Adoption

In early February, Virginia Stevenson brought home a ten-month-old cat named Coffee from the ASPCA Adoption Center in Manhattan, and the two experienced an immediate connection. Coffee, since renamed Mr. Coffee, also became fast friends with Virginia’s resident rescue cat and has wasted no time making himself right at home.

“I cannot imagine my home without him,” Virginia says. “He is the perfect companion and playmate for my other cat, Martha, who is a one-eyed rescue I got from Bideawee in New York City. Mr. Coffee is sweet, playful and affectionate, and acts as if he has been with us forever.”

In fact, Virginia tells us it took “about one minute” for Mr. Coffee and Martha to become friends, and that “they have been thick as thieves since the first day.”

When he isn’t playing with Martha, Mr. Coffee has already picked out his favorite places in Virginia’s home for taking catnaps and exploring.

“One of his favorite sleeping places is the bathroom sink,” Virginia says. “He also loves the climbing tree, the window sill, the back of my chair, my computer and the bathtub.”

We’re thrilled to hear that Mr. Coffee found a home where he feels so comfortable.

“He is a treasure,” Virginia says.  “I thank you all for bringing us together.”

Becca Adams shared the following story with us about meeting her beloved feline companion Lily at a time when she least expected to adopt a cat.

The story of Lily actually begins 18 years ago, when I met the first love of my life at the SPCA in Virginia Beach, Virginia: a domestic shorthaired cat named Rassa.  For 17 happy years, Rassa was my companion, partner in crime and best friend.  He was diagnosed with cancer in December 2011. We discussed our options with the vet, and decided to make him comfortable for as long as he maintained his quality of life. Never one to enjoy a change of scenery, he seemed to agree. Rassa left us in March of last year, which is when Lily’s story begins.

My husband was out of town on business when I said goodbye to Rassa, so a friend came to stay with me. We stayed active, and during a day trip, she suggested that we stop by the SPCA. I told her I was not ready. The next day she suggested the same thing, and remembering a spring day 17 years earlier, I decided to go, but under no circumstances would I adopt an animal.

The Richmond SPCA is absolutely wonderful.  There are two huge cat playrooms with large tunnels and hiding spaces and, for the more reserved kitties, large, private condos. I walked past Lily twice, thinking what a beautiful cat she was. A predominantly white calico with one blue and one green eye, Lily seemed rather interested in me.  My mom had calico cats and they definitely had a fair share of “cattitude,” so I kept going.

My friend said she’d found the perfect cat for me. Thinking, “yeah, yeah, sure,” and feeling a bit guilty, I agreed to meet this perfect cat. Of course, Lily came prancing into the room. She walked right over to me, jumped in my lap and gave me a healthy head butt in the face. She looked me square in the face and sat down in my lap.

Two hours later, Lily and I were headed home.   

She’s been with us for exactly a year, and has “adopted” two other rescue cats as her babies.  I couldn’t imagine life with another cat a year ago, and now I can’t imagine my life without Lily.

Share your rescue story in the comments or email us at happytails@aspca.org.

When Midnight, a six-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, came to us, he suffered from severe skin disease and ear infections and looked emaciated. He underwent treatment at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital and slowly began to recover. When he was ready, Midnight stayed for months in our Adoption Center, waiting patiently for someone to take him home.

 In February, Victoria D'Asto and Michael Pisula did just that, giving Midnight a new life as part of their family.

“My husband and I waited a year and a half after the passing of our last dog before visiting the ASPCA in Manhattan,” Victoria says. “After looking at all the dogs and meeting several of them, we settled on Midnight, now known as Harley.”

Harley has come a long way, but he still suffers from chronic ear infections. With medication and TLC, Harley’s ear infections are manageable.

“Even with his health issues and difficult past, we felt that he would be a great addition to our family,” Victoria says.

And they were right. Harley is thriving in his new home.

“It turns out that we really lucked out—Harley is so well trained and sweet with everyone he meets,” Victoria says.  “He seems to enjoy his new diet and exercise program as he gains those last five pounds to bring him back up to a healthy weight.”

Victoria tells us that Harley loves to go for walks in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, on shopping trips, and enjoys romping around at Victoria and Michael’s country home on the weekends.

“He loves destroying his toys, fighting for the peanut butter in his new Kong toy and lounging by the fireplace,” she says.  “It's been almost two weeks, and he's already become our best friend!  Thanks, ASPCA!”

Want to help support our efforts to find homes for thousands of homeless pets like Harley? Please consider becoming an ASPCA Guardian today.

When Jessica Lovelace-Chandler visited the ASPCA Adoption Center in Manhattan for the first time, she was nervous but hopeful that she’d find a cat who could be a companion to her older, resident cat named Winston. Our staff led Jessica to meet some friendly felines who would be great candidates for cat companionship. That’s where Jessica met Francine, a sweet kitty who had been the victim of a hoarding situation.

Once in Jessica’s home, Francine was still pretty shy. She didn’t eat much at all and seemed uninterested in human affection.

“I knew things would take time, and I knew how to handle the situation thanks to the wonderful coaching I received at the Adoption Center,” Jessica says.

With patience, loving care, and some time alone spent in Jessica’s bathroom, Francine seemed ready to come out of her shell and join her new crew. And, while Winston wasn’t sure what to think of Francine at first, he is coming around as well.

“Winston hissed viciously every time he walked by Francine’s door and at the slightest reminder that she was in the house,” Jessica says. “Francine handled it all like a champ, which made me particularly glad the adoption center had suggested her as a cat-friendly cat.  I'm pleased to say…that they are able to be in the same room now and get along. They're not best friends yet, but they tolerate each other.  I'm sure as time goes on, they'll continue to grow with love—or at least, acceptance.”

We feel sure these three amigos will enjoy a long-lasting friendship.