Ho ho ho! And happy holidays to all of you festive feline fans!‘Tis the season to be jolly, and this old tomcat is feeling like Santa

Claus came early this year—have you seen ASAP’s new FELINE HABITAT and MEMORIAL GARDEN?!!

Holy Cat!! It’s a magical wonderland designed just for all of my kitty pals—plus a pretty cool garden for those

sentimental humans. If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to swing by ASAP for a tour—I’m quite sure my feline shelter pals will entertain you

with some tree climbing acrobatics! Oh yeah, and while you are at ASAP, be sure to do your holiday shopping—there’s BASIL GEAR for everyone on Santa’s list, including new PINT GLASSES! Jingle bells, indeed, holiday beverages do TASTE BETTER when this old tom cat graces your glass!!Of course if you REALLY want to give someone a SPECIAL GIFT, why not STUFF A KITTY in their HOLIDAY STOCKING?! It seems those elves at the North Pole

were a little over-eager this year and left a few too many cats and kittens at ASAP. I guess someone forgot to tell them to turn off the kitty-making machine!! To be sure, you hear the same old broken record from me each

time they give me a little chance to MEOW; but this year, WOW, do we have a whole buncha cats still hoping for holiday homes.To wet your bargain shopping appetite, we are putting the BEST HOLIDAY PRESENTS in the world ON SALE—yes, that’s right!! Come on down to ASAP between December 15-24 and you can get a full-grown KITTY STOCKING STUFFER for just $25!! Aren’t those humans just craaaazy with holiday cheer?! Plus the holidays are the BEST TIME TO ADOPT because families are home from school and work and can spend extra time bonding with their new cat or kitten. So while those chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, be sure spread the word to all of your feline friendly pals who might just want a new cozy kitty for the holidays!!To be sure, 2016 has been a year to fill our hearts with gratitude, even as we pause for a quick rest before we gear up—with BASIL GEAR, of course—for the holiday season at ASAP. And while we catch our breath, it’s super important that we take a moment to thank YOU—because YOU MAKE ASAP POSSIBLE. Not only do we work together to ensure that ASAP can continue to save 1,000 cats a year, but also because we live in a place where no matter what, there is eventually a home for every cat. And you already know, and will be reminded reading through the following pages—HOME IS WHERE THE CAT IS!Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the MOST important thing!! If you are planning ahead, be sure to put June 3, 2017 on your calendar for next year because you won’t want to miss my next BASIL’s BIG BASH!! Wishing you the merriest of holiday seasons—and watch out if this old tomcat finds you standing under the mistletoe!! ‘Cause I’m a NAUGHTY and NICE kinda kitty!Here’s to enjoying the holiday ‘nog outta your NEW Basil PINT glasses!

Cheers,

Basil out—until 2017 Fall 2016ASAP’s newsletter for friends and supporters

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about the cats nipping or swatting at her—they seem to intuitively know that she’s a baby. It brings so much joy to our family watching Savannah grow up with these good-natured kitties!

We consider both Chewy and Boots to be Savannah’s official “guard-ians”—if she’s taking a bath they will come and watch to make sure she’s OK, and if she’s crying in her crib they will go into her room to stay with her until I get there; sometimes one will stay while the other comes to find me!

The once-shy Boots has become Savannah’s buddy, especially during meals time as she likes to feed him Cheerios straight from her highchair. He waits like a little dog to clean up all of the scraps!

Boots and Chewy are truly amazing cats, and we couldn’t be happier to have the two of them in our family. Honestly, we couldn’t imagine our lives without them. They are not just “pets” to our children, but have truly become their friends and siblings! “Got some for me?” An eager Boots never

misses Cheerios with Savannah!

Get Your Basil OnNo more reindeer sweaters and fruitcake! This year, holiday shop-ping is a no brainer because Basil Gear is for everyone! Even bet-ter, according to new “research,” Basil socks actually keep your feet warmer, and YES—beverages actually do taste better when Basil is on your glass!! Our Basil wine glasses are so popular that we decided to introduce Basil PINT GLASSES! Need something to carry your Basil socks, glasses, baseball caps, and other gear in? Well, don’t forget your Basil shopping tote bag! We’ve got you covered for the holiday season—and giving Basil Gear is a great way of supporting ASAP’s mission while also giving friends and family presents they will love.

The Search for Holiday Cat Cards Just Got Easier!We all know how impossible it is to find festive cat-themed holiday cards, so this year ASAP is making your life so much easier! Our new holiday cards feature some of our famous cat adoption ads—a pack of 8 for just $15!

Chewy checks out bath time with baby Savannah.

Every little princess needs a brother like Chewy!

