Happy Tails

Iggy (formerly Duncan)

“It was a party-cloudy day in May, and I was on my way home from Menards for home renovation supplies when my mom showed me a picture on the JCAPS Facebook page.  The cutest little pup I had ever seen. And without a moments hesitation, I sent the picture to my husband and demanded that we at least meet the little babe, and I didn’t care what he had to say as an argument. 

Truth be told there was never an argument. We both fell in love the moment we met him, and though none of us could have known it at the time, this would be, simultaneously, the best and the worst time for an addition to our already complex family dynamic. But JCAPS was amazing to us, and set us up to foster Iggy almost right away! 

Our life was about to have some very drastic and unexpected changes, and Iggy Stardust here might have just been the thing that kept me going through some of that. He has provided our family with so much love and affection that we could not possibly have imagined living without him. And so, as I had secretly hoped from the very beginning, that foster agreement turned into an adoption agreement, and we have never been happier! 

JCAPS has been absolutely incredible to us throughout this entire process, especially when things got a little tough on our end. They even helped take Iggy to appointments, and had such flexibility for our busy schedules. They work to help not only the many pets they rescue and care for, but also to help the families that they work with. I’m so grateful to them for helping my family, and giving us the most wonderful addition. 

Now that things have settled down, Iggy lives comfortably, and loves to play with the ridiculous amount of toys we have spoiled him with. Though I like to imagine that his favorite pass time is watching movies while curled up on the couch with us at night.”

Binx & Stella (formerly Snickers)

“These two kitties are your typical pampered pets with tons of toys and their own hammock and custom shelves to lay on. Stella is very attached to me and two of my kids; she tolerates the others in the home. Binx isn’t partial to anyone of us humans, but he’s obsessed with our senior dog Chainsaw. He will not leave her alone, and sleeps by her whenever he can. He’s just a nice boy all around.”

“The kittens are doing great! We are so happy we made the 2 hour drive (twice!) to your organization to adopt these two. The process was incredibly simple and fast and Alisha and John were very nice to work with! “

Stella, Gracie & Hazel

“It all started with my grandson G. He wanted a cat; but his Father is allergic. So, he talked this Grandma into having a cat in Jackson for him. My daughter passed away 5 years ago and her cat of almost 18 years passed away a few months later. I had an emptiness inside of me. I needed to be needed and the kittens needed someone to need them.

So the opportunity arose to foster some orphaned kittens came up. It started with bottle feeding every few hours and turned into a full love affair. My husband who is ok with pets, fell head over heals in love. When time came for adoption, he would not let them so. They were in their forever home the minute they came into our lives. They are just like our own kids.”

“They are all calico. Stella has long hair that is as soft as fine silk.  She is the friendliest, always making sure that she is engaged with the family. Her favorite place is the bathroom sink. She rests there and loves to play with the water. At night she sleeps by my head often holding my arm. She is quite the little lover.”

“Gracie is the white one, shedding the most. She is friendly and lovable. If one is going to be on your lap cuddling, it is Gracie. She sleeps on the other side of my head. She wants me to know she is there by giving me love bites on my arm. (I wish she would stop that but I don’t want to hurt her feelings). If I am on my iPad, she will get between the iPad and myself. Almost like saying ‘pay attention to me and not the electronics’.”

“Hazel is the calico with the white underside. She is friendly and lovable, but a little more stand-off. She is the one that instigates playtime. She is also the curious one.  She sleeps at my feet. She loves the fleece blanket to cuddle in. Our dog Pippa acts like a little mother, making sure they behave. Our house would be so empty without them. They give as much love as the get. Together we are a family.”

Winston

"Our dear Winston has settled in so well!  We just adore him." 

“The adoption process was very easy!  It was very nice to get to meet him beforehand to see if he was a good fit for us.  I also appreciated that we did not feel pressured into adopting him, it was on our time.  We very much appreciated that you brought him to our house to drop him off for the first time and hung out for a little while until he was familiar with his new surroundings.”

