Tessa's Time To Shine

By Daniel Quagliozzi

New cats enter the shelter everyday and everyone of them has a story to tell. Every now and again, a unique case like Tessa captures the interest of the Cat Behavior Team, both as a challenge and as a margin to judge success.

In March of 2003, Tessa arrived at our shelter as a four year old, former feral (say that three times fast), with very high anxiety and increased levels of fear. She was a difficult cat to place as she stayed hidden most of the time and would hiss and growl at volunteers if they approached without caution. In time, Tessa found a match! She would soon be living with the person that she thought would take care of her for the rest of her life.

Fast forward six years to the day Tessa originally arrived here. A very distraught client calls the shelter asking for assistance. Without warning, her life plans have changed and she will have to move to Hawaii. Unfortunately for Tessa, she will not be accompanying her guardian to enjoy the sun and fun as she was unable to make arrangements in time for her to go. Instead, Tessa will be coming back to the SF/SPCA for re-homing. There is just one catch. Tessa refuses to go into a cat carrier without a fight.

In extreme cases like this, The Cat Behavior Team will make house calls. We want to make this hard transition as smooth and stress-free as we can. Poor Tessa will need all the breaks she can get. So, with our heavy gloves, cat carriers and bravery, we headed to the studio apartment that Tessa had been living in for six years. She could hear us coming and immediately hid under the bed and inside the mattress, despite the wall of pillows constructed by her former guardian to hinder an escape. We lifted the mattress and carefully extracted Tessa from inside of the box spring. She went in the carrier with little effort and after a tearful goodbye from the person who cared for her... off we went to make her comfortable back at the SF/SPCA.

Tessa was not a happy camper. Despite our efforts to give her multiple hiding places, a quiet and sunny room with no other cats or noises to scare her, she still hid most of the time and would hiss and growl at anyone who entered her kennel. Remarkably, she would start to tone it down after a while, making personal connections with soft spoken volunteers and staff who would spend quiet time , singing her songs and reading in her presence. The success rate of working with shy cats has to be measured in baby steps.

Then, it got more complicated. Tessa would find comfort with those who spent the quality time with her but not with the animal attendants who came by for short visits to drop off food, empty a litterbox or check on her welfare. She graduated from hissing and growling to swatting and attacking.

There are common stimuli that can drastically cause anxiety in a cats behavior:

• Arrival of a stranger



• Intrusion into their personal space



• Sudden movements



• Loud noises



• Novel objects



• Novel smells



• Loss of control over the environment

• The arrival of other cats
  

This was definitely the case with Tessa. Her harsh reaction to virtually all of these stimuli (except for other cats)made the case very clear. Tessa was indeed having a very hard time adjusting to the drastic changes in her life's routine. So what do you do in cases like this?

Initially, we tried to desensitise her to the strangers, having them spend more and more time with her , especially during feedings. With her hesistance to people coming and going becoming an issue, the visitors who stayed longest seemed to be her favorite. Tessa showed us her discomfort by rolling around on the floor, showing her belly and purring like a motor. Progress!!!!
The next step was to move Tessa into an environment with consistancy. We wanted to immerse her in a room where people would stay longer than just few minutes to half an hour and be able to work with her socialization on a continuous basis, making every meal count. The next obvious place to live would be our office!

We moved Tessa in last week and so far things are really looking up! She walks freely around the room and has adjusted really well to the comforts of our office. Like a true diva kitty, Tessa has us wrapped around her fingers, catering to her every whim. It's a welcome distraction to our daily tasks and so worth the reward. Tessa is well on her way to being the shy but loving house cat that she once was.

If you are interested in keeping up with Tessa's progress or would like to take her home to live with you, feel free to email The Cat Behavior Program at catbehavior@sfspca.org

For The Love of Moe: A cat destined for a lifetime of love

The San Francisco SPCA makes magic happen everyday. We are always standing at the intersection of love and friendship and it truly is the best place to be, day after day. One of the most rewarding aspects of what we do each day is hearing from the people who we help to make those love connections with.

Sometimes, cats can go through several transitions before ending up in the ideal home. Unexpected circumstances like moving, allergies, new-born babies, even the passing of a human guardian will stand in the way of a cat having the rich routines they so desperately deserve.

