Quirky, Goofy, Clumsy, Playful, Zoomy, Gentle, and Happy Alastor

Alastor/Al (formerly Bubba, Goofy, or Wink depending on who you asked) came from Star Valley, ID where he was shot numerous times with a BB gun. Two of the pellets were lodged in his right eye, his body was covered in wounds and scars, and he was emaciated. The first photo here is pre-eye-removal surgery (a screenshot from his adoption photo on the AAC Instagram). When I adopted him, he was still recovering from surgery, and had been staying with his foster parents in Jackson (he is with his foster dad in the second photo, post-surgery).

When I met Al, he was completely terrified of new people. He would not even accept a treat from me. I quickly learned that he was going to require a lot of time, patience, and energy. His fear of humans was a huge hurdle. When introduced to a new person, he would bark uncontrollably and sometimes lunge as if he was going to bite the person. Many of my friends were afraid of him— he is a big dog and his bark is really loud and scary!

Despite his fear, I made sure he was around new humans frequently to show him that people are not all bad! It was challenging at first because he was inconsolable around new people and often appeared aggressive, and their fear of him made him react even more poorly.

Eventually, as I got to know his personality, I discovered it was best to instruct new people to ignore him at first and avoid making eye contact. When they did that, he would eventually approach them. If they continued to ignore him, he would typically decide they were “ok” with him and actually often lean up against them— this is his signal that he wants their affection!

It did take a while to work out this routine, but once we started doing it, almost every interaction with a new person was more positive than the last. Routine, security, exercise, and time have done wonders for Alastor.

Now, after two years with him, Al is an AMAZING companion. He is a fantastic trail dog (he loves biking!!!), he loves meeting new people (!!!), and he loves other dogs. My mom says he is a “dog-whisperer” because he startlingly befriended her aggressive and reactive ex-fighting rescue dog and now they are the best of friends.

He has tons of dog and people friends around our neighborhood and he is always SO stoked to see them! New people even often comment on how well-behaved he is!!!

The past two years have been turbulent, but heart-warming and deeply rewarding. I cannot thank the amazing folks at the AAC enough for giving Al a second chance after his tragic and brutal early life. He is quirky, goofy, clumsy, playful, zoomy, gentle, and happy. He has big emotions that he wears on his sleeve and I absolutely adore him. He has captured the hearts of so many people in The Valley and beyond. Al is my very very best pal and has changed my life immeasurably.

Much love from Al and Sarah!

10 Months Later, My Cats Are Friends!

It took 10 months for my cats to become friends and it was worth the wait!

One year ago, my cat, Bobby, passed away unexpectedly from a birth defect. She left behind her sister, Chara. Chara and Bobby were best friends. They hunted mice together all night and snuggled together on the couch all day. It broke my heart to see Chara so depressed after losing her sister. Her depression looked like peeing on the dog bed and barely going outside where she previously loved to frolic in our 3 acres of forest.

Shortly after Bobby passed, I started working at the Animal Adoption Center. To this day, I credit Bobby for alerting me the AAC was hiring for the Cat Care Specialist position. Right away, I started my search for Chara’s new best friend. After meeting about forty cats over three months, a playful and witchy black cat duo were transferred from Riverton – Monroe and Madison. While in quarantine (every cat spends 2 weeks in quarantine when they arrive at AAC to prevent the spread of illness), these two black cats were wild and inseparable. They flipped their litter box, they spilled their water bowl into their food bowl, and they shredded cardboard cat scratchers. They were a mess – constantly covered in soggy food and cat litter, which I gladly cleaned up day after day. Then, once clean and fed, they cuddled together in the back corner of their crate, intertwined in a way that made them look like one giant black cat with four green eyes.

