Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc.

01/10/2026

Jessie is a very special 2 year old girl in ARF’s foster care program and looking for her forever family! The reasons she’s in foster and not at our shelter is because the shelter life and other cats stressed her out so much that she acted out in fear and in stress and wouldn’t let shelter staff touch her. Being able to have foster volunteers to help Jessie by letting them stay in their home until they find their forever family is so important for some cats who just can’t handle the shelter life! Jessie has blossomed so much since being able to settle into an adoption-like environment. She is no longer the stressed out and swatty cat. She’s become a lap cat and she’s let down her guard because she’s in an environment that gives her what she needs, consistency, trust and respectful companionship with people that can respect her independence when she wants it but also play string toy games until she tires you out!

For Jessie, leaving the shelter has been a change in latitude that’s very much changed her attitude! 🌴☀️ 😻

Hear it for yourself from her foster volunteer, Christine: Jessie is my foster baby. She's very much an "affection only on my terms" kind of cat. So it's a magical moment when she chooses to grace my lap.

Jessie would do best in an only-pet home with adults or older children who would love to play strings toys with her for hours, are respectful and can appreciate boundaries when she’d like them. Jessie is available for adoption at Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. and she’s up to date on all her vaccines, spayed and healthy! She’s ready to interview those interested in potentially adopting her. If you’d like to meet this pretty girl, please send us your application at ARFCT.org and we will set up a meet and greet in the comfort of her foster home so you can see how her personality shines!

01/09/2026

A free educational webinar for anyone interested 😻

The National Kitten Coalition and EveryCat Health Foundation are hosting a free, two-part webinar series designed to help cat and kitten owners and caregivers recognize subtle signs of pain and discomfort in their cats, and understand when veterinary intervention is necessary.

This client-focused educational series will cover:
-Identifying behavioral and physical indicators of feline pain
-Distinguishing between conditions requiring immediate care vs. monitoring
-Common scenarios that warrant veterinary evaluation
-Live Q&A to address owner concerns

You’ll also have the chance to ask questions and get clarity and understanding that will give you peace of mind and will help your cat or kitten live their best life.

Click the link to register
https://ow.ly/jUsn50XSfR0

This webinar is offered at no cost thanks to the generous support of our sponsor, Zoetis

01/06/2026

These four are looking for adopters who understand that trust isn’t instant — it’s built through patience, routine, and respect. They’ll thrive in calm homes where progress is celebrated in small moments and companionship is allowed to grow naturally.

Because of their strong bonds, they’d do best being adopted with a familiar friend. With the right match, these cats have so much quiet love to offer.

Learn more about our adoptable animals at arfct.org/adopt.

01/06/2026

If you are looking to adopt an animal from a shelter whether it’s ARF or another, take a moment to read this very educational and thoughtful article by Frisky Feline Behavior Counseling. We experience this everyday with our animal intakes, acclimations to the shelter, meet & greets and adoptions, and also through staying in touch with families post adoption. We hope you find this helpful!

🐱 THE TRUTH: The cat you meet at the shelter may not be the cat you meet at home. You’re meeting them in the middle of their hardest chapter.

Cats change with their environment.
And a shelter — no matter how loving the staff, how clean, or how well-run — can still be overwhelming.

Cats come and go.
Some arrive sick, pregnant, unfixed, scared, or freshly traumatized.
The sounds are constant. The smells are unfamiliar. The faces never stop changing.
One person feeds. Another medicates. Another cleans. Another brings in potential adopters.

It’s a lot.
And not every cat survives that chaos the same way.

So you walk in thinking you know what you want.
A Siamese.
An orange tabby.
A playful kitten.

But sometimes… the cat that changes your life isn’t the one reaching for your hand.

Sometimes it’s the black cat sitting silently in the corner.
The one pressed into the back of the cage.
The one who doesn’t come out to say hello.

Because many shelter cats aren’t showing you who they are.
They’re showing you who they need to be to survive right now.

Some are healing — medically.
Some emotionally.
Some both.

Some lived outside for years.
Some were dumped overnight.
Some are young mothers who never got to be babies themselves.

You don’t “forgive and forget” that kind of loss.

These cats are not broken.
They are hurting.

Yes — there are cats who shine in the shelter.
The confident ones.
The social butterflies.
The tail-up greeters.
The kittens wrestling like the world has always been safe.

But even those cats may simply be comfortable there — in that environment, with those cats.

And then there are the others.

The adults who hiss.
The ones who stay hidden.
The ones who swat when you move too fast.

Please — pause here and see it from their side.

You don’t know what they’ve survived.
You don’t know what they lost.
You don’t know how recently their world collapsed.

This may be the first time they’ve met you.
And for many cats, touch without trust can feel terrifying.

Some aren’t ready yet.
Some are still piecing themselves back together.

But that does not mean they never will be.

So I hope — truly, I beg — that even if your heart is set on the playful kitten or the instantly social cat, you take a moment to read the room.

See the senior watching quietly from the corner.
The cat tucked into the cat tree.
The one still sitting in their cage.

They may not come to greet you.
But they might deeply appreciate you greeting them.

And here is the part no one tells you — the part that matters most:

The cat you take home may be an entirely different cat weeks or months later.

I have seen it.
Again and again.

Shy cats blossom.
Social cats shut down.
Cats who ignored each other become inseparable.
Cats who thrived in the shelter unravel — and then rebuild.

Calm becomes chaos.
Chaos becomes peace.

Your home.
Your routine.
Your patience.
Your love.

It can change everything.

That playful kitten will one day grow old.
The silly antics will fade into memories.
And someday, that kitten will be the quiet senior in the corner — hoping someone sees past the moment they’re in.

So be open to the ones who don’t immediately ask for your attention.
They have stories to tell.
They have enormous hearts.
And sometimes…

They’re just waiting for someone to finally see them.
💔➡️❤️

01/05/2026

BonBon’s story is one of quiet strength and second chances. 💙 She’s ready for a calm, loving home where she can keep building confidence every day.

Apply at arfct.org/adopt or please share and let's find Bonbon her own forever home.

📍Terryville, CT

01/05/2026

Our Charity Fur Ball and Silent Auction on Friday, March 6th from 6:30-9pm will feature amazing gift baskets, experiences, and surprises you’ll love while directly supporting abandoned and neglected animals. Get your tickets today and join us for this fun and fabulous fundraising event to help save lives! 🐾💖🐾 Details & Tickets (which must be purchased in advance) available at ARFCT.org/events

And a big THANK YOU to for hosting our event for the 3rd year in a row, this year being held at their brand new dance studio ballroom located at 430 New Park Ave in West Hartford! We can’t wait to celebrate, dance the night away, and save shelter animals! 🐾🤩🐾💃🏼🕺🏼

01/04/2026

Rawr = adopt me 🦖💚

KODA is available for adoption.

Learn more about our adoptable animals at arfct.org/adopt.

01/04/2026

A big thank you to Infinite Fitness in Bristol for organizing a donation drive benefiting ARF! From dog food and toys to cat food and litter, this generous haul will go a long way in caring for our animals. We truly appreciate this amazing support. ❤️

Angelica couldn’t miss a photo op with this generous donation!

Learn more on how to support our mission at arfct.org.