HELLO FOREVER HOME!!!

I've been super concerned about Clarence all night. Not that I doubted "M" and her husband wouldn't be kind and good to our boy, but it's the usual nerves and worries that come with fostering and then having to let go. Needless to say I was super anxious to hear this morning how the remainder of yesterday and more importantly, overnight had gone for Clarence and his new family.

This is what I got email wise just afew mins ago.............

Evidently a new favorite chair for a new boy with a new name - he'll now be called Panda Bear by his family "Panda" for short.

We'll miss you sweetheart but we're so totally overjoyed to see you so happy already.

Happy Forever After!!!!

GOODBYE, GOOD LUCK!!!!

Right now Clarence is settling into a new home - yes that's right, our darling sweetheart finally had an adoption call that has worked out!! Mandy came over earlier today to meet him and we were pleasantly surprised at how friendly Clarence was with her. He stayed around and even went over for petting and chin scratches at one point. Her and her husband are retired and have all the time in the world to dedicate to our handsome friend.

So after 4 months waiting in a shelter and 4 months here at Safe Haven, we are delighted to see Clarence have a home of his very own.

A wonderful way to end the Easter weekend!

OPTIMISM!!

Even though it's been over 4 months that Clarence has been with us here the hopeful light that his forever family will eventually find him still burns brightly! The adoption inquiries for our sweet boy continue but no one has been the right fit for him as of yet.

We took some new pictures of him for his rescue website profile in the hopes that it would aide in showing people what a total hunk he is. Hope you like them..........

PARTY TIME

Wake up calls Safe Haven right now are 3:00am. That's what time Clarence starts banging on the door of his foster room to be let out (we've had to have him sleep in his room overnight due to the fact that he doesn't really get along with Silly). In the last couple of nights, we've tried leaving him out all night - he's very good until 3:00am; then they start fighting. Added to this is the fact that I'm a hardcore insomniac and even if I do manage to fall asleep, I sleep very lightly and so can be woken up by virtually a pin hitting the floor.

Normal wake up time is 4:00am but this hour earlier is literally killing me - I'm so exhausted this week I feel like the walking dead. Once I've managed to feed and water the troops, and clean litterboxes, it's time for self grooming. And this is what greets me every morning as I try to do makeup, hair and give room to hubby (we only have one bathroom); did I mention that our bathroom is 4x6 in total? For the better part of my getting ready, I'm sharing that space with 4 males!!!!!

Someone needs to tell these guys about a girl's need for private time.

READUSTMENT

It will be a week tomorrow that Clarence was returned and he's only now just settling back in. I'm not sure what went on in the week he was away, but he has seemed a lot more nervous and apprehensive with us up until just last night which you wouldn't really expect to be the case with a kitty that spent over two months here with us and was only away for a week.

Thankfully he was returned and this just makes us even more adamant that we will be extra super vigilant in vetting any further inquiries that may come to ensure he's not put through this again. With FIV+ kitties, stress can really wreak havoc and cause health issues that other healthier kitties won't experience, so it's super important that we ensure he's not put through any more undue stress for awhile. Of course, one half us continues to kick themselves that we ever let that man take him in the first place.

Just goes to show once again that no matter how many years you've been involved in rescue, you can still make mistakes, and still have lessons to learn.

BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT

Like with all adopters, I checked in with Clarence' new Dad the day after he took him home last Sunday to ensure everything was going smoothly so far. He sent lovely photos of Clarence lounging around his new home, not nervous or afraid, and seemingly loving life as an only pet. He had already been up on his new Dad's lap for a nap and everything seemed blissful - seemed being the operative word.

When Clarence arrived here at Safe Haven initially it was discovered that he liked to "jazz" the blankets or your feet if they happen to be under the blankets - another term commonly referred to as "humping". The behavior was discouraged from the outset and over the 8 weeks that he was here, it had certainly lessened in frequency. When the adoption inquiry came, we were completely upfront with "R" that Clarence did do this, and emphasized that he would want to discourage it as well. Turns out, that he wasn't as firm with Clarence as he should have been, and found himself being woken several times during the night by Clarence doing this on his bed. We suggested he had to be more firm and if that didn't work, than to place Clarence outside the bedroom for the night - he wrote back in a subsequent follow up email afew days later, that it worked the first night, but he abandoned it after that since he couldn't stand to listen to Clarence crying on the other side of the door. There was also the fact that Clarence was getting up on the kitchen counter when he wasn't home; although we gave him afew different ideas on how to curb this as well, he wrote to tell us that it was really grossing him out. The final straw came when I wrote last night to see how things were going, only to have him tell me that Clarence liked being "underfoot" (his word not ours), too much and it stressed him out when he was trying to cook in the kitchen. Needless to say, I instructed him to bring Clarence back to us immediately................

So my reading partner has returned. Looking very confused as to why he's back here instead of in his new home which he was thoroughly enjoying having to himself, both of us being very disappointed and feeling very guilty that we put him through the move, and our own boys looking somewhat perplexed as if to say "Really, Mom & Dad"?

Clearly this adopter loves the notion of having a cat but no tolerance for actually having one. Our hearts are heavy tonight that this darling sweetheart once again finds himself without a home of his home. Hopefully there is someone out there who will really want to love him forever - because he's waited far too long.

SPECIAL WINTERS DAY

Well I lost another reading partner today...........yes, that's right; our gorgeous boy Clarence had his forever home (and new Dad) come to get him today.

He's going to be an only pet which will suit him just fine AND he's gone to a really nice home where he will be spoiled rotten, of that we have no doubt. Clarence was here just over 8 weeks and we really grew to love him. This afternoon we give thanks that we were able to welcome him here and that all those months sitting in the shelter did not damage the friendly, affectionate, easygoing little guy that he is.

Like we've always maintained, there is a home for EVERY abandoned cat or dog and we thank every single person who opens their home to welcome them in!!