Tails High

12/31/2024

🌟2024🌟 What a rollercoaster you have been. Through the highs and the lows, we remain grateful for the hard work of our volunteers, support from our community of cat lovers, partnership with our vet team and fellow rescuers, relationships with our adopters, and the trust of the cats and kittens that we are fortunate to help and love. Tails High has experienced a year of tremendous growth - tripling our intake and doubling our adoptions, reaching 300 happily ever afters in 2024! We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

We are extremely proud of every kitty we’ve been blessed to help this year. Our mission is clear and drives everything that we do. We believe every cat deserves an advocate and miracles can happen. This often leaves us to step in and say “yes” when other rescues have unfortunately had to say no. It’s rewarding and sometimes heartbreaking work, and yes, it’s also expensive.

In true Tails High fashion, we are ending 2024 and beginning 2025 with a special intake. ✨Aurora Borealis ✨. This amazing girl made the journey all the way from Arkansas to Virginia, arriving at her vet appointment just yesterday. While we are constantly overwhelmed with requests locally and prioritize helping cats in the DC Metropolitan area, Aurora Borealis was in a desperate situation and for her, the stars quite literally aligned, as she was pulled from the shelter by Acacia’s cousin, Ally, who was traveling home for the holidays. Rory, as we affectionately call Aurora for short, had been abandoned by her family and ended up in the shelter where she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. There were no good options for her there and Ally and Acacia couldn’t let Rory sit in the shelter for her final days.

While Rory’s nose might be hard to look at for some, we hope you will not look away from her beautiful spirit. She is an extremely happy, affectionate, and sassy girl that will chat you up from the moment she meets you. Despite her condition, she is currently stable and doing well, so we have work to do! Rory underwent sedation for a biopsy of her nose, aspirate of her lymph node and X-rays yesterday so we can get a definitive diagnosis. She will have a CT scan on Friday so our vet team can assess if surgery is a possibility before starting radiation. Our doctor has assured us that there are paths forward for Rory, and while we don’t know what they are just yet, every one of them is better for Rory now that she is here with us.

We will keep you updated on Aurora Borealis as we embark on 2025. We read that quite fittingly, the northern lights might be visible tonight, and as we look to the sky with Rory in our lap, we will be wishing all of you the happiest of new years. Thank you. ✨

12/27/2024

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Two kittens living by train tracks found house cats who taught them how to trust. JennyAnimal rescuers discovered two orange kittens living by train tracks and set out to rescue them.With great patience and effort, they secured both kittens and brought them into fo...

12/26/2024

Happy Boxing Day 🎁! Who knew that all cats are actually British which is where their affinity for boxes 📦 comes from? Just kidding 😹! But Bonnie and Clyde definitely won’t miss an opportunity to celebrate boxes and all the fun they provide, even when they don’t have holiday gifts inside. Their foster family made them an awesome fort out of their leftover boxes and this duo can’t get enough entertainment out of the cardboard castle! Bonnie and Clyde are grateful to be spending this chilly Boxing Day inside and loved until they find their forever home. They were cared for by a couple that fed them in Silver Spring, MD and eventually started to trust humans in time. We were grateful to have a foster home available to take them in as the weather turned cold so they could have a chance at the life they deserve inside! Clyde is estimated to be about 3 years old, while Bonnie is just about 1 year old, and they have a striking family resemblance so potentially brother and sister, but they are not bonded as a requirement for adoption as a pair. They’re both playful and have come leaps and bounds since being inside with their comfort around people and confidence. They’re accepting adoption applications and would do well in a home as a pair, with other cats, or on their own. Please share them and help us find their forever homes! 🤎

12/25/2024

We wish you a very merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and a great Wednesday! Once again, we are overwhelmed with gratitude as we have received good tidings from our amazing fosters and adopters. The holiday season has brought some adorable opportunities for these festive photos and we love seeing our beloved kitties enjoying the magic of twinkling lights! These updates make our hearts full and eager to help the next kitty that’s waiting for a chance at the life they deserve. And to all a good night! 🎄✨🎁🐈🐈‍⬛

12/24/2024

Santa Paws visited Tater Tot early and surprised him with an icy sleigh ride to his forever home this Christmas Eve! We couldn’t be happier for this special boy and his new family! You may recall that Tater Tot has had quite the journey and finding the perfect adopters just in time for Christmas is exactly what he deserves.

