Bongo

I promised you a while back that I would introduce you to Bongo. After me, she's been here longer than any one else but I think she minds it a little more than I do. Bongo is a shy, quiet girl who sticks mostly to herself. She likes to curl up inside a condo or deep inside a bed for a nap and only comes out with things are calm.

Bongo lived in a foster home as a baby along with her siblings Lee, Levi, Osh Kosh and Wrangler - get it? But that's the only home she's ever known. She came here in July of 2003 and has never left. While Bongo doesn't seek attention she does enjoy it if you take the time to seek her out. She's a nice lady. Why don't you come in and meet her some time? You'll be glad you did. And, remember, I'll be here to show you around.

Adopt A Shelter Cat Month

June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month. Let's face it - around here that's every month. We are shelter cats are we are here to be adopted. But June is the month that American Humane has picked to highlight the wonderfulness of those of us who live in shelters. June is a great time to do it because the spring and summer are typically kitten season.

Some people get worried about adopting a cat from a shelter because they think we are here because something is wrong with us or they worry they won't know our history. The fact is you only know a complete history if you get a cat from a breeder or when it's very young straight from the home where it was born. And while the first few months of my life are a mystery the volunteers here know me very well and will be happy to tell you about me or any of my other roomies. They take the time to get to know each of us to be sure the home where we end up is the right home for us.

And look at all the choices you have when you adopt from a shelter. You want a skinny cat, fat cat, short-haired cat, playful cat, young cat, old cat, talkative cat, lap cat, yellow cat, black cat, a cat that will play fetch or any number of other kinds of cats. Odds are really, really good you are going to find exactly what you want.

Adopt a shelter cat. You'll be glad you did.

Smudge, Part 2

Smudge is at it again - stealing hearts and earning fame. Leesia Teh, a professional pet photographer (she calls herself a dog photographer but we chose to ignore that) was at the shelter taking some shots. And who won her heart? The one and only Smudge!



Here is her blog - you must check it out to see some of the beautiful pictures she took.



http://leesiateh.com/blog/?p=4037



Thank you Leesia for the kind words on your blog and for helping to spread the word about Good Mews. Now, I'm ready for my close up.

Fostering...when having a cat temporarily is okay

Yesterday's photo was Michelle with two of her three babies. Michelle and her family are currently in a foster home until the babies are old enough to come into the shelter to be adopted.

Good Mews is always looking for new foster homes. Little ones are highly susceptible to illness so we like to keep them out of the shelter until they are older and stronger. Fostering is a tough job but highly rewarding. You get to spend some quality time with a cat but you also have to make sure it's ready for the shelter when the time comes. That may mean giving medicine or spending a little extra time making sure the cat(s) is ready to be around strangers.

And it's not just kittens who need foster homes. Sometimes a grown up cat has had surgery and needs a foster home for a while or needs a lot of individual loving to get over a bad situation. We've taken in cats after Hurricane Katrina as well as cats from hoarding situations that needed a little time before they were ready for the hustle and bustle of the shelter.

It takes a special person to foster. You can't help but get attached to a cat when they are living in your home. Before you know it, it is time to give them back so that they have a chance at their forever home but the benefits, to you and the cat, are boundless.

If you are up for the challenge, consider contacting your local animal shelter and ask about their foster program.

If you want to read the tales of a famous former foster, check this out:

www.coveredincathair.com/tweetie_chronicles

Wordless Wednesday

Thank You, Romeo

I'm pleased to announce that Good Mews has been chosen as the FURPOWER organization of the month. Romeo is a real cool cat that has his own blog at www.romeothecat.com.

FURPOWER is the name of his fundraising program. Each month, Romeo and staff chose a different rescue organization to benefit from their fundraising efforts.

Romeo understands how important fundraising is to helping take care of me and all my roomies while we wait to be adopted. Don't forget we've got to get Sawyer a new wrap for that cast! But it's also great to have new people learning about Good Mews.

Your doing good things, Romeo, and I'm proud to know you.

Get Well Wishes

We had a scary moment in the kitten room yesterday when Sawyer took a tumble off of a cat tree but my little buddy is on the mend now. To add to his indignation, however, is the pink wrap on his cast. We'll see what we can do about that but, in the meantime, rest and recover my friend. When you are back on sound footing we will have a talk about the proper way to go from tree to shelf.

And here's to Kate. You are a good sister for hanging out with Sawyer last night so he wouldn't be lonely and scared. Having someone to snuggle with is always nice.