missing cat - vilas neighborhood

update: rosie has been found! she had made her way into the inside of a hot tub via a loose panel and was kept warm from the tub's insulation. she's back home this morning with her mom and sister, doing fine and eating to her heart's content. happy endings are the best.

rosie went missing on saturday, january 30th in the vilas neighborhood. she was one of our featured happy cats, previously named kiki, and is around one and a half years old. rosie has an orange striped coat, long hair, is a little chubby and is microchipped.

if you have any information on rosie,
or know someone who has recently taken in a cat, please contact her guardian here.

food glorious food

well lucky us! some friends of ours had about 4,800 cans of pretty good cat food left over and asked us if we knew anyone who might be able to use it. well, what do you know? a few groups came to mind right away.

we hope friends of ferals and happy cat enjoy the food. eat up!

dchs gets some dough

the dane county humane society has received a $50,000 grant from the aspca to help cover costs from last spring's seizure of animals from the thyme and sage ranch.

we're curious where the money is going and whether any of it will be used to help save the cats already there.

in other local news, one of the lead vets at dchs has had her home-insurance canceled. why? because she rescued a rottweiler. more breed-specific targeting that is hurting more than helping.

happy cat spotlight: squeekie! this laid-back guy (pictured above) is about three years old and front-paw declawed. he enjoys spending time with other kitties and lounging around enjoying the finer things in life. come down to the monroe st. store and give him some loving.

dixieland diva

happy cat spotlight: dixieland! she is a super sweet, adult, grey-brown tabby looking for a new home. for more information on dixie and the adoption process just head on over to the happy cat club of madison or stop into our monroe street store.

ever longed for a woolen replica of your dog or cat? well now you can have just that! this artist uses pictures of your pets to reproduce a life-like woolen statue. pretty neat!

you don't often hear of certified therapy cats, but anyone who shares their home with one knows that cats can make the best therapists.

findtoto.com is a new service that will auto-call your neighbors to alert them of your missing pet. starting at $70 and ranging all the way to $875, it's quite the jump from putting up xeroxed posters.

a new, inkier face for animal rescue

the national geographic channel has a new show called rescue ink. the hook is that the rescuers are big, bad, harley-riding, tattoo-sporting dudes who also happen to kick butt for animals in need. sounds like something worth checking out.

"democracy is not always so cut and dried. sunbeams are going to happen. vacuum cleaners are going to happen. those little springy wires with a piece of cardboard at the end are going to happen. It's simply the way the system works." the onion strikes again with a story on the proceedings of cat congress.

the best part of wakin' up is cat-poo in your cup. wait. what? that's right. cat-poo coffee now only $20 a cup!

happy cat spotlight: cab (calloway) is a beautiful, adult male kitty with big orange eyes and a rabbit-fur-soft coat. stop into madcat on monroe street to meet him or contact happy cat for more info.

get out your party shirts!

the annual willy street fair is coming up this weekend. celebrate the end of summer with all the fun and craziness of DJs, parades, food vendors and miss gabby madcat, herself!

warning! nicotine can poison pets. keep cats off drugs! ....unless it's catnip.

yesterday's news, the recycled-paper litter people, are holding a contest to see how good pet owners really are. bonus - they will plant a tree for every entry they get! so even if you're not captain planet go ahead and enter.

happy cat spotlight: felix. this lil' guy is a six-month old with all the adorable energy of the cutest baby kittens. if you want a cuddle bug and a goofball be sure to stop into the west side store and say hello.

enrique es un gato loco!

happy cat spotlight: enrique! while he's no latin singing sensation, this guy is bound to make you swoon with his big green eyes. his back-story is a sad one: hit by a car, lacerated tongue, broken teeth, broken leg, the whole works. after a couple months of rest and recuperation, enrique is ready to start a new, happier chapter of his life. if you are interested in meeting him, head to the monroe st. store or contact happy cat.

people in san francisco are weighing in on the declawing debate.

