Cats of the Week: KITTENS!

Julia D Cat of the Week

They’re adorable. They’re playful. They will entertain you for hours. THEY ARE KITTENS!

We have plenty of kittens ready NOW for adoption. Different colors and personalities but all are precious. The kittens we’re highlighting today are:

Gemma: Black and white. Gets along with all humans, cats, and dogs. Very playful and receptive to being picked up and held. Loves to cuddle up with her foster humans at night. About four months old.

Jackson: Black and white. About six months old.

Leprechaun: Orange. Still living with some littermates and mom. They get the zoomies and run all over the house together. About six months old.

Hazel (Haze): Male, brown tabby. Loves to play and loves kids especially. Would do great in a home with a dog or with a cat that likes to wrestle. About five months old.

Jon Snow: Brown tabby. Loves to play with toys and wrestle with his brother, Bran. They would make a great pair if you’re looking to add two kittens to your home. About five months old.

Bran: Brown tabby. Jon Snow’s brother. The two of them will keep you in stitches and on your toes as they explore their home and play with each other. About five months old.

Ziggy: Brown tabby. Will sit and look out the window for hours. About seven months old.

Dottie: Black and white. Adorable, sweet kitten. About seven months old.

Jenny: Tortoiseshell. Spunky and fun. Loves humans and to climb as high as she can get. About six months old.

If any of these kitties sound like a good fit for your home, please complete an adoption application HERE. Their adoption fee is $100 (you get a discount if you adopt two!) and includes spay/neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

Dog of the Week: Velma

Julia D Dog of the Week

My name is Velma and I’m a black and tan coonhound.  I’m a perfectly sized lady, around 65 pounds, but I’m sure I carry most of my weight in my nice floppy ears!  I like to sunbathe outdoors, and I would love a home with a fenced yard that I can patrol and catch all sorts of good sniffs.  I am learning to love toys, especially soft toys that I can kill and find the squeakers! I LOVE walks, so much so that I get excited and bark while I walk…it’s pretty cute.  I wouldn’t mind sharing a home with other laid back dogs my size. I have a friend at Last Hope, Copper a male coonhound, and we do great playing outside together. So if you have a dog already, let me meet them and see how we get along.  I have been known to be protective of my food and water bowl in a home setting, so I’d prefer an owner who can give me my own safe space like a nice big kennel to eat in. I do take some daily medicines, and I’ll need these long term, but you should know that I do have a few allergies – including peanut butter! I don’t mind a home with older kids (12+ please), especially if they like to go for walks and cuddle up afterward.

Velma’s adoption fee is $250 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you’d like to add a goofy coonhound to your life, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Cat of the Week: Bandit

Julia D Cat of the Week

When Bandit came to us we couldn’t even look at him without him being pressed up against the back of the kennel trying to get away. He was extremely unsocialized when we pulled him from a bad hoarding situation but, every day would get better and the hissing would eventually stop when he was fed or his box cleaned. Until one day when he learned to trust and scratches are a good thing, he has been a whole different cat. He will come up to you and want to be petted and loved. Bandit knows now what love is and he loves it. Bandit may take a few steps back when going into a new house but we are sure he will adjust quickly. He may do better with another cat in the home to follow their ways (we have a few of Bandit’s friends that need to be adopted as well). He loves playing with toys that have feathers or balls with bells that he can push around. Bandit does get a little scared if you walk up to him too fast or pet him if he doesn’t see you first. Bandit has come so far and we would love to see him get a home.

Bandit’s adoption fee is $100 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If you’d like to open your home to this great guy, please complete an adoption application HERE.

 

Dog of the Week: Leon

Julia D Dog of the Week

Meet Leon! This x-large hunk of a husky-malamute mix is looking for an owner that is very familiar with his breed mix. Leon is goofy and is sure to make you laugh!  He will entertain himself, even if that means tossing a toy around on his own and chasing after it (we’ve caught him doing this a few times out in the yard).    Leon’s previous owner did not work with him on leash walking, kennel training, or other routines.  Leon does keep his kennel clean, and we find him to do well on a leash although he does enjoy “watering” every bush he passes! A routine for Leon that includes exercise and playtime will make for a happy companion! Leon would be fine living with another playful dog, we would love to see him with another husky or malamute mix!  No cats please and children over 5 years old only.

Leon’s adoption fee is $250 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you’d like to meet this handsome guy, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Happy Tail: Janey (FKA Zoey)

Julia D Happy Tails

Ellen recently adopted a cat from Last Hope and she graciously agreed to share her Happy Tail. Here is the story in her words:

I adopted a cat from Last Hope in early May. About a month into quarantine, I decided things were a little too quiet and it was time to get a kitten to join me and my 18 year old cat. I contacted a number of rescues about the kind of cat I thought would be a good fit — a younger kitten that was good with other cats, cuddly with people but happy to cede my lap to the senior cat, playful but not totally bonkers. Last Hope put me in touch with three different foster families and a couple of rescue volunteers to talk about different cats in their care. They ended up suggesting I meet Zoey, a cat I hadn’t even noticed on their website, along with a couple more I was interested in. They take thorough COVID precautions so the Adoption Center visit felt totally safe. I walked in and Zoey came running right up to me. She was an adorable little thing and they were exactly right about her being the cat for me. I brought her home right then, and changed her name to Janey, in honor of the 1890s progressive reformer Jane Addams (I’m a history teacher).

