ReStore has furry new addition

Sisters Habitat for Humanity ReStore manager Robin Tawney recently adopted a young cat from BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond.

The store's previous mascot, Miss Jenni, a 17-year-old cat that everyone loved, passed away peacefully this past June; she had been a fixture in the store for over six years. She was so popular with the locals that the Habitat for Humanity ReStore held a celebration of life for her on June 12.

"We didn't adopt her to replace Miss Jenni, but so many of our customers kept asking if we were going to get a new kitty," said Tawney. "They were so used to seeing a cat in the store, that it just wasn't the same without one. It just felt like the right time, especially to adopt one in the fall. It would give the new kitty an adjustment period before the tourist season hits in the summer, with so many cars and people around.

"People pushed us in the right direction," Tawney said. "We decided on the name Miss Jewel, because of her gorgeous amber colored eyes."

Tawney made a visit to BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond and spoke with Sana Hayes, volunteer program coordinator, about adopting a cat to live at ReStore.

"Robin wanted a cat that was easygoing, great with people and could be a good mouser," said Hayes. "Since we have a lot of cats here, I asked Wendy Monzulla, who processes the adoptions, if she would look for the right cat for the ReStore. Wendy knows the cats really well and ended up finding a cat pretty quickly."

The young cat that Monzulla thought was the right fit for ReStore had entered the shelter as a trap, neuter, and return (TNR) with her three kittens, about four weeks old. TNR is a program for free-roaming community cats to be spayed/neutered and then returned to their habitats.

"We knew the momma cat wasn't a feral, so we kept her after she was spayed. The kittens were adopted out fast and Miss Jewel, as she is now called, was here about six weeks, until Robin adopted her," Hayes said.

Two weeks ago, Tawney went to BrightSide Animal Center to pick up her new furry mascot.

"She was beautiful, and her eyes just stood out. The shelter told me to keep her inside in the office for a couple of weeks to get use to things first. But she decided that wasn't for her, and got out after two days! I think she knows it's her home, it's like she's been around here for a long time," Tawney said.