advoCATs and C & W Rustic Hollow Partner for "Hard to Adopt" Cats!

In 2009, advoCATs, Inc. lost our Madison, VA home. For the humans, it was a sad event. But for our cats, it was much more. It meant losing the playroom: the only home some of them had known for more than 10 years. Our cats charged us with finding a new home that was up to the high standards they knew and deserved! Thus began a search for a partner sanctuary to provide a permanent home for our long-term residents. We received many recommendations, as well as good wishes and loving support, including special financial support from many of our pet parents and friends to help offset the cost of the moves. In the Fall, we connected with the wonderful people at C & W Rustic Hollow in Nashua, Iowa. With the cats' approval, we got to know Carmen and Wanda and their family of staff and volunteers.

The cats sent two representatives to Iowa to give Rustic Hollow a personal look and report back! They arranged for Pat and Jennifer, two of our devoted volunteers, to fly out to Iowa and visit with Carmen and Wanda. Perched amid the boxes and carriers, the advoCATs kitties read Jennifer and Pat's dispatches with avid interest. They were incredibly impressed with the care and love that is showered upon the cats who have chosen to live at Rustic Hollow. The cats were intrigued with the different houses, the cat-centric furniture, even the video catnip available all day! Jennifer and Pat came back with a glowing report and the cats agreed. "Sign us up! Get moving! We're off to pack!" they said with a twitch of the tail.

Carmen, Wanda, and all the Rustic Hollow folks (two-legged and four-legged) were just as excited! The advoCATs inspired them to build a new house including a clinic. They started construction in the Fall, planning to pause for the Winter. In the meantime, they prepared a section of Sandy's Kitty Haven for the advoCATs. advoCATs and some of Rustic Hollow's cats would share the space (after formal introductions, of course) until the advoCATs' space is ready.

So, back in Madison, everyone got ready for the move. We collected carriers and arranged transportation. Everyone got a visit from Dr. J and her assistant Elizabeth in their Mobile Vet Clinic. By the end of October, advoCATs' cats were ready to go.

Moving day arrived. Saturday, October 17, 2009, was a cloudy, misty, and rainy day. Judy made the coffee and the donuts and cupcakes were set out. Carol, Donna, Pat and Judy started to get the playroom ready. Birgitta checked every carrier to be sure a litter box, a bed, and a cup was inside each one. Then she and Jess vacuumed and cleaned the Wade’s Cat Trees (the cat’s said they would not leave without their big Wade’s Condos). Before we knew it, it was lunch time! The cats snacked on kibble, the humans chose pizza.

After lunch it was time to start the next and very important step of this move: Putting each cat into a carrier, double checking identification, and loading the truck. Pat, Donna and Virginia got the first 14 cats from the camper into carriers. After the camper cats were ready the attention went to the Playroom cats. Carol and Virginia reviewed and checked every health record. Each cat was scanned, his or her microchip number called out, name and number verified with the health record and photo, and Carol wrote the number and the cat’s name on a 3 x 5 card and each card was taped to the carrier as each cat was settled in. The record was set aside and the carrier with cat inside was handed to Pat. Susan, our Cat Whisperer Extraordinaire, worked with our more anxious passengers: She caught the runners and coaxed the hissers and got this group of "special-ones" into their carriers. One-by-one we took each carrier up the little hill to the truck where Jennifer waited. One-by-one Jennifer put each carrier in-side the truck. Jennifer had put large pieces of carpet on the floor and a towel, pad, small rug or blanket was wrapped around the bottom part of each carrier, ensuring that each carrier and cat would be stable throughout the trip and not slip or slide around.

At the same time, Doug, Dick, and Reynolds got the many supplies and furniture from the storage locker: chairs, refrigerator, tables, baby scale, medical supplies, steel medical cages, and, of course, the cats' beloved condos, and loaded up two SUVs and two U-Haul trailers that would follow the cats to their new home. Donna and Judy packed more boxes with toys, small beds, litter and litter boxes, food, dishes--all the cats' things they would need to make Rustic Hollow their new own.

Once Jennifer and Pat made sure all the cats were settled and secured in the truck, and the U-Hauls were locked, the cats were wished good luck and a safe journey.