She settled in immediately, cuddling, playing, and, once she realized she was fast enough to escape the room where I was trying to keep her to do a slow introduction between the two cats, exploring the house. Last Hope really had listened to my situation and concerns and they found me the perfect kitten to breathe some new life into my little household without driving my elderly cat up the wall. It took the older cat a couple of weeks to come around, but Janey was completely unbothered by her new sister’s hissing and yowling. She’s now a full-grown 1-year-old. She loves nothing more than bounding into my room for snuggles first thing every morning, napping with my other cat, chasing bugs, and she even plays fetch! She has tons of personality, and she makes me laugh every day.

It sounds like a great match! Thank you, Ellen, for sharing your story and for choosing to rescue. We’re so glad things have worked out so well.

Cat of the Week: Owen

Julia D Cat of the Week

Meet Owen! Owen is the perfect cat for just about any home. He is a quiet and relaxed cat. He loves his cat tower to curl up in as well as anyone’s lap. Owen also likes the windowsill on a sunny day. Owen loves to sleep but will wake up once you start to pet him, and oh, his purrs are so cute! Owen would do well in a home with other cats, although he may not bother with them much.

Owen’s adoption fee is $85 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If Owen seems like the cat for you, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Dog of the Week: Sheena

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hi there! My name is Sheena and I am a spayed female 1-year-old cattle dog mix. I have energy and then some more energy. I love to play fetch, though that sometimes does turn into a tug-of-war. I love going for long walks and playing in the water. I get along well with other dogs, but would not be good in a home with cats. I do need to be properly introduced to other dogs, so this will be an important skill for my new owner to have. I am probably best suited to dogs my size or larger. Once I am in a home it takes me a bit to get used to strangers that come in, but I do well after I get used to them. I have a lot of love to give to a new human family, I hope you’re ready for kisses because I can be a real lover!   Sheena is seeking an adopter who has working breed experience, or who has a strong familiarity with dogs who can be fearful and reactive of strangers. She is not a fit for apartment living.

Sheena’s adoption fee is $ 250 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you’re an active person with good dog experience and Sheena seems like a good fit for your lifestyle, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Volunteers of the Month: Storm Clean-Up

Julia D Volunteer of the Month

Between COVID-19 and the derecho that hit us on August 10th, this year has been a doozy! But through it all, and when we need them the most, there are volunteers who answer the call for help. This month our volunteer heroes are all the people who came out to the Adoption Center after the derecho to clean up all the debris.

While many of these volunteers were trying to clean up their own lawns and homes, they came together to help the animals in our care. Our sign was broken, fences were blown down, dog items were strewn over the yard, and trees branches were knocked down.

We also lost power like most of Cedar Rapids but had the responsibility to still provide a safe and comfortable home for the pets who call the Center home. Volunteers were setting up battery-operated fans in an effort to cool down the cats and dogs inside the hot building. Ultimately it was decided we needed a generator but until that was put into place, the volunteers did their best to keep it comfortable for the pets.

This clean up was not easy; there was heavy lifting and dirty jobs involved but the volunteers who came out to help didn’t let that deter them. They pitched in and got the job done and for that, we are very grateful.

Cat of the Week: Tuffy

Julia D Cat of the Week

Tuffy… A sweet orange Tabby & white boy who we suspect has had a tough life, yet this sweet soul wants nothing more than to be loved on, petted, and treated with kindness – for which he will reward you with the most endearing, rumbling purr that will just grab your heart!  He will hold a nice conversation with you and you’ll hear him purring clear across the room to let you know he loves being with his family! He is about 8 years old and was found by a kind cat-loving person in an area of Cedar Falls. He had horrific injuries on his back and it required some surgery and many stitches, and he also had a hole in his leg!  Through all of that, he has remained loving and so appreciative of the loving care he has been given.  He will make someone a very loving and sweet companion! Since being rescued, we have found out he is very sweet with both cats & DOGS!  Perhaps he also had feline and canine friends in his past life, but with proper introduction, we feel this boy will be a great match for just about any family!!  What more could you ask for!?

Tuffy’s adoption fee is $85 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, and a microchip with lifetime registration.

If you think this great guy would fit into your life and home, please complete an adoption application HERE.

 

Dog of the Week: Duke Lewis

Julia D Dog of the Week

Meet Lewis (aka Duke Lewis). Lewis is as sweet as they come. He is estimated to be around 1.5 years old and weighs 60 lbs. He is potty trained and crate trained. He loves people and loves playing with other dogs. His favorite ways of playing with dogs are wrestling, playing tug of war, and “chase” so a dog his size would be best. He also thinks he is a lap dog, so be ready for a snuggle buddy when you sit down on the couch!   Lewis has a lot of energy, because of this he would love to live with a dog friend but would be fine as an only dog as long as he gets exercise. He goes on regular walks with his foster family and dogs. He loves walks and walks well with a harness. He knows how to sit, lay down and come. He is very food motivated and eager to learn.

His adoption fee is $250 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccines and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you’re active and Duke Lewis sounds like the dog for you, please complete an adoption application HERE.