Cat Tales: Happy Homes Page 1

Dear Gretchen,

We thought we would give you an update on little Pearl (we decided to keep the name!)

She took to her new home straight away and has bonded with both of us wonderfully. She gets along with Maggie our Beagle/German Shepherd mix well and Maggie just longs to play with her but seems afraid of hurting her! (she is such a gentle dog!). Misty our Himalayan/Persian mix gets along ok with her, and Tiny the older Tabby acts most of the time as if she doesn't care for her but she is fooling nobody here, and she does try to keep her in line somewhat!

She loves to play HARD and sometimes gets to panting she plays so hard. She harasses Tiny endelssly and is the first to arrive for the food (both kitty and doggy!) is putting on weight and filling out nicely and is getting BIG! We even think she may be a FULL Maine Coon! She is also a VERY good sleeper and when she snuggles she snuggles! No litter box problems either!

She is a wonderful little girl and a welcome addition!

Take care,

Christopher and Janet Howick, Maggie,Misty,Tiny and Pearl


		This is Frankie. He was one of our first kittens that we were able to rescue. He came in with a broken leg. Dr. Reid was able to fix it, and he found a new home.

		Molly said to thank you for finding her a loving home. PS: She likes the fish Thanks, Dale

		We were fortunate to welcome Bam Bam into our home a year ago as a kitten. He now goes by Chase and spends his days hanging out with Winston, who we adopted from our local humane society shortly after we got Chase. Thought your staff would enjoy a few pictures. Thanks for all you guys do! Art and Laurie Cunliffe

		Hello. My name is Mr. Gray. I used to live in a barn behind Dan and Gretchen Reid's home. (I later found out that they run Cattails Feline Rescue.) I lived in the barn with raccoons, opossums and skunks and an old barn cat named Claudius. ( He later died at the ripe old age of 22!) I would spend my winters in the barn, but in the summer, I would go on vacation, but I would come back when I got cold and hungry. I was really scared of people, but Gretchen & Dan would feed me over the winter. I would get nice and fat! They were so nice to me that one day I decided to let them pet me. I once got in a fight and got my ear torn up. (That's why it looks funny.) Gretchen caught me treated my wound and she even neutered me . Then my barn was torn down, and I had no permanent home. I wandered the streets for many lonely months, and then the winter of 2008 hit. I got cold and very hungry and sick and I wandered onto the Reid's patio one day. I needed their help. Gretchen hardly knew it was me since I was so skinny, but luckily she recognized me by my droopy ear. As it turns out, they were really happy to see me. They wondered if I was still OK. Anyway, she took me in and nursed me back to health. They thought I wasn't going to get along with their other cats, but I was really, really, nice to all of them, and I liked to play with them a lot. The other picture is me and my new friend Percy. He's a good playmate. I also love to chase my tail. (I learned that trick from a dog when I went on vacation one summer.) Thanks for taking me in!!!

		Gretchen, Everything is going really well with Scarlett (the poor little ringworm kitten from about a year ago...aka "Mustachio"). She is very healthy, and we wanted to update you...The picture we have attached of Scarlett is in her cube and with her favorite toy fish that she drags all over the place. She and Miko are still getting along really well, better than we had expected. I know we have said this before, but again, thanks for running the shelter and being great people so we could have Scarlett today, and we are appreciative to Miko's shelter for having him for us too. Thanks, Kate Simpson (and Jeff)

		We just love the kitten, Vader, we adopted from you! He is so sweet and easy going! He loves playing with our two dogs, Spencer and Cloe. He tries to play with our other cat, Finnigan, but Finnigan still hasn't warmed up to Vader much. The pictures I'm sending show Finnigan and Vader together, but that really doesn't happen all that often. Usually Finnigan hisses at Vader and then runs away from him. Hopefully Finnigan will start being friendlier soon. Everyone that sees Vader just loves him. He lets everyone hold him and pet him. He is very friendly. Thank you so much for letting us adopt Vader! He is such a great addition to our family! In the one picture, there is Vader, Finnigan and our dog Spencer. Our other dog, Cloe, was asleep in the other room. I probably should have brought her in so she could be in the picture too. : ) Thanks for all that you do for the kittens and cats that you help! Stephanie O'Rourke


		Hello, After seeing you in PETCO today, thought I'd send a few pictures of Tinkerbell - who has been renamed - Miley Tinkerbell Simmons. After such a rainy night, she has joined the family with great ease. She is well loved, and loves the kids and our dog Sadie. She is quite playful, loving and fun. Sadie and her have a great time chasing each other all over the house and then settling down for a nap. Here are a few recent pictures of her. Thank you, Kim Simmons & Family

		Dear Gretchen, I thought I�d send you a couple pictures of Harley in his new home. The first is him in a bay window in the guest room, where he�s being �quarantined� for a few days (mostly overnight and when no humans are home) until he and Loki (our very temperamental 3 year old Siamese) get used to each other � although he has been out in the rest of the house quite a lot in the last couple of days. Loki is accepting him much better than I anticipated. The second picture is his first nap in his new home on Saturday. He crashed out on the bed in the guest room. He is adorable and a joy to have around. I�ve been sleeping in the guest room so he isn�t alone overnight and I�ve found him to be a champion cuddler. Thanks for putting up with my mom and me while we took forever to pick one of the kittens to take home with us (or should I say until one of the kittens picked us?). Sincerely, Dana Davidson

