2012 has been a big year for Colehaus. We began this blog, Colehaus Cats, in January as a tribute to the many cats who have joined our family and secured spots in our hearts. Within months, we mourned the loss of two residents, sixteen year old Zooot and fourteen year old Cameron, seemingly too soon after long time Queen Crits’ passing at age twenty-two the previous year. Colehaus resident kitty numbers were reduced to two; nine year old Seth and eight year old Maxx.
Zooot & Cameron. 2012 © Colehaus Cats
Dad was heartbroken, especially after the loss of his special, little orange girl, Zooot, whom we had bottle-raised with five other siblings from birth sixteen years ago. Mere weeks before Cameron’s jump to the bridge to join his lifelong love Zooot, two year old Miss Newton and the Dad found each other at our local humane society. Love was in the air.
Miss Newton relaxing – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Miss Newton, Tessa & Pia – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Little Pia Bean’s adoption listing went live in late spring courtesy of a local No Kill shelter and she joined us in early June. But not before two young neighborhood girls approached us with a squirming gray and white baby who had lost her way three weeks prior. Miss Newton made quick friends with the kitten who became Tessa, who then bonded with Pia who bonded so hard with Miss Newton you’d swear they were glued to one another.
Miss Newton & Pia Bean – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Quint and Olivia Growing Up. 2012 © Colehaus Cats
Mid August came and on a pre-scheduled food/litter/toy shopping trip to PetSmart, we spied big eared, big pawed kitten Quint in the adoption center and we just had to know his story. It wasn’t a hard decision to bring him into our group. Nor was including sweet baby Olivia as part of the deal. The pair bonded almost immediately and later, with Pia, Tessa and Miss Newton. Colehaus was literally a summer bouncy house of kittens.
Pearl/Ruby – Our Home for the Holidays foster – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
A couple of weeks ago, the Dad was introduced to eight-to-ten year old Pearl who was living at the shelter and we brought her home for the holidays on a foster-to-adopt basis. It’s too early to tell how she might fit in with the others but taking it slow seems to work beautifully for her. She’s curious, a bit reserved but not judgmental and as quiet as a dust bunny, but with the added bonus of being so darn pretty, it’s hard not to want to spend every waking minute gazing into her big, green eyes.
By accident a few nights ago, Mom called her Ruby instead of her name Pearl and she perked right up, answered Mom and sought out a petting. We don’t like changing the name of a pet after they’ve lived with it for as long as she has, but she seems to like Ruby better than Pearl. We’ll go along with whichever she chooses.
We’ve grown so impressed with the shelter and the many volunteers there. We’re thrilled that their committment toward helping animals is so closely aligned with our own that we decided to devote our some of our spare time to helping with their cause. Thank you for listening to us blather on about them, and an EXTRA THANK YOU to those of you who graciously helped by donating to the shelter’s Matching Donation event that ends at midnight tonight, December 31st.
We look forward to what 2013 will bring and hope yours is full of fun, adventures, snuggles and reward. From our hearts, we thank you for following us and for your many uplifting comments. Have a safe and very Happy New Year!