When their quarantine time was up, I moved Monroe and Madison into Kitty City where they would cohabitat with twelve other cats while waiting for their forever homes. Kitty City was full of intense personalities at the time; a couple of senior cats who didn’t want younger cats to get too close; a giant orange tabby with food insecurity; a traumatized little boy who was found abandoned by an oil rig. Madison hid in a wicker basket, afraid to interact with the bigger boy cats. Monroe was fearless and roamed Kitty City like a queen. After only a few hours in Kitty City, Monroe was adopted by a wonderful family. She was outgoing and playful, which is exactly what catches potential adopters attention. I remember going home from work that night and telling my husband I felt sad this adorable sister duo was split up. I thought Madison might be Chara’s new best friend, but she’s shy and our house might be too busy for her. We also have 2 big dogs and an active neighborhood full of dogs, foxes and mountain lions. My husband suggested I sleep on it and see how I feel at work the next day, when I see Madison again. That night, I woke up in tears thinking about Madison feeling all alone in Kitty City even when she’s surrounded by cats and cat-obsessed volunteers.
 
The next day, when I got to Kitty City, Madison came out of her hidey hole and jumped into my lap. Surprisingly, the other cats gave her space to communicate with me. Her big green eyes made my heart melt and I knew I needed to take her home right away.

Unfortunately, Chara and Madison were not best friends like I hoped…I followed the suggested cat integration protocol creating a safe place for each cat, and introducing them to one another slowly. However, Chara refused to come inside the house and Madison blocked the cat door so Chara couldn’t come inside when she wanted to. A wise friend told me to wait it out and trust that one day, the two cats will cohabitat harmoniously.

After a few weeks, we allowed Madison to start going outside and she immediately chased Chara out of her hiding spots, claiming them as her own. Poor Chara! I gave Chara lots of treats, yummy wet food and I even created a cozy place for her to sleep outside safely. Anytime both cats were inside the house, it was a hiss fest. Even though both cats had safe places to hide, they preferred to be within each other’s eye sight and hiss at one another aggressively. It was time for pheromones. I put calm collars on both cats and plugged in Feliway diffusers, but nothing changed. The cats hated each other! It was discouraging, but I didn’t give up.

Well, 10 months later and they are friends! It started with one cat on either end of the couch. And then, one cat on either end of the bed. My husband and I rewarded them with treats and praise when they would be peacefully in the same room together. It was slow, but any decent interaction felt like progress. Now, they eat side by side and sit on the same chair. If you are in the position I was in the last 10 months, don’t give up! Wait it out. One day, (hopefully!) your cats will cohabitate harmoniously.

 

Common Naughty Cat Behaviors and How To Fix Them

Picture this, you adopted a new cat who you love and adore, but after a few months, he/she starts some destructive behavior…peeing outside the litter box and scratching your furniture. At first, you think it’s okay, but a few weeks later, you are very annoyed. We are here to help! Try these methods to stop your cat’s bad behavior.

First and foremost, pick up some delicious high reward treats from Teton Tails, Pets Place Plus or the grocery store so when your cat is behaving, you can reward him/her!

  • If your cat is urinating outside the litter box: 
    • First, consult your veterinarian about a Urinary Tract Infection or other illness. Peeing outside the litter box is a common form of communication between a cat and its owner. Your cat might be trying to tell you he/she doesn’t feel well!
    • If you’ve confirmed your cat is not sick, we suggest trying a different litter. The most popular type of cat litter is made of clay which is the most absorbent option. Some cats prefer pine litter, wheat litter, grass litter or corn litter. The staff at Teton Tails and Pets Place Plus know all about litter options so you can ask them for assistance.
    • If you’ve confirmed your cat is not sick, we also suggest trying the ‘Sentry Calm Collar’ and/or the ‘Feliway Classic Calming Diffuser.’ These products emit pheromones which are a chemical substance naturally created in a cat’s cheek glands to alleviate anxiety and create a sense of security. Both the Calm Collar and Diffuser mimic a mother cat’s pheromones soothing her kittens. Within a few hours of adding the Calm Collar and/or Diffuser, your cat’s stress/anxiety/frustration will begin to subside. Once your cat is relaxed, we encourage you to verbally praise your cat’s good behavior (such as using the litter box appropriately and using her scratching post correctly) and reward your cat with high reward treats. Sometimes, all it takes is a change of mind. Calm Collars and Calming Diffusers can be purchased at Teton Tails and Pets Place Plus. Please follow the directions on the packaging. Calm Collars can last up to 30 days and Diffusers can be plugged in for 30 days.

