Lee GOP to host political discussion with Tito Ortiz, Roger Stone, and Madison Cawthorn
LIFE

Fort Myers cats adopted by Danish couple 4,753 miles away

BY EVELYN LONGA
Special to The News-Press
These two black kittens, known as Tanner and Nite while they lived at the Lee County Animal Services cat kennel, are now known as Lua and Mau after a couple from Denmark adopted them.

Pet adoption scored a major victory recently when two kittens residing at a Lee County Animal Services shelter found their way into a new home with a loving family.

Nothing unusual about that, right?

Happens almost every day in towns and communities across America.

But this particular match was far from ordinary when you consider these two factors:

  •  The kittens statistically fall into the “least likely to be adopted” category because of the color of their fur.
  •  The husband and wife who fell in love with them don’t even live in the United States.

It took the time, cooperation and commitment of two Southwest Florida shelters, using some technological innovation along the way, to connect all of the dots and make this long distance relationship result in a happy ending.

Statistics show that black cats and dogs are last to be adopted at shelters. This is because it’s hard for people to read the expression on the faces of the black cats and dogs. Additionally, for cats, they carry the stigma of superstition and being referred to as bad luck.

Listening to Marnie Miszewski, the executive director of Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary, Inc., a shelter located on Pine Island that houses almost 200 healthy and special needs cats, the advance work was worth all the effort because it culminated with getting the kittens to their new home.

That would be in Denmark — 4,753 miles from Fort Myers.

“They just went home last Friday (Dec. 18), Miszewski said. “The parents were anxiously awaiting their kittens.”

This journey begins in Las Vegas. Per and Emely Larsen lived there for a brief period and they adopted a black cat they named Lucas from a PetSmart. Lucas was only 6 years old when he died from cancer.

“They loved its personality so much, they wanted another one,” Miszewski said. “A plain, ordinary black cat.”

Miszewski added: “The kind nobody around here wants.”

It’s a phenomenon known as Black Cat Syndrome -- black cats (and dogs) are usually the last to be adopted at shelters.

According to the web site catbehaviorassociates.com this is because it’s hard for people to read the expression on the faces of the black cats and dogs. Additionally, for cats, they carry the stigma of superstition and being referred to as bad luck.

Michele Penney, the cat kennel supervisor for Lee County Domestic Animal Services, sees the disconnect happen frequently when people walk through a shelter to adopt a pet. She said there are about 10 black cats at the shelter waiting to be adopted.

Marnie Miszewski, executive director of Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary, Inc. on Pine Island, said she shelters close to 200 healthy and special needs cats. "Our goal is to give them good homes while we search for their family," she said.

“People will pass by them and pick a Calico or long hair or gray,” Penney said. “They don’t even see what their personalities are like. It is unfortunate because they have great personalities.”

“I absolutely adore black cats,” Miszewski said. “They are smart, active and super playful.”

In the case of the Larsens, good luck had a lot to do with having their wish come true. It was Penney and Miszewski who made it happen.

The Larsens initially emailed the Cat Fanciers Association letting the organization know what they were looking for -- one black domestic short hair cat. Denmark doesn’t have American short hairs as they are called, so the Larsens contacted the CFA, which then referred the couple to Miszewski.

“Needless to say I was thrilled at the possibility to find a home for a lucky black cat,” Miszewski said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have any black kittens at the time.”

She knew what to do.

Miszewski took her laptop to Lee County Animal Services and met with Penney.

Together, they selected black kittens at the cat kennel. Holding the laptop and pointing it in the direction of the kittens, the live video images were transmitted back to Per and Emely in Denmark using Skype.

“I had just been there (to the shelter) and saw that they had a lot of black kittens,” Miszewski said. “I took the computer down there and they (the Larsens) watched them run around.”

The Larsens ended up being smitten — not by one black cat, but two.

The plan was for the Larsens to come to the U.S. to pick up the cats — known at the shelter as “Tanner” and “Nite” — and bring them home. But they changed their mind after the terrorist shooting in Paris in November. Instead, they worked with a pet air rescue operation based out of Tampa to deliver the cats to Denmark. It ended up being more than a $3,000 investment for the Larsens, according to Miszewski.

Miszewski helped with the official paperwork and making sure the kittens had their rabies shots and that they were each given a microchip. She cared for the cats for almost two months until they were ready to fly to their new home. After a one-day delay that held up the cats in Frankfurt, Germany, Per and Emely officially welcomed the kittens into their home just in time for Christmas.

They have new names -- Mau and Lua.

“They are doing fine,” said Per, who was interviewed for this story by email. “They are running around, playing with each other and our two older cats. They are so cute. Little Lua is busy investigating how much punishment the various toys can take.”

And the cats do remind Per and Emely of Lucas.

“They are already starting to fill his shoes,” Per said. “They are already great friends to our two older cats, which we don’t believe would have been the case had it been Danish cats because they are being raised with a different mentality. We are so happy with the way Marnie has handled all of this. We are ecstatic. Our family is complete.”

As far as Miszewski is concerned, it is mission accomplished on several fronts.

“We got them a cat that was similar to the one they had, so we met the goal,” Miszewski said. “I would love for people to see that black cats are desirable and maybe a few people will consider one of their own now. It is also nice to show that there is cooperation between the local shelters and that we all work together to find good home for our animals.”

AT A GLANCE
Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary, Inc.

Location: Pine Island
Year started: 2010
Executive director: Marnie Miszewski
Staff: Approximately 20 volunteers
Funding: Donations

HOW TO HELP
Helping Paws Animal Sanctuary, Inc.

The organization has a wish list on amazon.com and their web site helpingpawsanimalsanctuary.com. For more information and to learn more about supporting the organization, call (239) 283-9100

Lee County Domestic Animal Services
Cat Kennel Supervisor Michele Penney said people in the Southwest Florida community can help by adopting instead of purchasing an animal. Animal services accepts donations of cat and dog food and also has special accounts set up for other needs such as fixing a broken leg. Penney said the shelter will occasionally have black cat specials. For more information contact Penney at: mpenney2@leegov.com.