What's Happening in November 2022

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December 2022
003 www.hart2heartanimalrescue.com

Featured Pet

SWEETIE
Sweetie is true to her name. This senior cat is looking for a home in a calm house where she will be the sole pet. She’s a bit of a flirt with men. While she is sweet, she can be a bit spicy when she wants to finish her nap – who hasn’t wanted to hit the snooze button when napping? She is very vocal and will talk your ear off if you let her. She can be very active and likes to play with toys. Sweetie likes to be up off the ground – windowsills, dressers, tables, etc.-- all the better to view her world.

Sweetie is a special cat and would love to find "her man". She is estimated to be 8-9 years old.
As a senior, she is a great choice for the Senior for Seniors Program where adoption fees are waived for seniors adopting senior pets. If you are interested in fostering or adopting, apply here .

Volunteer Focus

As the year comes to a close, people often think about how to give back. Volunteering is a good option. And volunteering to help animals is a great way to impact your community. There are benefits for the animals and you too!
Studies show that volunteering with animals can improve your mood and reduce stress. Cuddling and petting animals also boost your serotonin and dopamine levels, which in turn helps you relax and feel happy.

Working with a Rescue, you help the animals get ready for their forever homes. Caring for them, playing and socializing with them prepares them for a happy home filled with love.
There are so many animals being brought to the Rescue and lots of tasks need to be done. Volunteering a couple of hours of your time every week can help give animals another chance.
Volunteering is an opportunity to meet other people who love animals and want to make a difference. You learn to work as a team, develop skills and experience to enhance your resume. The animals depend on you, and the whole Rescue does too. As a 100% volunteer non-profit, Hart 2 Heart volunteers keep it running smoothly.
Of course, the best part of volunteering for the Rescue are the animals! You get to play and care for them while helping them get adopted. You encourage them and teach them that humans are good and watch them blossom from scared, shy cats to wonderful pets. You get to share in the happiness when an animal gets adopted, knowing that you helped make it happen. Invite family and friends to volunteer with you and the experience is even better! Apply today to join our team!

Phestival of Trees 2022

We are excited to be included in the Phestival of Trees for the third year in a row! This weekend, December 3rd and 4th, we will be at the King of Prussia Mall showcasing our sponsored trees that will be available to purchase. Come out and say "Hi", meet some cute cats and kittens ready to be adopted, check out all the decorated trees and do some shopping. All proceeds help a group of rescue partners, like Hart 2 Heart!

It's not too late to get your tickets: https://www.phestivaloftrees.com/tickets

Bonded cats

Cats certainly are paradoxes. They can be social and get along with other cats or they may prefer to be the only cat in a household. Some cats can live in the same household and simply co-exist, and others create strong bonds with other cats that last a lifetime. Cats that develop a strong connection are considered bonded.
If you find your cats snuggled up, grooming each other and sharing that little spot of sunshine, there’s a good chance they are bonded. Cats can be bonded if they are littermates, siblings, parents and child, or completely unrelated. These bonds most commonly occur at a young age, but adult cats can also bond. Once a pair of cats develop a strong bond, they become dependent on each other and spend the majority of their time together.
Look for these behaviors as clues your cats are bonded:
Sleeping or cuddling together. Finding your cats sleeping together might just be the biggest sign that your cats are bonded. Cats are most vulnerable when they sleep, which makes them picky about where and who they sleep near. If you find your cats cuddled up when they are napping, they are comfortable around one another, and they feel safe.
Rubbing their faces or bodies on each other. Cats have scent glands almost all over their body and these scent glands release pheromones, a chemical that provides messages to other cats.

One of the ways cats use scent is to create familiarity by rubbing up against each other. If you see your cats rubbing up against and grooming each other, they may be bonded.
Playing with no aggression. Cats get in vulnerable positions, like having their bellies exposed, while playing. If they can wrestle and play with no aggressive behavior, it means that they trust each other and may be bonded.

Adopting littermates usually results in a strong connection, but this can also be true of kittens from separate litters. Their first interaction might end up in baby hisses, but that shouldn’t last long.
Before choosing a new cat or kitten make sure their personalities are easy to match. Be patient when introducing them. Remember that each cat is unique and there’s no set timeframe to introducing two cats. It could take a week or months before they even get to tolerate each other’s presence.To learn more about bonded cats and whether they are a good match for you, contact us. Our Adoption Coordinators will work with you to find your next pet(s)!

