WE'RE BACK! The New Haven House Cats Foster Care Program

In early 2013, I was faced with a major decision: keep the rescue going despite lacking monetary support, or shut us down.  It's next to impossible to give the cats adequate care with no money for supplies and vetting. So, I was forced to shut us down.  It was the right thing to do at the time.  Since then, every kitty that had remained in our care found a permanent home.

Recently, I had the opportunity to foster a few adult cats and kittens. One kitten, Benny, was recently adopted by a sweet young family with a two year old boy. It's his very first kitty, his first pet,and they will grow up together. Seeing pictures of little Benny in his new home warmed my heart, bringing me back to the days when finding families for these furbabies was my passion.  I still have one senior foster who has become quite comfortable in our house, so I think it is safe to say she will live out the remainder of her life here.  And, although I'd taken such a long break from rescue (almost three years!), I found myself naturally drawn back into it, tending to their needs, racking my brain for fundraising ideas, and seeking out small ways to help a good friend who runs New Start Kitty Shelter in Castile, NY.


Now, I realize my limitations. No longer can I manage the care of dozens of cats at the same time. I do not have the funds to do so.  But there is plenty I CAN do. Even the small things make a difference.

So, with that said, knowing where I have to draw the line, I've decided to bring the Haven House Cats' name back.  We will, from this day forward, be known as Haven House Cats Foster Care Program. Our mission will remain the same.

The Haven House Cats Mission: 

Haven House Cats' mission is to give abandoned kitties a fighting chance to live, love and be loved. No cat deserves to live or die alone, or be euthanized because they are no longer wanted. Haven House Cats will help these kitties find new forever homes where they are cared for and loved for the rest of their days.

We will accept only a limited number of cats at a time, find them homes, and continue our fundraising and spay/neuter efforts.  Thanks to the wonderful services provided at Operation Pets of WNY, the foster kitties and strays that come into our care will receive their vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment, and spay/neuter to prepare them for adoption.

To learn more about this program, click here: www.operationpets.org

The Haven House Cats' Permanent Residents

When we temporarily closed our intake/foster programs in April 2013, a number of kitties stayed with us.They were mostly the shy ones, the seniors, and the special needs kitties with medical or behavioral concerns.  They were the ones no one had shown interest in adopting, the ones that never worked out in foster homes, the ones who had been with the rescue the longest and were adjusted to our home. 

To avoid further stress for these felines, we decided what was best for them was to remain in our home to live out the rest of their lives. Here are some of their stories.  


CORTLAND: A 9 year old black male kitty with a tragic past, Cortland is our biggest special needs cat. He was surrendered to the SPCA after his owner died, and was a stray before that so we do not know just what he went through or what his medical history is. When he came to use he was extremely thin, malnourished, and just looked very unhealthy overall. He was scraggly with dry, flaky skin and a lacking appetite. We ran blood work, treated him for an infection and helped stimulate his appetite with different foods and supplements. For the past year and a half, he has undergone numerous rounds of antibiotics for repeated infections, suffered hair loss on his tail, has had blood work repeated 3 times and is now diagnosed with anemia and a blood parasite that he has most likely had all along. He will likely need B12 injections and medications for the rest of his life to manage his conditions. This is very expensive and he will need to be seen by the vet several times a year.  Between his medical care and special diet, he will likely be the most costly kitty we have in our care. But he is so special to us, he sleeps with us every night and follows us around like a shadow. He loves to be held and gives head butts to show his affection. Cortland is my work buddy, because he lays on the desk and watches me work on the computer at night. I don't know what I would do without him.  When our black cat Logan died awhile back, it was almost as if Cortland stepped up into his role as the black shadow kitty. He began following us around and rubbing against our faces like Logan used to do, began sleeping with us at that time, and was always by my side.  His behaviors mimicked Logan's to a T, and Cortland only began being so attentive and affectionate after Logan passed away from liver disease. So you can see just how truly special Cortland is to us. He is an angel in disguise. UPDATE: Cortland went to the Rainbow Bridge October 2014.  RIP Cortland.

PRADA: Prada is our second biggest special needs kitty and here is why: she is a senior; she has dental issues; she has a heart murmur and lung damage from a previous bout of pneumonia; she has trouble maintaining weight and is a very finicky eater so her diet must be very strictly monitored; she loses hair in clumps when stressed (this happened in foster care); she has skin allergies and is extremely allergic to fleas (which we treat for monthly to prevent them); she is a long haired torti who matts easily and has 6-7 toes on each paw so she needs to be groomed with nails trimmed every week.  In short, she is a high-maintenance cat. She is also not a very affectionate or social cat; she prefers to be alone most of the time and only wants attention in very small doses (maybe a few minutes every other day). Most people aren't seeking to adopt a cat that who would simply live in their home with little interaction.  Prada is not a very good companion cat; she just needs a home to live out her life, a home that allows her to be herself and do her own thing. That's what we give her here. She is brushed every day, has her nails trimmed each week, has her weight and diet monitored, and she receives her medical care as needed. But we do not expect more from her than she can offer.  We love her and just want her to be comfortable and content, as she is often ill with infections and will probably not live as long as most cats.   UPDATE: Prada went to the Rainbow Bridge in early 2015. RIP sweet Prada .


