CatNap From The Heart

Jalmer

Hi - I'm Jalmer. I am a senior citizen (14+ years) and was adopted by Marge and Clyde Gourley in Ozark, Missouri. All of their other kitties were adopted from CatNap. The Gourley's knew that it would be hard to find a permanent home for me because of my senior status. While visiting CatNap they decided to take me back to Missouri to their new retirement home. I love it here! I have five other playmates and a wonderful home where I live. They have a great enclosed sunroom where I rest; and also four beautiful bedrooms - I can take my pick. You have another story on the Happy Tails (Alumni) page with Sugar Cookie who is also one of my playmates. Please continue to go to CatNap and adopt other kitties like me.

Bella Sophia

We adopted Bella Sophia (Sophie for short) who was previously named Petunia. She is having a ball in her new home and as you can see, makes herself quite comfortable ... even in a shopping bag!

Smokey and Scamper

Here's a picture of Smokey and Scamper (previously Sonny and Shade) all grown up. We adopted them in August of 2005 when they were four months old. As you can see they love each other very much. What's really neat is that they really love our children (7 and 9) and are very patient and loving with them. It was a rough first couple of months. The kitties were so scared they would hide in the basement and not come out. It gradually got better and now they seem very happy. We are happy too! Scamper is bigger and loves to be in the middle of everything. He especially loves to "help" when you're using the computer. Smokey is less sociable, but he rarely spends time in the basement now and he does have his cuddly moments. They play really hard together and it is comical to watch. Scamper is becoming more open to strangers. Smokey still disappears like smoke the second a stranger walks in the door. He doesn't come out until the coast is clear. Thank you CatNap for two wonderful kitties. We love having them as part of our family.

Mr. Bo-Jangles

We wanted to give an update on the kitten we adopted. His full name is Mr. Bo-Jangles, but we call him Bo. It took a lot of work and patience to get Bo comfortable with us and the new house. There was a month of letting him hide most of the day. Just about any movement scared him. But now that he is comfortable, he is the most wonderful cat. All he wants is love and attention (he will also do ANYTHING for food). He wants to be around people all the time. When he's not, he is with his other two friends, Layla and Jackson. He is definitely the closest to Layla, but she looks at him as a little brother. They all have their fun together, but Bo never wants to stop the fun. This can get Layla a little mad at her little pest of a brother, but they truly love each other. Bo also never really meows. Instead he chirps. It is a mixture of an insect noise and a bird. It is the most unique thing we have ever heard. He is an all around one-of-a-kind cat and we love him. Thank you for everything.

Hotsie, Totsie and Buddy

Hotsie, Totsie, AND Biscotti are all living happily together! Thanks to CatNap Director Bobbi Meyers' cat matching abilitities, Hotsie and Totsie were a great fit for Buddy! Buddy is quite and laid back and it did take him a while to realize that the girls are very rambunctious and playful. He scooted away from them initially, but there was only a little hissing, not even much noise. But, now that the three of them play together, it's VERY noisy! They love running up and down the stairs and through the house- like a herd of elephants! When they get tired, they claim the bed ... see the picture. Hotsie is the queen, Totsie is second in command, and Buddy happily defers to both of them- he just seems to be really content now that he has playful companions. The adoption of all three has worked out really well!

Cleo and Cinnamon
Cleo and Cinnamon were adopted during the CatNap Holiday Open House. The "foster dad" was at the shelter when the adoption took place which made a great situation for the new family and for the foster family! Here are some pictures of the litter, and the two happy adoptees in their new home!

Otis (AJ)
Just a note to let you know that Otis ,formerly known as "AJ" is doing great! Bobbie, you picked the right personality of kitten for us. He is so full of energy and curiosity. He NEVER stops!! He tires my five month old Priscilla (tortie) and even has eight year old Phoebe (tortie) running around the house playing! One of the kittens I adopted from Cat Nap last year, Slyvester (tuxedo,aka Jeeves) rolls around wrestling with him! Then they cuddle up together. He really gets along great with everyone. When he finally does tire, he runs under the covers to sleep. He is just wonderful!!! A big time snuggler!!! He is sitting on my shoulder ,watching as I write this................ Gotta go......time to cuddle Otis. Thanks so much!!!! Gale

Jasmine (Betty)
We just wanted to tell you that Jasmine (Betty) is the best and we love her very much. We adopted her from Catnap end of September 2005 and she is such a wonderful addition to our family. Mia, our two year old, and Jasmine don't leave each others side from eating to bathing each other to napping. Thanks to the suggestions of the very wise Bobbie, little Jasmine is doing wonderfully in her new home.
We can't thank you enough.
Love~ Tara and John