  • If your cat is scratching your furniture:
    • Start by playing with your cat more! Your cat might be scratching your furniture because he/she is bored and looking for something to do! We recommend getting your cat a new horizontal scratcher with cat nip, a feather wand or a battery-operated mouse to chase.
    • If you already have vertical scratching posts, place the scratching posts directly in front of the furniture your cat is scratching. When your cat goes to scratch the furniture, encourage your cat to scratch the post instead, verbally praise the good behavior and reward with treats. The fastest way to fix this problem is to catch your cat in the act! Repeat this step of moving your cat away from the furniture and put them next to the scratching post followed by verbal praise and high reward treats as often as possible. This will be learned behavior over time. Be patient! Make sure the scratching post is sturdy, so it doesn’t fall over onto your cat.
    • If you don’t have any scratching posts, we suggest you buy several vertical scratchers and place one in front of each piece of furniture your cat is scratching. Although it sounds expensive, buying several scratching posts is cheaper than replacing furniture!
    • One way to speed up this process is to cover the zone of the furniture your cat is scratching with double sided tape. Your cat will not enjoy the double-sided tape sticking to his/her paws and will lose interest quickly.
    • Trim your cat’s nails. If you’ve never done this before, we suggest you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian so they can teach you best practices.
    • Try pheromones! The ‘Sentry Calm Collar’ and/or the ‘Feliway Classic Calming Diffuser’ will relax your cat if he/she is scratching your furniture as a way to communicate that he/she is experiencing stress.

More Resources

Different Types of Cat Litter

https://www.thesprucepets.com/different-types-of-cat-litter-4688913

8 Ways to Keep your Cat from Shredding your Furniture

https://be.chewy.com/training-training-tips-8-ways-to-keep-your-cat-from-shredding-your-furniture/?gclid=CjwKCAiA3L6PBhBvEiwAINlJ9Oc3rf-UrmfK_XqkMRUexXJ1RPzBJOeGiprnrxxaPa1NaJrKYvlolhoC2ZgQAvD_BwE

 

*All of the products below are approved by the cats of Kitty City

Popular Cat Treats

https://www.chewy.com/temptations-tasty-chicken-flavor-cat/dp/109157

 

Cat Scratchers

Vertical

https://www.chewy.com/frisco-335-in-sisal-cat-scratching/dp/190457

Horizontal

https://www.chewy.com/mau-lifestyle-emory-cat-scratcher/dp/335222

 

Calm Collar

https://www.chewy.com/sentry-good-behavior-calming-collar/dp/182278

 

Feliway Diffuser

https://www.chewy.com/feliway-classic-calming-diffuser/dp/121784

 

Cat Nip

https://www.chewy.com/frisco-natural-catnip/dp/342354

 

Battery Operated Cat Toys

https://www.chewy.com/smartykat-hot-pursuit-electronic/dp/159669

https://www.chewy.com/smartykat-loco-motion-electronic-cat/dp/130291

Introducing A New Cat To Your Home

Introducing A New Cat To Your Home

First, congratulations on your new furry friend! Your new cat has SO much love to give and he/she can’t wait to share that love with you. Second, thank you for providing a home for a cat in need. Your cat is so lucky to have you!

At the Animal Adoption Center, we provide a warm, cheerful, and calming environment where animals can relax and play while we work to find them their forever home. Once the animal’s new owner comes along, we know it’s important to set the owner and the animal up for success in the period of time it takes for the cat to adjust to its new home. For some cats, the adjustment period is short (a few days) and for some cats, the adjustment period is long (up to a year). There is no way to predict the length of the adjustment period so we want to provide you with as much information as we can to foster the relationship between the new owner, the cat and home’s current animals.

In the post, we provide some general and some specific information to integrating a cat into your home with or without other pets. If you have questions before adoption or within three months of adoption, you can call or email our Adoption Advisor (Alyssa), Animal Behaviorist (Eva of Star Dog Training) and Cat Care Specialist (Hope). Your veterinarian will have great information and resources too!

