One way of measuring CAWS' record as a rescue group is to simply total the number of successful adoptions the organization does in a year. Totals are certainly not the whole picture, but they sure are a good place to start. Most of our adoptions happen at our weekly scheduled events at PETsMART and Furburbia, and those adoptions depend very much on an instant bond of affection between animal and adopter. The animals are basically on audition, though they don't know it. CAWS' success, as well as the animals future, depends on these auditions - and these animals are usually already someone's cast-off. Talk about starting out with a handicap.

Cats, in particular, find themselves thrust into an uncomfortable and alien environment, when they are caged and surrounded by dozens of other, often frightened, cats and dogs, with strange people constantly poking their fingers through the cages expecting unconditional love at first sight. It's no wonder then that some of our cats find this scenario just too much to deal with and either hide at the back of their cages or lash out at the nearest intruder until mercifully the foster parents take them home at the end of the day. In their foster homes they can be themselves and come out of their shells.

To judge a cat by its behaviour in a cage at PETsMART is to do it a major disservice. One could just as easily put forth the point of view that only a cat which exhibited its displeasure at being forced against its will into such a situation is one worth considering as a pet, but most people, when confronted by an animal which does not respond to their cooing, or hisses at them, move on to the next cage in search of a so-called better bet. This is understandable, but not necessarily the best decision.

It has been our experience that some of the cats with the most wonderful personalities come from the very cages which contain these apparent feline misfits. When given a stable home, the same savviness which tells them that something is very much amiss when caged all day, is what makes them such pleasurable companions when given a place to call their own.

During a trip to PETsMART to buy supplies for the family's kitten and pair of basset hounds, Chris stopped by the Luv-a-Pet center, just for a look. Curled in the back of one of the cages was Sidney, who reminded Chris of a previous cat he had owned. Sidney was one of CAWS' shyest and most nervous PETsMART cats. Originally coaxed from a feral colony, he had proven so shy and unaccustomed to any form of captivity that he was being considered for a return to the feral colony for his own good. Told of this history, Chris wanted to take a closer look anyway.

When Chris held Sidney for the first time, Sidney's fear was palpable. Nevertheless, after a few moments Chris detected a certain relaxing of the cat in his arms. That almost imperceptible feeling, one which you would perhaps rationalize as imaginary if you thought about it too long, was the seed of a bond being sewn. Sidney had a new home.

At first Sidney was nervous, hard to approach, and easily startled. This wasn't really much of a surprise. However, he and Chris' kitten were instantly best friends and became inseparable, and interestingly enough he was not frightened of the basset hounds either. Sidney's relationship with the playful kitten, and the family's patience in allowing Sidney to set the pace paid off. From inauspicious beginnings he has become a delight of a cat: confident, curious of visitors, always game for a cuddle, and ready to show his younger feline friend who can play the hardest when dad brings out the thing on a string.

It is typical that shyness is not a permanent trait just because it is exhibited in a cage. Animals can and will adapt and bloom in a loving environment, and if one goes through life seeing only what's on the surface, one misses those rare experiences, like the one of Chris and Sidney when they decided to get just a little bit closer.

Toby and Missy's lives were turned on their heads a couple of years ago when the elderly woman who cared for them passed away. Her son decided that his mother's cats would do just fine out on the streets, so Toby and Missy were cast out to fend for themselves. Six months later, in the middle of winter, Toby was trapped and became one of CAWS' rescue animals. Ten years old, with only a single tooth and a lack of trust engendered by the rough street life, Toby's prospects for a loving new home were not good. He would hide in his cage during adoption days at PETsMART, regarding his potential companions with suspicious eyes. Eventually his story touched the heart of a family willing to look past the surface and give the old guy back the life he'd once had and was so cruelly snatched away from.

Missy's fate is still unknown.

It would be nice to say that once in Toby's new home everyone lived happily ever after, but it certainly wasn't the case at first. Toby's initial reaction was to scratch his new parents, fight with the other cat, and hide in remote places. However, after a couple of months of being allowed his own time to adjust and to realize that his days of being in constant peril were over, Toby has become a loving, trusting friend to all who live with him and visit him, and he gives back in kind and more. His age and experience have given him a certain nobility and he is adored as much as any pet can be, because he's a champion amongst cats. He was given a chance and a loving home, and now the family is inseparable.

Adopting older cats is rewarding in several ways. They are usually calmer and full of affection. Having had many learning experiences, they are more prone to knowing how to behave in a house shared by humans and perhaps other animals. A ten year old cat is not necessarily on death’s door either - it is common for a healthy indoor cat to live to be 20 or older. And there is always the knowledge that you are giving an animal a really priceless gift, simply by adopting one whose age will prevent many people from seeing the beauty.

The young family dropped Patches off at a pet boarding business one morning - and never came back. The staff kept her there, trying to find her a home but to no avail. For five months she lived there in a cage. Unfortunately Patches was so enraged to be spending her life in a cage that she would hiss and growl at people who came to look at her, condemning herself to the life she so hated. CAWS became aware of her and a foster volunteer agreed to take Patches home for an attempt at rehabilitation.

Once free of her confinement she was immediately much happier. She had an unusual confidence for a cat cooped up for so long, and wasn't at all bothered by the steady rotation of foster animals who cohabited with her. It seemed like she held no grudges, and accepted that those around her were not responsible for her previous suffering. She was extremely inquisitive and playful and after a couple of months it seemed like any vestiges of her previous disgruntlement had completely disappeared.

Her improvement tempted CAWS to take her to PETsMART for the bi-monthly adoption days. Big mistake. The cage was indelibly etched in Patches memory and she stalked about daring visitors to come near her at their peril. Meanwhile at home - the environment where she would be a companion animal - she is wonderful. This Jekyll and Hyde behaviour is inconceivable unless you witness it.

Fortunately CAWS has a web site on which Patches’ picture and biography could be exhibited, since Patches in the flesh at adoption days was hardly a sight to behold. Even more fortunately a kind hearted soul was willing to give Patches a home visit to see her on her own terms. Patches has now been in her adoptive home for two years and both human and feline are loving their companionship. Free from the spectre of "the cage" Patches is blossoming. The new owner loves his two cats equally, but for many of his friends Patches is their favorite because of her mischievous playfulness, her artistic balancing of reticence and flamboyance, and her somehow unique way of carrying herself through life.

One of the great benefits of being a rescue organization which uses foster homes to shelter the animals is that their true personalities can be determined and they can be effectively matched with potential adopters. Patches' story shows that you can't always trust what you see behind the bars of a cage, and some of the most rewarding partnerships are made from two creatures both willing to give the other one a chance.