I lived in Toronto for many years (though I now reside in Maple Ridge, BC) and adopted a cat from THS about 14 years ago (December 26, 1992 in fact). She was rescued from a house where 125 cats had been discovered in horrific conditions. Subsequently due to the conditions of the animals (disease, wounds, etc) only 26 were able to be saved and prepared for adoption.
I was privileged to adopt Katie, the only tortoiseshell in the group. She had short hair at the time, and a really bushy tail. She was approximately 9 months old (although only the size of an 8-week-old kitten) but was quite the feisty little thing as she almost clawed her way out of the box on the drive home. She proceeded to hide for the first week, only eating when I slept and staying out of sight when I was home. She got sick (I think it was kennel cough or a strain thereof) and she allowed me to nurse her back to health (with the assistance of a local vet) and obtain her trust.
Katie and I moved to BC in 1996, where she remains an indoor cat. Although she has been a handful -- she still has a bit of a temper when she doesn’t get her way -- all in all she has become the most gorgeous, loving cat. I adore her, as does my husband. And she’s a hit with our friends, as she greets all visitors at the door. You will rarely find her more than a few feet away from either of us (our 6 foot rule as we call it) and is a very vocal cat with a huge personality.
I am also thrilled that you have a sponsor in Royal Canin whose food we switched Katie to several years ago - I find she has thrived on this diet (senior formula of course).
I think it is an awesome company with whom you have partnered.
Now the bad news part… I was terribly saddened to see that 15 years later nothing has changed, the raids still continue. The graphic photos on your web page of the recent raid at Davenport and Weston remind me of how cruel humankind can be to those animals who look to us to care for them. I only hope these people are brought to justice and never allowed to be near animals again. I am only glad that THS is still around to step in and take action.
So Katie is going to be 15 years old in March (2007). I thought you might like to see a success story in the wake of such a discovery.
I truly hope that any survivors from that raid are able to find homes that will care and love them as much as they deserve!
My best wishes to you all at THS and I have made a donation in honour of Katie who has brought my husband and I years of joy.
Best regards – keep up the great job that you do!
Jane.