Tater Tot was originally adopted in 2019 and returned to us in 2023 after a brutal dog attack left him in bad shape and the owners couldn’t afford his medical care. Once Tate was recovered, he made himself at home with a foster family that decided to to adopt him, but his happily ever after was short lived as they decided to return him to us for constantly begging for food and being overweight. After two families failed Tate, we knew we couldn’t let just anyone adopt him. He needed the BEST family and that’s exactly what he got! Tater’s new family have adopted 3 senior kitties from Tails High in prior years and have given them the absolute best lives imaginable. When they saw Tater Tot on our website, they thought he might be just the one to heal their grieving hearts after losing their precious Simon. When they met Tater this weekend, it was love at first sight, as he climbed on to the couch and settled between them purring up a storm. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to make this special delivery this morning and have Tater Tot cozy in his new home to celebrate Christmas adored and cherished!

As we celebrated Tater’s amazing adoption, we received a call from two of our volunteers that were feeding their feral colony a Christmas Eve feast. A very sweet buff kitty came running to them for attention and he was in rough shape. Despite the freezing weather and his poor condition, he purred and made biscuits as they tried to figure out a plan to get him help. Of course, we couldn’t say no, and so Pomander got his Christmas wish of a safe place to recover inside where he will be cared for and loved until he’s ready to find his forever home just like Tater Tot! We love him already and after a bath, medication, and a warm and cozy bed to rest in with Christmas carols playing, he’s looking better already.

Merry Christmas Eve, friends! 😻🎁🧡

12/23/2024

Season’s greetings! As we’re quickly approaching the holidays, we take a step back and reflect on what a monumental year 2024 was for Tails High! All of the lives saved and forever changed, because of your support and the dedication of our wonderful volunteers, is something to marvel at.

While this year has brought many triumphs, we also faced heartbreaks that at times felt too big to overcome. The kitties that grace our holiday card are some of our most notable rescues because of the challenges they faced, but we would need a VERY BIG card to show all of the cats and kittens that benefited from the depths of our advocacy.

In 2024, we tripled our intake by growing our foster base, welcoming many experienced and knowledgeable caretakers to our family. We are honored to have so many new fosters saving kittens and cats alongside one another by opening their hearts and homes to these kitties most in need.

We have more than doubled our adoptions year over year, reaching nearly 300 happily ever afters with many adoptions scheduled to take place in the final days of 2024. We have been blessed with the adoptions of long time foster kitties that may have been overlooked for years, for various reasons, that ultimately made them stand out to their eventual forever families. Our adopters have been absolutely amazing, updating us on the kitties we have cherished so we can see them thrive in their new homes.

Many of our kitties are loved and cared for in their foster homes this holiday season, while they wish for their forever family to come along soon and we know that 2025 will be their year. We are filled with gratitude for our volunteers and supporters because without you, we could not advocate for cats in need. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity! We wish each and every one of you a restful holiday season, full of joy and love. 🤍🌲❄️🎁

12/23/2024

Do you know what a Zamboni is? Those big, slow moving, vehicles that resurface the ice to make it smooth for skating AND the name of our tiniest kitty in foster care. While his growth has been about as slow as a Zamboni, we’re hopeful his health continues to progress smoothly like the perfect ice rink! Zamboni was born the day before Thanksgiving and unfortunately he wasn’t doing well. He came into the expert care of that quickly assessed he was severely underweight and needed critical support. With tube feeding then eventually bottle feeding, the optimal environment in his comfy incubator, and watchful eyes of his foster siblings checking in on him, Zamboni has been progressing very well. He is still behind 1.5-2 weeks developmentally from where he should be, but his foster mom is monitoring him closely to ensure he has everything he needs. Corduroy and Clara Bow can’t wait for Zamboni to grow big enough to play with them, but in the meantime they will settle for watching him do somersaults in his incubator - better than TV! This special boy will spend his first Christmas surrounded by lots of love, warm and safe inside, which makes us so happy. 🧊⛸️❄️😻

12/20/2024

‘Tis the season of wonder and merriment! We can’t help but get a little misty eyed watching our special kitties and their families enjoy this season together. The holidays are a perfect time to reflect on the year gone by and all the good things, like happily ever afters for deserving kitties. The twinkle of the lights in their eye(s), a little mischief while playing with the ornaments hung on the tree, and lots of cozy cuddles in their warm foster or forever homes. Our reason is making these idyllic family scenes happen for these amazing cats and kittens! Enjoy some of the adorable pictures we’ve received from adopters and fosters! 🎄❄️❤️

12/18/2024

❄️While the first snow can be beautiful and a majestic welcome to the winter season, it’s certainly very scary if you’re an innocent kitty freezing outside in the storm. When we were alerted to a friendly torbie girl begging to get indoors, just before a snowstorm hit, we made plans to get her help. Unfortunately, the icy roads and dangerous driving conditions were a challenge but we were lucky to have a volunteer ready to navigate the slick terrain to get this sweetie inside! Greg made it home in one piece and Eskimo Kiss couldn’t have been more grateful to be warm indoors.