AMELIA: Amelia is the grandma of the house. She is the oldest kitty, at 12 years, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her! She was a stray kitty found in 2010, with horrible skin mites and fleas along with ringworm; she ended up losing a lot of her fur and was severely underweight when we first acquired her.  Since then she has made a full recovery and put on a healthy amount of weight. She was difficult to find a home for due to her age and appearance; she ended up becoming very comfortable with us (especially Shawn, who she follows like a puppy!), so how could we not keep her?  Despite her age, she loves to play, and when she carries a little mouse toy in her mouth she sings! She is the most adorable little calico senior, and leaving us would be very stressful. 


MINNIE: Minnie was just a tiny kitten when we found her abandoned in the park. She got her name because she was so small she fit into the palm of our hands! Minnie has always been a shy, skittish kitty. She scares easily, which we think is due to her experience in the woods as a baby, abandoned and alone.  The biggest issue with Minnie that would make it impossible to send her anywhere else is that she gets aggressive when she feels threatened.  She has caused some damage, including ripping Shawn's lip open with her nail, requiring him to get 5 stitches!  She will lash out if we try to crate her for vet appts, if we need to restrain her for vaccines or flea treatments, if she gets closed in a room.  She would not survive a shelter setting, as they would see her aggressive side and euthanize her. She would never be placed up for adoption. She is usually very sweet, although shy and reserved. But when she gets upset, it can be very difficult to handle her.  For this reason, we know it would not be in her best interest to leave us. She would definitely be killed and she doesn't deserve that!


MANEA: Manea was the very first rescue kitty. I came to acquire her from a client of mine at the human service agency I worked for. The client could barely take care of herself and badly neglected Manea, who was only a couple months old at the time. Manea ended up with earmites, upper respiratory infection and horrible fleas.  My boss was going to take the kitten to the shelter so I took her home instead and nursed her back to health. She grew up with lots of foster animals, including ferrets, bunnies, cats and dogs.  Manea is the most laid-back cat I have ever seen. She has seen lots of rescue kitties come into our care and then go on to their new homes. Manea is always the first one to greet them and accepts every new kitty without so much as a hiss or a growl.  She sniffs them to say hi and then goes on with her day.  An extremely playful kitty, Manea loves new toys and catnip. Manea is the queen of the household, definitely the ring leader. She also has a bit of a mischievious side, so when something gets knocked over or messed up you know she had something to do with it!


SIMBA: Simba was one of the first kitties I ever rescued back in 2009.  He was only 6 months old at the time and came from a kill shelter just days before he was scheduled to be euthanized. Simba was always nervous and took a long time to warm up to me. He never warmed up to anyone else and whenever I tried to show him to potential adopters he would freak out, run, and hide for days!  When Shawn and I moved in together, he warmed up to him in time, and only recently warmed up to my mother after almost 4 years of knowing her!  Outside of us, he will not come out for anyone and always hides when we have company. He also has a chronic eye condition that requires frequent care; he gets a lot of discharge from both eyes and often needs antibiotic ointments to help with the redness.  But he is a huge sweetheart with those he trusts; he is a big cuddly orange guy who acts more like a dog than a cat!  If we were forced to give him up it would scar him for life; he would never adjust to a shelter or a new home, it took him forever to even adjust to this one! Simba really needs the stability our home provides in order to keep him healthy and happy.  UPDATE: Simba was adopted in August 2015.

PIXIE: This adorable little baby has only been with us a little over a month and we weren't planning for her to join the clan, it just happened.  Ironically, she was discovered in the yard out near the street, so we believe someone ditched her there. She is far too friendly and relaxed around humans to be a stray or feral kitty. She was about 6 wks old when we found her and only a little over a pound!  She is now almost 3 lbs, eating well and doing great!  We are taking her Aug 29th to be spayed and vaccinated.  Pixie was a blessing, as she appears merely two weeks after we lost another one of the remaining rescue cats, Lovebug, to intestinal cancer. Lovebug's death came as a devastating surprise as we did not even know she was ill until it was too late. Pixie brought joy back to our hearts after a very tragic loss. For that reason she is very special, and we would like to keep her with us to watch her grow. She is also the first  young kitten my husband and I have raised together and in that way she is truly our baby. Please help us keep our baby! 

MONKEY:  Monkey was a 6 month old kitten when she came to us. She is a chunky tortoiseshell with extra toes on each paw, which makes her look and climb very much like a monkey, which is how she got her name.  Monkey was always a sweet girl, but a bit shy and very vocal when upset.  We don't know what happened to her as a kitten, but she ended up as a stray on the street before landing in the shelter and then with us.  Monkey was placed up for adoption, and although many people inquired about her and even came to visit, they never chose her to join their family. Monkey can be skittish and shy with people, and this made it difficult for anyone to get to know her.  In one foster home she began having behavioral problems: peeing in the hallway, hiding, and licking excessively to the point that she caused herself some bald spots. We tried a different foster home, only to have her get upset with a child in the home and scratch the child's cheek.  Each time, Monkey would cry excessively and disturb the family at night, so we were forced to bring her back to our home where she was most content. Monkey was getting older and bigger (she has a big appetite! lol) and outside interest in her waned; we knew the longer she stayed with us the less likely it was that she would adjust to a new home.  When the rescue closed, Monkey was one of the remaining cats, and it seems she is quite happy about that!  UPDATE: Monkey was adopted in July 2015.