Family…It’s Where the Cat Is Adapted from Email updates from Natalie StrahlWe always had a cat and were at a loss when our 15 year old kitty named Lilly passed away. Lilly was truly a member of our fam-ily—when I was pregnant with my first child, Hunter (who’s now 7), she would lay on my belly and sleep in his bassinet. Once Hunter was born, Lilly was so good with him, that when I had my second baby, Savannah, we knew we wanted her to have a similar experi-ence growing up with a feline companion.

When Savannah was about six months old, my friend Myla Harwin, who is an ASAP volunteer, posted on Facebook about a kitty she was fostering named Boots that needed a good home. The timing seemed perfect and we actually wanted to adopt two cats, so that they could be companions and so that each of our children could have a cat to bond with.

However, my first encounter with Boots wasn’t quite love at first sight, especially for him! He was very skittish and shy with me. Myla recommended a companion kitty named Chewybacca who was very outgoing and would help Boots adjust. Chewy was a love bug, and would jump in your lap and snuggle and purr instantly! I was immediately sold on Chewy, but I was a little hesitant about Boots. However, Myla was extremely helpful in the adoption process—and the fact that she was fostering Boots and helping to train him made me more comfortable deciding to adopting him with Chewy.

Within moments of bringing Chewy and Boots home, Hunter fell in love with both cats immediately and instantly adopted Chewy as his “son.” Chewy sleeps with Hunter at night and he cuddles with him when he’s reading a book or watching TV. They are two peas-in-a-pod!

Shortly after we adopted the cats, I noticed that whenever I would put our sweet baby Savannah down for a nap, the cats would join her, often creat-ing cuddle bookends to her while she slept. This soon became a part of our daily routine. When Savannah would wake up she would roll over and start petting one of them. Both cats were very sweet and gentle with her, and tolerated her enthusiastic petting that was really more like soft slaps. I never have to worry

Honor a Loved One By bringing hope for a better tomorrow to shelter cats!

Memorial gifts provide the opportunity for a personal remembrance that honors the life of a pet, friend or relative—a fitting tribute to someone special. In addi-tion to creating a legacy for that individual or animal, your gift helps ASAP offer a wide range of services for shelter cats awaiting their forever homes: providing a warm, safe place to stay, medical evaluation, testing for contagious diseases, treatment for common ailments, and in some cases, life-saving surgery. And, of course, each cat is spayed/neutered and microchipped before being cleared for adoption.

Memorial Stones: For a one-time donation, you can place an engraved memorial stone in ASAP’s beauti-ful new Memorial Garden and Feline Habitat. While visiting your memorial, you will be reminded of how your donation has saved so many precious cats as you watch them enjoy their new garden habitat.

Cage Plaques: Our cage plaques offer an opportunity to dedicate a cage inside the shelter with a renewable engraved plaque, knowing that your contribution provides a safe harbor for each cat as they pass through ASAP on their way to finding their forever home.

For more information about memorial stones and cage plaques, please contact Rhonda Douglass at 805-637-5949 or rhonda@asapcats.org

“Shanti and Serena were the anchors of my domestic world, and putting these stones honoring them in ASAP’s Memo-rial Garden meant so very much to me. When we adopt animals, in a sense they enter history. They get names; they sport personalities; they endure pain and problems as we do; we acquire strong bonds and relationships with them. So when they pass on, just as when the humans close to us pass on, we need to acknowledge and honor them in a special way. If there’s a cat heaven, I’m sure that they are there resting in peace. By placing the stones in ASAP’s Memorial Garden, I know that I am indeed resting in peace about their passing.”—Catherine Albanese

Cage plaques are also a wonderful way to honor or celebrate someone special. Becky Morrill, ASAP’s brand new Volunteer Program Director, is pictured with her namesake kitty, in front of the cage plaque dedicated in her honor.

GRAND OPENING—ASAP’s New Feline Habitat & Memorial GardenImagine walking through a garden surrounded on all sides by CATS! Cats everywhere! Walking in enclosed bridges high above the garden, climbing trees, cavort-ing through a tunnel system, but all entirely safe from predators or getting lost!! Well, you don’t have to imag-ine any more, because ASAP’s shelter cats now have an incredible new playground to enrich their days while waiting for their forever adopters.

ASAP is thrilled to announce the opening of our new Memorial Garden & Feline Habitat--a very special proj-ect that celebrates cats and the people who love them. Generously funded by Marie Morrisroe who was mo-tivated to make a difference in the lives of shelter cats after adopting her own wonderful cat, Peaches, from ASAP. The feline habitat increases ASAP’s capacity to get more cats out of their smaller shelter cages, while keeping them safe and allowing more delightful inter-action with potential adopters. The Memorial Garden provides human visitors with an entertaining way to engage with the shelter cats, as well as an opportunity to honor a beloved pet with an engraved stone.