Before you visit the Animal Adoption Center for a Meet & Greet, we recommend you evaluate your household. What lifestyle will you provide a cat? Relaxing? Active? Indoor? Outdoor? There’s no wrong answer here. We want you to come in knowing what lifestyle you can provide your new pet so we make sure you pick a cat that will thrive in that environment. Another question you can expect from the staff at AAC is what personality type will fit best with your current pets? Lazy? Playful? Introverted? Outgoing? We want to make sure your current pets’ needs are met when introducing a new friend! Our Adoption Advisor and Cat Care Specialist can provide information about our ‘adoptable cats’ personality traits such as outgoing, shy, plays well with other cats, prefers to be left alone, wants a sunny window to nap in, etc.

Here’s what you’ll need when you bring your new cat home.

Create a safe place for your cat to settle in. Somewhere quiet, with hiding places and natural light. A spare bedroom, guest bathroom or laundry room is a great place for your new cat to get comfortable in your house. It will become a place they can rely on for a comfortable bed, a litter box, food, and water. Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be the place they spend the rest of their lives. We encourage you to spend at least one hour a day in this space with your new cat to create a bond and observe your cat for signs of stress such as excessive meowing, decreased appetite or diarrhea. If your new cat appears stressed, please consult your veterinarian, and consider adding pheromones to the space.

A litter box and litter. We use ‘World’s Best Cat Litter Multi-Cat.’ Locally, you can buy it at Teton Tails and Smith’s. If you decide to use another type of litter, we suggest you mix it with ‘World’s Best Cat Litter’ for 1 week to set your new cat up for success and to prevent accidents.

Food and fresh water. We give the cats at Animal Adoption Center ‘Merrick Purrfect Bistro Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Food.’ Locally, you can but it at Teton Tails and Pets Place Plus. If you decide to use another type of food, we suggest you blend it with the Merrick food for 3 to 5 days so their tummy has time to adjust. Typically, we feed the cats 1/4th cup of kibble in the morning and the evening. We will let you know if your new cat has a special diet such as wet food for damaged teeth, Urinary SO kibble to prevent accidents or EN Gastrointestinal food for sensitive GI tract.

A scratching post. Scratching posts allow your new cat to stretch his/her body and tend to his/her nails. Also, providing a scratching post will prevent your new cat from scratching your furniture! To encourage good behavior, we recommend you give your cat praise and treats when you see him/her use the scratching post. If you see your cat scratch a piece of furniture, gently (and kindly) bring your cat to the scratching post to show him/her this is a safe place to scratch. If you get a horizontal scratcher, you can put cat nip on it and your cat will have a blast rolling around, scratching, and snacking. Vertical and horizontal scratchers are available for sale at Teton Tails, Pets Place Plus and sometimes at TJ Maxx.

Toys! Toy mice, balls, feather wands, cat nip, pet-safe lasers. Most cats love to play with toys. We call cat playtime ‘enrichment’ because it encourages overall health and well-being. Playing provides a safe outlet for your cat’s predatory instincts and encourages exercise. Playing relieves him/her of boredom which will prevent naughty behavior. We recommend you play with your cat for at least 30 minutes a day. This can be spread out throughout your day such as 10 minutes before breakfast, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes before dinner. If your cat appears to be bored or starts to display bad behavior like scratching your furniture, meowing excessively at nothing, climbing your walls or biting (to name a few), increase the amount of time you play with your cat. You can also purchase battery operated lasers and toy mice that will entertain your cat for a pre-determined amount of time.

Brush. Cats are proud creatures. They love to be complimented such as ‘you are soooo beautiful.’ ‘You’re such a handsome feline!’ Brushing your cat is a great way to interact with your cat and encourage them to groom themselves. Brushing prevents shedding, dandruff, furballs, mattes and dreadlocks. If you have a long-haired cat, brushing is especially important. We encourage you to brush your long-haired cat twice a week to prevent mattes and dreadlocks. Mattes and dreadlocks are painful for cats and will eventually cause bad behavior such as feistiness (not the cute kind), biting and hiding. Sometimes, folks surrender their cat because the cat is no longer friendly or interactive. Once we do an evaluation of the cat, it appears the cat hasn’t been brushed in years and is covered in painful mattes and skin tugging dreadlocks which mean the cat needs to be sedated and shaved to have a fresh start. 100% of the time, the cat feels fabulous after being shaved and has a new outlook on life. For short-haired cats, we encourage you to brush your cat once a week. Many cats love to be brushed and will start purring immediately. If your cat doesn’t love to be brushed, that’s okay! If that’s the case, we recommend using ‘Cat Grooming Gloves,’ which allows your brush while petting.