Moe's story is a great example of one man and one cat's journey together. It twists and turns and ends up warming your heart. Without further adieu, I give you this wonderful story, written by Moe's guardian, Robert.

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According to the my documents from the San Francisco SPCA, Moe the cat was born on July 24, 1999. In the Fall of 1999 he was adopted by my friend Ken. Unfortunately, my friend Ken decided then to go graduate school and he discovered that his boy friend was allergic to cats. One would think they would have discussed this before the adoption; kind of like having a child: "Honey, you want to have kids?" No one ever likes "Oops! I'm preggers" as the proclamation of a coming child.

But I do digress. Ken surrendered Moe on January 8, 2000. When Ken told me what he had done, I called into question his parentage and vowed to go to the San Francisco SPCA the next day and adopt Moe. When Ken reminded me of my allergies to cats, I told him "I will find a way to deal with it." On January 13, I and a mutual friend of Ken and mine, drove to the SPCA location in Potrero Hill; breaking a few traffic laws in the process.

Once there, we were told Moe and a number of other cats were near Union Square for outreach. I rang Ken who works in the Financial District and told him "Get out of your office, get down to Union Square, find your cat and make sure no one adopts him until we get there!" We all arrived at the same time. As Ken walked past the cages of cats, I suddenly saw a little orange Tabby arm with a white paw reach towards Ken from between the bars of the cage. It was Moe. My heart broke...can we say "AAAAAWWWWW"?

So, on January 13, 2000, Moe the cat became my friend and companion. That night, when I went to bed, I decided to close my bedroom door as I was worried about my allergies to cats and wanted one room in the house where I could breath. Silly human, I had yet to learn the tenacity of cats and the persuasiveness of kittens. There was a meowing outside my bedroom door that I could not ignore. Poor little kitten, first time in a new place, just after being surrendered and then adopted by someone else.

OK, so I caved. Not like it would have taken much anyway. But, I told myself, I will not allow him on the bed, as being able to breath is something I find rather important. For any cat owner at this point who is reading this, you must understand, I was naive.

Moe was my first cat. Stay off the bed? I opened the door and first thing Moe did was to hop up onto the bed. So then I told myself, "Ok, he can sleep on the bed, but I won't let him near my face." You're laughing now, aren't you? You know what is coming, don't you? I lie down in bed and the first thing Moe does is to curl up next my head. I though "I am so dead in the morning. I will stop breathing at some point and just not wake up. All for a kitten." Once again, I called in question Ken's parentage.

The morning comes, and I can breath. I am fine. No allergies. Somewhere between the ages of 27 & 30, I lost my allergies to cats. How? No clue. Five years later, I would decide Moe needed another cat - he disagreed - and I adopted "Bessie" from the East Bay SPCA; and promptly changed her name to Selina Kyle. Moe having lived just he & I for five years, took some adjustment to his new friend. But after a month's time, they bonded and now seem inseparable.

Two years ago, I found myself a bi-pedal companion and adopted him too. He also came with a cat named Tanner. A twenty-five pound bundle of love who loves nothing more than to be held in your arms 24/7. Keith - my human - and I bought a house and moved in together in the Fall of 2008. When we did, we adopted a beautiful Tortoise-shell Siamese. Her name was "Monkey" but it was changed to Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. I deny having anything to do with renaming however, "Mage" proved her namesake accurate. In one word: "Diva." Surprisingly, Moe who is very much and alpha male and Madonna who is an alpha female, get along the best. They play often. Who knew?

I thought the SF SPCA would like to know how one of your adoptees is doing. Moe still sleeps with me every night, but no longer next to my head. He now insists upon sleeping ON me. Like most Leos, he loves to be held and scratched and cuddled, but only when no one else is looking. He hides when Ken pays a visit, but I have since stopped calling into question Ken's parentage.

Fospice Program Gives Cats a Second Chance

YO!

In keeping with Barbara Kohn's 3 -part series about the SF/SPCA on http://www.examiner.com/ we are pleased to link you to a really great article about our FOSPICE Program.