The ASAP Memorial Garden & Feline Habitat is open during regular shelter hours and we encourage every-one to come for a visit. Bring your coffee and stay for a while--we promise you will be thoroughly enchanted by the feline antics!

ASAP benefactor, Marie Morrisroe, with her dedication plaque and a very happy cat.

Marie Morrisroe views the most popular attraction in the new habitat—the tree house!

The project includes three separate habitats that extend into ASAP’s new Memorial Garden area. The enclosure features high bridges, tunnels, large enclosures, and garden trails.

Devoted cat owner, Catherine Albanese (right), with the very first memorial stones in ASAP’s new garden, memorializing two of her beloved cats—Shanti (above) and Serena.

As winter approaches and days grow cooler, holiday decorations and the trappings of the season are everywhere. Everywhere we turn, there are images that paint the holi-days with exciting things to buy—and who doesn’t like presents?! But when you get nostalgic about the season, what are the memories you keep dear? Does the crisp cool weather cause you to imagine be-ing curled up with a cozy blanket and hot cocoa? Do you smile at the thought of a crackling fire, the smell of holiday baking, and Santa and all those reindeer?

Holiday gifts with fes-tive bows are indeed wonderful—both the giving and receiving—but they are often not the things we remember the most over time. That holiday package may have contained a wonderful surprise, but perhaps the memory of your cat romping through the cast off wrapping paper is what really made your heart sing! When you imagine those chilly winter nights, was there a kitty nestled beside you? Because no matter how magical the twinkling lights, it’s the smiles, laughter, and heart connections with the people and animals that we love that become the memories we cherish.

Reflecting back on the landscape of our lives, it’s impossible not to acknowledge how much richer the experi-ence is with the unconditional love of our cats. Even more nostalgic during the holiday season, all of those memories, shared with our cats—the purrs, the meows, the sweet nose touches. The mere presence of a cat can enhance the holiday spirit, or sometimes more importantly, chase away the holiday blues.

Now imagine, if you will, what the holiday experience might be for a shelter cat; rescued from an uncertain life on the street, each day a fight to survive their cold and lonely world. Now with a home to call their own, a warm human to curl up next to. For some cats, this may be a new experience, for others a fresh opportunity to experience what they lost long ago. For no matter how they ended up at ASAP, for each of our shelter cats, be-ing welcomed into a loving new home is made all the richer because they know what it is like to go without.

As donors, adopters, and volunteers, you embody the spirit of the holiday season for the thousand cats that cross ASAP’s threshold each year—you make it possible for each of these cats to have hope that there is a warm, welcoming hearth in their future.

Thank you for keeping ASAP in your heart and for making our little shelter part of your holiday giving—because we all know that the true warmth of the holidays is where the cat is.

ASAP’s 2016 Holiday Wish Listq Make a holiday donation in honor of the season, as a gift to someone, or as a gift to yourself.

q Commit to a monthly donation to ensure that ASAP can continue to provide for the needs of every cat and kitten we shelter 365 days a year. For more info how to donate to ASAP, visit http://www.asapcats.org/donations

q Adopt—there are over 150 cats and kittens waiting for their special someone right now! The very BEST gift is opening your heart and home to a new family member.

q Use AmazonSmile when you shop! Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to ASAP. Set up ongoing donations at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/77-0283500

Spirit of the SeasonPaying It ForwardWhen Robin Monroe adopted Wally, there was no way she could know that Wally would indeed “pay it forward” in true feline style!

Wally was found on the streets of Los Angeles, turned into a municipal shelter, and slated for euthanasia. Maybe it was because he looked a little too rough around the edges—battle-scarred with bloody cuts, an upper respi-ratory infection, starving and very, very frightened. But luckily, some-one saw hope in Wally and he even-tually ended up in a “halfway house” for cats in Arroyo Grande. When Robin saw his face on their website, she instantly knew he was for her. “He has turned out to be the sweetest, funniest, smartest boy I ever knew,” said Robin.

And here’s where the story gets REALLY good...While enjoying his leisure time on his screened-in porch in Santa Barbara, Wally caught sight of Pinkie, as she would later be named. Wally typically ignored other cats that traveled through his yard but he didn’t ignore Pinkie! He recognized that she was special and needed his help. And that’s when Wally decided to pay it forward and save Pinkie. He persistently meowed for days on end, refusing to leave the porch, until an exasperated Robin finally took a thorough look outside. Low and behold, there was Pinkie—a tiny, starv-ing and terrified, but adorable, orange tabby kitty!