David and Carol had picked-up the truck in Dumfries and driven it to Madison the day before. Ventilation was of some concern so a carbon monoxide detector was installed. David and Danny arrived in Madison at about 4pm on Saturday, under still cloudy skies and just as Jennifer had finished loading everyone. One last look was made at the cats all safely in place and ready for their long journey. When David looked at all the little faces peaking at him through the doors of their carriers he realized the magnitude of the responsibility that lay before him and Danny. Forty eight little lives entrusted to his and Danny’s care to safely transport them non-stop half way across the country. David and Danny made a second check to be sure the records and pictures were on board, that the carbon monoxide detector and walkie-talkie (one part attached to the detector and one part kept in the cab to be heard should there be any problem with ventilation) were working and the door was closed and locked. They got into the cab, buckled their seat belts and at exactly 4:45pm, with a little sunshine breaking through the clouds offering the beauty of an early fall sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains, David started the engine and advoCATs cats left their home in Madison, VA for good. The 22-hour drive would take them across six states to the far northeast corner of Iowa. Every few hours the cats were checked and David said each time he opened the door one kitty would start to meow with everyone else joining until their voices reached a crescendo - as if they wanted to reassure David and Danny saying "we are all doing great." As each state line was crossed a call was made back to Madison reaffirming that all was well.

Twenty two hours after leaving Madison, Danny and David and their precious passengers arrived to the warm greetings of Carmen, Wanda, and all the wonderful folks at C & W Rustic Hollow. Every AdvoCAT was welcomed and carried into their new home. Some came right out of their carriers, exploring every nook, cranny, and corner. Others took their time, settling in slowly. Carmen couldn't believe how well everyone settled in: "I just was so impressed at how calm and collected they all were. Ready to explore their new 'digs' and all my worries and fears (and YOURS Too) were put to rest as soon as I saw all those wonderful faces looking at us as if to say, 'HI! It's time for some 'out' time. Let's go!'"

Doug, Susan, Pat, and Dick arrived just in time to see the truck leave. They unloaded the Wade's Trees and other supplies. The advoCATs were already "home" and greeted the four volunteers with thankful purrs, happy to see their Kitty Condos again.

Now the AdvoCATs are part of the C & W community. They get long visits from volunteers who play with them, brush them, care for them, and continue the high style to which they are accustom! They get regular mentions in the newsletter, especially Mr. Bigglesworth, Cinder, and Macy (who went home with Ms. Wanda). The AdvoCATs villa will be ready in the Spring, and we're looking forward to visiting.

Meanwhile, back in Madison, it was time to locate and trap the feral colony and prepare for their move to Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) in Aldie, VA. These cats are “good friends” and usually stayed close together, coming into the garage for dinner, sheltering overnight, and coming in when the weather turned cold. They expected no less than we had done for the playroom cats: They needed to know they'd be safe, secure, and comfortable in their new home, too. We moved a sizeable insulated shed was to FOHA and secured it by purchasing and installing a cat-safe fence.

The task of capturing the colony, one cat at a time, went smoother than had been expected. Heavy logging on the property disturbed the cats' routines and sense of home and security. They had scattered and were not spotted during the day time playing in the woods or meandering about the property. It took time, patience, and motion-sensing technology to find out the best way to catch these clever kitties. Have-A-Heart traps were set with food inside to entice them. Over two nights all but one cat was safely captured and transferred to a large puppy crate for a safe stay until their move to FOHA. On November 12, six cats were transported without event from Madison to Aldie and transferred to their new enclosed quarters. Only V.C., a trap-savvy and worldly-wise cat, remained on the property. Finally, one day V.C. practically walked into a carrier for his transport to FOHA. Having said his final goodbye to the land he roamed, V.C. and two other cats that had been returned to us, Oliver and Murphy, were transferred to FOHA on November 25th.

During all of this, Marlene worked on our grant proposals. Liz cared for our littlest rescues. All that remained was to transfer the kittens and young cats from the playroom to foster homes in Northern Virginia and Maryland. These cats are showered with love and attention as they await their forever, loving homes.

Like advoCATs, C & W Rustic Hollow and Friends of Homeless Animals are non-profit organizations dedicated to the care of homeless cats and kittens. Rustic Hollow focuses on special needs and hard to adopt cats, offering them a permanent home to live out their days in comfort. FOHA operates a sanctuary along with active adoptions in Northern Virginia. As you're considering an animal welfare organization to support, we hope you'll add them to your giving list. You can even sponsor an advoCAT! Visit http://www.rustichollowshelter.org/donations/ and http://www.foha.org/main.asp?id=76 for more information.

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