Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:00 am Post subject: My visit to the "No Kill" animal shelter |
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Last week, my dh and I were discussing adopting a new cat since our dear old Crazy kitty had to be put to sleep a few months ago.
So I went to the "no kill" shelter for cats to find the perfect one. OMG, to my shock there were over 85 cats roaming around in a run-down house used as a cat shelter.  The caretakers are volunteers, lovers of cats.
All the time I was there, I had a lump in my throat, I was almost in tears. So many beautiful and some not so beautiful (thanks to some cruel person) creatures of God there and no-one to love them. *It was so sad*
As I tried to walk through the house, I was stopped by many paws reaching out to touch me in hopes of receiving a loving pat or skritch on their heads. Some followed me entwining themselves through my legs. If I sat down, I had not one, but 4 or 5 lap kitties searching for love. I was there for 4 hours.
*How could I pick just one?"
After visiting another "no-kill" shelter and spending all of my free time and days off work grooming, stroking, skritching at least 150 cats, I managed to pick one.
Please meet Oliver, our new Maine Coon furbaby. He is such a charmer! 
Our Maine Coon baby - Oliver ( photo / image / picture from Canadian Chelsea's Garden )
Oliver August 17, 2009 ( photo / image / picture from Canadian Chelsea's Garden )
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eileen
 Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18528
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:11 am Post subject: |
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What a handsome fellow Oliver is Chelsea. I think you've picked the perfect companion and he certainly looks right at home already. 
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:46 am Post subject: |
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He is handsome, isn't he?
I am so in love with this cat, Eileen. He is gentle, affectionate, curious, has beautiful markings, a total sweetheart. Oliver has captured my heart. I am only his foster parent here on a trial basis to see if he fits in. Even after only 2 days, I am pretty sure he has found his permanent home.
Do you know anything about Maine Coon cats? From what I have read, they are notably a great cat to have. Not only are they extremely affectionate, they have a gorgeous coat of fur and grow really, really BIG.
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:49 am Post subject: |
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He's lovely, CC... he's the luckiest fellow in the world right now to get to come live with you. I've known a few Maine coons and they've all been total loves -- and really BIG. They often have 5 toes on their front paws -- does Oliver? Also his coloring is what my vet calls a brown tabby and she says they are the friendliest cat to have. Apparently some temperament characteristics can go along with coloration. My Austin is a brown tabby and he is definately the sweetest cat I've ever had.
I'd be interested in Eileen's opinion on that too -- after her experiences as a vet nurse.
Anyway, congrats to you guys and Oliver!!! How is Ms Chelsea handling the new addition? I'm glad for you CC -- it's so nice that you have given him a new home.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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stratsmom
Southern Oregon
Posts: 2569
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:58 am Post subject: |
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Oh I am sooo happy for you!! I've spent a little time in our shelter and it chokes me up to think about all those sweet animals without a loving home  Did Oliver choose you? Strat chose me so I figured that must mean something  I had planned to take home a larger male but this little cat kept mewing at me... I would love to adopt another kitten but my husband would probably go over the edge! 
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glendann
Texas
Posts: 9281
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:16 am Post subject: |
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Oliver is a beautiful lucky cat.I love his color.I think my daughters cat Buddy may be part Maine Coon . He was adopted from a shelter too He is a bigggg cat.Magie is really big but Buddy is much bigger.Buddy is so gentle He loves kids.I'm sure you will enjoy your Oliver so much and he seems to love you.
Buddy and Maggie ( photo / image / picture from glendann's Garden )
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but by the moments that take our breath away.'
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Glendann, Oliver thanks you for the compliments! ^..^
You are so right about Buddy being a BIG cat. Not only is he beautiful, he is huge!! Magie is around the size of Chelsea our other furbaby. Both your daughters cats are gorgeous.