Merlin
Merlin has been a part of our family for one year as of September 10, 2005. We stopped into CatNap just to take a look as we had lost one of our cats to cancer shortly before that. Our other cat, Mandy, needed a friend. We gave a description of Mandy and Merlin was recommended as a good companion for her. It turned out to be an accurate assessment. They are either playing together or Merlin knows when to stay out of Mandy's way. The photo is of Merlin after he has been playing ball, at which he is a very good "fetcher." He refuses to keep the ball too far from his eyesight, even when napping. We are so glad you introduced us to Merlin! Thank you - Eric B and Lisa H

Molar

Hi! I adopted my cat - whom I call "Molar" at the Backer Pet Show two years ago. He is living very well with his brothers - Mr. Fang and Leo. He loves to snuggle and is very nosey and a huge busy-body when he wants to be. He loves to greet me with a kiss after I arrive home from work. Thank you so much for offering a wonderful kitten! - Susan S-S
Molar is the kitty on the left!

Dear CatNap kitties:
I’ve been informed that you were inquiring how my new home is working for me…well, did you really expect me to be treated as an ordinary everyday cat? Well, I am being treated like a queen who does what she wants when she wants. And if I don’t feel like doing anything, I’ll just meow until I convince my new Mom it’s time for her to sit in her recliner with me. My palace also has an electric water fountain just for me and a three-tier play house that I can sit on or hide in. I’ve also been to the groomer and the vet and everyone agreed I was healthy, cute and absolutely divine with my new hair cut. It’s lunch time here, so I am going to have to run; so take care and I hope you guys find a home with a Mom as first class as I have!
Love Daphne (and Mom)

Dear CatNap:
Thank you so much for our new kitten, we love him very much. We have named him Quigley (after the Australian cowboy) because of his bowed front legs. Quigley is happy and healthy and getting along with his two kitty sisters, Minerva and Amala. We will send you a picture when we have one. Thank you.
Erin and Gary K.

Dear CatNap:
My name is Jeremy B. and we adopted Benji. I’m writing today to tell you that we are VERY happy with our new cat, Benji and he’s happy to be living with our family. I would like to tell you he’s a great cat. Although he eats a lot. He gets along great with our cat Lady. He’s a gentleman. He let’s Lady eat first before he eats. He follows me everywhere I go. He loves to play. THANK YOU.
Your Friend, Jeremy
P.S. His new name is Socks.

Sugar Cookie
Hi! I'm Sugar Cookie, the good looking kitty on the right. I was adopted in July, 2005. I am doing fine in my new home in Ozark, MO. I have four other playmates, but I especially love Charlie (left in the picture), who is my best playmate. My owner, Marge and Clyde have been so good to me. I get to sleep at the bottom of their bed, go out to their enclosed screened porch. Please continue to go to Catnap and adopt, so all the kitties can get a good home like me!

Eggnog and Rumcake
We are doing great in our new home. We have lots of toy mice to play with, and other furry things. We had to make a few adjustments when we first got here but we have it all straightened out now. Our owner Debbie has been really happy with us. We get lots of loving from her and we think she really has fun with us! Our owner has told everyone about Catnap and told them it is the best place to go looking for a cat.

Ozzie
During his first few weeks at home, Ozzie displayed all of the characteristics of a “scaredy cat”, running to hide under the bed at any small noise or disturbance. After some encouragement and time for him to become accustomed to his new home, Ozzie has definitely taken over the house as his own. He adores his humans and also tries to adopt more humans which may visit the house.

Ozzie is a very playful and affectionate cat, who enjoys games of fetch with his mice; loves to watch the birds from the back porch; or likes to have his belly scratched while he lies on his back with all four paws in the air.

One would think that cats are rather coordinated for the most part, but not Ozzie. He will chase after a toy mouse running head on into the furniture along the way, or roll off your lap while he is being pet. All his quirky traits aside, all of us in the family love him dearly and are very thankful he has become part of our family!

This is Sesshoumaru on the left, formerly known as Huey. He is doing great, happy with his new buddy LemonJello. on the right. Occasionally they play-wrestle, stopping before things get too rough, and chasing each other around only to flop somewhere and pretend they were resting the whole time. He adores chasing and destroying toy mice now, which is how he earned his new name, Sesshoumaru (Japanese for "The Killing Perfection"). Generally he now answers to Sesshy or "The Fluff".