Helping your new cat settle into your home.

If you don’t have any other pets in your home:
– After 3 or 4 days in the Safe Place, at a quiet time of day, open the door and allow your cat to explore a little more of your house. Make sure your new cat has access to his/her Safe Place (leave the door open or the room accessible). It is important that a cat always has an exit strategy if someone new walks into your home or you accidentally drop something and make a loud noise.

If you have other cats:
Step 1: keep the door to your new cat’s Safe Place closed for 3 or 4 days. Encourage your other cats to smell one another through the gap of space under the door.

Step 2: After 3 or 4 days, you can open the door 2 inches and allow the cats to greet one another. One or both cats might be shy so please don’t rush this step. If there are obvious signs of aggression, close the door and only allow the cats to smell one another thought the gap of space under the door for a couple more days. If the cats appear comfortable or unbothered with the door open just 2 inches, you may open the door to allow the cats to have a full interaction. After a few minutes of smelling and greeting, separate the cats again so the new cat still has his/her safe place. Repeat Step 2 twice a day for 2 days (this will vary per household). Keep a close eye on the first few interactions like this. If the cats begin to show aggression such as hissing, claws out swatting or chasing, separate the cats and go back to step 1 for a few days. Remember, the cats most likely won’t be best friends immediately. If the cats don’t appear to care about one another, that is okay!

Step 3 if the meet & greets are going smoothly: you can allow the cats to interact freely. Continue to honor your new cat’s Safe Place for at least one week before you move his/her litter box, food and water. We encourage you to move it slowly, about 10 feet at a time, closer to the place it will be long term.

Step 3 if the meet and greets are NOT going smoothly: if the cats are not having peaceful interactions, it is time to incorporate store bought pheromones. Pheromones are a chemical substance naturally created in a cat’s cheek glands that alleviate anxiety and share information about the cat’s personality. It’s helpful to provide artificial pheromones to alleviate anxiety at this stage of integrating a new cat into your home. You can do this several ways. First, we recommend the ‘Sentry Calm Collar.’ It’s exactly what it sounds like, a collar with pheromones on it that calms the cat down. Put a calm collar on both or all the cats (they usually come in a set of 3). Within a few hours, the stress of a change to the environment will be alleviated. Second, we recommend a ‘Feliway Classic Calming Diffuser.’ By diffusing the air with cat pheromones, you create a sense of security and familiarity that allows cats to relax. Calm Collars and Calming Diffusers can be purchased at Teton Tails and Pets Place Plus. Once you’ve introduced the calm collars and/or calming diffuser, wait at least three hours before repeating Step 2.

*It can take months for cats to become friends. Like dogs, some cats will become friends immediately and some cats need time to learn to share space. Be patient and don’t feel discouraged! Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 for as long as necessary.

If you have dogs:
– between Step 2 and Step 3, put a gate in the doorway of the cat’s Safe Place for a week or more so the cat can continue to venture into the house and still escape into its Safe Place. The dog and cat will naturally want to interact through the gate and it’s up to you to encourage good behavior here with high reward treats and praise for both animals.

