There have been a couple of questions as to why the kittens go from here to the pet store. Really, “pet store” is not really a good description of where they go – where they really go is to the adoption center at PetSmart in Huntsville.
Challenger’s House is a Petsmart Love-a-Pet Partner. That means that cats and kittens are housed at Petsmart continuously and adoptions are done by Challenger’s House adoption counselors. The adoption counselors are great about explaining the cats’ stories to people, though their stories are actually posted so people can read them during non-adoption hours, too. The cats are in cages, but they’re let out for a good long time in the morning and again in the evening when volunteers come in to clean cages, fill the food, scoop litter boxes and play with the cats. Cats/kittens not adopted in 2-3 weeks will be taken back to our shelter since Challenger’s House is a free-roaming facility.
When they go to Petsmart, they stay there, which is why it’s always so hard to let them go. I know they’re scared and nervous, but they usually adapt pretty quickly, and I’m hoping that they get adopted fast. If a few weeks go by and they aren’t adopted, I will likely bring them home to give them a break from the cage for a few weeks before trying again.
It’s somewhat rare, even when adoptions are slow, for them to be at the store for long before being adopted, especially when they’re young.
First: Sookie went to the vet yesterday because her eyes didn’t seem to be getting better despite the oral antibiotics and the antibiotic ointment. They took her temperature (it was normal) and the vet looked her over and said that she thought that perhaps the antibiotic ointment was irritating her eyes, that I should go to regular “tears” (GenTeal makes a gel eyedrop that works really well) and give it a few days to see how that works. She could need a steroid shot to help the swelling – hopefully by Monday she’ll be looking better. She spent most of the day yesterday sleeping on a chair in the dining room, but she also got up and played a few times.
Second: Someone emailed and pointed out that I am horribly lax as far as providing pictures of Sookie lately, which I knew because over the weekend I went through my pictures to send the shelter manager pictures of each of the cats, and couldn’t find a decent shot of Sookie since mid-September. My only excuse is that she’s a quiet cat who tends to go off and sleep in out of the way places, as opposed to her loud, obnoxious, in-your-face brothers, and when I have the camera out I tend to take pictures of the cats around me. I’ll do better in the future, I promise!
Third: Sam, Hoyt, Lafayette, and Bill are going to the adoption center tomorrow morning. I will miss the heck out of them (and I’m sure I’ll be a big, sobbing baby when I have to leave them there), so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’re adopted quickly – y’all keep your fingers crossed too, okay?
Terry does his road kill impression. Seriously, I don’t know how that could possibly be comfortable.
Elwood and Hoyt, snuggled up on a dining room chair. See that bit of kitten body over to the middle? That would be Sookie. She likes to make it difficult to get a decent picture of her.
Bill has his way with the blanket.
Lafayette’s in charge of kitten cleanliness this week.
Sookie and Sam on the cat tree in the front room.
Bill gets his daily allowance of cardboard.
“Hey, come back! There’s room for both of us in here!”
Cynthia asked: Hey, are the Wonkas fully socialized or does anyone spit or hiss anymore? I must say that 1.2 pounds of hissing, spitting kitten is just about the funniest thing to me!
They are fully socialized, but – and this cracks me UP – they’ll all occasionally spit. Mike, especially, is the King o’ Spitting. If he’s playing with a toy and another kitten gets too close, he spits. If I’m holding a toy just out of his reach, he spits. If he’s laying against me and I stop petting him for one moment to pet someone else, he spits. I guess it’s his way of saying “HEY HELLO OVER HERE!” They’ll all spit if they’re startled by something, but Mike’s the biggest spitter of them all. None of them hiss any more (unless someone tries to steal a toy from them), and they’re perfectly friendly, even to people who are complete strangers.
Since four of the True Bloods will be going to the adoption center tomorrow, I’m going to be moving the Wonkas up to the foster kitten room this weekend. I hope they don’t get too freaked out – I suspect that they’ll think it’s pretty neat, with the rug to keep their toes warm, the cat towers to climb on, and all the toys to play with. Not to mention the water fountain to splash around in!
Poor Gus – someone’s always chomping on him. I think they think he’s made of cotton candy.
Have I mentioned I want to squeeze Mike to death?
“What?”
I don’t encourage them climbing up my legs, but it certainly makes me laugh. Maybe when they have cat towers to climb, they won’t feel the need to climb me?
Fightin’ time!
Bath time!
“Yes, operator? I’d like to make a long-distance call. Operator? OPERATOR? DARN these tabby-foot phones, they’re always dropping the connection!”
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Previously
2008: I broke the monkeys!
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Good luck True Bloods!
(& “tabby-foot phone” is cracking me up!)
Haaaaa! Love the tabby-foot phone! You are just the bestest at kitty captioning!
I cannot believe it is time for the True Bloods to be adopted. They will be missed by this girlie in Denver, I can tell you! Good luck, boys!! Love and cuddles!!!
Good luck to the boys going to the adoption center tomorrow…. any chance you could get a good picture of their healed up eyelips before they leave for good? I’d love to see the progress they made from the beginning (missing pieces) to their new fancy eyelips all healed up.
The surgeries seemed to be just what they needed, and I am so glad all our donations could help the babies out, to lead normal kitty lives!
