Pagoda’s adopter was attracted to her from her picture and her story, and assured me that she is a patient and quiet person with ample tolerance for the foibles of a timid cat. When I introduced them to each other, she was charmed by Pagoda’s engaging personality, expressed as a squirming delight with being petted. I did explain that this delight is shown only when Pagoda is confined to a safe place (her cage, which she leaves with great reluctance), and that open spaces tend to make Pagoda hide away, but she was not daunted and took Pagoda home. As she has another very gentle cat, I had recommended that Pagoda begin life in the bathroom for the first while, and that the two cats be introduced very gradually. The adopter saw the sense in this, but Pagoda objected so vocally to her confinement, despite the availability of a cozy bed and plenty of food, that she was given the run of the home almost right away and proceeded to make me a liar by lolling comfortably on the sofa and eating well. This shows that for every cat there is a good match out there.

My darling boy has really landed on his feet. He has been adopted by a lovely couple who were among my first adopters when I began taking in purebreds in the fall of 2002. They began by adopting a splendid seal point Himalayan named Brooklyn, and then adopted his chinchilla Persian buddy Magnificat (now Magnus). Both cats were quite mature, around nine years old if memory serves, and unfortunately Brooklyn died last summer when he was discovered to be full of cancerous tumours (in the way of so many animals, he had shown no sign of illness until the very end, and thus the day he was diagnosed was also the day he was euthanized, a severe blow for his owners).

This Beautiful Miss is now named Precious and is basking in the love and attention of her new owners, a couple so wonderful I rather wished they would adopt me as well! How do I know they are wonderful? Well, they don’t expect an animal to provide anything it can’t, and cared for a cat for eighteen years without getting more than a frosty reception until the last four months of the cat’s life, when she became a clinging purring love machine – and they felt blessed by those last months. As Precious Miss needs patience and gentleness to bond to new people (and to agree to ingest food), she is a very lucky cat to have been chosen for this home. From living in a small downtown apartment, she has moved to the suburbs and now has an entire house to roam around in. (March 16, 2005)

For some mysterious reason, I keep forgetting to update you on the exciting fact that Cibou was adopted weeks ago by a friend of mine (who had already adopted a large mature male cat from me a couple of years ago – I do love a repeat adopter!). In the months following her arrival, Cibou put me and her vets through the wringer, emotionally and financially. She basically tried her best to waste away, purring all the while so that we were deluded into believing she was happy. Still, the scales don’t lie and the pounds were simply dropping off her. Her coat became dull and tatty and she looked like the poster cat for vitamin deficiency. Her eyes began to sink into her head in the manner of cats on the verge of death. In short, she was one sick mama, but all the tests and procedures failed to reveal what was wrong. In desperation, thinking she was perhaps depressed, I took her home for a bit of TLC and for a while all seemed well. She purred and played and greeted me at the door of her room, but I never actually caught her in the act of eating, so I eventually hauled out the scales and weighed her. Disaster! Thinner than ever, Cibou had to go back to the clinic and this time around she really crashed and we ended up at the university veterinary hospital in St Hyacinthe, where she racked up a bill of heroic proportions. We never found the source of her problem, but we ultimately pulled her through by force feeding her via a surgically implanted feeding tube. This recovery process took weeks, during which time her adopter visited her faithfully at the clinic and helped to pep her up to the point where she could finally go to her new home. Her adopter is now a great admirer of Maine Coons and praises Cibou’s outgoing personality and energetic play, and even the resident male cat has been rejuvenated by Cibou’s antics. All’s well that ends well, but I confess poor Cibou almost finished me off! (May 20, 2005)

These beautiful boys must be rehomed as soon as possible, as their owner’s newborn baby has a severe immune deficiency and must live in a house free of animals. Both cats are castrated males, fully declawed. Beautiful black Salem was born October 17, 2000, and is described as the ultimate lap cat. He talks back when spoken to and likes the smell of toothpaste (yes, he goes crazy when his owners brush their teeth). Ozzy the ravishing blue point Himalayan was born Easter weekend 2002 and is somewhat shy. He likes to be petted on his own terms, but enjoys being admired. Both cats are very attached to each other and like to lie in the sun, grooming each other. They must be adopted together. (February 28, 2005)

This is a pair of cats on whom fortune has smiled. First, they were taken in by a caring and devoted rescuer, then they were spotted on the web site (on the very day they were posted) by a caring and devoted cat lover who immediately adopted them both. Although their rescuer misses them, she admits they have landed in clover with their new human, and will enjoy taking possession of their spacious new premises. One particularly nice touch is that the rescuer was welcomed to accompany the cats on their trip to their new home to help settle them in, and has been invited to visit her former charges from time to time. Parting with animals, even for a very good reason and to a very good home, is not easy, and this kind of courtesy softens the blow. By the way, this is an adoption in which I have not actually met any of the protagonists, feline or human – long live the Internet!

Lucky Zoé was adopted a mere five days after her arrival and is now living in the Laurentians with an exquisite Egyptian Mau and two of the nicest humans you could wish to meet. I am posting her anyway just to show you that miracles sometimes happen. (February 21, 2005)

This pretty petite seal point female loves people and cats but draws the line very firmly at dogs, which she considers the scum of the earth. As she has recently joined a blended household that includes a dachshund, she is very stressed and unhappy, and is yearning for a canine-free home. Born in 2001, Zoé is spayed and fully declawed. (February 16, 2005)