More Resources:

Introducing a New Cat into your Home
https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/introducing-new-cat

*All of the products below are approved by the cats of Kitty City

Cat Litter
https://www.chewy.com/worlds-best-multi-cat-unscented/dp/37593

Cat Food
https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/49263?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Merrick&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA3L6PBhBvEiwAINlJ9Eeff2fT_ChqFCKb70LlowRuCDa0XsnzqJ9G_M5syil_PPuVnyFhLRoCLIgQAvD_BwE

Canned Wet Food
https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/49215?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12791446238&utm_content=Merrick&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA3L6PBhBvEiwAINlJ9JTjF7jhXROD706N5M8MyN-4kXf_DRx_irhvlcawkxqS_GKJ-kSTpxoCGyUQAvD_BwE

Popular Cat Treats
https://www.chewy.com/temptations-tasty-chicken-flavor-cat/dp/109157

Cat Scratchers
Vertical
https://www.chewy.com/frisco-335-in-sisal-cat-scratching/dp/190457
Horizontal
https://www.chewy.com/mau-lifestyle-emory-cat-scratcher/dp/335222

Calm Collar
https://www.chewy.com/sentry-good-behavior-calming-collar/dp/182278

Feliway Diffuser
https://www.chewy.com/feliway-classic-calming-diffuser/dp/121784

Cat Nip
https://www.chewy.com/frisco-natural-catnip/dp/342354

Battery Operated Cat Toys
https://www.chewy.com/smartykat-hot-pursuit-electronic/dp/159669
https://www.chewy.com/smartykat-loco-motion-electronic-cat/dp/130291

Cat Brushes and Gloves
https://www.chewy.com/mr-peanuts-hand-gloves-dog-cat/dp/180948
https://www.chewy.com/safari-self-cleaning-slicker-brush/dp/46214

A year of couch cuddles and adventures with Hattie

We’re coming up on one year with Hattie (formerly Penelope), and in the spirit of counting our blessings, we felt moved to write about the amazing first year she’s had in her forever home. Even though we weren’t the first or even the second family on the waiting list to adopt her, we think she was destined to be with us.     

Hattie started out as a reservation rescue, with a broken hip, a puppy in tow, and a lot of fear. AAC and her wonderful foster mom, Kelly, nursed her through two surgeries and gave her the love and patience she needed to transition from living outdoors in a literal hole in the ground to becoming a happy, healthy house dog.

When we met her, she was recovering from her latest surgery and was still very mistrustful of strangers. And we were still grieving the death of our two senior dogs who had both passed within the last six months. After we fed her an entire package of treats, one bite at a time, she showed us that there was a warm and loving dog underneath the nerves. If we could earn her trust she would be an amazing friend and help us heal from the sadness.

She made the trip from Jackson Hole to Salt Lake City very quietly, and shook with fear when we brought her into our home for the first time. But little by little, she opened up and eventually became my little shadow, following me around the house and yard, and napping for hours on the coziest spot available – next to my desk in our home office. It took her a little longer to trust my husband, but fast forward a few months, and he became THE best play buddy – the only person she will really let loose and wrestle with.


Also in her first days home, she made a frenemy (our cat, Duncan), who is always a competitor for the best lap spots. She was introduced to our horses and chickens, and immediately accepted these funny creatures as part of her new life. She met the neighbor dog, Lucy, who is now a regular visitor for a quick session of chase. She learned the joys of hiking and is now the perfect trail dog, exploring nature while being respectful of other hikers, dogs, and even a pair of hiking goats we met on the trail one day. She has learned so much in the past year: how to find the absolute coziest spot on the couch, the unadulterated joy of splashing around in a lake, how to sit quietly so you don’t tip the kayak, how to keep pace alongside my bike for daily runs down the road, how to be an office dog with my husband at Traeger Grills HQ, how to deal with a million different strangers in our home during months of noisy home renovations, but best of all, she’s learned that she doesn’t have to be afraid of everyone and everything around her. She has learned to trust, and though she may always be more shy, she is willing to reach out to make friends where previously would run away.

Best of all, we’ve gained the absolute cuddliest and most loving friend. She is happiest when she is snuggled up between us on the couch, and we are so happy to have a dog that fits perfectly into our lives and allows us to have a peaceful homestead. She continues to provide us great comfort and joy through some hard personal losses that we’ve experienced this year.