		I thought that I would send you some photos of Forrest (adopted Sept. '07). We renamed him Toby. He is growing very well. I hope that you enjoy the pics. Pauline Dahl

		The attachment is of Stella (her name may change again, my husband wants Chewy (Chewbacca) which I don't like) formerly known as Robin. The picture is of her and my three kids. It was a little more difficult to take! She is a very friendly cat, the whole family already loves her. She is starting to play with her new toys, and I think getting more comfortable in her new home. Tommy is star student (they focus on him and his family) next week at school and can bring a pet in if he wants, I think Stella will be visiting 1st grade at LeRoy elementary! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to adopt and bring a new member into our family. Michelle Toohill

		Hello Gretchen! I took Anasazi (Kermit) to Dr. Bortell yesterday for a check up for his one-year-ish birthday and thought I should send you an updated picture. He's doing really well health-wise and is the most affectionate and playful kitty I've ever known. We love him quite a bit!! Hope all is well with you and your family (of humans and cats!)-- Maureen Miner

		Hello Gretchen, I hope you had a nice holiday. I took some vacation time between Christmas and New Years and it was nice to be at home for awhile. I thought I would just send you an update on Goose. He finally has a name (we tried on several that just didn�t seem to fit) and came up with Teddy because my daughter says he is like a little bear. He is also very jumpy/flighty so maybe that is how he got the name Goose? He is definitely the king of the house. He follows me around the house and likes to lie next to us on the couch at night when we watch TV. He rolls around and loves to have his belly rubbed. I am sending you some pictures of our Teddy bear. Sincerely, Krystal Donovan

		Dr. Reid and Cattails organization, I adopted "Meg", the kitten you were fostering at your home, in May and I just wanted to give you an update on her. She is absolutely wonderful and has settled in nicely with my 3 year old cat Gus. We finally decided on a name a couple weeks after we brought her home, renaming her "Mia Meouse". She is the picture of health, which is a welcome change to Gus (who we treat twice a day with an inhaler for his asthma). I just wanted to thank you again for everything that you have done for her and let you know that she is doing great! She and Gus play constantly and like to take naps together frequently. I'm attaching a couple of pictures to this email so that you can see how big she has gotten! Thanks again, Sarah Dowling

		Dear Gretchen and all, As you can see, Joey ( Marley) is beautiful!! We love him, totally spoil him and enjoy him to the fullest!!! I have recommended Cattails to several people that want cats and will continue to do so. Hope all is going well with all of you. Sincerely, Jan Culbertson

		Hello again Dr. Reid, We have all fallen in love with Scout (except Tucker who needs the exercise). We are still working on table manners and Scout has become known as the "furry vacuum" (he ate a baked potato the other day without butter or sour cream). Thank you again for introducing us. Martha and Kristie Gerde

		Hi, I wanted to send some photos of Clyde now called Gizmo! He has really made himself at home. He loves to play and is a very loving kitten. He also loves to have his belly rubbed. Most cats don�t like it. We are really enjoying having Gizmo at our home. Thanks! Teresa Woods

		Hello Dr. Reid, We just wanted to send you a quick message to let you know that Junie (aka Tequila : ) ) has settled in to her new surroundings very well. She is so fun to have around -- the perfect combination of loving to play and snuggle. We are really enjoying her. We are very glad we found you guys! Thanks for giving Junie and all of the other cats you save a chance to thrive and be adopted. All the best and Happy Thanksgiving! The McKinleys

		Hello Gretchen! I thought I'd send you some pics of Sinatra....sorry we changed his name, but I'm an 80's child and growing up that darn red headed doll scared the daylights out of me! We hope his eyes stay blue, that was part of the inspiration for his name...plus he is such a handsome little boy! : ) I will try to keep in touch and give you updates as Sinatra gets bigger and grows up. I'm so excited to have him...I love my new little baby!! Thanks so much! Kate

		Dr. Gretchen: Here's some pictures of our pal Zack -- happy and healthy and into EVERYTHING! I adopted him in September. Where there are two cats pictured, Zack is on the left and my older cat Oscar is on the right. Don't know how they managed to pose that way! <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]><![endif]> Nick<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>

