by Lupe Gore

Feral Paws Rescue Group in Fresno shares with us some of their animal rescue adventures every month. Check out KRL’s article about Feral Paws to learn more about them and check out their website.

One mission of Feral Paws Rescue after pulling cats from a high-kill shelter is to find the perfect home for the cats who are deemed adoptable. Some cats who come to the rescue are shy, fearful of their new surroundings, especially after losing the home they were accustomed to, and others are naturally friendly either to their human caretaker, other cats or both.

Jax and Jon are bonded brothers who were rescued from the CCSPCA (Fresno) in 2022 as juveniles. They are both all white, and the only way to tell them apart is the color of their eyes. One has golden eyes, the other has blue eyes. Both Jax and Jon are deaf which is not uncommon with all white cats, and the likelihood of a white cat being deaf rises substantially if the cat has blue eyes.

Jax and Jon were placed in a large kennel where they could eat and sleep together, and both were very playful so they were given toys inside their kennel. They knew when their caretaker was expected to come around with their food (they love wet food!) and pay attention to them. On a couple of occasions they got out of their kennel to roam around but quickly wanted to be back into their familiar surroundings. On one of these expeditions they became separated, so they looked to see where the other one had gone. It was a scary experience for their caretaker as she knew she couldn’t call them by name but learned that they could recognize some hand gestures such as to indicate for them to come to her. Thankfully they quickly returned where they belonged as it seemed they were both “lost” to be outside wandering around!

After a few months, Jax and Jon were moved to another part of the Rescue where the most adoptable cats are housed and given a “condo” of their own in the front where they could be the center of attention. Then one day last month a couple came who wanted to adopt them. This would be a very special home for Jax and Jon as the couple are both hearing impaired and wanted these two very lovable cats to be part of their home. It would be the perfect home! And so it was, love at first sight, and Jax and Jon are still together, and they are receiving all the care and love they deserve so much. And we know they will be kept safely indoors since the couple realizes what it is like not to be able to hear the noises around them.

Betty is a beautiful medium hair black cat who came to the Rescue in 2022, also from the CCSPCA (Fresno). She had been an owner surrender and is approximately three years old. Betty doesn’t like to be around other cats, so she was placed in a house by herself at the Rescue. Betty loves attention from her caretaker, however, and loves to watch everything going on around her. The Rescue received a request from a man in the Bay Area who was looking at her photo at the Rescue website, and said she reminded him of his beloved cat who had just passed away from old age. He definitely wanted Betty, so he made the long trip to Fresno and fell in love with her. Afterward he sent Feral Paws Rescue some photos of Betty, happily living the good life, in her new home where she has a huge cat tree and big windows to look outside.

Finding the perfect homes for the cats is so rewarding especially for those of us at the Rescue who care for these cats on a daily basis and become bonded with them. It’s sometimes a bittersweet moment to see them leave, especially if they’ve been at the rescue for a while, but at the same time, if we know the cats will be happy and loved, it’s what rescue is all about.

EMAIL: fprg.org@gmail[dot]com
Phone: 559-412-7226

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.