From Elizabeth Kjellstrand :
Marmalade Gwendolyn Shafer Kjellstrand
"I feel compelled to write a note to the Humane Society to say THANK YOU! for the most wonderful cat in the world! My son and I went to the Humane Society of Bexar County in October, a month after our sweet, 12 yr-old grey tabby, Jezibel, passed away. I was actually looking for a male kitten with my son. Then we saw this man in one of the pet rooms meeting different kittens. One of the cats he asked to see was this friendly orange and white kitten. I have no idea why he didn't choose her, but maybe it was divine intervention. My son and I looked at two male kittens and then I decided, let's see that cute orange and white one. When she was brought to the room she was so sweet and friendly. I knew that this was *exactly* the cat that we wanted in our family. She even has a heart shape on her left side. She was originally named "Gwen" (at the shelter), so her official name is Marmalade Gwendolyn Shafer Kjellstrand. She is an absolute blessing to our home - a warm and caring cat, so loving to all guests and sweet to both my son and daughter (ages 6 and 5). Thank you so much for the work that you do - giving these animals a second chance! Our home is a happier place."
From Lynn Lomoe:
Ivy's Story
About 2 ½ years ago, I had gone through a painful break-up and I was forced to move into a small apartment while awaiting the construction of my new home. The absence of my significant other, my own sadness, as well as being suddenly moved into a new environment deeply affected my, then, 8 year old cat named “Chunky”. When she stopped eating, and I felt the need for some more happiness in my life, I decided it was time to adopt another cat. I went to your cattery and as soon as I saw little 4 month old Ivy (this is the name I gave her later) I knew I was hooked. She had been abused and was very afraid of nearly anyone who approached her. According to one of your employees, several people had considered adopting her, but because she was so deathly afraid of everyone and everything, she was still there after 2 months. I spent some alone time with her in one of your rooms, and decided to give her a chance – so, I took her home that evening. Chunky growled and hissed for a few weeks, but she quickly accepted her. Ivy, on the other hand, took a very long time to adjust. For the first month, she only came out from under my bed in the middle of the night to use the litter box and to eat. So, I put her food and water under the bed and gave her time to come out when she wanted to. Over the next 4 months, she slowly started to come out for longer periods of time. 5 to 6 months out, she was no longer scared of me, but when visitors came, she would hide the minute someone knocked at my door, and didn’t come out until the day after they left. In April 2006, my new home was complete and the 3 of us moved in. One year after that, you would not believe the change in Ivy. She loves running around the house (which is much bigger than the apartment), she plays with her toys, her and Chunky are the BEST of friends, and she is the biggest HAM ever! She no longer runs when I have company. In fact, she immediately jumps on the lap of whoever comes to visit, and she is the biggest attention hog! I recently got a Chihuahua and believe it or not, the dog and Ivy sleep and play together. I can’t believe it how far she has come. It took a long time (about 1 ½ years), but the patience was definitely worth it. Ivy is such an important part of my home and my family. Words cannot describe how much I love her. Best of all, she is finally happy and is no longer afraid of ANYTHING! I would have never imagined that would happen. Thank you so much for providing me with such a great member of my family! Attached is a picture of Ivy and Chunky ~ Ivy is the calico cat on the left.
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