Natalie Pascale, Fritz, Magicman, Bunny & Catboy
Left to right: Natalie, Magicman, and Catboy
While I love all animals and had a wonderful cat growing up, I always very much considered myself a dog person. I went through a formative period in my late 20s, where I got divorced and moved across the country from Lexington, KY to Salem, OR. It was the first time I had been without a pet in my entire life, and I was really lonely. I had mostly dogs growing up but knew that I didn't have the time or space for a dog, so I started looking at cats in all of the local animal shelters. I visited with a lot of cats, but never quite found what I was looking for.
One day I visited the Willamette Humane Society and saw a small brown tabby. He looked terrified, and I was told that he was adopted from WHS as a kitten, then returned because his owners had a baby, was adopted again, and returned again because his owners were moving and couldn’t take him with them. I felt an immediate connection to him and wanted to give this sweet and shy boy a place to call his home forever. I took him home that day! Fritz is now almost 15, and we will be celebrating 11 years together on July 27th.
“He was the cat that made me a cat person, and he will always have a special place in my heart.”
Fritz is such a sweet and gentle soul, and so smart! He can take a little bit of time to warm up to strangers, but is extremely loving and bonded to me. He loves early morning pets, nighttime snacks (snacks at all times, really!), and playing inside of his kitty cube or tunnel. He tolerates his kitty siblings very well and is even known to let one of his brothers snug with him if he’s in the mood. He loves eating and will try to steal food right off your plate! He also loves catnip toys and rubbing his face all over your shoes. He was the cat that made me a cat person, and he will always have a special place in my heart.
I started volunteering at the Cat Adoption Team in 2015. I’ve loved every cat I’ve worked with, but I have a soft spot for the difficult-to-place cats, and I've always felt naturally drawn to them. His name was Darlington Nagbe at the shelter, named after one of the local soccer players on the Portland Timbers. I learned that he had lived in a cage his entire life, never knowing a home or a family. He has a severe behavioral problem called PICA, which drives him to consume non-food items. He eats soft toys, blankets, shoelaces, socks, etc., so he was overlooked for almost two years at a previous shelter before being transferred to the Cat Adoption Team. He eats literally everything, and we joke around that he must be part goat!
Natalie & Magicman
He stayed in shelter care for months for multiple surgeries and illnesses (two foreign body removal surgeries, ringworm, a necrotic intestine, a feeding tube, and a severe upper respiratory tract infection) and was so fragile and depressed that they were worried about his long-term prognosis. I knew immediately I had to take him home and begged my partner to let us foster him. We had just moved into our first home, so the timing could not have been worse. However, he won my partner over immediately.
What a transformation he has made! He was completely shaved from surgeries and extremely thin when I took him home. He has almost doubled in weight, and is a beautiful, fluffy beast, earning himself the nickname “Mr. Beefy.” While we still have to be extremely careful about keeping him safe, he has thrived over the last five years with us.
He loves his cat siblings, napping at the top of the cat towers or in a decorative bowl, being outside on his harness, and coming up and hugging you in the morning. He has the best “happy tail,” and is very vocal (especially when he wants to be pet or fed). It's been so rewarding to watch him learn how to be a cat from watching his siblings. His name at the previous shelter was “Magic”, so we started calling him Magicman at home and the name stuck! He is the weirdest and most hilarious cat I know, and I’m honored to be his mom.
Bunny
I am always drawn to older cats, and cats with special medical or behavioral needs that make them harder to place. Bunny was found eating out of a dumpster in a suburb of Portland and was transferred to the Cat Adoption Team from a local county shelter.
She is a tough lady: gets overstimulated very easily, has a repeated bite history, has nerve/sensory issues (which likely cause her behavioral issues), and hates other cats. She is a very challenging cat, but she has taught me so much about cat behavior and I respect her for who she is. She is incredibly bonded to my partner, Kyle. Bunny is a beautiful and complicated lady, loves chattering at birds, lounging in her window perch in the sun, being in her cat tent outside, and chasing the laser pointer. I will keep loving her, even if she isn't always so sure about me, and I’m committed to giving her the best life possible.
Natalie & Catboy
“I advocate for FIV+ adoptions because they deserve love and can still live long and healthy lives! ”
I had just landed an exciting new position at work, and felt I needed to adopt a celebration cat! With our current crew at home, Magicman wanted a buddy, and neither of the older cats was very interested. I wanted to bring home a cat that was about the same age, and ideally a cat that may be harder to place and/or had special needs.
During my weekly volunteer shift, I saw my friend Dan bringing him up to the adoption floor, and I was immediately drawn to how cute he was! I learned that he was a colony cat that was found outside sick and injured, and because he is an FIV+ kitty, he might be harder to place. I knew immediately that I wanted him, and we will celebrate four years together this fall! My partner started calling him Catboy, which is a ridiculous name, but it absolutely fits him.
He spends his day in my office with me, and is so happy to see you that he rolls around on the floor as a greeting, even when I leave for a few minutes! He is our little clown, loves other cats, plays like a kitten, and makes the cutest chirps and squeaks because he can't meow. He’s also toothless, which makes him all the more adorable. I advocate for FIV+ adoptions because they deserve love and can still live long and healthy lives!
Natalie Pascale is a dedicated volunteer with the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, Oregon, where she sits on the Board of Directors and serves as an adoption counselor (she’s conducted over 2300 individual adoption sessions so far!) Natalie works as a Customer Success professional, and she lives in Portland, OR with her partner Kyle and their 4 rescue cats.