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Monday, December 31, 2012

A Very Happy New Year to All!

 This is a very happy time for many WARL alums, including three very recent adoptees.   I was thrilled to learn this morning that Sailor (pretty white cat) and Skipper (Sailor's very best friend) moved into  their forever home over the weekend.   Sailor is an outgoing fellow, but his timid friend, Skipper, rarely peeked her head out of the hidey-hole in the cat tree.  No one worried about Sailor, he is a cat with an abundance of personality.  But Skipper, though gorgeous, could rarely be seen. When their new person came to the League looking for a pair, Sailor must have known this was it -- he persuaded Skipper to come out for a quick introduction, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Their adoption was Skipper's holiday miracle.

More good news.  Judy, a rather round and extremely lovable cat had been a staff favorite for some time.   People were drawn to Judy because of her size, but no one applied to adopt her -- until this weekend.  Judy is starting out 2013 with a family of her own.   We hope that they will keep us posted on the weight loss program that Judy started while living at the League.   Four months ago, Judy tipped the scale at 24 pounds.  By her adoption day she had slimmed down to 22 pounds. 

And, what a treat to read about Carnival and see the picture of her at home with a huge rope toy of her very own.  Pretty Carnival came to League as part of a terrible hoarding case.  She was very protective of her newborn litter.  The pups were outgoing, and people-centered.  But Carnival remained fearful of people and came back to the shelter where she stayed for months.  Even though staff and volunteers worked with her, she remained hesitant. That all changed shortly after she moved into her forever home.  She is doing great - I hardly recognize her as the scared dog at the shelter, wrote a friend of Carnival's guardian. 

Skipper, Sailor, Judy and Carnival were among the  1,713 dogs and cats who left the League for permanent, loving forever homes in 2012.  Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE updates.   And, look who we heard from the other day.  I miss having Donny or Jules sit on my desk, next to my keyboard while I'm working, but I am thrilled that they've not only found their forever home, but  have completely settled in.  Cats and beds go together like peanut butter and jelly.  And, we heard that Donny and Jules slept with their new person from day one.  During the day they tend to lounge wherever is most comfortable.  My guess, from the look of Donny sprawled on his perch, his forever person had to do a little redecorating in order for Donny to fit comfortably.  

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

IPad Games for Cats are Nice, But the Cat Dancer is Top Toy in My House

Yes, I uploaded games on my IPad for Merl and Charlotte.  And, yes they play with them sometimes.  Merl is a fan of Cat Fishing 2.  Charlotte likes the Jitterbug game, but would much rather play with the Cat Dancer.   The Cat Dancer is all about packaging.   You can barely see the toy, which is described on Amazon as the original interactive cat toy. Spring steel wire and rolled cardboard create an irresistible lure for cats...  It is the cheapest toy I've ever bought, and yet I resisted purchasing one for the longest time.  I refused to spend money on what is basically a piece of steel wire with four tiny roles of brown paper.   The cat room at the League has several Cat Dancers.  And, when the brown paper lures are pulled off of the wire, we get more.   We get more Cat Dancers because the cats love them.  I hesitated buying a Cat Dancer for home because I figured I could make my own, for about $3.80 cheaper than the $3.99 price tag.  After trying a number of combinations, and tiring of yelling at Charlotte to stop whatever improper behavior she was engaged in, I broke down and bought a Cat Dancer.  And, when that one was misplaced I bought two more.  The home Cat Dancers are pure entertainment for all.  Merl and Charlotte leap, twist and pounce on the waving wire and I, the controller of the Cat Dancer, break into hysterics watching their aeriel twists.  And best of all, when Charlotte is sharpening her nails on the sofa, or knocking photos off of the piano or  chewing on electrical cords, all I have to do is pick up the Cat Dancer and wave it.  Charlotte stops her naughty behavior immediately and leaps for the Cat Dancer.   At $3.99 a pop, the Cat Dancer is much less expensive than a new sofa!  

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Fourth graders at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C. did some quick calculating and learned that caring for an animal companion can be costly.  They want to make sure that every cat and dog has plenty to eat this holiday season and beyond.   They also learned that the Washington Animal Rescue League's Rescuers' Food Bank helps people care for their cats and dogs.  Income qualified guardians apply for food assistance and then are eligible to pick up cans or bags of food every month.  Food in the Rescuers' Food Bank is donated to the League by generous patrons -- like those in the Lafayette Elementary School community.  The food drive is an all-school effort; the school's artistic security guard Officer Nicholson, created the drop-off boxes and Cozy Girl, a WARL alum and companion to school psychologist Harriet Kuhn, eagerly to lent her "Please feed my friends" pose in front of glittery donation box for a promotional photo.  Food will be collected between now and December 21st.    

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

So much good news!

Javi and Hachi settled in China
What a great couple of days.  The holiday spirit is in full swing.

Donny (and Jules)  will get lots
of brushing in his forever home
Best News # 1 -- Jules and Donny went home!    Their new person was looking for an older pair of cats and it was love at first sight.  

Best News # 2 -- We got an update from Hachi in China.   He is loving life and is thrilled to be spending so much time with his favorite boy, Javi, and all of his friends.

Sachin and Sidharth prepare for the
onslaught of book buyers at the
League's Holiday Open House.
Best News # 3 -- Sachin, and family including brother Sidharth and the ever rambunctious Sparky, came to our holiday event where the young author sold a lot of books.  Proceeds from Get A Clue benefit the Washington Animal Rescue League's medical center.  If you didn't get a copy at our event, the book is for sale through Amazon.

Best News # 4 -- Jeremiah, the older dog, who came here from West Virginia in hopes of finding a forever home just did -- two minutes ago his adoptions papers were signed and finalized.   

Can't wait to report more best newses!