"Finding Every Cat Their Forever Home"
Who Are We?
Hobbes House is a non-profit, no kill, feline rescue group located in Wake Forest, NC. We do not have a physical shelter to visit - instead all of our kitties are in foster homes. We take our adoptable cats & kittens out to regular 'adoptathon' events at the Brier Creek Petsmart. Personal 'meet and greets' can be arranged in the Wake Forest area for pre-screened applicants.
Our goal is to rescue as many cats and kittens as we can, provide education on the importance of spaying or neutering your pet, and be a resource for low cost spay/neuter programs. To this end we do a lot of fundraising which helps cover our cat's medical expenses. Donations are always gratefully accepted.
All of our cats and kittens have been spayed / neutered, tested negative for FIV and Feline Leukemia (unless otherwise noted in their bio), dewormed / deflea'd, and are up to date on their vaccines. Our adoption fee is $100, which covers these basic medical procedures. We also provide any other necessary medical care to insure all of them are healthy and ready to fill your home with love.
Our animals currently live in foster homes where they are cared for, loved and nurtured until they find their new forever home with you. We are always looking for other animal lovers to volunteer. Hobbes House is a great rescue group to work with - we're small and personal. Rescuing, caring for, and loving our cats & kittens are some of our top priorities.
If you are interested in meeting any of our kitties, volunteering or donating, please contact us at FosterKitties@gmail.com
How Hobbes House began....
Hobbes
July 1992 - Dec 27, 2006
the kitty that started it all...
Hobbes House is named after my very first rescue kitty...but let me back up a bit.
Even as a young child, I have always been the one to bring home strays, climb trees to free a cat in distress, and make my parents stop the car in the middle of a busy road to try to coax one into our car. Hobbes, however was different ... he was my first rescue as an adult. From the very first moment that I held him on my lap and felt him purr, I knew that he and I were connected. I had picked him up from the side of a country road in upstate NY - he was terribly skinny, had bruises and cuts on his belly and legs, and was so weak his little legs could barely hold him up. The vet at the emergency clinic said that he was probably only 6 - 7 weeks old, would have probably starved to death if I hadn't found him, and would need to be quarantined for four months to make sure the cuts weren't from a rabid animal. I slept near him for a while the first night he was with me and made sure he had food every few hours. I prayed that if I loved him enough, he would live. He was in such bad shape - every time he ate, he would tremble - his poor little body was trying to get used to having food again. As he grew stronger, I did physical therapy with him by setting up string toys for him to swat at so he would get muscle strength again.
He had the most incredible personality, so full of life and with the biggest heart. He and I were both alone when God brought us together, so he soon became my animal soul-mate and companion. He would sleep with me every night - leaning against the pillow next to me, snuggled underneath the blankets with his paw in my hand. If he had a particular need to be close, he would drape his body across my throat so that he could be warm and feel my heart beat. He'd also often reach out his leg, cup his paw around my hand and pull it towards him so he could give kitty kisses.
I've always had more than one kitty at a time, and Hobbes always welcomed them - he'd lick their head, curl up with them, or let them sleep on him so that barely any of his body could still be seen. He also was full of antics. He was obsessed with food - probably because of having so little of it when he was small. He has stolen an entire loaf of bread from the counter, tripping over it as he ran down the hall . eaten spaghetti sauce from the pan until the white on his little face turned orange, stolen countless sandwiches, crackers, meat, cheese, you name it. It was almost impossible to get mad at Hobbes. Even when he stole a little bunny from my dresser - the only stuffed animal he'd ever paid any attention to. I'd put it back, only to find it in another room of the house later in the week. He'd carry it around in his mouth and growl at it, only to spit it out when he was caught - as if to say, "not me mamma, I didn't have it". If you've ever read the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, you'll recognize his need to capture ' Mr. Bun Bun' .
Hobbes was diagnosed in early December with pancreatic cancer. My husband Bob and I brought him home from the animal hospital and have spent his last days spoiling him and getting as much love time in as possible. We were both amazed at how well he was doing, but I realize now it was his Christmas present to us. On Christmas Eve we had family over and he was part of it all - he sat on top of the packages, ate grilled shrimp, crackers, cheese, turkey ... and was still trying to steal food off of the card table at the end of the night. He was definitely back to his old antics! After Christmas itself was over, I cuddled him and told him if he needed to let go of life, we would be there with him. He still seemed pretty comfortable and content, but when we woke on the 27th, he was very, very sick. He was euthanized in my arms in our house - it was very peaceful, for which I am forever grateful. I miss him more than anything and when I cry, I know I cry because of my pain, not his. I know he's in Heaven now, at peace, happy, free from pain, and probably stealing food off of anyone's plate he can reach .
It is Hobbes that inspired me to create Hobbes House Feline Rescue this past summer. I dedicate this mission to him and hope to make him proud.
Susan Mewkill
I promise I will take your unwanted animals.
I will heal their wounds, their diseases, and their broken bones.
I will give them the medical attention they need and deserve.
I will nurture their starvation and give them a warm place to sleep.
I will spay and neuter them, and vaccinate them against the
diseases that can harm them.
I will care for them and honor them.
I will buy them blankets, balls, and toys, and teach them to play.
I will speak softly to them.
I will try to teach them not to cry, not to fear, and not to hate.
I will whisper sweet, kind, gentle words into their ears, while
gently trying to stroke away their fear, their pain, and their scars.
I will face their emotional scars and give them time to overcome them.
I will socialize them, litter train them, show them dignity, and stroke their fur,
But most of all, I will teach them Love.
And if they have endured too much, I will walk them over the Rainbow Bridge.
Author Unknown