Cat in need
This is a sad story, but with a good chance for a happy ending. Click the link to find out about CVS Cat, who followed his owners around their Passyunk neighborhood like a dog; he especially liked accompanying them to the CVS store. A few months ago, though, he started showing up alone at the CVS. He was well known to customers for his friendly nature and they found out that his owners had moved away and left him on his own. Understandably traumatized, he has been seeking out comfort at the only other place that felt like home to him, the CVS store. Customers have been feeding him, and during the day he is allowed to wander the store, greet people, and nap on their newspaper stand. But when the store closes at night, he is evicted to fend for himself. His newfound friends are concerned, especially now that it is so cold, and they have been trying to find him a home. I think this story, which ran today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, should be a huge help. There are probably many families who’d be delighted to take this sweet boy in; it is just a question of making his plight known to the public. So I am asking my fellow animal lovers, especially those who live in the Tri-State area, to share this story on their Facebook pages or with their Goodreads friends here. Thanks!
https://www.inquirer.com/news/cvs-cat...
https://www.inquirer.com/news/cvs-cat...
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Chris
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Jan 09, 2020 12:25PM
As a pet owner, I can't even imagine leaving a fur-baby behind!!! Or if you HAVE to give up your pet making an effort to find the pet a new home.
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Thank you for sharing this. You have the ability to reach so many readers/cat lovers. Hopefully this fellow finds a home, a forever home, but in the meantime couldn't a shelter take him in? He needs to be off the streets.Chris, I agree with you 100%. Where I go, my little ones go. They are not disposable. They are not garbage. They are not furniture. They are my family.
Chris and Therese, I totally agree, cannot imagine how anyone could abandon their pet like this. Unforgivable. I understand that life circumstances can change and people sometimes can find they are unable to continue caring for a dog or cat. But they owe it to their pet to find another home for it. I think CVS Cat will find a home rather quickly as word spreads. I will be sure to let everyone know what happens to this sweet boy.
Whenever I have needed to find a place to live, finding out whether they accepted cats was just as important as whether it was accessible and affordable. I can't imagine anything that would keep me from having Molly and Elsa here at home with me unless I couldn't stay for some unspeakable reason. And then their godfather would make sure they were taken care of.Sharon, I think you're right. Publicity does wonders for animals that get the limelight, and thanks to you, and I'm sure many others, this good-looking fellow should have a home sooner rather than later. And then he needs a proper name!
Publicity can be a powerful tool, Therese. Petfinder is amazing, has found homes for thousands of pets over the years. It was begun by a young couple who wanted to combine their twin passions--a love of computers and a love of animals. Now virtually every shelter and rescue group in the US lists their pets on Petfinder and homes have been found for animals usually thought unadoptable, deaf or blind or disabled in some way. I've found my last four dogs on Petfinder, my three shepherds and my current girl, Holly. It is a wonderful way to give an animal a second chance. All three of my shepherds had been badly neglected (Cody) or abused (Shadow and Tristan), and while I think Holly was well treated, given her trust in people, she was found wandering the mean streets of Philadelphia without any ID or microchip, so her history remains an unknown story. Many people think they need to go to a breeder for a specific sort of dog, but it is possible to find almost any breed on Petfinder.
Sharon wrote: "Publicity can be a powerful tool, Therese. Petfinder is amazing, has found homes for thousands of pets over the years. It was begun by a young couple who wanted to combine their twin passions--a lo..."I had never worked with a shelter since I had found cats in various places, such as neighbors, etc., but after losing Gracie last winter I turned to Petfinder. It wasn't kitten season but I made a fantastic connection and after that found Molly and then Elsa. I'm watching them play as I write this. And now whenever I have spare change, it goes to that shelter. They saved my life thanks to Petfinder.
