Wow. Again, I am not great with technology! This my third try at this post! Forgive me for the delay! Here is Millie and Baby, Part One.
In January of this year, Millie and Baby found themselves in our shelter. The volunteer coordinator let me know there were older kittens in the office, “if I wanted to try and socialize them”. You don’t have to say that to me twice! At the time, Millie’s name was ’Grumpy Girl’. I like to grow my knowledge base, and I had recently listened to a podcast on helping shy and timid cats get adopted, so I knew a name like ’Grumpy Girl’ was not going to help her chances. If you would like to listen to that podcast, you can find the seminar below:
Their “Back” Story
Early on when I began volunteering at me shelter, I was what they called an “am shift volunteer”. Duties would include cleaning a certain room, pretty much top to bottom — sweeping and mopping the floors, cleaning the litter boxes, feeding, cleaning the hard surfaces, socializing, etc. Another duty would be to clean out the cages (we have large 4 x 8 cages), sweeping up excess litter and freshening up beds. On each of the cages are tags describing each cat within it — what their physical description is, male/female, fixed/unaltered, date of birth, when they came into the shelter, and where they came from. Millie and Baby’s tag it said, “another rescue”. Back then I did not understand what was happening “behind the scenes”. All the efforts of numerous people and/or organizations that would inevitably lead a kitty to our shelter.
Just Another Couple of Abandoned Kittens
Folks in the animal rescue world hear and see about animals left behind by their owner’s all the time. The owners may move, and these irresponsible pet “owners” leave their pets behind to fend for themselves. Sorry, but is it really that difficult to bring them to a shelter? Super pet peeve of mine. Somehow a rescue out in western Massachusetts become aware of these two sisters, and they trapped them, spayed them, and clipped their ears.
Being older kittens, the rescue didn’t think they would be able to rehabilitate these two girls to the extent they would be adoptable. This rescue also didn’t have the resources to do it either. They called Joyce, the President of the Board at our rescue to see if we wanted to try and give them a shot, or else they would be returned to the area they found Millie and Baby in. Not having a “feeder” there (someone who feeds feral colonies or feral cats in their yard) made Joyce extremely uneasy, so she agreed to take them in. As you can see from the pictures at the top of the blog, they were extremely timid, especially Baby (the black and white one). They would enter our socialization program, which is a team of dedicated volunteers that would work with them.
What? Really? No Way!!!
To say I was shocked to get the email that Millie and Baby were adopted is an understatement! They had only been at the shelter for about ten days. I was elated and so happy for those girls! The email said that the adopter knew she had to continue working with them, and that she would be very patient with them. I honestly can’t tell you how elat