He seems quite happy and very active, and charms everyone he meets -- , the family, the vet, the neighbors, everyone adores him. He and Jello are both so sweet! When no one is looking, the boys even groom each other!

Guinness is relaxed in his new home with his new friend Mina. Guinness' owners, Charlie and Samantha report that they can actually tell the two cats apart! Guinness quickly adjusted to his new home and continues to bond with his new friend Mina. Charlie and Samantha predict many happy years of cuddling in warm, sunny spots for this spotted pair!

Kimo (aka Buff)

Meet Buff. Buff is one of the sweetest cats to come to CatNap. It was no wonder he found a forever home in such a short time.

His new owners are calling him Kimo, but Buff will let them know if he likes the new name. Cuddles might become a new name options, since during his first night home, Buff / Kimo spent most of his time cuddling and purring up a storm!

Charlie, the dog, is soon to meet the new addition, and hopefully they will become fast friends!

Max and Zoe
We are Max and Zoe. Our new owner adopted us in November and says we are a real joy! We aren't sure what that means, but we sure are happy in our new home!

Harry, Henry and Mable
Hi! My name is Mable, and I, along with two little boy kittens were adopted in October. Our names at CatNap were Mickey, Roy and Lisa Marie. Our new owners spent a lot of time choosing us, and thanks to the helpful folks at CatNap, we found a new home! Harry and Henry are inseparable and when they run through the house they sound like thunder! I like to join in their fun but I'm no match for their hi-jinks. As a matter of fact, the two orange tabbies featured in the latest CatNap newsletter look just like Harry and Henry did when we were all little!

All in all, we're really good kitties. We’ve had some breakage with all our fun and games, but we give our family so much joy and pleasure (and a few laughs) that they haven't been upset with us.

We were all neutered/spayed, but we were not de-clawed. It’s worked out really well. Our new owners bought us a great scratching post from our vet (pretty pricey) but we really love it and it works. One of these days we’ll e-mail you a picture of the whole family as soon as we figure out how to do that.

I'm Emma (form. Marble) and my pal Tiger, the handsome orange and white fellow. I'm so happy to have found my forever home. I hope all my pals at Catnap find their forever homes too!!!

    My name is Mary Jo Downey. I adopted the cats in the picture last year in January. I thought you would like to see a picture of them in their new home. I have named them Cali Goldent Pie the brown cat and Cupid Hartman Lupid is the White cat.
    They are great Cali is very lovable and always gives me hugs. She is very social with anyone who comes in my home. They play with each other and sleep with each other all the time. Cali always has to sit by me if she is not sitting on me.
    Cupid is so much fun to watch. He plays all the time he follows me all over the place, if I get up there is cupid behind me. He likes his scratching post. He is always looking for something to do. I have toys for both of them.
    They are very social and are very happy to see people when I have visitors. They are very good and have made me very happy.

We adopted "Brown Bear" on Sunday, Feb 21 at the Lincoln State Cat Club show in Oak Lawn. Just wanted to let you know that he is now "HRH Prince Hairy". Hairy, in little more than 24 hours of being in his new home, has made himself very much part of the family. He meows for attention and paws with his little feet when he wants petting - which is often, and we are happy to give it to him. He is eating, drinking, using the litter box, and already wanting to leave the isolation room and join the rest of the family. He goes to our vet tomorrow morning for his checkup, and to make sure his occasional teary eyes are okay. We may need drops from time to time. We will send you a photo - before and after - in the near future, and let you know how he is doing. He is a little love, and we are already nuts about him. Thank you for your care of, not only our new boy, but all the furbabies entrusted to you.

