Marlinspike is a two year-old female (her legal name is Acrobat). She left Toronto Humane Society July 31, 2015 for her High Park home, where we love Tudor history. Tudors had lots of black and white and a giant called Marlinspike.

On arrival Marlinspike hid under the bed for almost two days, taking no food, water or bathroom breaks, then suddenly rushed out, leapt on the sofa and brushed against her new assistant.

During Marlinspike’s first month she spent around an hour each day playing. Her favourite toy is the light-up bird on a stick, who has now lost his four long green tail feathers and has prominent tooth marks – it’s surprising the catnip doesn’t leak out of him. The light still works but he will be replaced. A pink ribbon is worn but much loved, as is a piece of masking tape, much licked. Three Alcan foil balls have prominent tooth marks. The squeaky bird, wind-up mice and wool balls are mildly worn. The tail which wagged incessantly is now calm, and sometimes stands straight up. Aggressive kneading has gentled and Marlinspike now purrs. Her assistant has no scratches or tooth marks.

Marlinspike will not eat anything unless it is in her food dish. She will sniff human food on a low table, but is careful not to touch it. She sniffs plants, but never chews or bites them. She does not jump on the dining table, kitchen counter or desk. Marlinspike has been trained not to scratch, but pulls wool out of the carpet when stretching. A scratch pad has catnip on it. She will sit and sleep on the scratch pad, and embrace it with her four paws, but not scratch it – yet.

Living on the second floor with most noises far away and well below, Marlinspike has lost many fears. Her trust has broadened from her assistant to friends and visitors. She likes her head and back stroked, and her fur brushed, but we haven’t got to tummy rubs – yet.

After a few weeks sitting at the screen door Marlinspike was allowed out on the second-floor deck, about 40 feet by 12 feet. This is surrounded by a glass fence and has trees nearby and plant pots with herbs, native and flowering plants. Marlinspike loves the deck and can easily be seen. She has no wish to go beyond the fence, and when not watching traffic on the street below pretends she’s a tiger. Green foliage doesn’t hide a black and white cat, and attempts to catch bees and butterflies are not successful. As weather cools and daylight shortens Marlinspike and her assistant are sad – we’ll have to enjoy inside until spring.

The vet, on her first visit, said Marlinspike was healthy and “a winner” with her shiny black coat. He massaged her rear and she didn’t wince at her shot. The vet’s assistant clipped her nails with no protest. The vet is literally round the corner, so the carrying case trip is easy.

The Kennel Café, also round the corner, provided food samples. Marlinspike eats the expensive foods fastest, but always cleans her plate and shows no effect when different types of foods are mixed in.

When the morning alarm goes off Marlinspike brushes, rubs, and licks her assistant, keen to pass on her morning joy and energy. Later she sleeps in different places, and at night plays with her toys and sleeps on her assistant’s feet. Marlinspike likes her current home, and her assistant is addicted to her. So no, you can’t have her back.

I was impressed with the care given at the Humane Society. Thank you for looking after Acrobat/Marlinspike until she adopted me.

My name is Grant Miller and I adopted “Isaac” on Sat. Thank you very much.

Almost three weeks ago, I arrived at the Toronto Humane Society after having just recently moved into my new apartment. For months I had looked forward to adopting a bunny. I had bought everything I possibly needed, from a litter box to berry flavoured treats, and as a new bunny owner I had read up on just about every information packet and blog I could find. Finally, on September sixth, I met Buggsy - a sweet, shy girl with beautiful reddish pink eyes and a playful spirit.

That first meeting with her was more awkward than I anticipated. She was very timid and skittish, and she only responded to me when I offered her kale and strawberries. But there was something about her that I felt I related to - perhaps her quirkiness and her love of a good kale and strawberry salad. Although I couldn’t deny that I was nervous about whether or not she would adjust to her new home. But despite her initial shyness, it took her less than twenty four hours to become the curious, devious and affectionate companion that I have sitting beside me as I type.

Buggsy and I have much more in common than I anticipated. Aside from the fact that we’re both vegetarians, we both enjoy peace and solitude at times, but we can’t go too long without needing companionship. She loves to hop around me while I sit on the floor writing essays for school, and I always leave her favourite pillow beside me so she can take a seat when she’s done exploring everything in sight. If I lie on the floor, she immediately jumps onto my chest. Her most recent act of attention has been “grooming” me relentlessly by licking whatever clothes I’m wearing. Still, at the end of the day, she hops back to her cage and flops onto her side while I hop back to my bed. We’re side by side, knowing the other is just a few feet away, appreciating the alone time but still anticipating the morning. After all, the first thing I do when I wake up is open her cage doors and watch her jump around me ecstatically while I refill her food bowl with my favourite fresh vegetables. But hey, as long as we’re both willing to share.

To everyone at the Toronto Humane Society:

I would like to thank everyone once again for helping me facilitate the adoption of Gaius, who has quickly become the love of my life.

I was lucky enough to foster Gaius for two weeks and quickly fell in love with him. While I’ve previously fostered cats and kittens from the Humane Society (who were all lovely and have been adopted since!), there was something about Gaius that I couldn’t shake. After being away from him from two days, I knew that I had made a mistake and had to go back to the Humane Society to adopt him. Fortunately, I was able to and he has made himself comfortably at home ever since!