One year and a million sloppy kisses and cuddles later, we can’t thank the AAC and Hattie’s foster mom enough for giving her the best possible care to become healthy and ready for us to welcome her into our lives. A dog with her injuries may have been euthanized at another shelter, so we feel incredibly grateful she landed at a place willing to put the time and money into making her whole again. We take adoption very seriously and consider the commitment to our animals as lifelong, so it was very important that we found a dog who was the right fit. Not many organizations have such an enlightened outlook on foster-to-adopt, and we were delighted they gave us the opportunity to make sure Hattie was perfect for us before we finalized the adoption. We feel extremely lucky to have found Hattie and are so thankful for all the wonderful people who help dogs like her transition into their new lives.

How To Be A Good Neighbor (With A Dog)

The Animal Adoption Center values responsibility and respect within the Jackson community, especially at dog friendly communal spaces. Our goal is to keep Jackson the dog heaven that it is!

Miles Adoption!

The first time I met Miles was in March, 2013, during my spring break from college. We instantly bonded as he purred and kneaded my lap. He had been surrendered to the AAC because one of his owners was allergic to cats. I thought he was the most adorable, social, talkative cat I’d ever met and was surprised at the length of time he’d been at the AAC because he was so friendly. Luckily, when I returned to Jackson in the summer of 2013, Miles was still at the AAC and I adopted him.

Miles lived in a cage for most of the first 7 years of his life but now he has two homes with room to explore and hunt outside. He spends most of his time in Austin but escapes to Jackson when the heat becomes unbearable. He enjoys having owners who are suckers and feed him multiple snacks throughout the day. He is a very successful hunter with his jaws and paws, catching many lizards, voles and mice. All his teeth except one were extracted when he was at the AAC due to Stage 5 gum disease. However his one tooth is more than adequate for maintaining his healthy figure.

We are so grateful to the AAC for rescuing so many wonderful animals like Miles, restoring their health, and helping them find loving owners.

Lumpy Love

Early summer of last year I was casually looking at Petfinder (mostly for dogs) and favorited Lumpy because her pic + name made her seem so pitiful. In January, thanks to my neighbor, I found out Lumpy was STILL at the shelter. My heart broke a little bit and even though I wasn’t looking for a cat at all at the time, I just knew I had to go get her.

The AAC told me Lumpy came from Star Valley very sick and sad… she had to have most of her teeth removed and got completely shaved because she had stopped grooming herself. She was listed as a senior + special needs, and she is very skittish, so she remained at the AAC for a very long time.

Today, Lumpy is thriving! She has completely come out of her shell and even though she will always be skittish towards strangers, she is so loving, affectionate and playful with the ones she loves. Her first week at home she mostly hid under the bed, but now she prowls around the whole house and loves sleeping on our bellies. She has never bitten our scratched anyone, not even the vet who stuck a thermometer up her bum (!!)

I am just so, so thankful that the AAC rescued her, nursed her back to health, and believed in her. The experience of adopting an animal who has been through a lot has been so meaningful.

I urge you to consider the shelter animals that have been overlooked (check the upstairs room at the AAC!) If you are a gentle soul with a calm home, a very skittish animal might absolutely thrive with you. A lot of animals are just introverted and need a chill, stable environment to become their best selves. Thanks AAC for giving Lumps a second chance and making me into a crazy cat lady!

Adoption is the only way to go!

We have adopted two dogs and four cats from AAC over the years. Six critters that have been such important parts of our lives! We know for sure that adopted animals give back many times the love they receive. Please think adoption!

Dakota, Our Joy in Giving

The story we’ve heard about Dakota is that she was born under a deck in the dead of winter. When we watch her frolic in the snow, we know why she feels right at home burrowing in a snow bank, even though she seems equally as comfortable in the middle of our bed every night! When she licks the dew off the grass in the morning, we are reminded of her survivor spirit, but also how lucky we are to have her. We gave her a home, but she’s brought us more joy than we ever could have expected.

A little love makes a big difference not only for those who receive but those who give — and from our first phone call, we’ve felt part of a special group that understands how meaningful it is to shelter an animal. Dakota is the wonderful dog she is because of the many individuals who fostered her before she landed with us — we are so lucky to have her and grateful for the Animal Adoption Center that rescued her.

Photo Credit: Peter Lobozzo