Montana

Montana and his brother Dakota were adopted together by a family in Indianapolis. Here's what they have to say about these sweet brothers who were rescued from the streets in a bad area where they were being harassed by mean kids: Hello from Indy! We are having a blast! The boys (alos know as the Oreo Brothers) are both healthy & very happy. I'm so glad I adopted both of them! They truly are the best of buddies! We've been to the vet a couple times, the 1st time they were under the weather, but last week we went again to get Rabies vaccinations- which are required here in Indiana, + a 2nd distemper shot. Both of them handled the car trip & office visit like troopers, which made their new mama proud. I think Montana has a crush on the Vets' assistant, but then- he loves pretty much everybody. They have each gained about 1/2 pound, which is probably just increased muscle mass-from all their running & playing. They each have a few favorite hangouts, but at the top of the list for each, is a shelf on the cat-tree I built for them, whether to joust, take a nap, or watch birds on the feeder outside. Both enjoy visiting me at my desk while I am working, or lounging in a sunny window, & Montana likes to hang out in the kitchen with me while I am fixing dinner. Both enjoy belly rubs & 'boxing' with me or my son, which is fun for us, because they don't play too rough. Montana's favorite toys are ping-pong or jingle balls, & a spark-lie on a breakaway string. But Dakota's favorite 'toy' is Montana! He hides in a doorway or under a chair & waits for Montana to go by, then he pounces on him & the chase is on. Both like playing with the laser light & my husband thinks that is really fun. Just felt you should know they are obviously happy to have this as their forever home. Thanks again to you both! If you had not done such a good job fostering them, they would not have been so ready to enjoy a permanent home. Montana may have been happy to be adpopted as a single cat, but Dakota is definately happier to have another cat as his buddy. I have attached a couple new pics for your 'happy endings', but it occurs to me that you could justifiably call it happy beginnings!

Polly

Little Polly went from an unwanted stray to this! :: Three weeks ago we adopted a kitten from a litter of four at the Petsmart in Oakley. I wanted to let her foster mom know how she is. You had named her Polly and she is a black/white cat with a bit of a skunk stripe on her back. Her name is now Bella and she is growing like crazy. She seems to now be the cat in charge - our two older boys were afraid of her for several days, but now everyone is playing together well. In fact, she has rejuvenated them both. She is incredibly smart and loving and we are so happy to have her. At the end of the first day we had her, my husband kept saying that he couldn't believe how much in love with this little creature he was. Sandra Gray

Lucky

Lucky's story started out as a pretty sad one. When he was just a kitten, his paw was badly injured. Instead of taking him to a vet, his owner tried to amputate the paw on his own, without anesthesia or training. What was left of Lucky's leg of course was very painful and got horribly infected. When Lucky's owner died, he came to SOS in this terrible shape. The remainder of his leg had to be amputated (by a vet this time!) because of the infection. You might think this would slow him down, but it doesn't in the least! Lucky remained as playful as any other kitten, and amazingly very trusting and loving toward people! His foster mom, inspired by his spirit and heart, decided to adopt him and he's now a big part of her family. Never again will this little guy know fear or hunger or neglect!

Eloise

When Eloise came to SOS, we at first thought she was a kitten. She was so tiny, only weighing in at 4 lbs. Upon closer examination though, we noticed she was missing all of her bottom (adult) teeth on one side and the rest of her teeth showed the wear of age. She was estimated to be about 4 or 5 years old, and the vet suspected that some kind of trauma such as being hit by a car or kicked had knocked out her missing teeth. Shortly after entering foster care, Ellie started to exhibit some strange symptoms as well. She would be happily purring away on her foster mom's chest as they cuddled, when all of a sudden she would growl or hiss and her teeth would snap together in a strange way. She would immediately go right back to purring, so she wasn't angry or scared. It appeared to be something she couldn't control, and the vet believed she might be having small seizures and instructed her foster to watch her carefully. In the middle of the night one night, her foster woke to find her having a full-blown seizure. It was violent and lasted for nearly 5 minutes. After a battery of tests, it was determined that Ellie had epilepsy of unknown cause, though the vet suspected the head trauma she'd suffered had caused permanent brain damage, and she was started on anti-seizure medication. Ellie continued to have seizures as her medication levels were adjusted to fit her specific needs, but gradually she got better. Ellie's trials weren't over though! After a horrible infection that nearly killed her, a scare with cancer and the development of some strange behavior problems, Ellie's foster mom decided she would become her forever mom! They'd been through so much together, it just didn't seem right to part ways. Now, Ellie lives in the Senior and Special Needs Shelter at her foster mom's house. She inspired this cage-free shelter for cats who don't fit the "adoptable" mold so well due to age or illness, and she's a great little "mascot" who welcomes any newcomers to the shelter with her totally innocent and care-free loving nature! She's always happy, and loves to play like the kitten that she still looks like!