Stratsmom, I suppose Oliver picked me by always being everywhere I was at the shelter. He followed my footsteps, played with the drippy faucet when I was getting some water for all the cats. It was necessary to move him a number of times so I could look at other cats too. He was forever rolling over to expose his belly in hopes of a tummy rub. So yes, he did pick me.
*Right now, Oliver is sprawled out on the table next to me*
Daisybeans, I agree with you. It is sooo easy to fall in love with a Maine Coon cat. Alas, Chelsea would disagree with me. Our poor little girl is so stressed out. Oliver may be handsome and sweet, but Chelsea will have no part of him.
She hisses, spits and even snorts  All her hair stands on end and her ears are flat. Yet when he is playing with some string, she contently watches him. When she is trying to sleep on our bed, Oliver will wander in, stand on his hind legs and look at Chelsea. She freaks out at him so he quietly turns and walks out of the room.
*sigh*
Poor Oliver. All he wants is to be her friend.
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Jewell
Regular Plants Contributor
Puget Sound Region of the Pacific NW (Washington State, US)
Posts: 1731
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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What an absolutely beautiful guy! So lucky to have found each other. Bless you for looking for an adult animal in need of a home. 
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~Jewell
If a you have but two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one to sustain your life, and a flower with the other to give you a reason to live. ~Chinese Proverb
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Netty
Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 10313
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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What a gorgeous cat! Oliver reminds me of my SIL's cat "Albert" who thought he was a dog. He even played fetch with a ball!
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Oh gosh, CC -- I go through the same thing with Austin and Missy... Missy is 5 lbs and her previous owners declawed her. She's also a senior girl, 13 years or so. Four year old Austin, at 14 lbs, intimidates her with his size and HUGE paws, but like Oliver, he is only trying to be friends. He wants a buddy soooo bad and Missy says "no way." When she has had enough, I close a door so she can relax uninterrupted. He lays on floor and puts his paws under the door and mews. He's a mess!
I hope you fare better with Oliver and Chelsea than I have with Austin and Missy. After 8 months, they're still not pals... oh well.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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kaseylib
Wisconsin
Posts: 1084
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| Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:00 am Post subject: |
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What a beauty...Maine Coons get pretty big don't they??? And supposed to have a great disposition too. Congratulations!
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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( photo / image / picture from Canadian Chelsea's Garden )
Sjoerd, the animal shelter couldn't tell me how old Oliver is but judging from his teeth, kittenish behaviour, my guess would be from 1 - 2 years old. They found him during a snowstorm last winter.
Netty, Oliver fetches too! He chirps when he picks up his toys to retrieve. His chirp sounds like *burt* in a high-pitched sweet sing-song voice. This cat amazes me everyday.
Daisybeans, Chelsea is around 15 pounds (my chubby furbaby) and I am not sure about Oliver since he is so tall/long and thin. I'm sure Chelsea outweighs him but he is much bigger.
Chelsea is letting him get a little closer everyday but keeps him at bay with her hisses. She really gets annoyed with him when she is in her potty box though. He hears her scratching and comes to investigate so she has no privacy unless I take her outside to one of the gardens where she cannot see him and then she does her business.
My house looks like a war-zone thanks to Oliver. He zooms around all over the place skidding on the hardwood floor, sliding into a scatter mat causing it to bunch up. There are toys everywhere and even some missing ones sent under the sofa and chairs by Oliver. Ahhh, but I must say it is nice to have a new furbaby in the house.
Oh and he has normal feet. No extra toes. Oliver has BIG feet with long fur hanging out from between his toes.
Thanks for the congratulations, Kaseylib!
I feel blessed that Oliver picked us, Jewell.
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TheBip
Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 1041
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:33 am Post subject: |
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Hes gorgeous My ex had a maine coon named Kodiak and he loves em to death. Says theyre some of the smartest cats hes ever known
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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He's beautiful. He seems to have extra long whiskers -- do you think? I wonder if that is a predictor of his eventual size? I've heard that a cat's whiskers stick out as wide as the width of their body so they can judge whether a space is large enough for them to get through.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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