Lucy

I was 10 months old when I was brought home by my new adopted family, Don and Mary Feller, on October 27, 2003. Patty Davies of Animal Rescue certainly did a wonderful job matching me to Don and Mary. As they left the Western Pet store in Raleigh Hills with wonderful things to make me feel at home, they said they spent more on me than they did their daughter, Amanda, when she was born in 1969. Amanda is my big sister but she has her own home in Tacoma because she is a college professor at Pacific Lutheran University. I like having her as a big sister, but I am glad I don't share "my space" with her. I get all my parents attention around the house!

My mom, Mary, has a plaque in the kitchen that says, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff". That certainly is true around my home! If I want to eat, I sit by my bowl until my Dad pets me! Then I eat. I have him well trained! When I want to play hide-and-seek I make very strong eye contact with Don. He knows that it is time to run upstairs and then find me! I always make it easy for him to find me!

Mary knows that I like to sleep on top of her when she reads in bed. However, I have not been able to train her to let me sleep on her all night. She does let me sleep next to her with my body tight against her side. Unfortunately, she make me get up in the morning before I am really ready. Sometimes, I leave the living room and go back to sleep on their bed in the master suite. Actually I call it the Mistress Cat suite!

There are only two things I would change in my life. The neighborhood cats invade my yard. Sometimes, I get so upset I run into the glass window trying to scare them away. An even worse thing is when my parents travel internationally. They hire a cat sitter for me but it is just not the same. I usually punish them for a day or two upon their return to show my displeasure!

Thank you again for my wonderful home!

Lucy Cat Feller

Bob

This is in response to your call for updates. I adopted Tom - now known as Bob - last November. He is a sweet, loving boy and has fit right in with my other cat, Iggy. We just celebrated his first anniversary with us early last month. When Bob came here, he had just had stitches on his tail. I am happy to report that his tail hair has grown back and his tail is now in great shape. Here is a picture of Bob/Tom.

Please keep up your wonderful work. I'll send a donation along in a couple of weeks.

Sincerely,
Grace Hague

Banshee & Alani

Banshee and Alani, (formerly Madison and KieKie) came home with us May 2006. Having lost 2 old cats in less than a year, we knew we wanted two more and preferably sisters. Even before we had seen the kittens (we knew one was calico and one was orange tabby) we decided we would name the tabby Alani because it means orange in Hawaiian. Banshee came by her name after we observed them at home for a couple hours. She's a wild one! She is also sweet sweet and loves to snuggle. Her favorite toys can be found in her food dish when she's finished playing with them.

Alani is a little more selective with her snuggle time, while she loves to be petted, she doesn't like to be held. She does curl up between our legs when we're reclining on the couch with a soft blanket. The softer and more plush the better for Alani. Alani's also the talker. We call her the "howler monkey" because her meows are shrill and often for no reason at all.

These sisters love each other and we are continuously entertained by their wrestling and grooming each other. We know when they're racing upstairs as we can hear them tear through the hallways - sometimes in the middle of the night!

We love the girls and are so glad we brought them into our home. Thank you ARCF!

The Gibson's Rob, Brenda, Bethany and Elizabeth

Dear ARCF

We adopted Irving and Amber in Feb 2007. It had been 6 years since our cat Sandy had passed. We had him for 17yrs. It was hard to start over but as soon as Irving and Amber were in the house it was as if they had always been here. They both have brought so much laughter and joy to our lives. I remind them everyday they now have a forever home. Thank you so very much.

Micheal & Connie Eades

Marshmallow & Tabitha

Wanted to let you know how well my girls were doing. I got them from ARCF in April 2006 at 16 weeks. They are very active and happy girls that keep life interesting (it is amazing how many things they can get into). Can't believe they will be 2 in January 2008 (they are growing too fast).

Debra D. Engels

Poncho & Lefty

Hi Team,

I wanted to thank you all again for bringing Poncho & Lefty into my life. My two shy boys are such loves now, I don't know what I would do without them. I'm enclosing a photo of the two of them snoozing on my bed.

