Simba was a bit wary at first to the smell of the paint, but the chance to get out of his little cage was too good to pass up. When four volunteers sat on the floor with him and put paint on his paws, he wasn’t sure what to make of things. A moving feather toy and the lure of a treat was all it took to get him moving on the canvases. More paint, more playing, more treats, lots of loving and head scratches and repeat! Simba could spend hours creating his paintings! He was even willing to put up with the post-painting baths for such an opportunity. On Saturday June 13th, Simba was in the studios of WBTV for a live appearance on the Saturday Morning News. Simba completed two paintings while being filmed and graciously donated one to the station as a memento. After 6 weekends of painting and baths, Simba and his paintings accompanied the shelter volunteers to an off-site adoption event at the Shoppes at University Place on July 18th, 2009. Enter Jeff and Jorden. They were looking to add a cat to their home that would get along with their 6-month old Lab puppy, Sprocket. Volunteers immediately thought of Simba. He had been around dogs at the adoption events and never paid them any mind. They met and fell in love with him and decided that he was the cat for them. Although the volunteers were sad to see Simba leaving we all knew he was on his way to a great new home. With promises to keep us updated, we said goodbye. The following week, an email arrived from Jeff that read (in part):
“I just wanted to touch base and let everyone know how Simba's been doing. Just to try something new, I decided to take him up to my shop for the day. I couldn't believe how much Simba changed that day. He immediately calmed down and is so much more relaxed. He has a ton of room to roam and explore, but he spends most of his time under my feet or on my desk watching me work. He doesn't get into any trouble and is more lovable than ever. He actually fell asleep all sprawled out next to me with the fan blowing on him while I typed this. He is such an awesome cat and we couldn't be happier to have adopted him. Thanks for everything!
Jeff and Jorden
UPDATE: One of Simba’s framed paintings has been donated to the Ryan Newman Foundation for their Annual Charity Auction. The money they raise is used for promoting and providing spay/neuter grants and services throughout the United States. When asked about his work and donations, Simba simply replied “Meow! If you like my work I encourage you to buy a painting so that other artists may be helped”!