2012 has been a big year for Colehaus. We began this blog, Colehaus Cats, in January as a tribute to the many cats who have joined our family and secured spots in our hearts. Within months, we mourned the loss of two residents, sixteen year old Zooot and fourteen year old Cameron, seemingly too soon after long time Queen Crits’ passing at age twenty-two the previous year. Colehaus resident kitty numbers were reduced to two; nine year old Seth and eight year old Maxx.
Zooot & Cameron. 2012 © Colehaus Cats
Dad was heartbroken, especially after the loss of his special, little orange girl, Zooot, whom we had bottle-raised with five other siblings from birth sixteen years ago. Mere weeks before Cameron’s jump to the bridge to join his lifelong love Zooot, two year old Miss Newton and the Dad found each other at our local humane society. Love was in the air.
Miss Newton relaxing – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Miss Newton, Tessa & Pia – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Little Pia Bean’s adoption listing went live in late spring courtesy of a local No Kill shelter and she joined us in early June. But not before two young neighborhood girls approached us with a squirming gray and white baby who had lost her way three weeks prior. Miss Newton made quick friends with the kitten who became Tessa, who then bonded with Pia who bonded so hard with Miss Newton you’d swear they were glued to one another.
Miss Newton & Pia Bean – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
Quint and Olivia Growing Up. 2012 © Colehaus Cats
Mid August came and on a pre-scheduled food/litter/toy shopping trip to PetSmart, we spied big eared, big pawed kitten Quint in the adoption center and we just had to know his story. It wasn’t a hard decision to bring him into our group. Nor was including sweet baby Olivia as part of the deal. The pair bonded almost immediately and later, with Pia, Tessa and Miss Newton. Colehaus was literally a summer bouncy house of kittens.
Pearl/Ruby – Our Home for the Holidays foster – 2012. © Colehaus Cats
A couple of weeks ago, the Dad was introduced to eight-to-ten year old Pearl who was living at the shelter and we brought her home for the holidays on a foster-to-adopt basis. It’s too early to tell how she might fit in with the others but taking it slow seems to work beautifully for her. She’s curious, a bit reserved but not judgmental and as quiet as a dust bunny, but with the added bonus of being so darn pretty, it’s hard not to want to spend every waking minute gazing into her big, green eyes.
By accident a few nights ago, Mom called her Ruby instead of her name Pearl and she perked right up, answered Mom and sought out a petting. We don’t like changing the name of a pet after they’ve lived with it for as long as she has, but she seems to like Ruby better than Pearl. We’ll go along with whichever she chooses.
We’ve grown so impressed with the shelter and the many volunteers there. We’re thrilled that their committment toward helping animals is so closely aligned with our own that we decided to devote our some of our spare time to helping with their cause. Thank you for listening to us blather on about them, and an EXTRA THANK YOU to those of you who graciously helped by donating to the shelter’s Matching Donation event that ends at midnight tonight, December 31st.
We look forward to what 2013 will bring and hope yours is full of fun, adventures, snuggles and reward. From our hearts, we thank you for following us and for your many uplifting comments. Have a safe and very Happy New Year!
All the best for 2013!
We think Pearl/Ruby is very pretty – she looks a lot like Lucy although is a little floofier. We wish you all a Happy New Year.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
What a great post! It’s fun to see the photos of everyone in the recap. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.
We hope you have a wonderful 2013!
What a great, heartwarming post! We hope 2013 holds the best for all of the Colehaus Kittehz!
Pee Ess – Pearl is gorgeous!
This is such a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your year, and your lives with us. We are thankful for your friendship!
Happy New Year!
loved this update and are so happy to have found you in 2012! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We had a year like you a few back…it was Kitty Central with new ones showing up all the time! Kudos and good Karma to your family in 2013!
We hope you have a really lovely New Years’ Eve. We hope your start to 2013 is a good one and that it continues in that fashion.
Best wishes Molly
Happy New Year and hope 2013 is good to you all.. Hugs GJ xx
a wonderful 2012 review…..the losses are hard, but the additions were adorable!!! purrs to a joyous 2013
Thank you for sharing your year… we didn’t know you before Miss Newton and we are sad that your kitties went to the bridge, but the others that have joined Seth and Maxx are treasures.
We know that there will be many fortunate kitties at the shelter that will benefit from your help, but we still hope you have time to help the budding artist Quint with his painting!