judging animal intelligence with the point of a finger. while they don't mention cats, we know they understand. some are just too cool to care!

remember kiki, another happy cat kitteh? we have some very good news...she's been adopted! the crazy girl is home now with her new family, living it up and enjoying life after motherhood. we wish kiki and her adopter all the best!

a happy ending for ghost

we are super excited to announce that ghost, the car-riding wonder kitten, has been adopted! as you may recall, ghost came to our mineral point store as an early-morning surprise back on july, 24th. after an exciting day filled with lots of food, playing and news cameras, he went to a happy cat foster home to get big and strong enough to be adopted out.

now, a little over a month later, he is neutered, vet-checked, vaccinated and ready to start his

new life. even better, ghost is going

home with another happy kitty, a little boy named puffy. the two new friends are going to have many years of playful love ahead of them. we wish both kitties, and their new family, all the best.

if you were waiting to adopt ghost, or are thinking of adding a kitty to your family, please head over to the happy cat club of madison to check out all the other cats who need good homes.

"Our task must be to free ourselves...

by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and
the whole of nature and it's beauty."
Albert Einstein

kiki the happy kitteh

miss kiki is the newest happy cat to hit monroe st. she is one-year old, energetic and likes to give cuddles and kisses. she had a littler of kittens earlier in the summer and is now looking forward to starting a new life with a little less responsibility and lots more fun. stop in and giver her some love!

girls kept in backyard for years had ceramic cat collection, cat fancy magazines. kitties can be a comfort in even the saddest of situations. we hope they get to experience the love and understanding of a real kitty soon.

the comments on this story about rabies in a feral cat population show point pleasant, new jersey to be anything but pleasant.

the new movie, district 9, features a cat-food monopoly and aliens. surprisingly, alf is not involved.

meet shakespeare!

"i am as vigilante as a cat to steal cream" - the bard said that, this shakespeare would be happy just to find a new home with someone to rub against. he is currently hanging out at our west side store meowing for attention and pets. for more info on adopting shakespeare contact the happy cat club of madison.

science is finally trying to catch up with us! colorado state university plans first study on the benefits of probiotics on irritable bowel disease in cats.

wacky cat facts! they have 44 more bones than we do, giving them the ability to squeeze through tiny spaces, get their heads stuck, and become a news item.

what every sci-fi -loving cat lady needs, a hello kitty stormtrooper!

leesha can haz hom now?

happy cats, leesha and mr. d,j., are still hanging out, looking for new homes. what are you waiting for?

update: d.j. has just been adopted! good luck in your new life, buddy!

ghost update! if you missed the news friday night don't worry, the piece is up on channel 3000's website. we spoke with happy cat today, where ghost is in foster care, and it sounds like he's doing much better. his initial checkup put him at near 7 weeks old, dehydrated and under-nourished. it appears he had been surviving off of bird seeds and whatever water he could get from rain. today, he's running around like any kitten would: playing and jumping and without a care in the world. it will be a few weeks more until he reaches two pounds and can be neutered and after that he'll be up for adoption. stay tuned for more updates on the famous little guy!

any time you surrender a cat to a kill shelter there is no guarantee it will be adopted. likewise, adding a pet to your family means you are responsible for its health. sad story all around.

now, time for a joke - "the story of adam and eve's pets"

meet leesha!

we have a new adoptable cat at monroe st., miss leesha. she enjoys going outside, having her coat brushed and the company of other kitties. contact happy cat for more details.

the crazy pair of dogs who wandered into the mineral point store the other day have been picked up from the shelter. let's hope they don't go on any more journeys.

animal freak shows are still in existence? who would even go to one of those?

