When kittens and cats need rescue, shelter, and care – you and Harmony House are there to give them a second chance. Below is a story from a supporter just like you!
Before Harmony House: Vonnie & Laurence
One of our long time supporters found two little kittens on one of his job sites in a factory. He kept them safe all day while he worked, then brought them to Harmony House as soon as he could.
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A Tale of Two Kitties – Vonnie & Laurence
By Marla
I volunteered at Harmony House for many years, but never adopted a cat although I was tempted many times. That changed in 2003 when two kittens were brought to the shelter – a petite shorthair tortie named Vonnie and her fuzzy orange and white brother, Laurence. Although adorable as all kittens are, to me there was something very special about these two. Soon it was discovered they both had a condition called “eyelid agenesis,” meaning that their eyelids hadn’t completely formed before birth. It also meant costly surgeries were needed to keep the kittens from losing their sight. Harmony House did not hesitate to begin the long process of surgeries and follow-up treatments necessary before the kittens could be adopted.
My husband Dan and I are no strangers to caring for special needs cats, so we were eager to bring Laurence and Vonnie home to join our other three rescues and provide the extra care the kittens would need for many months to come.
The procedures were successful, and today Laurence and Vonnie enjoy a pampered life and return tons of love and affection.
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These 2 little kittens were saved and got a second chance for love, home, and family. Thanks to you for all you do. Without “u” there is no rescue!
Paka’s Story: From Cautious to Curious to Cuddles
By Chance
I met Paka in January while working at Harmony House. I didn’t immediately notice his charm. He was shy and guarded, keeping to himself on the highest shelves in the cat rooms. He would watch me with wide eyes, but he made no attempt to interact with me or any potential adopters.
I came to learn that Paka had been found wandering outside the previous summer suffering from hypothermia and malnutrition, among other things. He was brought back from the edge of death by the vets at Portage Park and given a safe place to recuperate in a foster home before coming to the Harmony House. It was no wonder that with such a hard life, I needed to earn Paka’s trust and love. We slowly got to know each other over the next few months and eventually, he began to seek me out for cuddles and playtime.
Now that he’s comfortable in his forever home, Paka greets me with a chorus of meows when I return from work and snuggles up under the covers when it’s time for bed. He is curious and bold, and his antics never fail to bring a smile to my face. Paka and my older cat, Karl, run, play and nap together in the sunshine. It’s amazing to think that a sickly, timid kitten would blossom into a vocal, loving, and adventurous cat in such a short time. I feel lucky to be part of his wonderful transformation.
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Paka was saved and got a second chance for love, home, and family. Thanks to all of you for all you do. Without “u” there is no rescue!
Warren Before Harmony House
Warren had been living outside for some time, going from house to house in the neighborhood looking for food. A Good Samaritan finally stepped in to save this sweet, friendly cat from this lonely existence. A call was made to Harmony House, and we took Warren in to care for him until a great home could be found.
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Warren’s Story
By: Tallula, Tina, Carter, and Warren (from Tallula’s point of view) =^ .. ^=
Mom and I started volunteering at Harmony House this summer. Our cats Bela and Oye passed away last year and Mom and Dad thought we might be ready to adopt a new cat, but they wanted to make sure I remembered all the responsibilities of caring for a pet.
After a few months of volunteering, our friend and volunteer, Kelly Brunick, asked Mom if we had met Warren. She thought we would like Warren because he reminded her of our cat Oye. When Mom and I first met Warren, he was at the top of a tall cat tree and he reminded us of Oye too. He looked like Oye, who was part Maine Coon Cat (also super fluffy), and he acted like Oye, who was king of the castle and a gentle giant. Like Oye, Warren seemed to love snuggling in our laps as much as climbing and jumping and playing and watching birds from the windowsills.
Warren reminded me so much of Oye that I was worried he might take Oye’s place in our hearts, but Mom said that wouldn’t happen and we would make a new place for Warren in our hearts. Dad met Warren and he agreed, and we decided to adopt him.
Warren settled into his new home right away. From his first day, he liked to be wherever we were, including the shower (yes, the shower, wet or dry!) When a friend saw a photo of Warren, he told us Warren looked like a ‘Wegie’, or Norwegian Forest Cat, which might explain why he likes people and water so much. That’s because Vikings brought Wegies with them on their ships to be their companions and to catch mice! Funny, right?
We are so happy we met Warren and he picked us to be his furever family. Thank you Harmony House!
P.S. Warren misses all his furry friends (and people friends) and says hi!
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Warren was saved and got a second chance for love, home, and family. Thanks to all of you for all you do. Without “u” there is no rescue!
Before Harmony House: Comiskey & Minooka
A friend of Harmony House found a family of cats living outside. She was able to get the father and two kittens to Harmony House. Both the kittens had distemper but with medical treatment and some TLC, they survived!
A Story of Family: Comiskey & Minooka
By Yvonne
In 2009 I attended the annual Harmony House Holiday Fest and was introduced to Comiskey, a handsome, two-year-old gray cat with big blue eyes. He was in the kitten room acting as “father” to all the youngsters. My husband Larry and I were looking to adopt two kitties and knew instantly Comiskey would be one of them. Shelter manager Jennifer helped us with the selection of Minooka, a seven-month-old kitten who happened to be Comiskey’s biological daughter. They turned out to be the perfect companions for their humans and each other!
Comiskey and Minooka always greet us at the door when we come home. They love to run through the house and play. Comiskey loves laps and giving hugs. Minooka loves to watch Nova, Animal Planet and Football! Comiskey loves to watch World Cup Soccer, and read the newspaper!
Every cat deserves a second chance. Larry and I have a long relationship with Harmony House and once again the knowledgeable staff helped us adopt the perfect companions for us. We give lots of love to Comiskey and Minooka, but they usually end up giving us even more in return!
Thank you to everyone at Harmony House for providing a safe, healthy, and loving refuge for every cat until they can find their forever home.
Harmony House thanks our adopters, supporters, volunteers, staff, and veterinarians for all you do. Without “u” there is no rescue!
