Thank you for your continued support!

Because of you and your votes at the animal rescue site, TARPS has received a grant worth $1000!

Check out the animal rescue site to see the other states' winners.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3

Seriously we couldn't have done it without you!

Meet Our Cats

Mr. Collins

Mr. Collins is a handsome, 2 year old, white and black cat.

He is originally from a feral community (a clowder) in Bellows Falls. Though not too trusting of people, he LOVES his treats enough that he will eat from your hand.

If you have a lot of patience and love to give an animal, Mr. Collins, may be the cat for you.

What is a feral cat?

A feral cat is an animal that because of abandonment, lack of human contact, or birth has become frightened or mistrustful of humans and other animals. Having to fend for themselves they revert to, or are in, a wild state.

Feral animals have received a bad reputation. Some, out of fear will hiss or growl as a self-defense mechanism, but there are also many who are exceedingly shy, hide or back away from people and are open to learning to live with humans.

Ferals once given food, water and care, may come around to being tamed and adoptable. Our volunteers work with the ferals to judge whether they can be tamed, then patiently encouraging them to accept a human's touch.

Kittens born to feral mothers, if found, have an easier time of adjusting to a domesticated state. It's important to handle these young cats at an early age so they don't shy away.

Unfortunately, there are cats that will never be comfortable in a shelter or home enviroment. We will spay (or neuter) these animals and release them back in to a safe area. These cats are marked so if caught they can be identified and left alone to live in the open.

We have many cats that may be a perfect fit for you and your family. Let us know if you have the time and patience to take in one of our lovable and more trusting ferals. Please give us a call or visit soon.

Those funny Brits

Cravendale Milk has released a series cute/funny/hysterical videos of Cats with Thumbs.

Here is the commercial that is going viral as we speak. (I personally like the street gang a la West Side Story.)

If you are lucky enough to have a polydactyl cat (cats with extra digits) you can even enter the contest to win £1,000!

(The condition seems to be most commonly found in cats along the East Coast of the United States and in South West England.)

Here is the Cat's With Thumbs link for you to explore more.

http://www.milkmatters.co.uk/cats/

We have a few here at the shelter. Come in and maybe you can find the next star of your own milk commercial (OR add to the gang of "cats with thumbs" uprising in your neighborhood).

News Updates

Dateline: CHESTER, VT

The Animal Rescue and Protection Society (TARPS) has new hours!
Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Monday & Wednesday by appointment (call 802-875-7777 to make an appt.)
Closed Tuesday and Friday

Don't forget to check our Contact Us page for the most up-to-the-minute info.


PLEASE NOTE:
Our "Adoptable Pets" page at Petfinders (http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelter_id=VT15) is currently down. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. You may always make an appointment to visit our cats in-person or call to ask about the cats and kittens we have available.

We will let you know once we are up and running again.

Thank you Ron and Joe for the cat image. Visit ronandjoe.com for all YOUR clip art.

Shop TARPS

Love TARPS? Well don't just say it, show it! We've opened a shop at cafepress.com/TARPSChesterVT

We have all types of merchandise available: tshirts, sweats, hoodies, hats, tote bags, beverage containers, pet bowls... you even can dress your favorite pet in a TARPS shirt. You and your pet will be the envy of the neighborhood.

All profits from purchases made at this store will go directly to TARPS.

TARPS items make great gifts. They are a gift with heart. You get a nice item and you have the knowledge you are donating to a great cause.

Keep checking back at the shop. New items will be added on occasion.

Thank you for shopping at http://www.cafepress.com/TARPSChesterVT

Meet Our Cats

Caroline

Caroline came to us from Bellows Falls as a 3-month old cat. She's been with us now for a little over 2 years. She is calm and very sweet.

With her unique orange eyes and her lovely coloring, she is quite a looker.

See our Contact page for our hours then come in and visit with Caroline. We know you will be won over by her.

Bad cats

I was speaking with a friend recently about cartoon cats we remembered from our youth. These two siamese were the worst. They were just nasty, leaving Lady to take the blame for their mischief.

What other cats do you remember? Kimba? Tom? Silvester? Top Cat? Courageous Cat? There were many more good cat cartoons than are bad ones.

Meet our Cats

Teddy (Theadora)

Here is our sweet Teddy. We think she is just beautiful. She was surrendered to the shelter from Brattleboro. When she came to us, she brought along her six 2-week old kittens. She was such a great mom, she even helped raise an orphan kitten along with her own. Most of her kittens have found loving homes now. We'd love it if she could find one too.

Do you think you can open your heart and home to a new pet? Call or come in to meet Teddy and our other wonderful cats.

Visit our Contact page for information about our shelter, hours and location.

Lost cat finds new home

(Update: Congrats on your one month anniversary Moose!)

These are the happy endings we like!

This beautiful cat was found wandering and brought to us. He looked well cared for and was friendly. We could tell he had a good home at one time. After looking for his owners and publishing his photo in the local paper, no one came forward to claim him. During that time, one of our friends visited the shelter, she saw (then named) Hercules and fell in love.

We were so happy he found a forever home so quickly. He is now called Moose and is living comfortably, playing with his new siblings, Peanut (aka Luna) and Nathaniel.

If you'd like to see some of our other cats, waiting for new homes, give us a call or come on in.

Please don't forget to vote for our shelter at theanimalrescue site. You can vote every day. The more votes we get will put us in the running for thousands of dollars in grant money (all that for a few clicks on links):

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3

Photos: Top right, Hercules waiting to be taken home.

Bottom left, Newly named Moose at play with new pal, Nathaniel

Favorite Videos-Simon's Cat

For those of us cat lovers, Simon's Cat will always be a favorite. We have a lot of curious and silly cats like Simon's waiting for adoption. Give us a call and make an appointment to visit and meet them.

Meet our Cats (first installment in a series)

Hera and Mae West

Just as Hera poses beautifully, Mae pops her head up to see what is going on.

Come in to visit us and meet these beautiful cats. We are located on Route 103S in Chester, Vermont.

Our hours are Thursdays, Noon to 5 pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5 pm; and Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment. Call 802-875-7777 to schedule an appt., for more information or directions.