"i'm looking for a bling collar. as you can tell, he's got to have bling." what can we say? people love their pets!

this is so sad. please be careful when bringing a new baby home - our pets don't innately understand babies.

stella's mustache is a little tipsy

good news! after nearly 3 months at our monroe st. store happy cat pepper has been adopted! we'll miss ya, big guy!

so two dogs walk into a store.... no, really. two dogs walked into our west-side store yesterday. if you are missing this guy or this guy please check with the humane society.

when the cat's out of the bag, and by bag we mean house, don't panic. instead, think like a cat! (who knew pet detectives really exist?)

michael vick has completed his sentence for dog fighting. we'll see if any team is willing to hire him.

remember the church who wanted to shut down the t-n-r program on its grounds? well alley cat allies has stepped in and saved the day! hip hip hooray!

it's furry friday! w00t

in a bit of obvious news most cats and dogs don't enjoy being dressed up as 80s calypso players or odd-looking southern pollsters.

looking to update a dog or cat on the west side? the dane county humane society has opened a new adoption center on d'onofrio drive right by pedro's. now you can "make mex-i-can" and save a life all in the same trip!

since we actually had some sun in the last week it's time to consider uv protection for your pets.

this story sounds a lot like that of pepper, our current happy cat resident at monroe, only pepper hasn't found his happy ending yet.

this video of a cat rescue and sanctuary in california is both inspiring and heart-warming. if only all cats could be loved like that.

happy hump day!

sable, a gorgeous muted tortie, is over at the west-side store waiting for you to come get her. "i can haz fourevah hom now?"

the people responsible for the menu foods recall two years ago are have plead guilty and will soon be sentenced. we think they should have to eat a few "well-balanced" meals of melamine-tainted wheat gluten along with paying a few fines.

the suspected florida cat killer has been released while awaiting the results of a psychological exam.

we would much rather find this adorable dottie look-a-like in a mail box than one of these!

warning! you have a little over 24 hours to complete your ballot for madison's favorites. make it so!

spider cat!

if you saw the simpsons movie last summer, you are probably familiar with homer's current best friend "spider pig." well now an enterprising cat in england named charlie is attempting to get in on the spider pig fame by doing his own version of the arachnid dance. the spider cat regularly climbs a vertical wall to re-enter his family home when no one will answer the front door.

"he then climbs up the balcony to get in. so charlie really goes out the front door and in the back door."

in behavioral news, we've stumbled on an article that gives some rather helpful advice on how to get your kitty to like petting and avoid that seemingly-unprovoked attack of the killer lapcat. it basically boils down to adjusting your own behavior to help increase your kitty's tolerance of stimulation by petting. be patient, calm, and above all, observant.

"by paying close attention to his body language as you slowly increase the amount of time during which he’ll calmly accept your attention."

and last, but certainly not least (he's huge!), we would like to remind you that sergeant pepper, the happy cat kitty, is still available and currently hanging out with dottie at the monroe st. store lounging around and rolling in catnip. he truly is one of the sweetest and most mild-tempered cats we've had here and would make a wonderful addition to any family. he is especially good with children and simply adores being pet. please help us give this big lover a second chance at a happy life.

meet pepper!

we're on roll! another adoption means another kitty to introduce! today we are featuring mr. pepper, he's not a doctor pepper yet, but has expressed interest in vet school. this guy's story is pretty sad: he is ten years old and was given up by his family because they were moving. pepper was surrendered with another cat, his best buddy, who upon examination was found to have advanced lung cancer and didn't make it. now pepper is lonesome and is looking for a family and new kitty friend to help fill up his days with love. he is a very affectionate and sweet guy who just wants to be with people. if you have a little extra room in your heart please consider adopting pepper; he just wants to go home.

for more information on adoption please contact the happy cat club of madison or pop on down to the monroe st. store to give a him a cuddle.

now, with some happy news, here's nolio with his new guardian and best friend. this was one lucky cat who barely spent even a full day with us before he found his forever home. if only it was that easy for all kitties. good luck, nolio!

