Dear Fancy Cats:

Lily is doing fine and I just love her. I call her Tiger Lily. I fear that she has become a very spoiled girl. She is a very sweet kitty and very playful. More like a puppy cat. She greets me at the door when I come home from work. We race up and down the stairs and she waits for the "on your mark, get set, go" before she takes off. She always wins! We play a lot together and she has her own spot on my bed (actually she takes up half of my queen bed). I am giving her water in her wet food and she only gets the prescription dental kibble after her wet food (she thinks it is a treat!)

Lily is just what I wanted. Thank you very much for rescuing her. I am so glad I got her.

- DeAnn Jelinek

Tiger Lily

Dear Fancy Cats:

She is such a great cat and definitetly a great addition to us. She has settled in well. She loves to cuddle when I go to bed and is actually my back up alarm clock. She always makes sure she is hanging out with us and follows me especially all over the apartment. And she loves to play all the time. Sometimes she will come up to me and tap me on the arm when she wants to play. It is just too cute. You can definitely use her story if you want to. I feel that more people need to know about adoption of shelter animals and I am a big advocate of it.

Once again, thanks for everything.

- Amy

Emma

Tillie was found as a stray. Through fostering, Fancy Cats learned that she was very friendly. Her foster family took her to adoption fairs right after receiving her and learned that Tillie has a habit of pooping when she's scared or startled. Upon learning this, it was decided that transporting her back and forth from adoption fairs and her foster home wasn't the best way to keep her from being scared and easily startled when meeting new people. Thus, Tillie found a temporary home at Springfield's adoption center where she was well loved, groomed, and cared for until the right family found her.

Dear Fancy Cats:

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to update you on Miss Tillie Clement. She is doing wonderful! Her doctor’s visit went well.

She now has full run of the house along with her sister Honey. Tillie chooses to stay close to her room most of the day now. She ventures out to explore and will sit on my lap when I convince her it is ok. She is getting more comfortable each day that goes by. Yesterday she came running through the living room, made a u turn and back to the bedroom. I called her to come back and she came running to me. The look she gave me seemed to say “What do you want? I’m busy playing!”

She is so beautiful!

Thanks,
- Kathy

Tillie

Buttons, now Sebastian; and Tails, now Sylvester, began their journey to their new home when their first owner moved away and left them behind. A neighbor fed them for awhile and then dropped them off at a high kill shelter. Fancy Cats took them in before they were euthanized. The pair were adopted together.

Dear Fancy Cats:

This is a picture of Sebastian (Buttons) and Sylvester (Tails) doing their evening ritual of sleeping on my lap while I'm watching TV.

These are the best boys!!!

Sylvester is still a bit "skittish" with loud noises like the ice dispenser on the fridge, or when someone comes over but they do love us!!

We are so happy with them and thank you again for keeping them for us.

Thanks again! Take care.
- Jackie

Tails/Sylvester is a classic black and white tuxedo.

They both know that Jackie's lap is their spot in the evenings.

Buttons/Sebastian sports half of a Groucho Marx mustache.

When a cat ends up at a shelter, it can be hard to tell what type of personality they have in a home environment. Cats that react violently are euthanized more often those that do not.

Emma is an example of a cat that reacted poorly at the shelter. She hissed and tried to bite, the shelter ended up having to use a catch-pole to transfer her.

Thanks to the shelter for not giving up on Emma and for teamwork on the part of Fancy Cats volunteers: one person worked with the shelter to facilitate the transfer, another drove her from the shelter to a foster home, and two more volunteers fostered her; Emma was given a chance to show her true personality and to find a forever home.

In her foster home, she transformed from a violent, scared cat to a very sweet, gentle, and VERY loving girl. Based on this, her foster home knew she would be very quickly adopted- they were right, she went home two weeks later.

Dear Fancy Cats:

Just wanted to let you know Emma is doing wonderful.

She has definitely made herself at home with us. She is so loving and sweet with us. I am so glad we adopted her because she loves to be everywhere we are. She enjoys hanging out on the couch while we watch tv and she loves to cuddle, especially when I try to go to bed.

My fiance took her to the vet last week at the Columbia Pike Animal Hospital that you recommended. The vet said she looks great. Her age range is between 1 and 2 years old. She gave us some heartworm medication to give Emma between March and October. Also, she gave us tips on trimming her claws and brushing her teeth. Overall, she is very healthy and doing well.