I absolutely love Petfinder, Therese, am glad you found Molly and Elsa there. I would not have found any of my dogs without them. My shepherd Cody was at a shelter in another county. So was my white shepherd Shadow, and my last shepherd Tristan was even farther away--in Florida! Although I adopted him from Echo White Shepherd Rescue, an amazing rescue group, I'd learned about Echo on Petfinder and became friends with one of their fosters. The most remarkable volunteers drove Tristan from Florida to MD, where I drove to meet him; each one would drive about two hours before turning him over to the next one. I charted his progress on my Facebook pages and my readers were enthralled. One said it was like tracking Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve and my favorite comment came from an Aussie friend who said it was like the passing of the Olympic Torch. Tristan had been pulled from a FLA high-kill shelter on his last day, so Echo literally saved his life; the shelter workers argued against taking him since he was in bad shape, insisting a puppy would be better. He was 64 lbs, walked with a limp, and his fur was very thin in patches. But after he started to get enough food, probably for the first time in his life, he put on weight rapidly, reaching 95 lbs, the limp disappeared, and his coat became so thick and plush that he looked like a polar bear. For people wanting to add a cat or dog to their family, I highly recommend looking at Petfinder. You can search by animal,by breed, gender, age, or look for rescue groups or shelters in your area.
I remember reading a book a while back about a man who drove south to the rescue dogs. I think he was from Ohio and would head down to Florida and then over to Texas every couple of weeks. I wish I could remember the name of the book. I guess I could look it up, but at any rate I know what you're talking about. There are some amazing people out there working to rescue.and cats. Now CVS Cat Needs a Home. Thank goodness for the power of the media.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...I had to look that up after talking about it and reading your post. If you haven't read it, I know you will love it.
Therese, I read that same book and I cannot remember the title either! I am in awe of people in rescue work; they see humanity at its worst and have to accept that they cannot save all the animals in need. I try to do my bit by adopting my pets and donating to rescue groups and publicizing their efforts, but I know I'd not have the fortitude to do what they do.
I have become good friends with the volunteer I worked with getting Molly and Elsa, good friends with him and his wife. They have shared some heartbreaking stories, but they have told me that when they see Molly and Elsa here with me that it makes it all worthwhile. Because they gave so much to me (you have no idea), I had a fundraiser in December for the shelter and was able to raise $802. It was fun to do that. I also donate every month, etc. It is all I can do.
Yes, Rescue Road is the book I read, too, Therese. I highly recommend it. Another book I am always praising to friends is called Underdog, and it is about a woman who overcome her own poor health to train service dogs for children with autism or disabilities; until she started her rescue, none would place a dog with a child. It costs about $12,000 to train a dog and she helps the families raise the money. The book delves into the lives of families with special needs children and what a difference a service dog can make for a child like this. People have usually heard of dogs trained to fetch dropped objects or turn off lights, etc, but they are also trained to cope with a child's night terrors or the impulse to wander off, and of course to detect seizures before they actually occur. If you've not read this book Therese, I think you'll find it as riveting as I did.
I will put it on my list. I have read about many of the different things that dogs have been trained to do. I just know that Molly and Elsa, both felines, makes a difference in my life by not letting me give up because I can't if I am to take care of them.
They must have been so thankful for your help, Therese. My local shelter is so strapped for cash that they ask people to donate blankets, etc, even newspapers. I also recycle my dog's toys for them. Are you on Facebook? It is a great place to share animal stories. If you are not on Facebook and your friends' rescue ever needs to spread the word about an animal in need, let me know and I'd be happy to do it for you.
I hope so. I did a fundraiser through Facebook and then I matched each donation. My shelter is the same way. When I get new things for my girls, then the shelter gets other things. I don't need so much stuff, and they will get some blankets here shortly. And yes, I am on Facebook. Thank you. I will keep that in mind. The power of the media!
Oh I truly hope that somebody would give him a permanent home!He is such a cutie. That's so heartbreaking that his owners left him behind. I can't imagine our lives without our fur-baby cat.
I've been hoping there'd be a follow-up story, saying that he'd found a home, Vi, but so far, no news.
I thought for sure someone would snatch him up quickly.
I have been hoping somebody would give him a home! I would if I don't live several states away.
I've read about places who will transport cats and/or dogs. Unfortunately I don't know the names of them.
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