Eskimo Kiss got her name for the nose nuzzles she gives everyone she meets. She loves to smooch and head boop to greet, just like the traditional nose rub called “eskimo kiss” but also because of the icy conditions she was rescued in. The community members that reached out for help for this adorable kitty suspected that she was pregnant, which added to the urgency of getting her inside. Yesterday, Eskimo Kiss went to the vet and she was in fact NOT pregnant but she was dealing with worms causing a lot of bloating, very common for a kitty surviving outside. She’s now been spayed, vaccinated, combo tested (negative for FeLV and FIV), microchipped and dewormed.

We’re so happy that Eskimo Kiss will spend the holidays warm and adored in her foster home until she’s soon ready for a forever family! As we are nearing the end of 2024, we continue to feel so grateful for our volunteers that selflessly dedicate their time to saving cats and kittens that need them. You are our heroes!

12/17/2024

🎁Give yourself the gift of friendship, entertainment, and love this holiday season! Adopting is a decision that needs lots of thought, care and planning but it can be a wonderful addition to an already joyful time of year! It’s easier to get a new kitty settled in at home when you have extra time off of work and you’re prepping for a lot of cozy days. Dave and Putter happen to be expert cuddlers! You don’t have to splurge on a heated blanket or even a space heater this winter when you have these two little warmies snuggled up on your lap. This adorable pair is approaching their 6 month birthday, which means they’ve been in a foster home patiently waiting for someone to notice them while younger kittens get chosen. These boys are perfect in every way and will be sure to bring the holly jolly vibes to your life 365 days a year! We would LOVE to see these sweethearts find a forever home before Christmas. Share them and submit your application today! 🎄🐈🐈‍⬛🎅🏼

12/14/2024

🖤Friday the 13th, Black Cat Edition. We’re showcasing our Naughty 😼 and Nice 😇 list this week!

Naughty: Figgy Newton is naughty in the best way, as she’s got that awesome little sass about her! You may remember that Figgy came to us when our volunteer discovered a black cat with a ginormous eye ball, laying on the hot black pavement this summer, about to get run over by cars. Well, that little kitty was a survivor at her core and our fabulous Figgy Newton recovered smashingly from her eye enucleation. Champs can have some swagger, right? There’s really nothing naughty about this snuggle butt. She will lay across your chest and cuddle all day long, so getting you into trouble with work or other obligations could add to the naughty factor if we’re keeping score. Figgy Newton is FeLV+ which means she needs a home as a solo kitty or with other FeLV+ cats. She is in great health right now, estimated to be 5 years young, and ready for her forever home!

Nice: Mini Muffin is a sweet senior girl that is so deserving of a soft place to land! She was surviving as a community cat but volunteers noticed she wasn’t thriving and needed some help. They were pleasantly surprised to find that this elderly girl was really gentle and certainly didn’t belong outdoors. Mini Muffin has made great strides over the last few months, most recently undergoing treatment for a kidney/bladder infection that she’s finishing up medications for soon. She has been feeling much better of late, being more social and confident in her foster home. She’s a very special little void that will soon be ready to accept applications after this final stretch to ensure she’s in good health.

Figgy Newton is accepting applications and we just know there’s got to be a family ready for a perfect and very special FeLV one eyed girl like her! Mini Muffin is currently a medical foster but we’re always open to talking to adopters who are willing to work with us on a special kitty’s care. Please share them so we can find their perfect family and continue to raise funds for Mini Muffin’s ongoing care. Come back every day this week to see our Naughty and Nice List Kitties! 😻🎄

12/13/2024

All of our kitties are a little naughty and a lot nice but as we’re getting into the swing of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to showcase our Naughty 😼 and Nice 😇 list this week!

Naughty: Lazy Daisy may look innocent but this girl sure does love to haze kittens! If you’re a newcomer to the foster menagerie, Lazy Daisy isn’t going to be the welcome wagon, more like the bully in the lunch room that’s going to give you a we**ie and knock over your lunch tray so she can steal your snacks! Lazy Daisy gives the little ones a hard time but eventually will play nice. She doesn’t let size discriminate her dominance as she picks on Uncle Cordy too. We think she’s just jealous because her bestie, Clara Bow, likes snuggling up with Corduroy more than LD from time to time. While Lazy Daisy can be a stinker, she’s the sweetest kitty to her foster mama, vet tech friends, and adult resident kitties in the home. She is finally ready for adoption after treatment for hypothyroidism is regulated and would love a kitty friend in her new home!

