Category Archives: love

love, success story, Uncategorized, volunteers

Shelter Volunteers are angels in disguise

In today’s blog, I am interviewing a beautiful shelter volunteer named Jennifer. So go find your favorite corner (Norman’s Corner!), curl up with your favorite furry purring friend, and get ready to be a little educated and a lot entertained or was that a little entertained and a lot educated. Well, anyways, enjoy!

Jennifer with her dog Grizzly. She adopted him from El Refugio.

Norman: Hi Jennifer, thanks for agreeing to sit with me. Before we get started, can you please scratch behind my right ear for just a moment, one moment longer, purr

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Jennifer: Norman, Norman, are you asleep?

Norman: Sorry, just needed a little catnap. Okay, first question, who is your favorite cat here at the shelter – hint, hint, starts and ends with an “N”.

Jennifer: Ah, Norman?

Norman: Me? Oh, aren’t you sweet! Who is your second favorite cat – and why? Sorry, it can’t be me again.

Jennifer: Majica is my favorite cat right now. Her back legs are paralyzed but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying life. She scoots around pretty fast for food, to play with toys and other cats and to get love from volunteers.

Mágica

Norman: I was told I have to ask this next question… Who is your favorite Dog at the Shelter now and why?

Jennifer: My favorite dog currently is Lily a lively beagle. She arrived at the shelter with some medical conditions and her puppy that was just recently adopted. She loves to play with her doggie friends, but especially loves humans and receiving their love.

Lilly

Norman: How long have you been volunteering at the El Refugio Shelter?

Jennifer: I have volunteered at El Refugio since around January 17th of this year.

Norman: What time do you start and end your shift?

Jennifer: I start my shift at 8am and finish at 11am.

Norman: What do you do on your shift at El Refugio?

Jennifer:  Responsibilities at the shelter are shared each shift with one or more other volunteers. We feed all the animals, give meds if needed, clean/disinfect all areas where the animals live, walk the dogs, wash all dirty bedding and food bowls and then give lots of love to the animals.

Norman: What do you like the most about volunteering? How about the second most?

Jennifer: I love all animals so helping them in any way I can fills my heart with joy. My second favorite thing is meeting and becoming good friends with so many of the volunteers.

Norman: Who really gets on your cat nerves? Yeah, I probably shouldn’t ask that (tell me later). Let’s see, next question, don’t those dogs outside just drive you crazy? (okay, maybe I shouldn’t ask that either). Oh, here’s a good question, If you could be any type of cat, what would you be?

Jennifer: I think I would like to be a Siamese cat. I had one named Tinker when I was a little girl. She had the neatest personality and was very smart.

Norman: Last question, what does El Refugio need the most? Volunteers, catnip, money, catnip, fosters, catnip?

Jennifer: Catnip of course, but I would say  El Refugio needs all of the above plus more adopters!

Norman: Tell me about a recent adoption success story (I know there are so many).

Jennifer: I’ll tell you in a video. Here is one of my Favorite Success Stories at El Refugio. Here is a little more information on Canela.

Norman: Thank you so much Jennifer for this interview. You have been purrfectly awesome!

Can you believe how lucky Jennifer and the other shelter volunteers are to be spending time with us cats (and dogs too). All kitten aside, the El Refugio volunteers (board members, community outreach, shelter volunteers, adoption coordinators, fosters, social media/marketing, fundraising, spay & neuter volunteers, and many others – ME-OW and WOW) are truly angels in disguise. Please consider joining this amazing team of El Refugio Volunteers.

If you are not able to donate your time, how about becoming An Angel for Animals. Just $25 per month can care for one of us shelter cats for 1 year ME-OW (food, shelter, and preventative medications for fleas, ticks, and parasites). If that is too much from your kitty bank, even just $10 a month can buy a lot of catnip (or regular ole dry kibble). Any and every amount helps an animal (and community) in need.

Until we meet again beautiful humans.

Cheers,

Norman

As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat. Ellen Perry Berkeley

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs.  There can be too much of a good thing!  There’s only so much catnip to go around. 

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors. 

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Mágica at El Refugio Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

MAGIC HEARTS ARE MAGICALLY PURRFECT FOR YOU!

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family, health benefits, life lessons, love, Uncategorized

Just call me Professor Norman!