"Yo is one cat that knows what he likes. That would include both movie time and bedtime sleeping with his human companion Vaughn Korbin, a San Francisco family law attorney. One might not consider any of these activities out of the ordinary for a cat, especially an orange tabby like Yo, which are known to be highly friendly and affectionate. But Yo isn’t an ordinary cat. This almost 13 year-old, very handsome boy suffers from liver cancer and how much longer Yo will enjoy the care and comfort of life with Korbin is uncertain. Yo is part of a very unique Fospice or “foster hospice’ program of The San Francisco SPCA that gives older, terminally ill cats like Yo a caring, quality environment during their final months."

Read more by clicking the link below:

Terminally ill cats get a second chance with The San Francisco SPCA Fospice program

Dad Doesn't Want A Tool Set or a Tie....He Wants A Tabby!

By Daniel Quagliozzi

BABY A06201525

12 year old, Cougar on the prowl for forever love...I`m a brunette and blond, all rolled up in a tabby pattern, with lots of energy to join you in all the good things in life, like lap-sitting, following you around the house or chasing your shoelaces. I`m a little older and I don`t have many teeth left but I still have my looks, right? Please, just come in and sit with me for a while and you`ll see that I still have a lot of spark left in me. Bring a toy. I`m still up for a little playtime before relaxing with you. Looking for someone who is ready to shower me with affection and activity. Male or female, no matter. Young or old, I don’t mind. As a gal who’s been around the block, I know what’s most important! My only request is that I be your only cat. Do you think you're ready for me!?

Instead of struggling to find an appropriate Fathers Day gift this weekend, bring Dad to the SF/SPCA's Adoption Fair! There will be multitudes of torties, tabbies, tuxedos and twosomes to choose from. Let's not forget the beautiful black cats too! What's that? Dad would rather have a dog, bird, reptile ....or even a rabbit. We have that covered too! Fifteen rescue groups will be joining forces with us to make a big difference. All we need is you, Dad and all of your friends to come. Are you taking the bus? Tell everyone on board about it too!!! I'm sure the driver won't mind.

We need your votes! The San Francisco Bay Guardian is doing it's annual "Best of the Bay" awards. On page six of the ballot, you will find the following categories that the San Francisco SPCA qualifies for.

1. Best Local Blog: Litter Did You Know

2. Best Local Website: http://www.sfspca.org/.

7. Best Local Nonprofit: The San Francisco SPCA

14. Best Veterinarian: San Francisco SPCA's Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center

15. Best Camp for Kids: San Francisco SPCA's Humane Education Camp

*29. Best Local Animal Rescue: San Francisco SPCA

SCRATCH YOUR VOTE HERE

*Remember: go to page six! *

With your help and a few hundred votes, Litter Did You Know can gain some popularity and the SF/SPCA can help even more animals!

Do you have a few minutes to spare?
The San Francisco SPCA is asking friends to complete an online survey to help improve our communications and grow our programs and services.

Take the survey now.

KITTENS?....I GOT YOUR KITTENS RIGHT HERE!!!

By Daniel Quagliozzi

One persons burden can easily be another persons blessing. A day does not go by that I am not reminded of the gravity of the situation happening at the SF/SPCA. Summer is officially here, although you wouldn't know it if you lived in San Francisco, as our weather has been quite foggy and a little bit humid this month. However...if you work with shelter animals in any capacity, summer has nothing to do with weather. Summer is just another word for "Kitten Season".

Daniel Quagliozzi marvels at the overwhelming number of kittens.

We brace for the summer months every year. It's not like it takes us by surprise or something. The thing is, you can never truly anticipate just how many kittens are going to invade your shelter and this year posed a very unique threat....The Economy!!! Sure, blame the economy right? Everyone is pinning their woes on the economy these days. Lets face it, people are tightening their wallets and being very mindful of their money. Parallel with poverty, people are also losing their homes and subsequently their companion animals as a result. You put the two together and what do you get? A shelter filled to rafters with cats!!

