As we welcome the new year, CatTipper takes a look back at the celebrities who welcomed a cat companion from a rescue organization or shelter into their hearts and homes in 2013:
Acting as a celebrity presenter at the second annual NKLA Adoption Weekend in November, Maria Conchita Alonso not only helped 396 homeless dogs and cats land starring roles in the hearts and homes of forever pet parents, she also found her own feline co-star– a beautiful black cat named Bella.
Love my beautiful new “baby” Bela, adopted yesterday from @bestfriends at adoption event from @NKLA pic.twitter.com/0akvCLrvJE
— MariaConchitaAlonso (@MariaConchita_A) November 11, 2013
Warm-hearted Hot in Cleveland star Valerie Bertinelli— who lost her 13-year-old cat Dexter to cancer earlier in the year– made Nelson, one of six kittens she was fostering, a permanent member of her fur family.
Luna and my first foster failure – sweet Nelson #love pic.twitter.com/HtjBwC9Szh
— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) August 16, 2013
A cat who once lived in a cage for eight months now takes center stage in the heart of cat-loving chart-topper Ke$ha. Dubbed Mr. Fluffy Pants by the famous Humane Society International Global Ambassador, the ‘white lion’ found a purring pal in the singer’s other feline friend, Mr. Peep$.
News that Lauren Laverne, British radio DJ from BBC Radio 6 Music began 2013 by offering a new beginning to two homeless kittens was music to the ears of animal lovers. Asking advice from her Twitter followers about a place to find a purring pal, fans referred her to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where she fell in love with Jasper and Whisper, two kittens from a litter of eight who were discovered in a run down London building.
Easter weekend marked the start of a new life for little Timmy, a six-month-old black kitten who– along with his siblings– was saved from a supermarket recycling center by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Adopted by British actor Alistair McGowan (known by American TV viewers for his role in PBS’s presentation of Bleak House), the actor stated: “We were so excited about collecting Timmy, it felt like Christmas morning! I grew up with cats and have always been a cat person. Our eighteen year old cat Baby Boy died in November, and we finally felt ready to bring a new cat into our home. We know we’ll never be able to replace Baby Boy, but we hope to make some great new memories with Timmy.”
Driven to help animals in need, Indy Car Series driver Josef Newgarden helped to steer attention to Baltimore’s Show your Soft Side campaign by posing with a homeless kitten who raced right into his heart. Shortly after the photo shoot the sports star adopted Simba from Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS).
MMA fighter Dan Root didn’t have to wrestle with his emotions when he decided to adopt Olive, a kitty who helped the athlete command the catwalk at Pawject Runway, a fundraising event benefitting the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS.)
A blind mother cat transformed from a foster feline into a family member at the home of Howard and Beth Stern. Found living in a junk yard with her four kittens (who have all found pet parents), Bella– who was saved from a kill shelter by North Shore Animal League America– now lives in the lap of luxury at the Stern home. (A celebrity spokesperson for the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, Beth Stern will help to highlight more of North Shore’s adorable adoptables when Kitten Bowl airs on The Hallmark Channel on February 2, 2014.)
Howard and Bella Stern pic.twitter.com/ynhQUx9tit
— Beth Ostrosky (@BethStern) November 22, 2013
Known as Kitna during her days at North Shore Animal League America, the following video shows Bella during her time at the non-profit organization:
Photo Credit: Twitter/Maria Conchita Alonso; Twitter/Valerie Bertinelli; Instagram/Kesha; Battersea Dogs and Cats Home; Instagram/Josef Newgarden; Twitter/Beth Stern
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