Monmouth County SPCA Helps Others #SeeTheLight for Shelter Cats - #RememberMeThursday 2020

Ever since I adopted Lola in January 2011, I've made it a point to advocate for shelter cats and encourage adoption. In addition to our blog, I accomplish this through our Facebook page, our book, and through being a contributing writer for the Jackson Galaxy Project's Cat Pawsitive Pro Program. It brings me great joy to write about how shelters and rescues work hard to shine a light on cats who may be considered "unadoptable" so they are not forgotten and forced to live their lives in a shelter setting.

Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA) is one of the shelters I was assigned to, and they did a wonderful job shining the light on previously unwanted cats.

Rachel Treglia, Team Leader and Staff Member, said it was amazing to see the growth of some of their "tougher" adoptions, and felt seeing the "change in their overall mood" was "heartwarming."

Although the MCSPCA team had a lot to learn, they didn't give up and dove right in. Kelly, a volunteer, stated the team became very excited when they realized "the sky's the limit in terms of what we can achieve with our feline partners."

Even though the program was officially put on "pause" in March shortly after the new semester began due to the current pandemic, MCSPCA's dedication and progress with cats was impressive. Let's take a look at some of the cats they shined a light on.

Yoshi

Yoshi went from being "swatty" to rubbing up against potential adopters. He found his forever home once the staff and volunteers figured out how to help him shine.

Mr. Maple

Mr. Maple made an amazing transition. Initially, he was hissing, cowering, and swatting at everyone. Even when going through a rough ringworm treatment, the staff and volunteers still worked with him diligently and he eventually gained enough confidence to let strangers pet and hold him. The result? He was adopted! 

Boyzenberry

Boyzenberry went from being a "cranky old man" to being an "incredibly friendly people-oriented boy who is always in a good mood and now greets visitors beautifully."

Cinnamon

I wrote about Cinnamon in-depth in a previous post. Cinnamon was considered to be a difficult adoption because she is FIV+ and was 6 1/2 years old when the program started. She also had a bit of a "sassy cattitude", and would swat anyone who came near her. Needless to say, that would put an abrupt end to her meet and greets with potential adopters. The staff and volunteers saw her potential and made her sweet side shine. Cinnamon started giving people a "high five" during her meet and greets, and eventually found her way into a very special adopter's heart. 

Purrogi

Purrogi, who made an incredible transformation, is another cat I wrote about in a previous post. Nina Lucow, the Feline Adoption Manager at Monmouth County SPCA, told me that "Purrogi had a really difficult time adjusting to shelter life. It took over a month before we could even touch him. He was a growler/hisser/swatter and was very stressed and angry. Once Purrogi had settled in a bit and we could start promoting him for adoption, it was very difficult to show him to potential adopters because he was quick to swat with his claws out!" Purrogi also wouldn't come out of his cage. 

Staff and volunteers knew there was more to Purrogi than the pacing, anxious behavior he was exhibiting. With their kindness and patience, Purrogi became calm, affectionate, and easy-going. And he found his forever home. 

Thank you to the staff and volunteers at MCSPCA for your dedication to these cats, and for making sure people were able to see the light within them. I'm proud to be a part of the Cat Pawsitive Pro Program so I can help people #SeeTheLight about adoption. 

Blog Hop

Now it's time to start hopping! Help us shine a light on pet adoption for #RememberMeThursday and join our Blog Hop. Here’s how:

1. Grab the badge below and insert it into your post.

2. Publish your post on or before Thursday, September 24, 2020. 

3. Submit your post link to the blog hop list. (The entry link will remain open until 10/8/20.)

Then start hopping! Be sure to visit the other blogs participating in the hop to read about how they are shining a light on orphaned pets and adoption!

Pin Us!

Have you adopted a rescued pet? Tell us about them! And don't forget to share your rescued pet on social media with the hashtag #RememberMeThursday and tag @HWAC.

Dawn

All photos courtesy Monmouth County SPCA

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