     My beloved cat Billy was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and I had to have him euthanized on November 4. It was heartbreaking. Billy was only 12 and very sensitive, very affectionate. I wasn't the only one who missed him terribly. Bill was the emotional hub.   He and my temperamental calico, Charlotte, groomed one another and took naps together. He and Joey, my big gray and white tom, wrestled and boxed.   Billy's untimely passing left a terrible void. Joey especially was behaving differently, not eating at his regular time, not letting me out of his sight, etc. So I decided to look for a third cat to help snap us all out of our doldrums.
     I came upon Catnap from the Heart through Petfinder.com. There were many Catnap cats profiled, and impulsively I decided to adopt one the day before Thanksgiving. My reasoning was that I'd have the long weekend to make sure the new addition would get along with Joey and Charlotte.
     The weather conspired against me. While it was dry and sunny when I left my Loop office, it was dark and wet and snowy when I arrived at the shelter. I was soaked, and the wind had blown so much snow into my new Samsonite cat carrier that it would take a blower and several towels to dry it out. Still though, I was at the shelter and decided to get to know the cats.
     Bobbi Meyers recommended Houdini to me. A skinny beige stray, about 8 months old, he was lively, healthy and got along well with other cats. I thought Houdini might just be the infusion of excitement and energy Charlotte, Joey and I needed.
     I filled out the adoption paperwork and called a cab. Between the snow and the heavy traffic to the airport for Thanksgiving, the wait for the cab was more than an hour. It gave me more time to get to know my new cat and become more comfortable with Catnap from the Heart. The staff is busy and compassionate. Considering what fate might have befallen the cats, hamsters and birds I saw that day, they are very lucky to have found themselves at Catnap.
     I finally got my new kitten home a full 7 hours after I left my Loop office. It was a long, but rewarding day. The kitten and Joey became fast friends. Charlotte was a bit slower to accept him, but since she's the house diva, that was to be expected.
     I was in and out on Thanksgiving but I spent that Friday bonding with the new cat and making sure he got along with his new sibs. When he wasn't chasing Joey around or checking out the view from each of my windows, the new cat was laying on my chest, nuzzling my chin while I watched the LAW & ORDER MARATHON on TNT. So that's why he has been rechristened Reynaldo -- after Benjamin Bratt's brash detective, Reynaldo Curtis.
     Rey is now a member of our family. He isn't a replacement for Billy -- no cat could be, and life doesn't work that way. But he has helped Joey, Charlotte and I move ahead.
           Sincerely,
           Laurie H

Oreo

At CatNap, Oreo had waited for a long time to find the right humans who would understand her. Because her eyes were sensitive to light, she often appeared to be squinting when people came to the shelter to look at the cats for adoption. She was always passed over.
     But Shelley and Cheryl Boscamp could see the love in Oreo’s eyes. As soon as they saw her, they knew she was the kitty they were meant to have. Shelley renamed her Cookie in honor of Shelley’s late Grandmother. Now, Cookie rules the Boscamp household as the only pet.
     Shelley writes, “The little princess is doing wonderfully! Cookie has become accustomed to our schedules so she is always ready to talk and talk when we are up and about. She is quite vocal! She greets us at the door when we come in, and she is very friendly with visitors.
     We are pleased with little Cookie and with the service Cat Nap gave to us. We have even recruited a friend to donate to Cat Nap! Thanks so much for featuring Cookie’s success story!”
           Sincerely,
           Shelley and Cheryl Boscamp

I came home with one of the CatNap volunteers as a foster kitten. I was found on LaGrange Road after somebody threw me out a car window. I was really scared, but luckily I was not injured. My foster family had been looking for a companion for their Siamese cat, but so far, they had not found a cat that the Siamese did not hiss and scream at! I was a bit nervous at first, and I had my own room for a while. One day, I met the Siamese cat. She was really nice. We became very good friends. Then it came time for me to go back to CatNap. I don't think my family really wanted me to leave them. I was really scared at the shelter. Meanwhile, back at my foster home, my new friend the Siamese spent the day howling in every room of the house looking to find me. By the end of the day, I was back at my foster home, which is now my forever home! My Siamese friend and I like to take long naps together and play for hours. I hope more cats end up as lucky as I did.
PS I'm the good looking one on the left in the picture above!

One of the volunteers at the Barker Shop benefit for CatNap wanted her mom to adopt a cat. Anita Post had recently lost Sophie, her wonderful Basset companion of nine years. Anita was lonely, but she was not sure if she was ready for another animal friend.

Enter Poseidon, an adult Russian blue who had come to CatNap and was looking for a home where he would be forever loved. Anita met the grey cat and decided he was just the company she needed. Her only concern was that she lived on the 41st floor of a lakefront condo in downtown Chicago, and she hoped her new friend was not afraid of heights.

It turns out that Harry, Poseidon's new identity, loves the view. He also loves Anita and follows her from room to room. He gladly comes when he is called, and he cries when he does not know where his mom is.

Harry and Anita are a match. Harry sleeps curled up beside Anita and wants to be near her at all times. Good luck Harry and Anita. We are glad you found each other

I'm Casper. I found a new home through CatNap. I am really happy to be with my new family. I am very playful and have made life-long friends in my new home. I was scared at first, but I soon realized that my new family was really nice. Now, I am very outgoing and am having lots of fun!