		Good evening, Cattails! Thank you for the helpful tips on Winnie. Everything you suggested was successful. Winnie joined our family a little over a month ago but now has blended in and stolen all our hearts. Our 7 year old cat, Cupcake, has accepted her as a friend and playmate (that was a relief!). Cupcake had never been exposed to other cats before, so their first encounters were heavily supervised. Winnie basically forced Cupcake to be her friend (followed her around like a shadow and would accept nothing less than Cupcake's undivided attention). Winnie is very affectionate with all of us, and she and Cupcake now enjoy long naps together during the day and chase each other around in the evenings. Winnie loves laying by our sliding glass doors in the morning and watching the 4 squirrels who come to visit and look back at her through the window. We put out corn for the squirrels and watching the squirrels is great entertainment for the cats! I have attached some recent pictures of Winnie. She likes to eat and she loves to play! Her favorite toys are my teenage daughter's stretchy headbands. When she gets to playing, she looks more like Tigger than Winnie (she jumps straight up in the air and can jump really high - her legs are strong!). My husband made a carpeted perch that the two cats love to play on and around. It's a lot like "King of the Hill" around here! We love her so much. You were right, she settled in just fine, and now the entire house is her playground! Take care! ~The Fishers (Scott, Val, Jessica, Cassidy, Cupcake, and Winnie) <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]>

		Hi Gretchen! I just want to update you on how Gypsy is doing. She wants you to know that she is doing very well training me to her schedule. I am becoming more nocturnal so that she can sleep with me during the day! (She's lucky that my schedule is so flexible) We are getting along great and Gypsy is so sociable! Everybody here loves her! She doesn't mind the wheelchairs and she just jumps right on! I might have said this last time, but I couldn't have picked a better cat if I had gone in and sat there for an hour and watched them all! I love her like crazy and I think she likes me too. Her engine is running all the time! She loves her toys! Here are some more pictures and thank you so much for bringing her into my life!! God Bless!! Linda Detloff

		Dear Gretchen, We thought we would give you an update on little Pearl (we decided to keep the name!) She took to her new home straight away and has bonded with both of us wonderfully. She gets along with Maggie our Beagle/German Shepherd mix well and Maggie just longs to play with her but seems afraid of hurting her! (she is such a gentle dog!). Misty our Himalayan/Persian mix gets along ok with her, and Tiny the older Tabby acts most of the time as if she doesn't care for her but she is fooling nobody here, and she does try to keep her in line somewhat! She loves to play HARD and sometimes gets to panting she plays so hard. She harasses Tiny endelssly and is the first to arrive for the food (both kitty and doggy!) is putting on weight and filling out nicely and is getting BIG! We even think she may be a FULL Maine Coon! She is also a VERY good sleeper and when she snuggles she snuggles! No litter box problems either! She is a wonderful little girl and a welcome addition! Take care, Christopher and Janet Howick, Maggie,Misty,Tiny and Pearl

		Dear Gretchen, Peppermint who is now named Holly is doing very well in her new home my parents love her so much and we are lucky to have found such a fun kitten who is fitting in with no problems thanks for all your work watching over her those three weeks we truly feel blessed to have her. Take Care, Nichole Cox PS: She only climbed the Christmas tree once : )

		Hi, You may not remember me, but my name is Michelle. My boyfriend and I had purchased a kitten from you from PETCO in Bloomington-Normal. Either way, I have some recent pictures of her. I just wanted to tell you that she is an awesome cat. I'm very happy with Twister. I think the name you gave her was Margot, but both my cats are so happy to be together...They play so much! But thank you for her because I love her so much! Michelle Tallon

		Just wanted to let you know how happy we are with Holly, she is very much loved and settled in. She loves the cats and our Boxer, as you can see. She'll be getting her rabies shot tomorrow and be all set for a year. Thanks so much! Carrie, Dave and Melissa Stover

		Hi!! I adopted Tiger from you at the beginning of this year, and I just wanted to say Thanks. He has been a wonderful edition to my little family. I kind of changed his name to Higgins, but he didn't seem to mind. He picked up on the change pretty well, and I think he likes the new name pretty good. I'm sure you remember, but Higgins is the short hair and Eli is the long hair. ( I had Eli first and got Higgins so he wasn't lonely). They hit it off right away! Higgins is such a cuddler. He lays in my sink every morning when I'm getting ready, and he loves to get in the bud light box and run around. But their favorite toy is the laser light, OMG they go bizerk... it is to funny! Thanks Again!! Lindsey

		Hi Gretchen, I just thought I would send a current picture of Luna (which I adopted in January and to be honest I can�t remember what her name was when I adopted her!) and Nimbus. They have grown to love each other so much and they are great playmates!! In this picture Luna was sleeping in a chair on the porch and Nimbus jumped up there and I thought he was going to start playing with her but instead he got on top of her, put his arms around her neck and started licking her head. Luna just laid there with her eyes close enjoying the massage! Thanks again. I couldn�t have asked for a better addition to my family! Amanda Plotner

		Hi this is Ashley Ledbetter, I adopted Avalon whom we renamed Chloe. You were definitely right about her and her talking. She loves to talk, all day every day. Its very funny sometimes because I am pretty sure her vocabulary contains the English words; no, yes, I don't know, and mom. I talk to her all the time because she responds to everything. She is very much a cuddle monkey too. She absolutely loves getting her belly rubbed and no matter what mood she is in it always cures everything with her. Chloe has definitely made our apartment homier since she moved in and continues to make it more interesting and fun every day with her little personality. So I would definitely like to thank you for allowing me to adopt her... Ashley