Thank you again,

Nona Clarke

Patches

Hi Pam,

We just wanted to let you know that she's doing great! We've re-named her "Eva" which she seems to respond to. She's been very friendly and playful and just a joy to have. She's been eating fine and seems content in the room we have her set up in. We let her wander around the house when we're home, although we are still keeping her separated from our pug with a baby gate since she's not used to him yet.

We are so pleased to have her as a part of the family! I've already taken several pictures of her to "show her off" to our friends and family, and have attached a couple for you to see.

Sincerely,
Lori & Samuel Johnson

Lucy

Pam,

I wanted to let you know that I've had Lucy for a little over a year now and she is doing very well. We have 3 other cats that we've had for 10 to 15 years. They are our family since we have no children. We also are taking care of my mother in law's Persian since she passed a year ago. It's funny Lucy has taken over as the head cat. She loves having a home. She sits in the flower box on the front porch and watches everything that moves. This is her house!

Thanks,
Sig Hustad

Rainy & Dot

Hello! I just wanted to give you an update on my darling kitties that came to live with me late last summer. You may recall that I came to visit you looking for a companion for my 8 year old male kitty, Hazie, who had just lost his best friend Julius to renal failure. Hazie was miserable and wandered around the house howling. I was pretty miserable, too.

I came to the house determined not to take the mother and daughter that you had home with me but I took one look at those girls and it was all over. I remember Zoey followed me around making the funniest "blork" noises. I've never heard a cat make such a noise and I've never heard it again. When I got the girls home, at first Hazie would have nothing to do with them. They trotted around after him until he found a way to escape their attentions. Ali especially seemed quite enamored with big, beautiful Hazie.

It became pretty clear to me that Zoey was not hearing everything that went on around her. She was constantly surprised that I had come into the house and she was totally easy to sneak up on. I decided to rename her after my lovely, but quite deaf Grandma Lorraine. So, from that day forward, she became known as Lorraine (or Rainy). Of course her daughter then had to be renamed Dot which was what my Granny Lorraine called my Mother. The names suit them so well that they had to be meant to be.

It wasn't too awfully long that Hazie decided that they were sorta kinda okay to hang out with. And then it wasn't too long after that, that I caught Hazie and Dot licking each other and finally snuggled up on the bed just like Hazie used to do with Julius.

So, now I've got a pack of prancing, preening, playing, black and white (with a little orange) beautiful cats making me laugh and cuddling with me at night. Thank you so much for all you do and know that they're having a wonderful life. Here are some photos of the gang.

Nadine, Hazie, Lorraine & Dot
Salem

Lizzie Burnside

Lizzie came to live with me last September, after my sweet Phoebe's death, and has been brightening my home ever since. Word is she was found on a construction site, with worms, fleas, ear mites, giardia and an omnivorous hunger. As you can see from this photo, she's now healthy and beautiful.

Lizzie appears to be loving her new role as Only Cat and turns out to be the Class Clown. She frequently joins me in the shower in the morning, races to the door to greet all guests and flirts shamelessly with the plumber and the electrician. I recently discovered that she comes running if I sing to her, jumps on my lap purring loudly and rolls over to have her tummy rubbed. She's not really a lap cat, but makes regular middle of the night demands for snuggles. Not the cat I had in mind, but clearly the cat I was meant to love.

Marion Massey

Emmie & Crewcut

My husband and I moved to Portland recently from Austin, TX, where we had had cats for the past 20 years. Our last one died a few months before we came to Oregon, and the house was too quiet. We really wanted a bonded pair of Manx kittens, but we were OK with one. Pam told us about a bonded pair that were up for adoption! We have had them now for six weeks: Emma, aka Emmie, and Ringo, now Crewcut. Our cats in the past mostly tolerated one another, so we wanted to see what it would be like to have kittens that were inseparable. What a joy they are! They groom each other, sleep together, and entertain each other when we are not around.

