This holiday season, 80 cats who were rescued from a St. Marys, Georgia large-scale cat rescue during the summer are almost all Home for the Holidays. AHS’ H.E.A.R.T Rescue Team transported the cats to our shelter and set up the Howell Mill auditorium as a free-roaming adoption center, as the cats had been accustomed to being sheltered together and were highly socialized.
They were fairly healthy, and after relatively minor medical treatment, most were available for adoption at The Cat’s Pajamas – a unique, weekend adoption event. During the special event, the Howell Mill shelter was open later into the night, staff wore their pajamas, and we set up a live “Cat Cam” video for 24/7 public viewing of the fascinating free-roaming cats. All cat and kitten adoptions at both shelters were fee-waived for the weekend and the following week.
More than half the cats were adopted over the weekend, and most found families soon after. Boogie was one of the cats who will be sharing this holiday season at home with his forever family.
Here’s what his new mom has to say about this special cat:
“Boogie is a sweetheart! When I saw his picture, my heart melted. My cat Sam had to be put down at age 16 last year – we had been a team for 14 years, and it broke my heart when she died. She was a tuxedo just like Boogie. After a year, I realized how empty my life was without a furry companion, and I decided I wanted an older cat with a difficult life, so I could give it a great old age.
“I swore I would not rescue a tuxedo because it would remind me of Sam. But when I found Boogie and saw he was 12 and declawed, I knew he had some challenges, and because he was an older cat, I was afraid he would never be rescued. I saw him one day and came back the next with my mind made up. He was going home with me and was going to have a terrific life. I didn’t know if he would live a year or eight years or whatever. I made up my mind to provide him with the best possible life.
“I took him to Sam’s vet, who declared Boogie to be in tip-top health. I got him toys, and we play several times a day. He gets great food and, for days after he came home, I hauled up gallons of bottled water to my room where he feels safest, only to find him drinking out of the toilet!
The first day he slept on the floor. The second day, he jumped into bed with me and has been there every night since. He hogs the bed and passes gas occasionally. But I figure if I had a husband he would probably do the same thing. I don’t mind. He loves being brushed, and I brush him several times a day. He is learning basic words like “brush” and “no.” He is glued to me and follows me everywhere. He enjoys watching PetTV and National Geographic when any animals are present. He loves to cuddle and is just the sweetest cat ever.
“I love him so much! He is a good boy, and I think he loves me too. I don’t think of it as “rescuing” Boogie. He rescued me from feeling so alone and blue about losing Sam. So I guess we sort of rescued each other.
Thank you again for everything the Atlanta Humane Society did for him. Without your care and love, he may not have lived. Today he is a healthy, happy kitty, with some quirks. But I have quirks too! So that’s ok. We will grow older together and have fun. And that’s what life is all about for everyone, really!”
Here are some of these cats who are now “Home for the Holidays!”
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