Somewhere in the house that they can call theirs. This is important because your new cat needs to feel as though they can hide when they don’t want to be around other people or animals. Having a space like this can give them the sense of safety that they need to come out of their shell, and even let you pet them
A toy that is all theirs, no need to share. This is so that they don’t need to fight with any other cats or animals that you may have in your home as well as giving them a sense of belonging. Though don’t be discouraged if the first toy that you present is not their favorite, keep trying different ones and see which ones that they tend to play with the most.
A blanket or bed that is in a safe, quiet spot. When you bring home your new companion, it may take some time for them to adjust to their new home. Tuck a blanket or bed in a spot that you see them go to often as this could be their safe spot. This can ease their transition into your family and help make them as comfortable as possible.
Space. What we mean is that you need to give your cat time to adjust; give them time to explore their new home on their terms, finding out where to hide, and what they like without someone prodding them to play all the time.
Unconditional love! This is something that only you can give your pets! Once you have taken care of their basic needs of food, water, and a place to sleep you can learn more about what your cat likes, and what your cat needs more of! This is the exciting part of the journey where you get to see your cat's personality blossom and they take steps to getting out of their shell.
We hope that this was helpful for you and your family during this time, and if you have any questions please don’t be afraid to email us, we would be more than happy to answer specific questions or give advice on any of our friends here at HEA. And if you are looking to add a new companion into your household take a look at our current residents here!
Virtually the Best Hour of Love Idea!
We at Happily Ever After (HEA) think that this Hour of Love Discord Server is stellar! It’s a game changer for how we can share our companions and how all the people participating in Hour of Love can interact with each other! There are so many options that you can have when it comes to sharing your time with the companions of HEA. Discord allows users to share pictures and videos. On the day of the event, we will be streaming animals through discord for users to virtually connect. You can share the livestreams with friends via Discord or use a hashtag such as #HEA or #heahol to make sure all your friends are included. You can see below that we have a channel where we introduce some of our newest arrivals at HEA. Though they will always be put onto the website first, and their information will be updated more frequently on the website than in this channel.
How does it work? Well, when you sign up for a time to share with our companions you will get a guide on how to best raise funds during our event! In that virtual toolkit there will be the link to the server, which you can join if you’d like! If not, or if you don’t know much about Discord as a service, you can find out more here!
We will have some of our volunteers moderating before and during the event as well, so make sure you are following our posting guidelines so that you can stay and join in the fun on May 1st and 2nd!
We hope that this year our event can be bigger and better, so that we at HEA can make a difference in the lives of more animals that need us. Animals that have no other place or cannot stay in a home with people for the rest of their lives. Your donations help make that difference. Everyone who volunteers time or other resources to HEA is a big part of what helps us make such a big difference in both the lives of animal companions and in the people who find those animals.
If you have any questions about this event or planning to host your own event? Email us! Our team is here to help make Hour of Love extra special for all the dogs, cats, and virtual guests. And if you're planning something fun at home, we want to know about it! Sign up today!
The Resch's Large Hearts
Happily Ever After is excited to announce that a generous donor is matching the first $30,000 raised during the Hour of Love Event! We at Happily Ever After (HEA) want to thank Dick & Sharon Resch for this generous gift to not only our facilities and volunteers, but all the current and future animals that will come into our care. Dick and Sharon have helped out many in the community, and there is no sign they are stopping anytime soon. Mr. Resch is the former chief executive of furniture company KI, working his way through the company after starting in 1964. He and his wife’s efforts to the community can be seen in many areas around the city. An example of one is the new Brown County Expo that broke ground last summer. The Resch family has a legacy for their contributions to the Green Bay community, one that Dick and Sharon are living up to.. You can see more about that here. We are honored to be a recipient of the Resch’s amazing generosity.
For every donation that is made on May 1st and 2nd, Dick and Sharon Resch will be matching up to $30,000 of those donations for HEA. That means that even if you can only donate $10, you are helping our animals receive $20 in life saving funds! With your help, and the help of the Resch’s, we can exceed what we gathered last year! When you donate money during this event, you are giving life saving funds to animals that often have nowhere else to go. Every. Single. One. If you can’t donate money, you can sign up for an hour long slot and call your friends and family to gather donations! You can even have multiple people sign up for one slot, so call your friends and sign up today! Will you be the one to reach the $30,000 mark?
All of this would not be possible without the help of our volunteers, community, the Reschs, and YOU! The event has not even officially started and we are overwhelmed with the support we have received. We are sad that our animals will not be able to accompany you during your hour, but we know they will be with you in spirit. Share an hour, save a life!