Written by Becky Lyn Tegze, Acting Executive Director

Diamonds in the Rough:  One having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish.  Oatmeal, Simone, Willow, Sandy, Mamma Bright Eyes, Fuzzball, Almond, Abby, Isis, Sandy and Elektra are just that:   a few of our beautiful diamonds who could use a little polish, unconditional love, patience and time to become the perfect gems we know they are.

Oatmeal, with her trusting eyes, has come so far from the day she was rescued almost three years ago from a horrible hoarding situation where 50 cats were thrown out of their home.  Oatmeal and her friends were all over the yard, in trees, on the roof and hiding under bushes.  So afraid at first to trust, to believe her bad days were behind her.   We have slowly won little Oatmeal over with kindness, Temptation treats, understanding and unconditional love. She now enjoys petting, especially under the chin, and is letting her favorite people pick her up.

Sweet yet sassy Simone…the darling of the cat house kitchen.  Where does one begin with this pleasantly plump beauty?  Simone tries so hard to be the perfect diamond but gets confused sometimes.  She can get a tad overexcited when she is getting attention and tends to give love bites even to the hand that feeds her.  We know she doesn’t mean to and we are working with her to control her excitement but what she really needs is her own private teacher to call her own.

Our big boy Willy is another one of our diamonds in the rough. He too has been patiently waiting three years for his special family to come and find him.  How Willy ended up outside alone in an animal lover’s backyard we will never know for sure. What we do know is that Willy so wants to be part of a special someone’s family.  This quiet boy just wants a  soft spot and a warm sunbeam. We don’t think that is asking for much.  While Willy may never be a lap cat, we know he will be a great companion for someone who is willing to take a chance on him.

It certainly will take several special someone’s to see our Diamonds go from rough to flawless. If you are a master jeweler and willing to look past the rough edges and see the sparkle and shine underneath, we would love to introduce you to our “Diamonds in the Rough”! For a limited time, we are not only waiving adoptions fees but also giving adopters a $100 gift certificate towards their first vet visit for our “Diamonds” in hopes of encouraging those very special families to come forward! Interested in meeting or learning more about our “Diamonds”? Please email us at cats@petsalive.com and know we are here to work with you to get our Diamonds to at least 2 of the 4 c’s: cute & cuddly!

Thank you!

Pets Alive is the lucky recipient of a $500 grant made possible through Lil BUB’s BIG Fund for the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). Internet sensation, Lil BUB, an amazing cat, has teamed up with the ASPCA® to support a cause close to her heart – animals with special needs. A true kitty hero, BUB is using her fame to be a voice for cats and dogs, especially those who need some extra help. Since Lil BUB’s BIG Fund for the ASPCA was created in February 2014, more than $200,000 (and counting!) has been raised to help special needs animals across the country.  Funding from the grant will be used for the implementation of the Diamonds in the Rough program, which runs now through May 31, 2016.