OMC!!! The true bloods are going? **sad, sad face** but but… *sniff* Boy oh Boy, am I gonna miss them!
Maybe if I put a notice on the petshop door, saying that they smell, no one will adopt, and you’ll get to bring them home again.
Seriously though, will people notice their eyelips? do you think it might be a problem?
And don’t forget to put a notice about their blogs, as they are fully fledged world-wide kittie celebrities now! and that will encourage adopters too!
Good Luck Sam, Hoyt, Lafayette, and Bill!! Stay in touch!!
Ohhh, that’s so sad. We think there will be a lot of sad kitties and mommys that some of the True Bloods are going away. How can you staaaaaaaaand it? *sniff* We hope they find good furever homes.
Purrs and hugs,
The Kitty Krew
Oh I can’t believe that 4 of them are leaving already – I will miss them so much! This, by the way, is why I know I could never foster – if I am this sad about kittens I only know through a blog going, I would just never be able to give up some I knew in person. I think it is wonderful there are people out there, like you, who can do this to be sure that these little guys (and gals) get a great start in life! I hope that the people who adopt them understand how many people out here love these little guys!
And the Wonkas moving to the kitten room is great! I think it is so funny that Mike spits all the time and especially when there is a toy he can’t reach. Our kitty Virgil will hiss at a toy when he is frustrated and can’t get it (usually the feather toy) and he is 15 months old now. It is so cute when he does it and I always hope he does it – I bet Mike is the same way!
And, of course, as always, the pictures are wonderful!
You have broken my heart today.
Oh, my heart goes out to you. I am awed by foster folks who are able to leave their little charges at PetSmart. I know they get snatched up in a hurry, but still..
The vast majority of fosters at my shelter go to PetSmart as well, but I’m allowed to find adopters for mine and complete the adoptions from home. Otherwise, I don’t know that I could do it. I’d like to think I’d bit the bullet for the greater good, but I really don’t know if I could.
The True Bloods could not have landed their adorable bods and silly eyes in a better place. You’ve done an amazing job with them. Now on to endless love in their new homes! Maybe even in pairs!
Robyn..will this be the hardest group to leave at the adoption centre of all the groups you’ve had? What with all their issues and surgeries they are just the cuddliest, funniest bunch!
I hope that Sookie is feeling better 🙁 Maybe, it is just her way to get rid of her rasically brothers and get some quality one on one time for herself:)
Good luck to the boys! I’m sure everyone will see their charm and scoop them up right away.
The Wonkas are going to have a blast this weekend in their new quarters!
Ohhhh…those darn tabby-foot phones..do you think there could be something stuck between the toes that is blocking the connection 🙂
P.S. – could you give Mike an extra squeeze for me too..we adopted two 1 year old kitties 3 weeks ago and one is all black like Mike and I hope I am not causing permanent eye damage to her by squeezing the stuffing out of her everyday…but we just have to lurves our kitties!!
I thought hissing and spitting where the same? Can you enlighten me? Thanks!
Thanks for the humorous answer! I think that the ones that hiss or spit the most mean it the least! Neither of my cats hiss or spit. Actually, Buck hissed once when he was startled by a Golden Retriever loping through the house, but I think the hiss frightened him. He looked a bit stunned, as if to say, “What was THAT???”
Ohmigosh, I have tears in my eyes from the “tabby-foot phone”! And #9-Karen, I think you could be right, could be a floof-blockage.
I, too, am going to miss the True Bloods. I look forward to seeing their progression every day, and it’s hard seeing them go. I wish them a short transition time between foster-home and real-home. <3
Though, on the other side of things, I am happy for the Wonkas and their move to the foster room. I’m sure they’ll just love it! 🙂
How will I get through my day without complaint from Hoyt? Good luck to the four, here is to happy forever homes!
Oh goodness, I’m already tearing up at the thought of the four boys going to the adoption center tomorrow…hope they get adopted as soon as possible and find wonderful forever homes (unless Fred agrees that they can ALL stay with you) 🙂 Please give them an extra super squishy hug from their Auntie Hyacinths before they go!
Squishy hugs for you as well…I can’t imagine how hard it is every time you have to let them go…you’ve been a true guardian angel for these babies!
Hmmm….Am I the only one who suspects Mr. Wonky Paw Terry’s not going to end up leaving?
What great pictures – kittens, kittens and kittens! We like seeing them and reading about their adventures!
Charlemagne and Tamar
Hmm… could Susan be right? I don’t see Terry’s name on the “go to Petsmart list.” 🙂
It’s going to be so sad to have the True Bloods go. I love checking up on them on your blog every day, and can only imagine how much more extra-lovable they must be in person. Give them tons of hugs and smooches, and then some more for all of us out here that will miss them, too. (Give Sam an extra one for me, OK? I think he’s the first one I fell in love with.)
It’s sad that they’re leaving, but also so happy! I’m sure they’ll find fabulous forever homes in no time — and maybe if they’re lucky, they can go in pairs and keep each other company!
Do you pass on any links to your blog when they go to Petsmart or to their new parents when they’re adopted? I think that would be so sweet, if you don’t already of course.
Good luck, boys! You’re off to your next adventures…