Gaius has, by far, the most hilarious personality of any cat I’ve ever met. Whether it’s every morning at 6:30 AM by DEMANDING his breakfast by (loudly) voicing his impatience next to my head, or knocking objects off my desk, fridge, and counters “just because,” he definitely knows how to get your attention if he perceives you haven’t been acknowledging his (handsome) presence for more than two minutes. He LOVES being the centre of attention – he knows how handsome he is.

Gaius is definitely a “lap-cat” (or perhaps more accurately, “lap-dog”). He needs to be touching you in some capacity (even if you’re seated for only for a minute). He is very chatty, asking you how your day was as soon as he hears you approach the door, and continuing the conversation the remainder of the evening. He’s also been getting more adventurous on his harness when we go for our daily walks and really enjoys them! One of his favourite parts is “hunting” birds and squirrels – I just don’t have the heart to tell him he isn’t exactly camouflaged.

All in all, Gaius is adjusting well and is very happy and healthy in his forever home. He is especially a fan of his catnip mice (see picture). Thank you again for introducing me to this ridiculous and lovable cat.

PS: I’ll be sending more pictures of us with his kitty condo that arrives on Friday – which he is VERY excited about!

Love,
Kaitlin and Gaius

My son, age 9, adopted sweet Rosalie the hamster on Saturday. He loves her already and we are so excited to give her a forever home. Rosalie will be joining our other rescued family members, another hamster named Fluffy and a cat, Jasper.

Thanks!

Miriam

I adopted Sora (Formally Spheria) from THS about a month ago. I started by fostering her and finally got to adopt her. She is such a sweet dog! She is my best buddy and constant companion. I have been battling cancer and I never would have gotten through the treatments without her. She stayed by my side and was much needed company at a very difficult time in my life. I didn’t choose Sora, in fact I came to THS with another dog in mind. In the end Sora found me. She’s been a light in my life and we continue to grow together. She’s very happy here with me. Everyday Sora reminds me to be strong, fight on, and not to stress over the small stuff. Thank you THS for pairing us together! And thank you for your services, advice, and care. The staff took care if me as much as they did Sora. I will never forget my experience with you. Sora says hello, and thank you for pairing us together. Here’s a photo of her making her bed. All the best and thanks again!

We adopted 2 year old Grayson (formerly ‘Bonsai’) a little over a year ago from the THS. We were actually shocked at how quickly he settled in to his new home. Within a day he was sleeping on us and basically ruling the house. When we would come home from work, he would be waiting by the door meowing excitedly that we were home. We soon learned that if we put our hands by his side/under him, he would ‘tip’ into our arms and purr like a lion while we rubbed his belly.

But something seemed off. His need for attention was unending. We could sit on the floor and play with him for hours but as soon as we stopped, he would meow and meow without end. At almost no point would he calm down and just sit with us. We started to wonder if he meowed all day while we were at work. After talking about it with each other, the vet & others, we came to one inescapable conclusion. He was lonely. When he came to the THS, he came from a hoarding situation. He was probably used to being surrounded by lots of other cats, and now it was just the 3 of us.

About 6 months after we brought Grayson home, we went back to the THS & found 3 year old Maude. She was such a sweetheart that it was pretty clear from the moment we met her that she was coming home with us. We worried a bit about how she would get along with the always energetic Grayson, but decided to take a chance and just introduce them slowly. We kept them in separate rooms for a few days and let them spend only supervised time together at first. Of course Grayson was excited to have a friend, but Maude was so timid & shy that it caused some very tense moments in the first few weeks. He actually seemed upset we brought him a friend that wanted nothing to do with him.

Slowly but surely, the dynamic changed. It was no longer the excitable, overbearing brother vs the shy, timid sister. It was more of an evenly matched playful relationship. Sometimes he stalks her & pounces before running away to do it again. Sometimes she does it to him. And sometimes they gang up on us. It’s pretty adorable.

They could not be more different, but we could not imagine being without either of them. We want to thank the THS for bringing them into our lives. I know Grayson & Maude are thankful too.

Chris & Kevin

Hey there!

Yesterday I got to adopt Oliver (his name was changed from Gamble) and he’s settled in so well in his new home! He’s either napping on the couch or running around exploring and playing. I still can’t believe how tiny he is! I’m excited for our new life together and to watch him grow!

Big thanks to everyone at the Toronto Humane Society for all their loving and care and for the smooth adoption process for Oliver and I.

-Anissa

Omar, who we renamed Homer, has gone from being Mister Scared Cat to Mister Somewhat Timid. While he is still put off by the dogs when they wander into his feeding area he actually slept on the same bed as one last night! As THS staff told me he was a staff favourite I thought I would let you know that his is adjusting well to his new furever home. Here he is keeping an eye on my chickens.

Hello!

I wanted to give you guys an update on our lovely Bubaris. We fell in love with him instantly at the shelter, especially as he followed us around on the patio, rubbing against our legs. We thought he’d be the perfect companion for our senior cat, Falcor!

Bubaris (now “Boo”) is as happy as can be in his new home and is getting along great with his new brother. They play together, sleep next to one another, and even groom each other.

We’d like to thank the staff and everyone who makes THS what it is. We had such a great experience during our adoption and it’s heartwarming to see how much the staff and volunteers truly care for the cats. Thanks to you, Boo is now enjoying a very relaxing retirement.