Here at the SF/SPCA we are compensating for the kitten storm in very inventive ways. Aside from being really creative about housing the cats (3 or 4 to a room and rolling kitten cages into our lobby) we are also hosting an Adoption Fair on June 20th, reducing our fees to help out our adopters ( Fees on Adult cats over 6 are WAIVED!!) and we are even having a party called "CATNIP" on June 25th.

Please spread the word about the state of affairs here at the SF/SPCA. Open your heart and your home this summer. Skip the BBQ's and chew on some food for thought instead. These little guys don't want to spend the next few months sitting in a kennel. They would much rather go home with you.

Click here to see over 130+ AMAZING SUMMER LOVERS

Adoption Tails

Quentin, the (Formerly) Hard-Luck Cat

Quentin, the hard-luck cat who was found living on his own outside San Quentin Prison, has taken to the domestic life quite nicely, thank you.

The 3-year-old male was found with a badly infected eye which had to be removed and severely matted hair which had to be shaved off once he came under the care of the San Francisco SPCA.

One-eyed Willie, as he's now sometimes affectionately called, made himself right at home by jumping into bed with his humans on his very first night. And there he's stayed. "I got him a little cat bed," said Natalia Banderos, who recently adopted Quentin at the San Francisco SPCA. "But he treats our bed like it's his. He likes the couch and he likes the bed."

Quentin's long, gray hair is growing back, and the scar over his left eye socket is healing nicely, giving him the rakish look of a swashbuckler. "My boyfriend calls him One-eyed Willie and I call him Onesy," Banderos said.

She and her boyfriend had initially come into Maddie's adoption center looking for a kitten. But after looking around and meeting some of the SPCA's wonderful adult cats, they changed plans – finding themselves drawn to Quentin. "My boyfriend saw him first," she said. "He was really pretty cool. And when we went in and met him he was super loving."
Banderos says she's always liked cats, and has had four. She finds them low maintenance pets.

She's also been drawn to their ability to be independent thinkers. She had some reservations about Quentin's background, but was assured it was a good match after being interviewed by SPCA volunteers and staffers. "I was afraid he wouldn't like me because he's had such a hard life," she said.

If she had any further doubts, they were removed that first night when "Onesy" jumped in bed, cuddled against her, purred and fell asleep.




Miss Fluffy Spice Girl

Miss Fluffy Spice Girl is eating well, playing with her toys and enjoying all the attention she gets. She is happy. More precisely, she is a happy senior citizen.

Christy Bergman adopted Miss Fluffy, a 17-year-old cat with signs of early renal failure at the San Francisco SPCA a year ago. Since going home, a healthy Miss Fluffy has celebrated her 18th birthday. "It's going just great," Bergman said. "Sometimes I'm surprised when I remember how old she is."

Bergman says she and her boyfriend had not necessarily been looking for an older cat when they visited Maddie's adoption center. But a certain party had other ideas. "We hit it off as soon as I met her," Bergman said, recalling their charmed first encounter. "We talked about it and decided 'hey, if we can get a couple good years, why not?'" she said.

Bergman needed some patience when she got home. It took Miss Fluffy a month to feel comfortable. In the early days she often hid under the bed or in a closet – not surprising behavior for an older cat whose routine had been disrupted.

Bergman was very happy with her experience at the SPCA. "They really understand cats there," she said. Miss Fluffy is her first cat. She had always been a dog person. She was ready to make the switch. "Our lifestyle is very busy and we're right in the middle of the city," she said. "A cat seemed ideal." And it has been an ideal experience.

Miss Fluffy still plays with toys and has developed a fondness for the barley grass Bergman buys at the Farmers' Market. All of the cats at the SPCA are altered, and the experts say cats no longer show much gender-specific behavior.

Don't tell that to Miss Fluffy. Her favorite spot in Bergman's house is in the middle of the living room, lounging on the carpet – arrayed for all to admire her beauty. And despite what the experts say, people who live with older female cats find that behavior not all that uncommon. Especially when they're feeling safe and secure in their homes.


Kitten Season at City College

On a recent day the folks in the store where Karen Sheppard works at City College held an unintended celebration of kitten season. The occasion? The arrival of litter of wandering kittens, followed soon by their feral mother.

