Happy Tails
Mercedes was adopted August 8, 2011 by the Breen's - local Realtors in Cambria. The two children, Madison and Mason, are 8 1/2 year old twins who just adore Mercedes! They were so excited to have Mercedes come into their home that the family actually put off their summer vacation a few days to be able to bring Mercedes on the trip with them. Mom (Kara) insisted they wait the two days it would take to have Mercedes spayed before taking her on their family trip. Mercedes has settled in nicely and now spends her days with the twins and a loving family. She also has a pet buddy - a bunny named Bun Bun. From what we hear at HART, Madison rarely lets Mercedes out of her sight. Many thanks to the Breen family for giving Mercedes a loving home.
Buddy, an 8 year old Rat Terrier was hit by a car on January 4th, 2010 in Los Osos and left in the road. A passer-by stopped to help him and discovered his broken leg. Because he had no ID, the ER told the good Samaritan that they would have to put him to sleep if he did not want to pay the vet bill. HART staff was in the office burning the midnight oil when the call came through and immediately arranged to have the injured dog placed with a foster for the night in Los Osos. After 3 days the owner came forward but refused to take him back after hearing about his broken leg and the vet bill which was over $600. With the help of donations from our supporters Buddy had his surgery and came through with flying colors!
The foster family took great care of Buddy during his recovery period driving him to the vet for weekly cast changes. After a couple of months Buddy and his foster family had grown so close that the foster family adopted Buddy into their forever home where his broken leg is just a fleeting memory!
This summer we decided we would like to add a cat to our household. My son was away visiting his cousins and we decided we would surprise him when he came home. We went to HART with pretty specific requirements. The cat had to like children, dogs, use the dog door and be a hunter. We sat and petted a number of cats and had our friend Bonnie checking charts. Smokey hopped into my lap while she was gone checking on another cat. He made sure that he did not go unnoticed. When Bonnie returned, I asked her to check Smokey’s chart. The chart said that he was good with children, dogs, indoor/ outdoor cat, and is a hunter. Everything we were looking for.
We got Smokey home and immediately he felt comfortable in his room. Within a couple of weeks he and the dog were friends and he was roaming the house freely. We were a little scared the first time we let him outside, but sure enough he was right there whenever we would call him. Smokey is the most lovable cat. He loves being petted and is definitely a lap cat. He gets along great with our dog and has brought us a couple of little furry friends to date. He learned to use the dog door almost immediately and has been a true treasure. I was so amazed that this process could be so easy. Thank you to HART for making our home complete and making my son so happy.
Dear HART,
It has been just over two years since my husband and I adopted Grape from you. She's grown a lot since then, but not much else has changed. She is still the silliest, sweetest, smartest, chattiest, nosiest little cat I've ever had. She is still a bit of a kleptomaniac and loves taking over things that don't exactly belong to her. I make no secret that she is my favorite cat in the world and one of the best friends I have ever had. :)
Unfortunately we recently suffered the loss of one of our other cats, and he was Grape's favorite playmate. She had far too much energy for our remaining cat, Bug, who is older and less active. We decided she needed another cat to play with, and of course HART was our first choice.
A week ago we entered the kitten room and eventually I was chosen by a sweet little black kitten. I just couldn't resist him after he kept giving me that special happy look while nosing and pawing my face. I can tell that he was given lots of love, and he is already doing a good job at making me adore him.
His original name was Ziggy, but we ended up renaming him. He is a very affectionate kitten. He absolutely adores standing on someone and kneading everything within reach like it is just so much dough. Because he loves kneading so much and is just so cute and sweet in general, a name naturally came to us: Doughnut. :)
Grape was not amused by Doughnut at first, but it took only a couple of days of careful introduction for her to come around. Now the two of them are great friends. Every day at dawn the zooming and the wrestling begins, and it doesn't stop for hours. Whenever she loses track of him for too long, Grape will search everywhere until she knows where he is again. When Doughnut wakes up from a nap, his first reaction is often to run straight for Grape. It makes me so happy to see them getting along so well.
Bug is not particularly interested in other cats, but he's happy and accepting the situation as well. Nothing seems to bother him much as long as he gets lots of attention, especially from my husband.
We took Doughnut in for his checkup yesterday, and he doesn't seem to be having any more trouble with the complications from his neutering, which is wonderful.
Everything is great and happy! We're very glad we decided to bring Doughnut into our lives and our family feels more complete again. Thank you all so much for the hard work and compassion that saved both of these kitties and brought us all together.
To everyone at HART: Thank you for making my family happier and more complete.
Last July my husband and I visited your center just to spend some time with the sweet cats. We didn't intend to go home with anyone, but we were met at the door by a very insistent kitten. She mewed and followed us around until she got her way and we took her home. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made.
Her name when we adopted her was Little Girl, but now her name is Grape. Grape is a very, very special cat. She is extremely vocal, outgoing, loving, playful, and quirky. She makes every day of our lives a little bit more special. She gets along v
ery well with the two male cats we already owned (everyone is spayed and neutered, of course!), and loves to snuggle and play with them.