"the smallest feline is a masterpiece."
-- leonardo da vinci

meet nolio!

good news! miss foxy found a home! she was such a little sweetie and we are sure that her new family is going to have many happy years with her.

now, it's time to meet the new guy, nolio! if you've ever wanted a straight-up orange tabby with a sweet disposition then this is the cat for you. he is a young adult, around a year or two, with gorgeous tabby markings and cute, white mouth. nolio found his way to the shelter first as a stray cat, then he was adopted and returned due to allergies. we think he would really like to find his forever home soon so he can finally unpack his bags and relax.

if you are interested in meeting nolio just pop on down to our monroe st. store or contact the happy cat club of madison for more info.

"i love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul."
-- jean cocteau

meet foxy!

make room in your hearts for the newest addition to the happy cat crew - miss foxy! she is a beautiful, little 9-month old, medium-haired tri-color calico. since she is still a kitten, her favorite activities include exploring small spaces, climbing to the top of anything and everything, purring and, eventually, sleeping. her only real dislikes are loud noises, so a normal to quiet home would be best for her. if you would like to meet foxy just stop into our monroe st. store or contact the happy cat club of madison for more info.

in other good news, everyone's favorite crazy, little guy, zero, has been adopted! he is now living it up in his new digs and having fun playing with his new siblings, two cats and a dog.

as always, we wish zero and his new guardians the best of luck in their new life together.

bart, the cat with the big heart

if you are looking for a dog's kinda cat, this is him. in fact, bart likes dogs so much that during his tenure at the main shelter he was used to test dogs' comfort level with cats. he is a super sweet adult tabby with great markings and a purr to match. we think bart would be happiest in a home with other cats and dogs so he would have plenty of opportunities for play and companionship. but don't worry, he'll still curl up with you, too!

to meet bart in person, stop by our mineral point road store or contact the happy cat club for more info.

drop the hero and get with the zero!

yay! the lovely lady, aribel, has been adopted and is already living the good life in her new forever home. she is a joy of a cat and we're sure that she's going to bring many years of laughter and love to her new family.


now it's zero's turn to find a home. he is a very small, playful and energetic young adult, who also enjoys nice cuddles and kisses. we're not sure how he got his name but it could come from the fact that he can go zero to sixty in a minute when it comes to running around with store-cat dottie. he was surrendered by his previous family because they were moving and while his intake form says that he would do best as an only cat, he really does seem to enjoy playing with dottie and is respectful about knowing when play-time is over. if you are thinking about adopting a new family member you may want to give zero a chance - he looks and plays like a kitten but won't drive you crazy with kitten antics! for more info on adoption, please stop by the monroe st. store or contact the happy cat club of madison.

fall in love with aribel!

good news, everyone, we've had another adoption! jewel (or miss princess, as we call her) has found her forever home. we're sure she'll be happy and will undoubtedly warm many hearts in the years to come. we wish jewel and her new family the best of luck!



and now, more good news!


we'd like to introduce to you a cat with some beautiful and striking features and one of the most pleasant personalities we've seen, miss aribel! she is a young adult, around two to three years old, who would rival any bunny for having the softest fur. playing with peacock feathers, climbing trees and looking into the toilet are some of her favorite activities and she seems more curious than scared around dogs. if you would like to meet aribel just pop on down to the monroe street store, or, go to happy cat's webpage for more info.

miss myrtle

with joey back in foster care, we decided to change it up a bit and get a girlie kitty over at the monroe store. her name is myrtle and she is a fuzzy love-bucket. since she was a stray we don't know much about her history other than that she loves to purr and is very calm and patient. she even likes having her long hair brushed out. if you long to get lost in a pair of captivating green eyes then come on down to the shop or contact happy cat for adoption info.



now, in news of the world....looks like a new cat-related fad
has popped up in japan in the form of cat cafes. we like the idea of being able to enjoy a cup of coffee with a cuddly kitty as long as they are happy and well taken care of. our store cats are greeted and pet by people like this every day who just want to stop in and say 'hi' because cats can make them smile and enjoy their day a bit more. and they never fail to bring the lols.