It's a familiar scene in San Francisco. Cats breed in season. Litters, feral and otherwise, are a fixture from late spring until late fall in the streets, in the parks and in some homes with unaltered cats. Sheppard gathered the group, which had just wandered into the store, and took them to Animal Care and Control, the city's destination for stray and unwanted animals — and a primary source of the animals up for adoption at the SPCA. But it didn't end there for Sheppard, who followed the family with cat-like curiosity. She phoned frequently, learning the mother had been spayed and returned to the wilds of City College, deemed too feral to domesticate. The kittens were adopted, save one frightened male, Barnaby.

Barnaby, Sheppard learned, was still awaiting adoption at the San Francisco SPCA. "They took very good care of him," she said of the volunteers and staffers at Maddie's adoption center. "You could tell everybody cared about what they were doing, cared about animals." She took over for the SPCA, adopting the kitten and renaming him Coda. "He's doing well," she said, noting she is prepared for the patience sometimes required when raising feral kittens. "He's a little stressed."

In following the guidelines provided by the SPCA, Sheppard is keeping Coda in a small room, with his water, food and litter box all nearby. And he'll stay in his small room until he shows signs that he's ready to take on more. "We're not in a hurry," she said. "We don't want to stress him out." Sheppard describes herself as a cat person who likes dogs too. "Cats just fit my lifestyle the best," she said. And that lifestyle right now involves making time to serve as Coda's surrogate parent.

Celebrate "ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH" With The SF/SPCA

By Daniel Quagliozzi



Wow, June is here already!!! School is out, the birds are chirping and the sun is shining brighter than it has been for months. Time for a vacation? No way!!!! It's time to adopt a shelter cat... because June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat Month", not just in San Francisco, but all over the country. Not only is this a great way to support shelters, but it's a wonderful way to start off the summer fun. Forget those blockbuster movies! You can have an action packed thriller in your very own home for many years to come.

To help you help the cats, the San Francisco SPCA is dropping adoption fees. We can all use a break, can't we?


ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH Adoption Fees:



For all cats 6 years and older
Adoption fee is waived

For all Cats 1-5 years old


Our adoption fee has been lowered to $35

Adoption Fees for Cats 6 months to 1 year--$80
Kittens 2-6 months--$100


This has been an especially hard year on the San Francisco SPCA. We are at capacity with cats coming in steadily each day. The older cats (over 6 years of age) are in dire need of homes. The comfort of a loving human companion is all they are asking for. With this in mind, we have waived the adoption fee. What's your excuse? Find a best friend this month. The gift of love is guaranteed to keep on giving.


The San Francisco SPCA is located at 250 Florida Street @ 16Th Street. Business hours are 7 days a week, 11 Am to 5:30 Pm.







Give us a call at (415) 522-3500 for more details on Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.

In the meantime, watch this video for some inspiration.

BREAKING NEWS 5/13/09

Wow, every week "Litter Did You Know" seems to be gaining popularity. We give our heart felt thanks to the editors of http://www.sfgate.com/ for featuring "My Cat Made Me Do it" on the front page of their site. It has generated a huge interest in our blog and created a worldwide fanbase for my 18 year old cat , Matilda. We both thank you dearly.


Daniel


UPCOMING EVENTS:

COME BUY SOME AMAZING ART AND SUPPORT THE ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY PROGRAM!


The Art for AAT auction will be held on May 16th at 201 Alabama Street. Come meet AAT volunteers and therapy animals and hear about the real impact of our work firsthand. The auction will feature Bay Area artists and collectors who have donated beautiful items in support of The SF/SPCA AAT Programs. There will be dozens of pieces in a range of prices. For donors, including first time donors, we will have two special talks on Parrots and Therapy and our new MESCAAT program. All proceeds benefit The SF/SPCA AAT Programs.


What is Animal Assited Therapy?

At The San Francisco SPCA our Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Programs started in 1981, making us the oldest program operating within a larger animal welfare organization. We currently have more than 100 volunteer teams making visits to locations throughout San Francisco. Working with their own friendly dogs, cats, small animals and birds, our busy volunteers share the human-companion animal bond with more than 40,000 people annually.
The Animal Assisted Therapy Department operates two programs: the General AAT Program and the Puppy Dog Tales Reading Program. Both programs are designed to facilitate communication, healing, and motivation by bringing the love of companion animals to people in mental and physical healthcare facilities, libraries and schools.

