Sadie and Freida Update!

From LAPCATS:

This is the most amazing story and is our first adoption of 2016. Hopefully I can cover the gamut on explaining the situation. 

We adopted Sadie and Frieda about five years ago to a woman named Rachel. At that time they were senior cats may be eight-9 years old. About midsummer I got a call from the microchip company saying both cats were at the SPCA.  Leslie ran over and got them immediately. In the meantime I called Rachel to ask how her kitties were doing and she said they were doing great they were her babies and she loved them. I asked her where they were and she said they were at her house but she wasn't home. When I asked where she was, she hesitated and had to ask someone in the background where she was. At that moment my heart sank when I realized she was in a care facility and her memory was failing her. I reassured her the kitties would be safe and well taken care of. I told her Lapcats has them. She remembered me and remembered adopting them from Lapcats so many years ago. She said "oh Barbara you're the one I got the cats from. They are my babies and I love them dearly."

Fast forward a couple of months and a great potential adopter decided to adopt the girls together. They were going to be a part of a busy household with lots of young children and both cats went home on a trial basis. They were perfect with the kids but we had yet to finalize the adoption because both cats somehow came down with ringworm. They had weekly trips for lime sulfur baths, oral medication, topical medication, you name it they got it medically. All of this time the potential new adopters waited patiently and did everything possible to ready themselves for their new arrivals. They were patient and kind. 

Then a strange thing happened. I received an email from someone named Adam inquiring about the cats. I told him the cats had a potential home and were no longer available for adoption. He proceeded to tell me the cats had once belonged to his grandmother Rachel. He used to live with her and considered the cats part of the family. He definitely loved them as his own. He also told the family if anything should happen to grandma, he would take the cats. Other members of the family had different ideas and felt the cats needed to be euthanized and took them to the SPCA. Adam had no idea the cats had been taken to the SPCA by his uncle until attending a family Christmas party where it was mentioned they had possibly been euthanized. He was sick to his stomach. He felt angry and betrayed. His grandmother had no knowledge any of this was happening. 

He started his search for the cats which led him to Petsmart and our adoption center where they were being housed several weeks earlier. Someone in the family saw them there and were shocked they were alive. Adam only wanted what was best for the cats and certainly did not want to take them away from a potential adopter who had already fallen in love with them. But, after hearing his story, that family graciously backed away from the adoption so Adam and his wife could take the girls home to be with them forever. They will once again be reunited with their mom Rachel when she visits her grandson. 

The day Adam and his wife came to pick the girls up at Petsmart he was so thankful and grateful this ended the way it did. He was literally in tears with joy. 

This is a great story to start 2016 and is not only a lesson in love and perseverance, but a reminder that even though you think your loved ones will care for your pets when you're unable, don't ever assume they will take on the responsibility. You should always have something in writing to ensure they are safe and cared for. If Adam had something written in Rachel's will or trust, the executor of the trust would have made sure the cats were properly cared for.

It is also another reason we feel it is so important to have your animals microchipped. Thank goodness the microchip company contacted us to let us know our cats were in the shelter. Things could've gone much worse for Sadie and Frieda and we probably would have never known the outcome had they been euthanized. I am happy to say they are where they are supposed to be and not only will Rachel see her babies soon, but she was able to see the picture of Frieda in the Sacramento Bee of her beautiful girl posing on her princess chair in the Lapcats Manor. 

By the way, Adam is making a photo collage book of the girls for Rachel so she can have a constant reminder of her babies. This is a quality human being who is married to an equally amazing woman. Not to mention Audrey and her family who graciously let Sadie and Frieda go back home. Audrey is going to save two more lives and will be taking Ziggy and Maggie Mae home on trial in the hopes they will adapt to her busy household and daycare kids!
 

From Adopter:

The cats are impossible to photograph well but are very happy, they are both eating heartily and receiving lots of love, I can't thank you enough for what you have done for us and our cat family. I will continue to keep you updated on their health and progress as they adapt to their new home and new friends. We're still having them sleep in the cages at night so they have a place of their own but we've started letting roam freely when we're home and neither are showing any signs of stress, the other cats have accepted them without any major problems, they're purring  and rolling and having a blast. They have a vet appointment tomorrow to see what the next steps in their care are but I guarantee that they will get all the care and attention they need.

Thank you Barbara and Lapcats.

Adam