Pinkie was so frightened that Robin couldn’t get near her, so she would leave food outside. According to Robin,

“Every day Wally called to Pinkie with a very sweet, gentle meowing that he used only for her, and she would come.” Eventually Wally and Pinkie would sit side-by-side, with only the screen between them, and try to touch noses.

When it became evident that Pinkie was pregnant, Robin called ASAP for help. After Pinkie was caught by a mem-ber of ASAP’s Feline Behavior Team, she was checked out

by our vet and promptly placed in a foster home where she even-tually had four perfect little or-ange tabby kittens (which have now all been adopted!).

Wally was incon-solable with Pinkie gone. He meowed for her every day and was very sad she didn’t come to him. But af-ter nearly three months of being away, raising her kittens, and finally being spayed, Pin-kie was ready for a new home—and Robin wasted no time in adopting her!

“When I brought Pinkie home Wally was so excited to see her. They knew each other right away. Wally licked

her all over and they followed each other everywhere. They are always together now. We love her so much.”

“Paying it forward” is a concept that ASAP embraces at the deepest level—evident every single day as cats are saved, volunteers work tirelessly, and donors put cat food in the bowls. But the story of Wally and Pinkie makes us realize that “paying it forward” is something that all living can creatures do, and sometimes we are just lucky enough to be along for the ride!

Robin was a little worried that Wally, weighing in at 24 pounds of Norwegian Forest Cat, would be too rough with Pinkie, who barely weighs 5 pounds, but he has been a perfect and gentle companion.

Holiday warmth is where the cat is…

Burt’s Beat Basil’s backyard buddy

Animal Shelter Assistance Program5473 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 ▪ Monday-Friday 9:00am–4:45pm & Saturdays 10:00am–4:00pm

P. O. Box 357, Goleta, CA 93116-0357 ▪ (805) 683-3368 ▪ info@asapcats.org ▪ www.asapcats.org ▪ facebook.com/asapcats ASAP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization ▪ Tax receipts issued for all gifts greater than $20 ▪ Federal Tax ID: 77-083500

I’ve been waiting for the holiday season for months! It’s a cat’s dream when the humans break out all those special cat toys—shiny ornaments, sparkly packages, twinkly lights—plus, there’s

always a warm, comfy place for me to curl up, usually on one of those holiday

sweaters! Many of you may be eagerly anticipating this year coming to an end, but

I’m never over hearing the purr-inducing stories ASAP receives year-round. Here are a few tales to get your bells a’ jingling for a happy holiday…

Maurine, now known as Mara, was always a special kitty, but she had a hard time at ASAP for over a year before the right adopter came along.Sarah had a rough year, too; she lost her two kitties, Alfred (age 21) and Maggie (18), within a month of each other. Both were ASAP alums. Sarah visited ASAP on a “melancholy errand” to donate cat food—and that’s when she first met Mara, who was “working” as our lobby cat, greeting visitors and overseeing adoptions of other cats to new homes.Sarah had a big hole in her heart: “a house is not a home without a cat!” she told us. A few weeks after meeting Mara, she made up her mind: she wanted a confident, smart, charming feline—and definitely not a kitten. Mara fit the bill purrfectly!Mara now enjoys an enclosed patio with all the sunshine and fresh air a kitty could ever want! She was mighty pleased with herself when she recently caught a moth, and she has claimed every flat surface in the house as napping spaces. Just like volunteers and staff witnessed at ASAP, Sarah finds Mara snoozing happily on her back with her belly exposed. Sarah says that she’s “sorry Mara waited so long for her forever home, but I’m happy that we now share it together.”

Berni was living alone until she met Betty and Star, two lively felines who have warmed Berni’s heart so much that she renamed them after her two favorite mouth-watering flavors: Mocha and Toffee. Mmmm!Berni says adopting the two kitties together “has been working out absolutely great. I love that they have each other. After one day in their new home, following all of ASAP’s guidelines, these shyer kitties started to get comfortable, and I slowly introduced new toys and items for them to play with. They love each other and are very entertaining to watch as they chase each other through the house, look out all the widows, and stand up side-by-side watching the birds outside.”Even though they rely on each other, Mocha and Toffee have fallen in love with Berni. They like to know where she is and to be near her when she’s reading. Mocha and Toffee took some time adjusting to their new digs, but with a bit of patience and time, these sweet girls have begun to lavish Berni with their affection. It was worth the wait!Berni says that Toffee and Mocha are the “ideal” pets: “I don’t have to worry about leaving them alone since I know they have each other, and when I come home, they are right there waiting for me.”

I gotta say, if these stories didn’t make you want to curl up with a cup of spiced cider and a softly purring kitty, I don’t know what will! Well, that’s all for me this year. Basil and I can’t wait for 2017. Many festive purrs to you and yours, from Burt—that’s me!—and all your pals at ASAP!