Volunteer Highlight

Milo, and his mom Kimberly, have volunteered with Hart 2 Heart for several years (with a hiatus during the pandemic). Let’s meet Milo:
Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Milo, age 14. I am in 9th grade.
Why do you choose to volunteer? I volunteer because I love animals.
What made you choose Hart 2 Heart Animal Rescue? They let younger people volunteer (with supervision).
Is there a moment or memory that stands out from your time here? We took care of a gentle old cat named Sam. We helped him be adopted. We still remember what a sweet boy he was.
What have you learned about yourself and/or about others through volunteering with Hart 2 Heart? I have learned that I like helping cats find a better life.

What has been the biggest surprise about volunteering with Hart 2 Heart? There are so many cats.
If you could encourage someone else to volunteer at our Rescue, what would you say? Working with cats can be challenging, but it is so rewarding to see them go to a good home.

Here's Milo with the family cat, Zoe, age 15.

Become a Volunteer

December Events

On December 3rd and 4th, we will be participating in the PHestivaL of Trees at the King of Prussia Mall. This festive event features hundreds of uniquely decorated holiday trees and adoptable pets too! Get your tickets and come see the trees, meet some cats and do some shopping!

December 10th through December 17th we will be partnering with the Five Below (Warminster Town Center) for a fundraising shopping event. Present our flyer to the cashier and 10% of your total purchase will be donated to the Rescue.

December 11th and December 16th we will be at the Boscov's @ Neshaminy Mall for gift wrapping. After you finish shopping, stop by and we will wrap your gifts!

Breakfast with Santa December 18th at the Croydon Fire Station is a great opportunity to do some shopping, visit with Santa and meet some kittens looking for their forever home.

Stay tuned to our website and social media to learn more about these fun festivities and ways you can participate!

Rescue News

We have partnered with MeWow Cat Cafe in Doylestown to give our cats and kittens a wider audience and yet another opportunity to find their human. Cats at the Cafe live cage-free in the kitty corral until adopted. They are loved and cared for by the dedicated Cafe staff and visitors get to meet them and get to know their personalities since they are in a comfortable living environment.

Crystal, our sweet senior, recently took on the job of Cafe Greeter.

We are dedicated to helping cats find their forever homes. Cats stay with fosters to get familiar with living in different family dynamics, in pet stores where they get exposure to customers and are cared for by our dedicated volunteers, and now in the MeWow Cat Cafe where they live in a combination of both worlds - the freedom of being in a foster environment and the interaction with visiting humans.
Stop by the MeWow Cafe at 3617 Old Easton Rd, Doylestown, PA and say hi to Crystal and the other cats!

Happily Ever After

Lisa & Matilda

Matilda’s story is one for the books. Hart 2 Heart was called to rescue several cats abandoned when their owner died. The situation was dire; the owner was a hoarder. There were many cats, some alive, some dead and some barely hanging on. Matilda was rushed to a veterinarian where she received fluids and they began to assess her situation. She was severely malnourished, had a severe respiratory infection and a tumor in her mouth. She made it through the surgery and started her recovery, but not without battle scars. Matilda is a long-haired cat, but they were forced to shave her fur because it was so matted. They described her as a “tortoise shell.” Her entire bottom lip was removed along with her bottom teeth. As a result, she drools, breathes very loudly and snores when she sleeps. Sharon texted, “Could you take her while she recovers? The other cats pick on her and won’t let her eat.” “Of course we will. When can we get her?”

When we first saw her, our hearts shattered. She ran under the bookcase in our spare bedroom, and we didn’t see her for days. We knew she was there - she was eating, using the litter box and if you were quiet, you could hear her labored and loud breathing. With some time, treats, and lots of coaxing, we finally got her to come out. The first time she let us pet her, we cried. She was such an imperfectly beautiful creature. Had she ever known the love and affection of a human?

We moved her into MaryKate’s bedroom and that first night she awoke to Matilda standing on her chest sniffing her nose but managed to stay still so as not to scare her. Three days after taking her in, she was spending every waking minute on MaryKate’s lap.

While she’s many things, Matilda, Millie for short, is not a show cat. She still drools a bit, she has bald spots on her forehead, an abnormally long tail, and she snores. People who meet her think she is ‘funny’ looking. However, her personality is unmatched. She loves people and warms up to anyone within minutes. Her favorite thing to do is push her face into your face, almost as if she wants a kiss. Not only is she cuddly, but she’s hilarious, too. She refuses to play with actual cat toys, but loves to attack clothes, paper towels, and headbands. She has figured out how to open doors by clinging onto the doorknob and pushing on the wall with her back paws. She’s the perfect cat, and anyone who gets the pleasure of meeting her is so incredibly lucky. Millie’s spunky personality and heartwarming story resulted in our decision to adopt her ourselves. She’s our ‘foster-fail' and each day we find another reason to love her more than the day before.