She wants attention all of the time, and knows how to get it. She is always ready to purr, or chatter with you if you talk to her. And she loves to play fetch!
She also likes to cause trouble. Her favorite hobby is to try to steal any small object that isn't nailed down. Her list of stolen objects include a feather duster, the plug to the bathroom sink, my cell phone, and a whole potato. Every day with her is an adventure to say the least!
I just wanted to thank you all for saving her and her family from the pound and giving us the chance to be so happy together. Your organization makes a very real difference every day, and it's something to be proud of. :)
Back in January, my boyfriend and I were looking for a kitten; little did we know how hard that would be in the middle of winter. One day, I came across the SLO Hart website and fell in love with 2 little AbbyTabby kittens, Luna and Lyra. I called and called and there was no answer so I finally decided I would go over to PetSmart and see if they were there. Sure enough, they were! I instantly fell in love! My boyfriend and I took those little girls home that night. Since we were in an apartment, we could only have one of them so we gave Lyra to our very good friend. We still bring them together very frequently for play dates.
I just wanted to thank you for all that you do and for all the people, like me, you make smile. Luna (now Daisy Mae) is a joy and we love her to pieces; she is spoiled rotten but she’s the sweetest little thing. I have attached a recent picture of her.
Again, thank you so much; life just wouldn’t be the same without our little Daisy Mae.
I wandered into HART on a whim one day and locked eyes with a skinny, ginger tabby named Reba who lovingly nudged against my leg. The great thing about HART is the environment, which promotes interaction with the cats to encourage the right fit. Reba picked me soon after HART rescued her from an abandoned apartment where she was alone and starving for three weeks. We made the 3 1/2 hour trip from Cambria to my West Hollywood apartment, and then another trip to Brooklyn where she and her companion Angie had a view of the Empire State Building. We are now back in Los Angeles where my husband and I started nesting. Reba is still lovingly nudging me and our trust continues to deepen.
La Paz, Mexico February 2010
Adopted November, 2008
When I told my roommates I was going to write a “hartwarming” story about Kora they laughed. If you have met her or when you do you will know why. She enjoys going to PetSmart and walking around the aisles on a leash, but she doesn’t like being brushed, cuddled, and at some times even acknowledged. However, I began to think of all the ways my life has changed since adopting K
ora and a list of rules came to mind:
- Put away all pens and pencils (otherwise Kora will take them and hide them)
- Close the toilet seat lid (Kora will play in it)
- If in the bathroom, do not get too close to the door (to avoid feet getting attacked from Kora on the other side)
- Close bathroom door firmly while showering (Kora will join otherwise)
- Have spray bottle ready to keep Kora off bathroom and kitchens counters, tables, desks, dressers, and from knocking pictures off the walls
- NEVER leave cups with liquid in them within Kora’s reach, and especially not next to computers
- Check around corners to avoid sneak attacks
- Keep windows closed (even if it has a screen Kora will find a way out)
- Check under area rugs before stepping on them
- Pick up all dropped food and crumbs (Kora will find it, eat it, and throw it back up, possibly on the bed)
- Get two kittens not just one!!
Although she marches to the beat of her own drum Kora has added hours of entertainment and stress relief to my daily routine. I would never trade her for any other cat. Everyone who meets her agrees: Kora is one of a kind!
Thank you H.A.R.T.!
Toni A. from Paso recently emailed us some pictures of a cat and a kitten she has adopted from HART. Shiitake was adopted in 1999 and was one of the 56 cats rescued from a "hoarder" in Redding, CA. Bonsai was just recently adopted and was one of the kittens facing death in Bakersfield before he was rescued by HART. Toni remarked Shiitake "has been quite entertained with the new kitten. he sat/laid (as you can see) in the kitchen last night for HOURS watching the new kitten do what kittens do late at night....spin around, jump in the air, chase nothing, etc!!! considering how he was when we adopted him, Shiitake has been very patient with 'new kitten' jumping on him, over him and chewing on his tail!" Toni also wrote about how her son, Niko, and Bonsai have become "buds" and will rest together after some hard playing.
We received this email from an LA area resident, who had spent over a year down there looking for a replacement Siamese cat. She did not want to go to a breeder. She came across HART in front of PetSmart while in SLO County to attend the County Fair and it was love at first sight.
Hi HART,
I just want to update you on the kitten we adopted on July 27th from you. What a love she is. She acts like a dog. She is such a little cuddler, and she is very spoiled by all of us. We got her 2nd shots on August 18th along with a rabies shot and also an exam and she is in great health. She is scheduled on Sept 3rd to get spaded by our vet. I want to thank you so much for her. I have been searching a long time to find her and thanks to you I did. She is going to get 20 years, or more, of love from us. She is an indoor kitty even though she whines when we go in the backyard and she can't go outside with us.
Here is a few pictures of her and her Best friend our Beagle, Lucy. These two just love each other, its so cute. They sleep next to each other and also sleep with us.
Sincerely,
Jill S.
