrounded by those he loved most. In spite of our sorrow, we celebrate his life and the joy he brought to all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.