“We have learned so much about his personality in just the short time that we have had him.  He reminds me of a little puppy in a kitten’s body, lol!  He is always by the door to greet us when we get home, he sits by the bedroom door in the mornings so we can’t escape without feeding him his morning can of cat food first, and will wait ever so patiently (in kitty style) by our feet for his food to be prepared.  He does not like to be picked up, but loves to climb onto your lap or curl up next to you for his next nap.  He loves his face, ears and neck scratched and will purr up a storm every time you touch him.  He loves his little mice toys, pop up tent, cardboard tray, catnip and kitty treats!  And, he loves to be brushed!  I sit down with brush in hand and he will run over and drop to the floor ready for his daily brushing.  I could go on and on, but he has been a great addition to our family and we are blessed to be his forever home.”

"Thank you for letting us choose him!"

Oscar

“Oscar has been doing great! 

He has grown so much, he looks

like a teenager now!“

“Oscar is very playful. He loves our 5-year-old dog, Maya.  Our other cat, Bella, is slowly (very slowly) getting used to having another cat around.  She’ll get there eventually!  Oscar is such an affectionate cat.  He loves to cuddle up along your neck when he is sleeping and nuzzle his nose into you.  Once in a while, he will give you a loving nibble to show affection.  The whole family loves him, even my husband who isn’t a cat person.”

“The adoption process was so simple!  It was great to see how loved he was before I adopted him.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  Thanks for bringing him into our lives!”

Callie

“I adore her so much. She is my pride and joy! I spoil her as much as I can without the hubby knowing how much. I’ve spent on kitty toys and cat trees. She did gain weight after being spayed, so now she’s a fluffy, tubby kitty. She’ll just plop down on the floor and try to roll herself back over. She loves to cuddle; she is more of a relaxed and calm cat.

Once in awhile she’ll get a little burst of energy and go wild running around the house with our other kitty. At first Callie wasn’t so sure about him; wasn’t too happy with us for bringing another kitty home. It did take her a few weeks to get used to another little creature, other than our doggo, running around the house. Now she plays all the time with both the doggo and the other kitty.”

“She absolutely loves playing in cardboard boxes. When we buy her new toys she’d rather play with the box they came in than the toys. She loves looking out windows or out in our porch watching watching people go by. But she is not a fan of the outdoors with loud noises like trains or vehicles.

She is just perfect in my eyes. We do love her so much. She’s a beautiful kitty with a beautiful personality.

As for the adoption process, I actually really liked it compared to others.”

Kinny (formerly Tyson)

“I fell in love with Kinney, then known as Tyson, the moment I saw him on PetFinder. Reading his description and researching cerebellar hypoplasia and front paw knuckling only made me love him more. All I wanted was to be able to show him the love he deserved, and that’s what I’ve been able to do. Adopting Kin has been one of the best things I’ve ever been able to do. I’ve been chronically ill for several years now, and one of the only things my pain hasn’t affected is my ability to love and care for my fur babies. Taking care of this dork has only reinforced my confidence in that.

Kinney is a 100-pound velociraptor trapped inside a 9.4 pound chi-weenie’s body. He’s the funniest little dude I’ve ever met, and not a day has gone by where he hasn’t made me laugh about a million times. Whether it’s his pre-food circle time, his little hoppy prance, his piranha growls, or running around with a giant stick in the yard, he knows how to bring out a smile in everyone around him.”

“Kin enjoys living life through the eyes of someone who is always upside down, and he seems to get bonus points for getting there in the most uncomfortable way possible. Haven’t the slightest idea who’s awarding him those points, though.

Once he’s gotten all of his sillies out–usually by running in circles and playing with every single toy he owns–Kin’s a cuddle monster, but I don’t think you could get him to admit it. Since adopting him, he’s learned to walk correctly on his left front paw, and the knuckling under has severely decreased on his right paw. He stands tall and proud, head cocked off to the side, and with a smile on his face that shows off his weird people-looking teeth. He’s gained so much confidence in himself in terms of his balance and stability. The first night we brought him home, he fell over constantly on the tile (a little less often on the carpet), but now, he can run around in circles and prance around with his toys with only a little stumble here and there.

I’m so proud of everything Kin has accomplished in such a short time. Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful I was able to adopt him and give him a furever home. Thank you, JCAPS, for helping me add this hilarious little boy to my family.”

Courtney

Presley

“Since the adoption, Presley has had time to adjust to life with us. She loves car and truck rides, going for 2-4 mile walks on a nearby nature trail, and attending doggie daycare two days a week for socialization, where she has learned to play with other dogs!

