Do you have a Clatsop County Shelter adoption success story you’d like to share? We’ve heard from hundreds of adopters over the years and would love to hear from you. Tell us about your travel and adventures, your experiences getting your new dog or cat settled in with your family and other pets, or how being a pet parent has enriched your lives. Email us at info@dogsncats.org with a short paragraph and a photo or two and we’ll get your story posted here.
Omi was adopted this fall. His people tell us that they are overjoyed by him and his intense eyes. “He is a spunky little ball of fluff but he is so sweet and always chirps and meows when he wakes up and sees his loving hoomans.”
This in from Miles’ mom: “My name is Miles, named that after six plus months of traveling and surviving in the forest. I was exhausted and relieved to arrive at Clatsop County Animal Shelter in February 2020. All my new human friends loved me and I could relax!
My first experience in a home, when fostered March 2020, brought me joy! Soon I was playing with toys and my new mom. I tried to play with my older new friend Beauty but she preferred to sleep. Very soon my mom was telling me that I was home and we would be together always.
Some noises still do frighten me but mom helps me with love and security. I’ve settled in and I’m now the king of my home!”
Ashlee and Chris adopted Cleo earlier this year. They sent us this update last week:
“Meet Cleo, formerly Bailey! This adorable little forever puppy is the latest member of our family. We adopted Miss Cleo a couple months ago and, once she knew she was really part of the pack, she transformed from a timid, scared little dog into a confident blur of stealthy kisses, silliness, and high speed entertainment. She loved our elderly animals while they were still alive and absolutely adores our rescue dog & cat, Bug & Alfie. She’s the typical younger sibling, stealing Bug’s toys & harassing him and he just wags his tail and kisses her. Cleo has most definitely stolen all of our hearts & we couldn’t imagine life without her now💜”
Thank you, Ashlee and Chris for adopting your pack!
Just look at what patience and love can accomplish.
Shea’s person sent us this update, telling us, “I weighed her this morning and she now weighs 6 pounds, that’s up from the less than 3 pounds that she weighed when I got her in December. She was emaciated, traumatized, and very scared of everything, including me. She refused to eat for the first 3 days I had her so our relationship got off to a rocky start, since I had to force feed her. Luckily, a good friend of mine who owned a pet shop and is very involved in animal rescue, advised me to give her CBD oil. When she ate her first meal of baby food turkey all by herself after getting the CBD, there were tears and great rejoicing. I truly did not think she would make it, she was so emaciated, and very wobbly when she tried to walk, and just shook when I held her and rocked her.
She has a bedroom all her own for the moment with a kitty heating pad that I borrowed from a neighbor who fosters abandoned kittens. Shea spends most of her time on that heating pad bed. I’m attaching pictures of her I took today in her safe space. She does use the litter box, however, she doesn’t cover up her waste. She’s my first cat who doesn’t do that.
I have put toys around the room, including catnip balls, and have noticed that sometimes the toys have been moved, another good sign. I’m taking my victories where I can find them!
Shea is 14 years old and it’s my guess that she was very badly abused as a breeding cat for many years, perhaps spending her life in a cage, since she had so much trouble walking when I first got her. She was also apparently put in a basement and left to die, only being rescued when neighbors contacted your rescue center. Her walking has also improved considerably and she jumps and moves quickly around the room when she wants to,
I often spend an hour or so just sitting in the room with her, so that I can become less of a threat to her. She loudly proclaims her objection to being held or even touched, again pointing to years of neglect so I limit touching her until she trusts me more than she does now. She is curious and alert, as you can see in the picture, and as all my Siamese have been, and I’m hoping that her curiosity will win out over her fear eventually.
My other cat and dog are curious about her but mostly just leave her alone when I take her for a walk around the house, loudly protesting while I do!
Eventually, I’ll leave the bedroom door open when I can supervise her and see what she does. It feels to me as if she is still in a cage, although it is a big, comfortable bedroom. At the moment I’m afraid she will find a place to hide where I can’t find her and might stop eating again. I know her hiding places in the bedroom and can check on her, talk to her and be near her in her safe space, hopefully building up trust that I won’t hurt her. It’s going to take a long time but I can be patient.
She apparently had some teeth removed while she was in rescue so I started off with baby food meat. She has now transitioned to chicken that I cook for all my animals and tuna. She handles the chopped meat, not ground up, like a champ!
She is a very special kitty who deserves a quiet, safe place to live. That’s what I am providing. Eventually, she will figure that out. When she gives me her Siamese thank you eye scrunch, which I get more often now, my heart just melts for her.”
