adopting a cat is so crazy bc one day they're homeless in the rain and a year later your life is like this IG the_shags2021 pic.twitter.com/88ZrdwEUt8 — derek guy (@dieworkwear) April 25, 2024 Hat tip to commentor AM in NC: Paws of War helps soldiers bring home the pets they rescued during deployment. The group …
Late Night Open Thread: Companion AnimalsPost + Comments (33)
Earlier this year, Paws of War sent volunteers to an isolated military base in Kenya to find five dogs that were left behind and send them to the soldiers who had cared for them, he said.
“We deployed locals in fishing boats and used hand carts and little donkeys to get the animals out,” he said. “The people who’d had to leave them behind in that harsh area were desperate for us to help. Those dogs provided comfort and a sense of normalcy during a tough time.”
That’s how Daniel Rueda bonded with a stray cat named Jack while he was stationed in Kosovo with an Army Rangers National Guard unit.
“I met Jack when he showed up at the base one day while I was having lunch,” said Rueda, 33. “We weren’t allowed to keep animals on base, but strays would come and go at the entrance gate.”
“Jack would come hang out with me while I was stuck on base for three months because of an injury,” Rueda said. “He helped me from getting bored and it was fun to play with him and feed him grilled chicken.”…
Rueda said he formed an immediate bond with the frisky black cat.
“Whenever he would show up, I was happy to see him,” he said. “It got to the point where people would say, ‘Your cat is looking for you. He’s out in the hallway.’”
Jack was flown to the United States by Paws of War and put into quarantine, then a volunteer picked up the cat on April 20 and drove him to Rueda in Rhode Island.
“I couldn’t stand the idea of leaving him there and not knowing what happened to him,” he said, noting that pets help members of the military mentally and physically.
“Now Jack’s home with me, he’s exploring and he’s happy,” Rueda said. “And he’s probably gained two pounds from eating chicken.”
Jill LeBrun said she still marvels at her cat Hercules' journey from being hoarded in a sweltering car, then escaping and nearly dying, to becoming a feline model. https://t.co/C5wKkidrWk
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 22, 2024
This cat may have ten lives. Another Washington Post mood-lifter: “Nearly 50 cats were rescued from a hot car. Now one is a Target model.” [gift link]:
The scene was heartbreaking: Nearly 50 cats were crammed into a hot car at a rest stop near Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
The cats were piled from floor to ceiling inside an SUV, and police soon learned that their owner had been living inside the car with them.
The owner agreed to surrender the cats to area animal shelters, but during the rescue, one of the cats escaped. Hercules, a gray and white feline, scampered off that sweltering day in June 2022, said Nicole Perreault, a veterinarian who runs Tuff Start Rescue, a Minnesota foster and adoption nonprofit.
Animal rescue volunteers searched for the cat for a month, she said, until Hercules was finally spotted sitting on someone’s doorstep in the area. His jaw was fractured, he was covered with maggots and his tongue was severely damaged, Perreault said…
“He ripped my heart out when I saw him,” she wrote. “… I decided we owed it to him to give him every chance to recover from this horrible ordeal, so that hopefully he can experience the love and TLC that awaits.”
Jill LeBrun, a pediatric nurse from St. Paul who has fostered dogs and cats for Perreault’s rescue over the years, was immediately interested.
“As a nurse, I’m attracted to medically fragile animals,” said LeBrun, 50. “I knew that Hercules was going to need to be fostered and I felt that I could do it.”…
“His jaw is a little crooked and his tongue almost always hangs out because of what happened to him,” added Perreault, 44. “But he’s a sweet, tough cat. The name Hercules suits him.”
Last fall, LeBrun said, she was scrolling on social media when she came across a post from the Animal Connection, a pet talent agency in search of cats with unusual faces. It was scouting pet models for Target, which is based in Minneapolis.
LeBrun said the agency loved the photo she sent of Hercules with his tongue hanging out. She was asked to bring her cat to a studio for a photo shoot so his personality and star appeal could be assessed.
“Hercules did great — he’s a friendly cat and everybody loved him,” LeBrun said, noting that she was paid $100 to participate. “They told me his picture would appear on something for Target in early 2024.”…
Finally… ‘Cuddle Buddies’ doesn’t permit video embeds, but it’s worth clicking over for this 3min video: Lost Dog Shows Up At A Cat Sanctuary.