Chin scratches, purrs and headbonks from all of us…
Harry, Dexter and Tipp
Mark and Carolyn
I can only count to 4 but I think if I double that it 8 kittehs in your home … how magical. Thank you for sharing and a Happy New Year to all your family!
A perch in everee pocket
A salmon in everee sock
Hope yur new yeerz eve
Trooly doez rock
A whitefish in everee wagon
A bass in everee bowl
Hope yur new yeerz day
Trooly doez roll
A herring N everee hammick
A trout in everee tanx
High pawz N headbonkz
For yur friendship we due thanx
We hope everee one haza pawsum
awesum soooper grate happee healthee
2013; may yur lives bee enriched with
loves N thanx for putting up with all
R burd non cents de live long yeer
Oh that was so much fun reading about all the kitties and how they got to your house and I for one sure am glad to know you since you keep giving kitties homes. That is so important. You sure did your part by adopting all those kitties. It looks like a great bunch. We sure do wish you a very Happy New Year. Take care.
That Ruby Pearl is sure a pretty one! Happy New Year dear friends!
Wonderful pictures of all of your kitties. They seem to know just how to pose. We are wishing all of you a wonderful news year. Hope you have happiness, health and all the toys you could wish for.
Happy New Year.
hugs, Max, Bugsy, Knuckles and HH
What beauties! And what FUN!!!
Grace and boys
(and their secretary)
I am so glad I got to know you kitties! You are an awesome family and your humans are clearly a soft touch! 😉 I am looking forward to spending some of time in 2013 with you!
Lovely story on how everybody came to be part of the family. A very Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
A lovely post and beautiful pictures! happy New Year to you all from the CATachresis gang 🙂 xx
Happy New Year! yoW! You all have had some year! Thank you for opening your home and hearts to your now-crew 🙂 We love their pawtraits on the bloggie – such sweet faces 🙂 We hope Ruby will adjust and fit in too! Wishing you many blessings for the coming year-
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
You folks sure do rock for the help you give kitties! What a big year for you folks. We wish you all a 2013 filled with love, peace, joy, health and prosperity! Happy New Year!
That’s neat, Ruby chose her own name. We hope she gets to keep it. You’ve had a big year with the furries. May 2013 be a great year!
Happy new year, my friends. Sweet Ruby will be cuddling with the rest of you before you know it!
Happy New Year’s gang.
From one big cat family to another…Happy New Year! May 2013 bring you health and happiness!
We enjoyed reading about the additions to your family this year! We know it’s sad when some leave to go to the Bridge since our woofie sisfur Sadie went to the Bridge this year too. We hope all of you have a very Happy New Year!
Wowwie!
Yous had LOTS of additions to your family. Me hopes our Mommy does not get any ideas for the new year!
May the best of this year be the worst of next!
Kisses
Nellie, Kozmo, the hairy slobbery sisters – Bob and Cinnamon and the Pawrents
Happy New Year!
Thanks for coming to our New Year’s Eve party!!
The Florida Furkids
Such a beautiful post on how 2012 saw so many beautiful kitty additions to your family!
Happy New Year!
You guys are the best adopting so many in a short space of time. We currently have three moggies and can just about cope with that 🙂 xxx happy new year to you all
Lots of love lives here! Happy New Year!!
That was lovely. I am looking forward to seeing you more in 2013.
Reading your blog is part of my ritual now. I enjoy your wit and the kitties personalities.
What a beautiful post and tribute to those who shared your life for so long and those who are there now!! Mom says animals seem to chose their names…Pearl/Ruby must like the sound of Ruby as it rolls off the tongue softer. Hugs Madi and Mom
Thank you for sharing them with us.
Happy New Year and bless you for all you do!
Ruby is a dazzling jewel. I hope everything works out for everyone. Such a nice post ….and I know 2013 will be best for you and all of your family.
Noir
Happy New Year!
Ruby/Pearl you sure are photogenic, too. We hadz NO idea how 2012 changed your home! So many pawesome adoption stories – and the heartbreak of two losses. Purrs to you – and a big wish for a wonderful 2013!!!
What a wonderful history you’ve shared. We hope you have the most wonderful New Year ever.
Thanks for catching us all up on your year! Lots of changes!
What a great year, with so many new family members (although its so hard when we lose the older ones). If everyone adopted kitties so easily, there would be no homeless kitties. Our mom dearly wants to adopt a couple more kitties but we are 2 over what is allowed here. Purrs & Happy New Year!
Pee S – we think Pia is the cutest thing ever!