For more information on becoming an AAT volunteer please call 415.554.3060 or email AAT@sfspca.org to request an application.

Zynga Partners with San Francisco SPCA to Raise Awareness for Helping Homeless Animals

Zynga (http://www.zynga.com/), the largest developer of social games, and The San Francisco SPCA today announced their recent successful partnership, which has resulted in more than $20,000 in donations for the animal welfare agency. Through virtual transactions of real-world in-game currency in Zynga's highly popular virtual world game, YoVille, players can adopt special SF/SPCA shelter cats and dogs from the in-game shelter through virtual transactions paid with real-word money.

YoVille is a free-to-play online virtual world game that is located on Facebook and MySpace. Users create custom characters and apartments, and can invite their real-world friends to play and interact with them in the YoVille universe. Through the newly added Pet Shelter, players are able to adopt a bulldog wearing an SF/SPCA vest with YoCash, YoVille's real-world in-game currency. The sale of each bulldog donates $2 to The SF/SPCA. Players receive an in-game philanthropy badge for adopting their SF/SPCA companion animals and are able to take them to their YoVille home to care for them and play with them. In addition to the bulldog, players are now also able to adopt a special SF/SPCA cat.

"Zynga builds games for social networks, and one focus for social networks is altruism and philanthropy," said Mark Pincus, CEO, Zynga. "We had been looking for ways to help users of Facebook and MySpace give back to society while interacting with their favorite social network game. In YoVille and The SF/SPCA , we found the perfect match."

"We are thrilled to partner with Zynga," said SF/SPCA President, Jan McHugh-Smith. "By reaching out to the virtual world, Zynga helps raise awareness about adopting shelter animals and, at the same time, supports the local community by selecting the San Francisco SPCA as the designated non-proft receiving this generous support."

MAYA STILL NEEDS A HOME!!!

Despite our best effort to get Maya adopted on "CINCO DE MAYA", she is still here looking for a home. To help you get a better idea of Maya's amazing personality, we have posted a video clip below:

If you are interested in adopting Maya, give The SF/SPCA a call at 415- 522-3500

CINCO DE "MAYA"

By Daniel Quagliozzi

We devote today's blog to an extraordinary little lady that needs your help. Maya, an older, more reserved brown tabby female is an equisite creature with a dynamic personality that has warmed the hearts of so many people, yet no one has made the decision to take her home. Like many homeless cats, you might say the odds have not been in her favor. Today we roll the dice for Maya!

You may remember Maya from several blogs ago. She has made many transitions since she first arrived as a surrender to Animal Care and Control of San Francisco. Maya spent weeks living in the Cat Behavior Office as our Shelter vets worked to get a handle on her arthritis, which was causing her to limp when she attempted to walk. In our opinion, the slight limp and smirky look on her face only made her that much cuter. I am not embarrassed to say, Maya really touched me and actually made me "do the math" about bringing her home to my resident cat. It just wasn't realistic and I'm sure my Matilda would have been mad at me for doing so.

Now, after a few months of maintenance on her joints, Maya is walking a lot better but still has a rough time getting up after she has been sleeping off another one of her victorious play sessions. Despite her aches and pains, she remains to be the most awesome cat anyone could ask for. The question is, who's asking?

Beautifully mature cats like Maya are often over-looked when shelters are bracing for the storm of young and vibrant kittens that arrive when the weather gets warm and the rain subsides. While it's still an admirable thing to adopt a kitten from your local shelter, please do not forget the older cats that need your home as well. They have a prior life and a story to tell, a quality that no kitten can relate to.

Older cats are deeply effected by the change of losing everything that they once held close in exchange for a strange and unfamiliar kennel space and the company of one stranger after another. Kittens adapt a lot faster and stay in shelters for as little as two days to a week before they find a home. An adult cat may spend anywhere from one week to five months living in a shelter environment.