Thanks so much to Pam and the kittens' foster mom for helping us find them. Your organization is wonderful!

Christy and Joe

Frankie

Thank you to everyone who helped me to adopt my cat Frankie (previously Chloe) last summer!

Frankie's story of her early life is spotty, but didn't sound good. She had been rescued from a hoarder at about 1 year of age, and had been living in a dog run with other cats, so was not well socialized with humans. It seems she had a litter her first heat. I suspect these early stresses of life have contributed to her small size (only 7 pounds!). When I met Frankie, she spent most of her time hiding, cuddling with other cats, and generally avoiding humans.

But her foster mom had gotten to know her and seen that she could grow to trust humans in time. The primary reason I knew Frankie was a good match for my home was that I was looking for a cat to pair with my 4 year old mellow and lonely male cat. Frankie showed that she yearned for cuddling and playing with other cats!

It's bee about 8 months since i brought Frankie home, and we continue to see improvements in her comfort with humans. At first she showed small signs like climbing up to cuddle when i was in bed. Then she got brave enough to approach us while sitting on the couch. Now she easily plays and often seeks out human attention. She does still run away sometimes, like an old habit, when a human walks through the room or reaches at her.

She and my other cat, Julep, have bonded very deeply! I have included a picture I just took today when I got home from school. Frankie is the grey and black tabby, Julep is the orange tabby. They are always found cuddling or wrestling and would prefer to never be apart! Julep is a much happier cat with his companion Frankie!

Isabell

Dear ARCF: Thank you so much for all the good work that you do for the animals -- especially the cats. I watch your website, and enjoy seeing the kitties come and go. I was an adoption counselor for C.A.T. for a few months, and I know how wonderful it is to do a successful adoption from both sides of the transaction -- as a counselor and as an adopter.

Just about a year ago, we adopted out little "girl", Isabell, from you. We had a cat, a purebred Chartreux -- Mazel Tov. She was lonely and needed a companion while we were at work. Having worked at C.A.T., I knew how many stray kitties needed a home and was determined to adopt a kitty from a shelter. I hounded the Internet, and of course, kept an eye on the cats coming through C.A.T. What impressed me about your organization was that you fostered all of the cats and could give us an insight into their personalities. Your wonderful photos and descriptions made it much easier to find a kitty who was perfect for us and our purebred princess. Her kennel name was Betty, and she was a wonderful tortie who was fostered by a lovely lady out in Northeast Portland. One visit was all that it took to convince us that she was the perfect girl for us. We brought her home, and she would have none of the "breaking in" routine that I had taught my adopters; she broke out of the bedroom within an hour and ran up to Mazzie, purring away. As we held our breath, they sniffed each other, and have been best buds ever since. They sleep together, play together, and she is a perfect addition to our family.

Keep up the great work that you do for the animals!

Violet

Dear ARCF,

I've attached a photo of Violet which I shot just yesterday. I just wanted to let you know that she's healthy and happy here with Marnie and me and her best cat friend, Ned. We have a large house and she can always find a peaceful spot when she needs her solitude, but she also makes it her business to know exactly where her people are at all times.

Best regards,
Doug Frank

Wiley

Hello,

Wiley came to live with me about two years ago. I was told his foster family had given him the nickname Loverboy. Boy, does it apply! He's the most affectionate, easy going, love-monkey ever. He keeps his two dog sisters on their toes while holding down a full-time job as my office mate (I work from home). But here's what really makes Wiley special: Everyone thinks he's cool. Even people who don't like cats. Yes, he's really that special.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Stacey Lane

Cosimo

Hello there,

Cosimo is doing very well. He loves hiding under clothes and bed sheets. His new habit is dragging clothes from the living room upstairs to the hallway. Currently he is trying to transport a pair of jeans from the garage. He is small and scrappy. My Max still pushes him around a lot. However there times of quiet where both share the same spot to sleep. I’ve enclosed a photo.

Hal