joey's back and bettah than evah

more good news! another happy cat has found his forever home in less than 5 days! mr. smudge went with his new family on friday and seemed quite pleased to be moving on to another adventure. we want to wish smudgers and his fam the best of luck in their new life together. happy trails!


now, let me re-introduce to you another happy cat, joey. as you might recall, he was adopted out a few weeks ago. well he's back due to issues with his adopter, not him. now he's hanging out at the monroe street store looking for another chance. he is nine years old, and is considered special needs for diabetes, although he is not insulin-dependent due to a very healthy diet of grain-free, low-carb food. if you are interested in meeting joey just pop into the store or call happy cat for more info.

be smudged!

good news! our happy cat, gus, was adopted yesterday and went home to meet his new furrbrother. as always, we wish him and his new family the best of luck in their new life together.

now, let me introduce to you a spry little guy named smudge! he is a young adult and has the energy of a mountain dew-fueled teenager. if you remember ping, smudge is a lot like him. maybe a long-lost brother? catnip and squeaker mice have him running around like a nut, but also enjoys curling up next to us for a good cuddle. if you are interested in meeting smudge check just pop into the monroe st. store or go to happy cats webpage for more info.


in other news, we caught triple m's morning show, jonathan & kitty, today....and we were super surprised to hear our little old blog being mentioned. once we got over the inital shock, we were pleased to find out that jonathan's own kitty, baxter, follows us! he also made amends regarding the incident from last week and wrote a lovely note in the comments section. we want jonathan to know that we appreciate his taking the time to clear the air and recognizing that cats are a big part of our lives, they're furry family members. plus, he made a pretty cute video of his cat-love over on his own blog - he must know we're a sucker for kitty vids. oh, and by the way, nice cat tree!

meet gus!

happy cat gus is a large, striking, medium-haired, jungle-panther cat. well, he's not really a panther, but we like to let him think so. while he is technically classified as a senior kitty, he still plays like a kitten and goes after his favorite toy, da bird, stalking and pouncing it like a true hunter. gus was surrendered by his family who didn't have enough time for him where he lived with another cat and a small dog with whom he got along well. if you think gus could be a great addition to your home just contact the happy cat club of madison or drop by our monroe st. store to meet him.

cleveland rocks!

happy news, everyone! both theo and buddy were adopted last night! we wish them and their new families the best of luck in their new lives together.

in other news, the practices of t-n-r and no kill are still spreading throughout the nation, most recently in cleveland where the city has earmarked $40,000 to go towards public assistance for spay/neuter.

" city council members say they get more complaints about roaming cats than potholes or burned-out streetlights."

if only madison was as forward thinking....

buddy the moo cat

no, your eyes aren't deceiving you, that's not morty or lucy, it's buddy! he's our featured happy cat at the mineral point store this week. buddy's story is a sad one. after 8 years together, he and his kitty best-friend were surrendered to the humane society because their family was moving. now buddy is looking for a new best friend and a warm body to snuggle up to. he enjoys riding around on shoulders and tends to drool when he really loves someone. please give this special guy another chance at a good life and a new forever home.

if you would like to meet buddy just stop into the mineral point store or contact the friendly people at happy cat for more information.

a happy cat challenge!

thinking about adopting a new cat or kitten? great! cats of all ages are always needing to find good homes and people to love them. however, we'd like to challenge you to open your heart even wider and consider a special needs cat or an elderly cat. these kitties have just as much love to give but their lives have been tough and they need your love even more. fiv, diabetes, heart conditions - nobody is lining up to adopt cats afflicted with these problems. many spend years in foster care waiting on a home while the less fortunate are killed to make space available for "adoptable" cats. for a community to go no kill, these cats need to be saved.

from dr. peak of happy cat club:
"anyone can adopt a healthy, young kitten. but who is going to be bold enough to adopt a harder to place animal? make a statement to support a no kill madison and adopt a harder to place (or twice special) pet - then brag about it to everyone you know!! make it the new cool thing to do."