I will send you some pictures of her soon.

Thanks so much again!
- Amy

Emma at the shelter.

Emma with Fancy Cats.

She didn't have to wait long
for her forever home.

Dear Fancy Cats:

Clinton has been with me for almost 3 weeks. Though he was sad to leave his foster mom, he has become quite comfortable in his forever home and really opened up to me within the first day or so (the cat treats didn’t hurt).

At first he was skeptical about what was going on, but once he realized that he was home he settled right in.

He still loves his whisker city catnip scratchers and is always up for play time! He has grown rather fond of his newest toy the “catfisher” where I cast the line and he follows the catnip bait all around the condo.

We love to lounge around together- he is never far from me and is the best little buddy I could have asked for.

He is constantly striking silly poses and sitting in what I can only describe as yoga positions.

When I get home from work I usually find him keeping my spot on the couch warm for me. He is quite a considerate cat who is full of love and character, and I could not be happier with him.

Thank you, Fancy Cats Rescue Team, for taking care of this sweet boy until I found my way to him!

I've attached [several] photos of him - I love taking his picture! Thank you,
Anna

Letters from adoptive families are often the reason that foster homes find the strength to say good bye to a cat that have long been in their homes and hearts.

This is the letter Clinton's foster family sent to fellow volunteers after receiving Anna's letter.

Dear Fancy Cat Volunteers:

Anna, the nice lady who adopted Clinton was kind enough to send us some more photos of him. I told yall he was hilarious in his poses. She seems to be a lot faster with the camera than I was though.

He seems to be doing so well and I am so so happy for him. I was really concerned he may have got grumpy with her at some point but he seems to be just as in love with her as she is with him.

THIS is what it is all about for me. I love these happy endings. Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough of them in this world.

-Clinton's Foster Family

Clinton when he was with Fancy Cats.
He arrived overweight and it was a long
process to slim him down.

Clinton showing off his white belly.

Whoever said yoga isn't for cats?

Happy endings are the best!

Dear Fancy Cats:

Thank you for letting Buster become part of our family. From the moment he came into my apartment he was exploring and enjoying the space to roam around. I think he was very happy to be out of the small box he was in.

He loves to get bellyrubs and is very affectionate. He is eating well but likes to be petted between bites of food. He definitely likes to be around people. My daughter Surah and I are thoroughly enjoying having him here.

I've enclosed two pictures of Buster. The first one shows him relaxing in his new home. The second one shows him playing laser tag with my daughter.

Thank you again for letting us adopt Buster. He will be loved in his new home.
- Mash and Surah

Buster relaxing in his new home.

Buster when he was with
Fancy Cats.

Buster playing laser tag.

When Fancy Cats received Sunshine from the shelter- he was in pretty bad shape. He had an injured shoulder, a broken canine tooth, and he was completely emaciated. Based on his general condition, the shelter vet estimated his age as being around 18-20 years.

Despite being so bad off, Sunshine was very affectionate to his foster family- from the very start.

His foster mom gave him the name "Sunshine" because when she was singing, "You Are My Sunshine," he liked it so much, he curled around her legs and gave her head-butts in the face.

Good evening Fancy Cats:

It was such a pleasure meeting you today.

Thank you so much for all your help today.

Our new addition's name is Sherlock - fair hair.

John and I were just spending some quality time with him. We think he will enjoy it here after he gets relaxed.

This evening he is enjoying classical music with soft night light. He really enjoys his house that you sent with him as seen [in the photo].

We will keep in touch with you so you can see him grow big and fat.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Best regards,
John and Toye

Sunshine when he came to
Fancy Cats.

Sunshine after recuperating
at his foster home.

Sunshine/Sherlock in his cat house
at his new forever home.

Jack was adopted from Fancy Cats in 2007 at age 11.

On December 29th, 2009, Jack was featured on http://www.catoftheday.com as the "Cat of the Day."

For your convenience the original article has been copied below. The original can be found in Cat of the Day's archive.

My name is Jack now, but it used to be something else before my current mom adopted me and my sister Baby. We have lived in our new furrever home for almost two years. I love it here because I command my world!