Introducing…
The Adventures of Weasie & The RappCats
(Shenanigans in the Shelter)
Welcome to the RappCats brand new blog!
Dr. Deb, a member of our "Cuddle Crew," is here to give you regular inside looks at all the residents of RappCats - their stories, their shenanigans & adventures, and their transformations! Watch for introductions to our sweet newbies, and get to know our esteemed guests who have been here awhile. We'll share lots of photos, plus short videos, to keep you oohing & aahing and laughing. We'll throw in some feline info and tips along the way, but mainly prepare to be entertained. These guys never fail to amaze and amuse!
Deb is a retired psychologist who has always found cats to be great therapy. She started volunteering at RappCats in 2019, and has officially declared it her “happy place”. She works with all the cats, but gives special time to those who come in with physical injuries or emotional trauma.
She has to coax some of the new arrivals to eat. She encourages scared ones out of hiding. She helps them learn that being touched is a good thing. Sometimes she even has to teach them how to play.
She helps them remember what laps are for (them), and how good it feels to be held and brushed. She teaches them to trust again.
And it works. Whether they’ve survived a cold winter outside, or they’ve grieving because they lost their long-time beloved owner, or perhaps their family moved and left them behind to fend for themselves, they eventually all grow stronger, calmer, and happier.
Given a chance — a place to be safe, lots of loving, and hope for a new forever home — RappCats “go forth and prosper”! Please consider being part of the force that gets them there.
Click here to make whatever donation you can afford. We also accept checks and money orders mailed to us at PO Box 307, Washington VA 22747 RappCats survives only with your help and goodwill. We thank you!
Dear Weasie, you won’t believe everything that’s happened since you’ve been gone! I have so much to tell you! Please don’t be mad that I haven’t written to you before. I’ve thought about you almost every day for the past 5 years. Losing you after 20 years broke my heart. You were my favorite fur baby of all time!
This blog isn’t about you, Weiser, but don’t worry, you’re going to love it. I’m going to bring you along on all my new adventures with the RappCats!
I’m going to be your eyes, your ears, and your nose. That nose of yours could smell for miles! Remember when you and your pesky sister Amber got stupid high on the planter of catnip on the patio? You climbed in — rolled around and fell out —then climbed back in and fell right out again! You, Weisie, patiently waited your turn — as opposed to your sister, who kept pushing you out so she could climb in!
Oh, Weaser cat — have you seen Amber where you are? I had to say goodbye to her last year. She was 21! She grew into a dignified old lady. After you left, she went on a hunger strike.
I live out in the country now Weisie— you would love it! There’s a big screened in porch for bird watching. There was even a baby bunny to watch, but when the fox visited, that didn’t turn out so good. Like you always said, it’s a jungle out there.
Ok, so here’s the deal — when I moved, guess what I discovered right down the road? A big old building with a CAT painted on its side and “RappCats” printed on its door. It’s a rescue shelter like where I found you!
Except this place is MUCH nicer than where you had to stay. Remember that tiny cage you were squeezed in for weeks before we went home? (Sorry to bring back that memory.)
Well, in this place you’re only in cage for a little bit so you have time to rest and adjust. And the cage even has two rooms!
Then, you get a WHOLE ROOM and roommates!
You’d love them. They all want to make new friends, so everybody gets along and shares toys. OK, there’s always one in a crowd who has this thing about hissing…You know the type.
Everybody has their own BIG litter box and you even have more than one bed to choose from! And windows to look out! You can even watch the big dog who gets walked outside the back window every evening. (Now that’s a big event for some of the cats, but you never knew dogs, so it might not mean much to you.)
Oh, I should explain. The place is called RappCats because we’re in a county named Rappahannock County. A county is a part of a state. Oh, never mind…Don’t worry about trying to figure that out. It’s not important.
What’s important is that this is cat heaven. Oh no, I don’t mean your kind of heaven. It’s just that it’s a KIND of heaven because all the cats here got rescued, and now they’re safe and warm, and they’re not hungry anymore, and they get lots of loving until they find a new forever home!
OF COURSE as soon as I realized what this place was, I knew I had to be part of it! So I set up an appointment with Candace, who is this amazing gal you’d love, and she told me I could be part of the “Cuddle Crew”.
How cool is that? I had to be “trained” (yes, I’m sure you’re gloating right now — humans have to be trained for some things too) before I could be “official”.
Well, that part was easy. I just had to memorize the codes to get in the building and learn where all the brushes, combs, catnip, and treats were.
Oh — and how to not ever - EVER - get in the middle of a cat “disagreement”. Remember when I once had to spritz you with water to keep you away from the big plant that WAS NOT a litter box? Yeah, well, that’s the idea. You’re supposed to grab a blanket and throw over the cats (how humiliating, right)?. Or douse them with the dreaded spritz of water.
What is it with you guys and water anyway?
So I got “official” and now I go over there any time I want to! Oh, I have so much to tell you. And tons of pictures to show you too!
You know Weiser, most people thought you were really funny looking. Some kids were even scared of you! I don’t think they’d ever seen a cat with hardly any ears, a bent tail, extra toes, and legs that sprawled out when you walked. You couldn’t jump up on things, and your toenails clicked so I always knew when you were coming my way! The squirrels teased you something awful, but you just chattered at their silliness and knew you were special.
Weisie, some of these cats are pretty unique too. Right now we’re got “Alastor Moody” (he’s named after a one-eyed wizard), who had all his hair shaved off, and had to have one eye removed from a fight (don’t tell him, he doesn’t know), and Skylar, with just one and a half ears. And there’s Aries, who I call hammerhead, cuz he’s got a snout that looks like a shark!
Skylar Alastor Moody Aries
OK, this is a lot to digest sweetie…Just know we’re going on tons of new adventures! I can’t wait to introduce to you all my new pals at RappCats! You’re gonna love hearing their stories and they’re gonna love hearing yours! And wait until I tell you about my big move and the new cat-lover in my life! But that's for another day...
Your’s til butterflies! Meow for now!
Oh my, Zak will never be the same. He is bursting with pride knowing he made the RappCats blog! We loved the first installment of Weasie too. Thanks for taking us inside the mind of some of our feline friends. RappCats is a Rappahannock County gem and deserves our donations and continued support. Who will be featured next???
Hi Weasie
I hope you remember me-Greg. I was a good friend of your companion- Dr. Deb. You were her very favorite cat. in fact I remember once Deb told me you were her "most favorite thing in the whole world'!! Deb and you were lucky to have been together. She found you at the animal shelter and if I remember correctly another person wanted you also. I think they had a drawing and Deb won!
You were a beautiful and very exotic cat who could have easily been kinda spoiled and stuck-up. instead you chose to be an incredibly friendly, and intense to your human friends. You, Amber and Patty were a fun group. Wait a minute! I have…
I really enjoyed reading this! Well done!