The Permanent Collection

We got our first six cats from the Hudson-Mohawk Humane Society over a period of three years, and Caterina from Animal Lovers in 2007.

A personal plea: please do not purchase pets from a breeder or store - there are so many wonderful homeless animals out there who need love.

picture of Phong

Phong

Phong and Gouraud are brothers, and the first two cats we got. Helen really wanted cats, but I wasn't as sure. When I walked past their cage at the shelter, Gouraud put a paw through the bars towards me and gave me a pleading look. My heart broke, and I took both of them right there.
picture of Gouraud

Gouraud

Gouraud is my guy. Phong really relates to Helen, but Gouraud prefers to hang out with me. He is a very sweet and mellow cat, loves to hang out on the window sill with his face in the breeze.

Phong and Gouraud were named after the computer graphics shading models of the same name.

picture of Shalom

Shalom

We got Shalom on the first day of the Iraq war and gave him the Hebrew name for "peace". He lives up to his name by getting along with all of the other cats and is the first to greet newcomers to the house.
picture of Mitzvah

Mitzvah

Mitzvah is an incredibly well-adjusted cat (now). He was an insane little firebrand when we got him, but fortunately he has calmed down a bit since then. He charmed our contractor by going up to his toolbox, rummaging around in it, and running off with the largest paintbrush he could carry in his mouth.
picture of Five

Five

The last time I was at the shelter, I saw two cats that I really fell for. One was Five, and the other Samosa. Unable to choose, I flipped a coin and took Five home. Two days later I went back for Samosa.
picture of Samosa

Samosa

Samosa doing what he does best - lounging about. A perfect TV watching companion.
Nap Time! Nap Time

Fostered Fuzzies

picture of Ivar

Ivar

We got Ivar from the Ayres Memorial Animal Shelter. Ivar was injured by a car whose driver purposely swerved to hit him. One of the shelter volunteers witnessed this and fortunately was able to get him to an animal hospital in time. He lost a leg but is otherwise intact. A very sweet and upbeat cat.

We originally took Ivar in with the intention of keeping him for ourselves. Unfortunately none of the other cats were really interested in him, and he desperately wanted playmates. Our contractor was kind enough to take him in, and the last time we visited Ivar he was doing great.

picture of Xander

Xander

Xander was abandoned by his owners and taken in by a friend of ours. Unfortunately, her cats did not get along with him, and one of them slashed his right eye. We took him in at that point and after several months of care, found him a good home. He is a Japanese Bobtail with Siamese coloring.

He got his name from the character on Buffy. Fortunately, his eye seems to have recovered almost completely.

picture of Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Pumpkin was another cat who was abandoned by his owners. Our friend Kelly rescued him, but she lived in an apartment with a dog and other cats who did not get along with him. We took Pumpkin in, and he has been placed with loving humans. He was one of the sweetest cats I have ever met.
picture of Bela

Bela

Bela was a huge (20 pounds and fit!) cat that just sauntered up to me at my garden plot, rolled onto my feet, and started purring up a storm. When I went to leave after scratching him, he ran out into traffic after me. I scooped him up and tossed him into my car.

After asking the neighbors, it seemed that he was previously owned but now homeless. We got the necessary vet work done, and adopted him. Several months later our contractor (who Bela absolutely adores) took him in. He and Ivar are best friends.

picture of Shen

Shen

We were at a outdoor picnic in a friend's backyard, and I noticed this small black cat hanging out at the periphery, clearing wanting food but afraid to come too close. I was able to coax him forward and feed him. After asking around the neighborhood, it seems he was abandoned and we took him in. A few weeks later, one of Helen's co-workers adopted him. Shen loves her, and she loves Shen. He is an incredibly sweet cat.
picture of Lucinda

Lucinda

Lucinda was another abandoned cat who someone captured and took to our vet. They were kind enough to keep her for a few weeks. I was at their office for one of our cats, saw her, petted her, and fell in love. We took her home and she was adopted by one of my co-workers. He took the picture of her in their Christmas tree.
picture of Caterina

Caterina

The youngest cat we ever adoped, she was eight weeks old when we took her. She was a feline tornado, scampering around all day at high speeds. Used Shalom as a pillow. Shen's parents took her in, and they are now brother and sister.

Gone But Not Forgotten

picture of Idli

Idli

I was driving between work locations when I came across a small white cat dragging himself across the street. He had garbage stuck to his fur, and was clearly in poor shape.

I stopped my car about a block later and ran back to see if I could find him. I managed to grab him just as he was slipping under a fence. A woman who lived at a house nearby told me that he did have an owner nearby; however, the cat had obviously been neglected. He struggled and hissed, but fell asleep as soon as I put him in a box in my car and turned the heat on.

I rushed him to the vet, and told work that I would be taking the rest of the day off. The vets inspected him and cleaned him up. They said that he probably would not have survived the night, due to severe blood loss from fleas and an incoming ice storm.

One of his back legs did not work. We were hoping that it was just because it had had tape stuck to it and was slightly atrophied from lack of movement. After a few weeks when it didn't improve, we took him in and he tested positive for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. There is no cure, and he was having an increasingly hard time moving his limbs.

We took him into the vet and had him put to sleep. Helen and I cried for days afterwards; just writing this, over a year later, is difficult.

Idli had a short and hard life. However, his last few weeks were filled with warmth and love. He was fascinated with the other cats, and they treated him well. He would spend hours in our arms, purring happily.

He is missed.

Home Page > Fuzzies       2/5/08

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