Nice: Clara Bow is such a nice girl, despite being through the wringer this year. She is an affectionate and gentle soul that enjoys grooming everyone around her, even if it comes with some boogers as she gives them kisses! Clara Bow has been a trooper with bouts of pneumonia and chronic congestion but she recently had an important CT scan that should give us answers for her prognosis soon. Clara Bow is a darling little kitty that enjoys the company of other cats, like Lazy Daisy, Corduroy and even little Cardigan who has recently joined the gang. She’s the total package!

Lazy Daisy is accepting applications to consider adopters that can continue her daily medication and would require a cat friend in her new home. Clara Bow is a medical foster but we’re always open to talking to adopters who are willing to work with us on a special kitty’s care. Please share them so we can find their perfect family and continue to raise funds for Clara Bow’s ongoing specialist care. Come back every day this week to see our Naughty and Nice List Kitties! 😻🎄

12/11/2024

All of our kitties are a little naughty and a lot nice but as we’re getting into the swing of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to showcase our Naughty 😼 and Nice 😇 list this week!

Naughty: Tater Tot looks like an innocent potato but he has a tendency to steal… hearts and snacks! He can be a wee bit naughty when it comes to letting you know he wants second breakfast or some attention if you’re not giving him your undivided attention. Tater Tot is also known for weaseling his way into the spotlight when other kitties are attempting to have a meet and greet with potential adopters. He thinks everyone is there to see him, and usually that’s how things end up going because he’s such a ham! Tater Tot is just a little naughty but makes up for his silly antics with being the most caring and kind foster brother. He gives Riley and Bo Peep endless kisses and shows them how to be a confident kitty, which puts him back on the nice list! He loves other cats but is also an independent dude that wouldn’t mind being your one and only. He also loves dogs!

Nice: Riley would definitely be Santa Paws favorite kitty elf in the workshop. She put in lots of hard work raising her kittens and was a dedicated mama until it was time for them to be adopted. Now it’s her turn to find a forever home where she can be spoiled and cherished! Riley is a gentle and sweet young girl that likes to snuggle up near by you on the couch. She can be playful and spirited with the wand toy but she’s well mannered and knows when it’s time to chill out. Riley is an all around perfect kitty that would love to be in a home with other cats or solo to be queen of your world. She’s a little shy with strangers but quickly comes out of her shell. And look at that gorgeous face!

Tater Tot and Riley are eager to meet potential adopters and we’re happy to host approved applicants at their foster home in Alexandria, VA. Please share them so we can find their perfect family. Come back every day this week to see our Naughty and Nice List Kitties! 😻🎄

12/10/2024

All of our kitties are a little naughty and a lot nice but as we’re getting into the swing of the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to showcase our Naughty 😼 and Nice 😇 list this week!

Naughty: Tim Murphy isn’t your normal definition of naughty but if being clingy for attention is naughty, he takes the cake! Tim LOVES love and will stop at nothing to get to his foster mom when he wants to snuggle. Tim is a curious and resourceful boy, figuring out how to open doors to reach you if he wants. He must have learned some skills from his feral mama, T-Rex, who true to their Jurassic Park names was quite a survivor. Tim learned to be a mama’s boy from spending time with T-Rex before she was released back to her colony and he’s now looking for a new family to shower him with love and affection. He will demand to sleep close to you in bed, perched right atop your chest to keep you warm. We guess he’s not so naughty after all!

Nice: Lex Murphy is the more stoic and level headed of this pair of adorable kittens. While she loves attention just like her brother, she has more subtle ways of asking for it, like wiggling around to show her belly and batting her big round eyes at you. Lex can keep herself pretty entertained when her brother is off causing mischief, even choosing to play with the senior kitties in her foster home to stay busy. Lex is a snuggly sweetheart and enjoys pets, playtime, and gazing out the window at birds and other wildlife. She wonders what her mama is up to out there but grateful that she’s living a good life with her brother, warm inside.

Tim and Lex Murphy are an adorable bonded brother and sister duo asking Santa Paws for a forever home! Please share them so we can find their perfect family. Come back every day this week to see our Naughty and Nice List Kitties! 😻🎄

12/10/2024

Tails High kitties are a little naughty and a lot nice! As we’re getting into holiday spirit, we thought it would be fun to showcase our Naughty 😼 and Nice 😇 list this week!

Naughty: Merci might look innocent but she’s got quite the spunky personality! Shes an outspoken little princess that knows how to get what she wants. When she first met her now best friend, Golden Afternoon, she had to show him who was boss and certainly put him in his place when he attempted to borrow her favorite toys. While she was the last of the Grateful Gang and without any of her siblings to hang out with, we didn’t blame her that she needed to become a little more independent, but her big sister attitude has been such a wonderful help for shy little Goldie as she took him under her wing. Merci is a really sweet girl and turns into a cuddle bug within moments of meeting new people. She’s truly perfect!

