Dogs have owners.  Cats have staff.  If you work well with others and need an executive to head up your staff, the month of June is the perfect time to find the perfect cat!  June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month and at Oconee Regional Humane Society (ORHS), we’re pretty sure we may have just the cat for the job! 

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month was established by the ASPCA to promote the adoption of cats from local shelters.  It’s estimated that 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters every year and many of them never find a home.  If you’ve been thinking about adding a kitty to your family, June is a great time because ORHS offers a reduced adoption fee of $25 for all cats over one year old—this fee includes a test for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS, spay or neuter surgery, age appropriate vaccinations, deworming, flea control and a microchip.  

Here are some reasons you may need a feline executive to head up your staff:

• Shelter cats prefer leading staffs with heroes.  Since you’d be saving a life, you’re a hero!  You’re especially so if you adopt an older cat, including a senior (usually has more staff experience and a resume that is easy to interpret—what you see is what you get), a black cat (may work harder since they often get a bad rap for being spooky), or a special needs cat (often has a lovely spirit to go with that less than perfect body).
• Cats can enrich your life.  Research shows there are health benefits associated with owning a cat. Having a cat can lower blood pressure and decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Having a cat can lessen loneliness and depression.
• Your shelter cat could become an internet staffing sensation!  Many famous kitties came from shelters!  So, get photographing your top-notch staffer! 
  

You know your staff is floundering without a leader—so come on over to ORHS and take a look at our amazing kitties!  Do you need a cat who is outgoing or more introverted?  How about a cat that sits in your lap while leading your staff?  We know the personalities of all our kitties and can talk you through the kitty that works best for you!

Honey is a sweet brindle hound/terrier mix that came to ORHS in May 2018. She was pregnant at the time and has since had her litter of 7 babies.  She was a great mama to her pups and is now ready to be adopted.  She is very sweet and loves to receive attention from the staff at ORHS. She likes to go on walks and play with her toys.  She is especially fond of her squeaky toy duck that she will fetch and roll around with it while hanging out of her mouth.  Her adorable under-bite makes her irresistible to all the staff at ORHS and we are hoping someone else will find it irresistible as well. 

This sweet little kitty was brought to us from a local middle school after being found with one of her back paws strangulated by a string or long carpet fiber.  The paw was extremely swollen and misshapen; it seemed almost a sure thing that Tweed would require amputation.  Our wonderful volunteers immediately started following the prescribed medical plan:  Tweed’s swollen foot received hours and hours of hydrotherapy and massage, along with oral antibiotics.  Little by little the size of her paw reduced...then a little bit of fur started growing on the bare skin...and the wound from the carpet fiber healed.  Thanks to this outstanding care, Tweed will not require amputation of her injured foot!  This adorable tuxedo is very sweet and social.  She loves to play with other kittens and, they way this girl runs, you would never know she has been through such an ordeal.  Tweed will make a great companion and an exceptional addition to any family.

Jenny came to us last December. Some people had found her and her siblings in a box. Emaciated and worm-ridden, two of the five puppies were unable to be saved.

Jenny weighed only a pound and a half! She was a fighter though and she started to recover with the help of great veterinarians and the love of a foster family.

Jenny was adopted in February but sadly, through no fault of her own, she was returned by her new owner. She is a sweet girl with an extremely passive demeanor.

She plays well with other dogs and wants to be held, although she has grown a little large for most laps! She walks great on leash, is crate trained and appears to be housebroken. She looks like she will stay a petite medium size and wants nothing more than to please a new owner!

Just wanted to follow up with you about “Harley/Enzo”. He is adjusting to everything perfectly. He's super smart and catches on quickly, He already knows how to sit on command and he answers to his new name "Enzo". He has only had a few accidents in the house (which is understandable) and we're working to improve it a little bit every day. He's truly perfect! Thank you so much for letting us adopt him. He is the last puzzle piece to our family! -  -Leslie

We love having “Beckett” as part of our family !  Emily

“Harrison” is doing great and has been such a cute and funny guy !  William

“Peter” is doing great!  He’s made friends with our other cats. The former baby cat of the family was not too happy about him when he first arrived, but she’s coming around. He is so sweet! He likes to “help” me work on the computer and has enjoyed exploring the house. It’s wonderful to have such an easy-going cat who loves to be held. Thank you all for the great start in life you gave him!  Erin

Thank you and all of your team for excellent cat adoption experience. My husband and I are so glad to have two kitties that are so high spirited. We live in a three-story condo with long hallways and they love running up and down the halls. “Lexie” is the Alpha, and despite being smaller, leads “Shasta” into most of the kitty fun. I can tell you took excellent care of them during their stay. Hope to support your agency in the future and will share our experience with neighbors and friends. - Noreen and Tim

Sweet mama Emerald brought her babies to the home of a nice family when the kittens were only about three weeks old. No one had ever seen this sweet cat before but that didn't matter; the family knew they had to save the mom and her babies. That's when ORHS got the call! Emerald and her five babies (who eventually would all be named after characters from Peter Pan) came to the shelter and were immediately placed into foster care.

What a good mother she was! Despite being very thin and not having received adequate nutrition, Emerald would let her kittens nurse to their hearts' content and would watch over them continuously. And to say she was merely protective would be an understatement.

All five of the kittens have since been adopted into loving forever homes. And we are so happy to say that Emerald has been adopted, too! She can now settle back on her own screened porch and be happy with the wonderful job she did.

We just love a happy ending!

The following is an update we received from Peter's new mom, Erin.

Peter is doing great!  He’s made friends with our other cats. The former baby cat of the family was not too happy about him when he first arrived, but she’s coming around. He is so sweet! He likes to “help” me work on the computer and has enjoyed exploring the house. It’s wonderful to have such an easy-going cat who loves to be held. 

Thank you all for the great start in life you gave him!