fiv and keely

feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline aids, is a virus affecting cats and only cats (it can not be spread to humans or dogs). it is spread through saliva, via deep-bite wounds, and is most prominent in feral populations where un-neutered males are prone to fighting. cats infected with the virus can live long and happy lives but are more susceptible to illness. they must be kept indoors, have regular vet check-ups and be fed a high-quality diet.

cats with fiv are classified as having special needs and are often over-looked at shelters. if you think you can open your heart and your home to kitty with fiv please check out miss keely. she is a gorgeous, medium-haired, tuxedo-sporting princess looking for her forever home. for more information on adopting cats, with or without special needs, contact the happy cat club of madison.

theo!

we are happy to announce that zippy was adopted yesterday. he was here for less than 24 hours before finding a home! he found a nice home with an older couple who fell in love with him at first sight. we wish him the best of luck!

we have another cat at monroe st. that we need to introduce. pictured here is theo the adorable. he was surrendered to the shelter and is looking for someone to love. he is around a year old, already neutered, and has all his shots. he is a very playful boy and would love to live in a home with other cats! if you're looking for someone to keep you entertained, he's your man. come on over to the monroe st. store to meet him or contact the happy cat club for more info.

meet zippy!

good news! joey the cat was adopted out to his new home yesterday! we're so happy that our older gentleman found a good home and new best friend.

now let me introduce our new happy cat, zippy! zippy is a young adult male who was found stray and never claimed. he has beautiful brown tabby markings and has that real soft bunny fur. check with the happy cat club of madison for more info or stop into the monroe st. store to meet him.

joey!

joey is the new happy cat at monroe street. he is nine years old, front-paw declawed and was surrendered because his family was moving. now he's looking for someone to take him to his forever home and give him a chance at a second chapter of life. if you are interested in meeting joey just stop by the store or contact the friendly people at the happy cat club of madison.

diablo finally finds a keeper!

the kitty who couldn't seem to find his forever home is finally home! diablo aka dobby aka the coolest cat ever was adopted yesterday! we think this is lucky number three for him. he will be living with 3 other cats and a dog. we will miss him very much and wish him the best of luck. another happy ending for a happy cat...

thinking about adding a cat to your family? check out the cool happy cat site to see others!

another adoption for the day!

what a pair they make! we are happy to report that alex the cat was adopted this morning. this pic is of him with his proud new "mom". a total of two cats have been adopted today! alex was "talking" all morning about his new home. we will miss him and hope to hear from him soon!

visit the happy cat club site to see some of alex's friends that need homes!

miss moose adopted!

we are happy to announce that miss moose has found her forever home. she will be living in quiet home where her "special needs" will be met. she will be adopted today! we wish her all the best of luck in her new home!

if you think you would make a good forever home for one of our happy cats, visit their cool site.

meet miss moose!

moose is a lovely adult female currently awaiting her forever home over at the west side store. she was surrendered to DCHS because her owners no longer had time for her and had developed allergies. she does have one special need and that is low stress due to her benign heart murmur and elongated mitro valve. moose is a very healthy and happy girl and needs someone to give her the love and attention she deserves.

to meet moose just stop by our mineral point store. for addoption info contact our friends at happy cat club.

ollie is going home!

good news! ollie the cat, who was surrendered for being "too affectionate," has found a new family will be going to his new home today! the gabby look-alike is a loving, playful boy who just needed someone to appreciate him for all the love he has to give. good luck, ollie! we'll miss you.

another happy ending for a happy cat...

meet alex!

alex is a cool cat. he is laid back, self-assured and enjoys singing and window watching. if you are looking for a good family cat this would be the guy for you. he is front paw declawed (ouch!), neutered and ready to find his forever home.

for adoption info you can go to happy cat's website or just come on in to our monroe st. store. no need to call ahead, alex loves company:)