Nice: Golden Afternoon is at the top of the Nice List as his name is really fitting for that little heart of gold. Rescued along with him mama, Autumn Breeze, he was the only surviving kitten and seems so grateful to be indoors and adored. Despite his scary beginning, surviving outside with his mom, he is a sweetheart and makes everyone around him smile with that cute little face. To add to his charm, Goldie can be a little shy when first meeting new people, but he lovingly stands in Merci’s shadow, taking her lead until he’s comfortable. He’s just so darling!

Merci and Golden Afternoon are asking Santa Paws for a forever home! Please share them so we can find their perfect family. Come back every day this week to see our Naughty and Nice List Kitties! 😻🎄

12/08/2024

When we think about what we want a kitty to feel when they’re rescued - warmth, comfort and love come to mind. What’s more comforting than a big bowl of warm soup on a winter day🥣? French Onion and New England Clam Chowder were recently rescued after several weeks of persistent work by our trappers. Community members had noticed a group of kittens in a dangerous location by train tracks, moving back and forth to busy retail parking lots for food and shelter. We’re fortunate to have volunteers that will stake out these spots in the frigid temperatures to ensure kitties are trapped and safe.

First, we were able to secure Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, two adorable orange girls that were quite scared. These two sweethearts have been in foster for the last couple of months and are finally ready for adoption! Soon after the orange twins were safe, an adorable torbie went into the trap and Minestrone made her way to foster. She was a love bug from day one and was recently adopted with her new friend, Izzy. We received an update that the third orange kitten that had been missing for weeks had been seen with an older flame point kitten and fortunately both were trapped and are now with a foster.

French Onion and New England Clam Chowder are unfortunately not feeling well. They are dealing with an aggressive bout of Coccidia which can be serious if untreated. They are receiving around the clock supportive care with a medical foster and will hopefully be in much better shape in a few days. They’re already purring and enjoying pets so we’re confident they will be adoptable in no time!

Your support this giving season allows us to work hard to get kitties like the Soups to safety. Without you, they would be outside in the cold, and with their current illness, they would likely perish. Thank you for believing in our mission, for kitties like them. 🧡

12/07/2024

Big Dipper, a very special constellation that circles around the North Star and what we named this spectacular boy that deserves to have his story told. Kitties like Big Dipper are our “North Star” and guiding light as we navigate the world of rescue. Over the last several weeks, Big Dipper has been loved and cherished, but very sadly crossed the rainbow bridge today with his foster and rescuers. 🌈

We were contacted about a blind senior kitty wandering into traffic in NE DC the day after Halloween. A wonderful couple took action and got Big Dipper to safety while they worked to find a possible owner. It turned out that Big Dipper was a beloved community cat that neighbors knew and fed, named Radar and Reggie, he was a man about town. How he came to be blind and distressed that day isn’t exactly clear but several veterinary visits determined that Big Dipper was a senior boy, FIV+, and likely suffering from a neurological complication.

Our vet team gave Big Dipper a poor prognosis as the cause of his neurological issues were most likely from stroke, brain cancer or aneurysm. At his age and in his condition, he wasn’t a candidate for anesthesia for an MRI to get concrete answers. We were happy to find him a loving foster home where he would be cared for in fospice - a member of the family until he told us it was his time to cross over.

This morning, Big Dipper suffered a massive seizure that he could not recover from. His foster mom, Kelley, rushed him to the ER where his rescuers, David and Meghan, met her to say goodbye to Big Dipper. They collectively gave him all of the love from the Tails High team and we are absolutely heartbroken by this loss. We only find comfort in knowing that Big Dipper was warm inside these last 5 weeks, with a full belly, safe and sound in a fuzzy bed, and showered with kisses by his foster mom.

Please think of Big Dipper when you see a kitty outside in need. While we can’t possibly intake every cat that needs us, you can make a difference by bringing them inside until you find help and resources. We love you, Big Dipper. 💫🖤

12/05/2024

Foster Kitten Christmas is in full swing. Twinkle Light has been through a lot the last several weeks since coming into rescue. She’s fully recovered from a terrible run in with calicivirus, eye enucleation and spay surgery. She’s had full run of her foster home to explore all of the holiday magic along with her big foster sister, Bell, who she loves getting into trouble with. Twinkle Light, like all of our magnificent kitties, is hopeful to find a forever home and grateful for the opportunity to live her best life because of your support. ✨✨