CHAMPAIGN — Patrick the cat was jealous last week.
Sure, he was happy that Cinnabun, the 14-pound giant rabbit, went home with her new family. But something tugged at his heart.
“What about me?” Patrick wondered. “When will I get featured in the newspaper like her?”
Patrick came to the Champaign County Humane Society in May and has been patiently waiting for someone to notice him.
He’s been at the shelter for longer than any other cat. Or dog. Or rabbit. It should be his turn.
“He tends to get overlooked,” longtime humane society employee Terri Hamer says of the 6-year-old gray tabby.
Not anymore, Patrick. This one’s for you.
Hamer has been Executive Director Mary “Tief” Tiefenbrunn’s right-hand person for nearly six years. If Tief is the brains of the organization, Hamer is the heart and soul. And Hamer’s specialty is loving cats — especially misunderstood ones.
She even spends her lunch hour with older cats who need a little extra attention. She has a knack for picking out cats that are extra sweet — or rather, they pick her.
Whenever she walks in the room, they perk up and start calling to her, sliding their paws through the slats in cages: “Pick me, Terri! Hey, Terri, over here! Look at my cute face!”
But it’s the shy ones Hamer is drawn to. As a fellow introvert, she seems to profoundly understand them.
When She met Patrick, he didn’t even want to make eye contact. He was sad and scared. But over time, with the help of Hamer and the animal care staff, Patrick grew into the handsome, friendly boy he is today.
“He is fully trained,” animal care staff member Christy Vasilopoulos says, demonstrating Patrick’s new skill of coming to any spot where she taps her finger. “He is an impressive boy.”
We asked Hamer to introduce us to a few more of her favorite adoptable pets at the shelter.
Here are just a few of the sweethearts we met:
PEACHES
Female, 5.5 years old, 13.5 pounds, needs to be the only pet
Like Patrick, Peaches has been at the shelter since May.
“She is as soft of heart as she is of fur,” Hamer says. “She is full of cuddles and nuzzles.”
HONEY
Terrier/pit bull mix, female, 2.5 years old, 52 pounds, needs to be the only pet
Honey’s previous owners couldn’t take her along to where they were moving. She has been at the shelter since June and would make a great family dog.
“When she licks her Kong treats, she sticks her butt in the air,” says Vasilopoulos, who has worked at the shelter for three months. “She is the first dog I fell in love with here. She is a real love bug.”
The shelter waived Honey’s adoption fee due to a few chipped teeth that will likely need some dental work. In the meantime, she simply chews on the other side of her mouth.
ATHOS
Male, 1 year old, 10 pounds
The sign says it all.
SYBIL
Female, 2 years and 2 months old, 8.5 pounds
She enjoys playing with other cats, toy wands and laser pointers. She is laid back and independent.
“Sybil is shy and would need time to warm up to people,” Terri says.
GLAMA
Male, 3 years old, 2.5 pounds
Loves carrots. The staff recently moved him to his own cage because his brothers kept picking on him.
RUFUS
Male, 9 months old, 4.25 pounds
The Lionhead/New Zealand cross-breed was found stray in Rantoul, hopping around outside. He is affectionate, friendly and a super cute ball of fluff.
JAKE
Male, 3 years and 3 months old, 10 pounds
Good with kids and other cats. Extremely friendly and playful.
He is quite the flirt — always reaching his paws out through the slats to anyone walking by.
BISCOTTI
Female, 17 months old, 10.4 pounds, needs a home without dogs, kids over 10 preferable, loves to play, play and play some more
“She’s almost criminally orange,” Vasilopoulos says. “She’s the sweetest, though. You can tell she only has sunshine, rainbows and a monkey with cymbals in her sweet little head.”
If you can’t adopt a pet this holiday season, you can always donate funds to help cover shelter costs. Or you can donate much-needed items such as canned wet dog and cat food, pet toys, chews, training treats, Kong toys, fleece blankets — and yes, old newspapers.
For more info on adoptable pets, visit cuhumane.org.
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