No more pencils. No more books. No more teacher’s loving looks. Headmistress Terri Gonzales snuggles Snoopy as he prepares for his most excellent adventure in Scottsdale.

Presenting the Class of March ‘08

10 cats first to graduate from Miss Sherry’s Finishing School for Felines

We are proud to announce that 10 kitties have graduated with honors from Miss Sherry’s Finishing School for Felines and are ready for acceptance into great homes.

When Best Friends closed out the Great Kitty Rescue in February, they brought the “hardest cases” back to the sanctuary and continued the socialization techniques developed during the rescue, please see Who will be the first to graduate?. The goal was to help these kitties have every chance at being adopted.

Hard to believe because these are cats who once hissed, spit, swatted and ran from people and now are big love bugs.

Like all good graduates, there were some who just couldn’t wait to pack their bags and venture out of the nest.

Bagara, Carson, Snoopy, Dweezil and Angelina are now doing graduate work at PawPlacement in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area.

Sherry Woodard, founder of the finishing school, wishes her graduates good luck in their future endeavors.



We will be getting class reports from PawPlacement soon, in the meantime, you can see the kids’ photos on their Cats for Adoption page. And doesn’t this sound like young folks on their own ….two of them have changed their names! Our little girl Bagara is now Karma and handsome Carson is now Carlos.

The other five graduates who are still lounging around the yurt and ready to go home TODAY are: Jasper, Bunny, Milkmouth, Ziplock and Gus. To adopt one of these cuties, please email our Cat Adoption team at catadoption@bestfriends.org.

MEET THE GRADUATES:

Jasper:

He was the class president and he is perfect. Lots of natural leadership and he will fit in just about anywhere. Not only does he have an engaging personality but Jasper has a coat that appears at first to be black, but he’s actually a “black tabby.” His fur is really something.



Milkmouth:

She has a beautiful, blossoming personality. Her adorable milk mustache, short legs and round body just make you smile. She takes her P.E. class in the morning, so she’d like a family of early birds who have cat toys, please.



Bunny:



What a lover with her funny crooked tail! She solicits pets, she rolls and tumbles for you. BUT Miss Bunny has made it abundantly clear she does not care for other cats. However, she was introduced to little dogs and she thinks they are just the best entertainment ever. She follows them around with that funny smile on her face. So where is the family that has a cat-loving little dog or two who would have room for Bunny?

Ziplock:



He gets the Overcomers Award. Ziplock has neurological episodes and yet he has flourished in school. He is the guy in class with the broad shoulders, always there to make sure other cats are feeling comfortable.

Gus:



Very sophisticated and intelligent. He’s not shy but is a little reserved. He loves attention but it’s a bit beneath his dignity to solicit pets. Gus is having some blood work done on his hormone levels as his dignity sometimes dip in an eccentric way. But if you are looking for a Sun King to enhance your home, email Cat Adoption as His Highness has granted us liberty to discuss this privately.

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The PAWPLACEMENT FIVE:



Bagara aka Karma:

She won her right to be one of the finishing school ambassadors to PawPlacement by allowing many different volunteers and staff pet her and by proving she would not run when a person came toward her.

Carson aka Carlos:

Wins the “Best Groomed” award. He loves to be petted, in fact once he learned what brushes were for, he almost demanded that every visitor to the finishing school brush him.



Snoopy:



Class Valedictorian, Snoopy assigned himself the job of showing other cats how to play. Although he can be assertive with other cats, when a person picks him up, he lays his head on their shoulder.

Dweezil:

BMOC (Big Man on Campus) -- literally -- since he weighx 14 pounds! Dweezli loves to be picked up and petted. He runs up to people for attention. From an under-socialized kitty he has become the example of a perfect housecat.



Angelina:



She gets the Bravery award. She was so nervous in the playroom in the finishing school. But she forced herself to not run from people. You could almost see her digging her claws into the floor to keep herself in place. . But when people sat down next to her and and picked her up, oh heaven! Angelina loves to be held and petted.

Since Miss Sherry’s Finishing School for Felines is a progressive school that lets each student work at their own rate, five other students have already been picked to take the PawPlacement 5’s vacated spots.

We will give you a report on the wonderful progress of the rest of the first class and introduce you to the new students very soon.

Volunteers welcome!

Anyone interested in learning the socialization techniques developed during The Great Kitty Rescue is invited to apply to volunteer at Miss Sherry’s Finishing School for Felines at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Kalene Craddock at 435-644-2001, ext. 4119 or email volunteer@bestfriends.org and help these special kitties get ready to go home.

To adopt one or more of these cats, please email our Cat Adoption team at catadoption@bestfriends.org

Photos by Sarah Ause and Gary Kalpakoff

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