She knows this is her home and will bark to let us know someone is at the door or walking by on the street. She loves her people and is very special to us!”

Ellie Mae (formerly LC)

“We have had Ellie Mae for a little over 5 weeks now. Initially she was rather timid and slow to adjust to her new home. She would quickly shy away when approached or called for. As a guy, I would have to crouch down and offer encouragement otherwise she would dart away. I also noticed hand gestures while talking were enough for her to become fearful and distance herself. She was prone to accidents in the house, as she did not seem comfortable going outside while on our walks, even when walking several times during the day. She was very sensitive to noise from traffic or commotion around the neighborhood and her tail was often low or between her legs as a sign of distress.

Recently, she seems much more comfortable, especially on walks. She is less sensitive to noise and more trusting when interacting with people. An extra-large kennel has been very beneficial when we are gone for the day, to get her to go potty outside only. Now she has even gotten to the point of signaling at the door when she needs to go out while we are at home. She has not had an accident in the home in the past few weeks. She has been getting along fairly well with our other dog Charlie Rae, who is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle mix. Both like to have our full attention and can get a bit jealous of the other, but there is enough attention and love to go around. They walk really well together, Charlie on the left and Ellie on the right.

Personality: Ellie is a very energetic, affectionate, and sweet girl. She is an early riser who likes to get her day started each morning at 6 am. She likes to lick and give kisses. She is not very motivated by treats but responds positively to verbal encouragement and petting her head or belly. She can be prone to mischief, eating cookies off the kitchen counter, carrying shoes around the house, and chewing up television remotes, so far 3 casualties (You would think we would learn). Usually she sticks to her dog bones or to retrieving a tennis ball, which she seems to enjoy. Her body awareness is still developing, as she often goes too fast, bumps into things, or thinks she is a lap dog still. We have started commands but it is a slow process. She is always up for a walk, at least partially in order to show off her pink harness. When in the house she can be found curled up for a nap, chewing on a bone or toy, playing with Charlie, looking out the window at cars and people going by the house, or keeping tabs on her owners.”

Queen Ginger (GinGin) Marie Polke (formerly Ginny)

“Queen Ginger (GinGin) Marie Polke has been with us for 1 year and 5 months. (All of our pets have royal type names) We adopted her a few months after our last dog passed due to age and health complications. We were all missing familiar paw prancing sounds around the house. There is just something about having a dog. The cats just don’t greet you with excitement when you get home. We were not looking to get another dog specifically; but when I saw this sweet face on the JCAPS Facebook page; I told my husband, “There is just something about her. We need to at least meet her.” He told me she’s much bigger then what I am used to, but he has always wanted a bigger dog.

Once we met her we knew she had to be ours.

JCAPS allowed us to host a trial run with her prior to deciding upon adoption. JCAPS was so amazing at helping us make sure she was a good fit and that we had everything we needed for success. We couldn’t be more thankful.”

“Gin Gin loves to play tug of war, chew on bones, go for walks, and take naps. I’m proud to have taught her how to ‘sit’, ‘shake’ hands, ‘lay down’, and we are working on ‘wait’ and ‘roll over’. I’ve never trained a dog before and it’s been so much fun. She is so friendly with people and other animals. She loves to lay in the shade or on the front porch swing with us and wag her tail at all of the people who walk by.”

Smokey

Smokey bear is doing great he goes camping and car rides to summit. He loves his new brother, Possum (the black and white cat). He likes going outside in the fenced in yard. He snores and drools which is super cute. He will go in another room and cry. It reminds me so much of my Fuzzy it takes some of the heartache away. He kneads my blankets and nudges in them to go to sleep. The smell of me on them makes him safe and comfortable. I couldn’t think of a better fit to take my fuzzy’s place. I love him so much.

Casey

Bonnie (formerly Beauty)

Bonnie is doing great! We are showering her with love, and she is becoming more and more comfortable with us daily. 
When she first came home with us, she wouldn’t leave the bathroom. Now, she is happily accepting pets and sleeps on the rug on the floor at the bottom of our bed.  We still have a way to go with her in terms of her being totally comfortable, but she has come such a long way and we have no doubt she’ll continue to do so! 

Bonnie loves playing in the backyard with her brother Felix, watching the squirrels, and when I brush her hair. 

Leah & Jack