Page 4 - easel newsletter fall 2021

EASEL News: Fall 2021

Happy Tails:

Serendipity Leads to Furever Home for One Cat

perfect time” moment
For one shelter kitten, the chance at
a furever home was made possible by a occurred a few minutes
number of scenarios involving “the perfect later. Cara Latham, who
place at the perfect time.” helps manage the EASEL
In July 2021, the first “perfect place/ quarterly newsletter, and
perfect time” scenario unfolded for Gordon, a follower of the EASEL
a buff-colored tabby – estimated to be Facebook page, happened
between 8 and 12 months at the time he to scroll Facebook on her
was recovered. The Trap, Neuter, Return lunchbreak from work,
(TNR) volunteer cat team at EASEL was and saw the post.
called to a cat colony in Parlin, NJ to help Cara and her fiancée,
TNR a number of kittens and cats. While Tina Pastoressa, had been
most cases involve cats that have become passively considering
too accustomed to nature to be house pets, opening up their home
Gordon was different. to another cat after the
“When the TNR team responded to this passing of one of their
cat colony, we noticed Gordon was not like older cats, Max, about a
the others,” explains Lori Zorsh, EASEL’s lead year earlier. They already
adoption coordinator at PetSmart. “He was had a bunny and another
friendlier with the volunteers and seemed 7 ½ year old cat, Barkley,
to like the attention; it was clear he was not who had grieved his
born into this colony and had likely been friend for a long time and
a kitten who was abandoned by another who seemed a bit lonely Taylor is adjusting nicely in his furever home and bonding with his
person.” over the past year. new brother, Barkley (pictured with him below.)
He was brought back to EASEL, “We kept talking about
neutered, cared for, and eventually put up bringing in another cat, went right up to him, rubbed on him, and
for adoption after a couple of weeks. Lois especially since Barkley had wanted to be friends. A few days after that,
Martin, known as Cat Momma, happened done well with a family member’s cat when they had been playing together, sitting
to post a picture of Gordon to EASEL’s we cat-sat for her a number of times and together and have become great friends.
Facebook page. The next “perfect place/ seemed to be sad when the other cat went Barkley even enjoys grooming Taylor.
back home,” explains Cara. “We were
on the fence until I saw Gordon’s “Taylor is a mischievous cat, and a
picture on Facebook and texted a playful one, but he also has a very sweet
picture of him to Tina.” side,” says Cara. “About a week after we
Tina responded a few moments adopted him, I had to have surgery, and he
later, “Can we meet him?” For Cara, actually slept on the recliner with me for a
Tina’s enthusiasm turned to action. few days. I think he knew I wasn’t feeling
“There was just something about well.”
Gordon that spoke to us,” she says. Now, about a month later, “the boys”
“We reached out to EASEL, and as Cara and Tina refer to them have settled
immediately received a response into a pattern, and Taylor has also been
back asking if we wanted to meet curiously intrigued to interact with the
him that night at Petsmart.” couple’s bunny as well, which the couple
The rest is history: Cara and Tina plan on introducing over time.
immediately bonded with Gordon, “It’s almost like Taylor is the new
now Taylor, and the transition for resident to the town who just wants to be
Taylor and Barkley was better than friends with everyone,” says Cara. “I can’t
they had even hoped for. imagine why anyone would have dumped
At first, Barkley was unsure and him, but we are glad that he is with us now.
anxious, but when it was time for He fits here.”
to them to finally interact, Taylor

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