In my last blog post I ended the post with some tantalizing catnip about how us cats can teach your children important life skills.

Class is now in session! Take out your notepad and your favorite writing paw (I mean pen), and let’s get started with “Life Lessons According to ME.”

Besides the many health benefits from having cats in your family (fewer allergies and less stress and anxiety I’ll cover just a few of the other many benefits for your children when adopting a cat:

  • Responsibility. Sharing some of the daily tasks associated with us cats can teach your child responsibility. Daily tasks such as FEEDING (my top priority), litter box cleaning (someone’s gotta do it and I can’t), and brushing our coat (especially if its a hairless cat – lol!) teach a child responsibility.
  • Empathy. A cat can teach your child about empathy. By your child simply petting a cat, listening to our purrs, noticing the positive reactions when stroking our ears, or rubbing our belly, these simple gestures can all teach your child how to respect and tune in to another being’s needs.
  • Love and Companionship. Cats will shower your child with unconditional love. With this overflowing cat love, your child will learn to also love others unconditionally, while also giving your child companionship (especially if he is an only child). Cats will help children combat loneliness.
  • Save a life!!! Adopting a cat, especially from an animal shelter, can teach your child the amazing awesomeness of saving a life. Now, that my beautiful humans, is a life lesson that keeps on giving.

So, my sweet mamas and papas out there, let me lighten your workload just a little, by adopting one of us cats. We will help teach your children some amazing life lessons, did I say FREE OF CHARGE!

Cheers,

Norman

“A balanced diet is having chocolate in both hands. Garfield”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs.  There can be too much of a good thing!  There’s only so much catnip to go around. 

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors. 

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Jorge at El Refugio Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Jorge

SURFING FOR YOU! Hi, my name is JORGE.  I am a young adult male. I was found at the beach and brought to El Refugio. I get along with other cats. But, I am past the kitten stage, so less playing with kittens and more spoiling my human.  Can I spoil you??  I am waiting for you at El Refugio. xo Jorge

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funny, health benefits, love, Uncategorized

I’ll get you a date!! (if you are a man, that is)

Just call me matchmaker, cupid, or my favorite the Love cat – Meow!

Research finds that men who adopt cats (especially shelter cats) are more attractive than men who own dogs. I’m not kitten around here. This is purrty amazing information. Here are some of the reasons:

  1. NO Commitment Issues – men who adopt us cats understand that cats can live longer than dogs – sometimes up to 20 years. This shows us that a man is making a commitment to take care of another living being for a pretty long time – very sexy indeed!
  2. Spirit of INDEPENDENCE – us cats are known for our independence. We don’t have to be with you, we choose to be with you. We aren’t clingy, we are affectionate. We like our space, but also want to share yours. Thus, men with cats appreciate someone with a spirit of independence.
  3. LOVE. When a man adopts one of us rescue cats, it shows us he is accepting, loving, and purrly amazing to save a cat’s life. It gives the world hope. It gives me hope. Can you hear my purring right now? (remember the benefits of purring?) It is making me very sleeply. Wait, while I rest my furry head down for just one minute.

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Okay, where were we?

Oh yes, why a man with a cat is sexy. Well, honestly because cats are sexy, but I digress. I’ve been stalking (I mean browsing) this celebrity webpage with my paw for the last couple of minutes (ok, hours). Celebrity Catnip, beauties that love us cats – ME-OW.

But, if celebrities aren’t your catnip, take a look at these historical men and their lovely words about us cats:

  • Sigmund Freud  “Time spent with cats is never wasted.”
  • Albert Schweitzer “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
  • Charles Dickens  “What greater gift than the love of a cat?”
  • Leonardo Da Vinci “The cat is nature’s masterpiece.”

So, yes, if you are a man and you own a rescue dog, well, that is pretty darn amazing too. But, if you really want to up your game (dating game that is), rescue a cat too. While you are semi-attractive now, you will be MUCH more purrfectly attractive after adopting one of us shelter cats.

Cheers,

Norman

“Housework. No one notices when you do it. But everyone notices it when you don’t. – Garfield”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs.  There can be too much of a good thing!  There’s only so much catnip to go around. 

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors. 

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Mickey at El Refugio animal shelter in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.

Hi, I’m Mickey. I am a young male tuxedo cat. I’m all dressed up and waiting for you at El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.

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