At the age of 10, Maya is the perfect example. She ended up in a shelter due to circumstances beyond her control. Her life and well being are now under the watchful eye of many caring individuals at the SF/SPCA. What's missing in her life is the love of one or many people who will wake up everyday and include her in their lives. Maya craves a day that she can predict and a human guardian that she can call her own. She needs a home with guardians that will keep her on top of her game and watch over her health. An environment with steps or high levels to climb may be too much for her stubby little legs. However an inventive person might create a place for her that makes getting up high an easier task to accomplish. Maya prefers to be a people's cat and not a cat friendly cat. She was actually adopted once but was unfortunately returned to the shelter because she did'nt appreciate the company of other cats.

Today is MAYA MONDAY and tomorrow is CINCO DE MAYA ...but the reality is that every day of the year is dedicated to those cats who do not have the voice to ask for help. Will you be there for Maya?

Make the month of May the month for Maya!

If you are interested in adopting this amazing feline friend, please contact the SF/SPCA by calling 415 522-3500 or come to Maddies Adoption Center at 250 Florida Street, SF, Ca 94103

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

When it comes to cats and the people that adore them, it's all a matter of what strikes the fancy. Some people like calicos, while others prefer black cats, torties or tabbies. Then there are those who like a kitty with a little meat on their bones or the ones that are sleek, skinny and statuesque. Some folks like high energy, others want a lap cat. The combinations of cat characteristics are positively endless!


With all of these varieties and so many unique situations that bring cats into homeless shelters all over the country, there are bound to be some that don't stand out as common varieties...of course that depends on who is looking at them. Beauty can be interpreted so many ways!


This week, The SFSPCA Cat Behavior Program would like to spotlight two gorgeously unique cats that need a special someone to take them home.

BILLY
Isn’t this a great picture? Behind the scrunched up ears and tomcat exterior is a sweet and gentle cat that’s a bit under the radar here. He’s available for adoption, but because he’s a little shy and contemplative (loves to stare out the window, apparently deep in cat thoughts) he doesn’t attract that much attention. While he’s not the exactly the “life of the party”, he has a quiet, almost soulful side, that begs for appreciation. I know you’re out there. Come and adopt him and make him a part of your life!

QUENTIN

Quentin is extremely lovable and affectionate, yet very dignified. He came to the SFSPCA as a surrender from a kind woman who found him on the streets. Quentin was suffering from horrible matts, a wound to his back and a badly infected left eye when he arrived. The SFSPCA Shelter Medicine staff shaved him down, treated his wound and immediately removed the bad eye that was making him very uncomfortable. Now, Quentin is a lot happier and purrs and eats immediately when you come to visit. He is going to need a home with a patient and loving person willing to cater to his sensitivity.

Here's a volunteer's perspective on Quentins' story:

Listen to the purr, the sound of a cat smiling.
Quentin stands to greet visitors. He cowers his head just a bit. It’s almost as if he’s trying to hide his face, which is off kilter and bears a diagonal scar where his left eye used to be. His skinny body is shaved, with hair remaining only on his head, his feet and the tip of his tail.
The room is filled with the sound of his purr. Quentin is smiling.
His name is taken from San Quentin Prison, the patch of cruel earth where he was found and brought to the SPCA by a warm-hearted woman.
Once here he was cleaned up. His badly matted fur shaved, a process so painful he had to be sedated. His left eye, suffering from a ruptured cornea and severe infection, had to be removed.
And still, just days later, he stands for visitors and smiles.
We don’t know the circumstances that took him to the prison. Was he a runaway? Was he lost? Was he taken there and abandoned? No matter what injustices he suffered at the hand of people — through cruelty or benign neglect — he stands before visitors and smiles.
He will be beautiful again. The sores on his skin are healing. His long grey fur will grow back. His scarred face will eventually take on a rakish charm. He will become less skittish. His body will fill out and perhaps he’ll learn to slow down and enjoy his meals, trusting that food will be regular and plentiful.
Surely you can see that when he stands before you and smiles.



If you are interested in adopting either of these two beautiful cats, please stop by Maddies Adoption Center at 250 Florida St. The center is open from 11 am to 6 pm. Seven days a week. or call, 415 522-3500 for more information about our adoption requirements, fees and hold policies.