<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.fark.com/goto/11956260/blockclubchicago.org/2021/12/01/one-tail-at-a-time-tortie-cat-gift-shop-adopt-customers-can-play-wit" target="_blank" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"> "There are so many animals in shelters that need our help. And many of them have extra veterinarian needs. ... These funds can help us take those animals and care for them." Welcome to Caturday</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div dir="ltr"><br><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Courtesy of <i>Block Club Chicago</i> at:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/12/01/one-tail-at-a-time-tortie-cat-gift-shop-adopt-customers-can-play-with-cats-while-they-shop-at-new-wicker-park-boutique/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark">https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/12/01/one-tail-at-a-time-tortie-cat-gift-shop-adopt-customers-can-play-with-cats-while-they-shop-at-new-wicker-park-boutique/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"></span></p><div></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div dir="ltr">————————————————-</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><h1 class="primaryFontHeading__TextWrapper-sc-1otf4oo-0 singleHeading__TextWrapper-sc-1rx3zam-0 fhWTFo hTqOfO article-header__post-title irving__post-title irving__post-title--singleHeading" style="--wp--preset--font-size--normal: 18px; --wp--preset--font-size--large: 21px; --wp--preset--font-size--larger: 24px; --wp--preset--font-size--very-large: 28px; --wp--preset--font-size--extra-large: 33px; --wp--preset--font-size--huge: 42px; font-size: 2.625rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Raleway, serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.17; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(4, 6, 6); letter-spacing: -0.015em; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">Customers Can Play With Cats While They Shop At New Wicker Park Boutique — And Then Adopt Them</h1><p class="dek__TextWrapper-sc-ktbqq9-0 bmQvuU article-header__dek irving__text irving__text--dek" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Raleway, serif; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.35; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(29, 31, 31);">All proceeds from Tortie & Co. benefit One Tail At A Time's animal rescue programs. Cats available for adoption roam the store during business hours.</p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">WICKER PARK — A boutique benefiting an animal rescue nonprofit has opened in Wicker Park, and there’s a furry twist: Cats roam the store during business hours.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><a href="https://www.onetail.org/tortieandco/?fbclid=IwAR2v_49Bc9RDE04bOzUedV8qg_ciGy9AAd0DhTWb26BvqMRmDQz3LivXP3o" target="_blank" style="color: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-color: rgb(230, 38, 5); text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-thickness: 0.0625em; text-underline-offset: 0.1em;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Tortie & Co.</span></a>, 1468 N. Ashland Ave., is the latest project from animal rescue nonprofit One Tail At A Time.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">The boutique sells housewares, paper goods, candles and ceramics, as well as pet products. All proceeds from the store will support One Tail At A Time’s animal foster programs in Chicago.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">“There are so many animals in shelters that need our help. And many of them have extra veterinarian needs. … Those funds can help us take those animals and care for them,” said Heather Owen, executive director of One Tail at a Time.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">Owen said depending on their temperament and availability, as many as 10 cats can be found roaming around the store at any given time. Petting and playing is encouraged, and customers can even adopt them.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">“We might have several adults integrated, or we might just have a single cat who doesn’t like other animals. So we’re going to try to showcase a lot of our cats, the ones with different needs,” Owen said. “People can interact with them and hang out. And if they have a connection, they could fill out an application.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">During the pandemic, animal adoption skyrocketed, and One Tail At A Time saw a surge in interest.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">“In 2019, before things hit, we rescued about 950 animals that year. The next year, 2020, we rescued almost 1,900,” Owen said.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">While adoption rates have remained high in 2021, Owen said her organization has seen an influx of cats in shelters. Part of Tortie & Co.’s mission is to find them loving homes.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">“The reality is a lot of people dropped off because they either got a pet or they’re going back to work or they’re just too busy traveling. So the animals that are in the shelters are going to be the ones suffering because of that,” she said.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">Tortie & Co.’s name was inspired by a specific cat named Patches, who has tortoiseshell fur coat, or “tortie.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 1.5rem; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: var(--wp--custom--spacing--site-gutter); box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; max-width: 44.375rem; caret-color: rgb(4, 6, 6);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 6, 6);">“We have Patches, who is a tortie in our care who is very special. She’s very naughty. And we tend to like the naughty cats and dogs here at One Tail At A Time,” Owen said. “She has a special place in a lot of our hearts. So we named it after Patches.”</span></p></div><div dir="ltr">————————</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Photo . . .</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/Caturday_120421.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Photos/Caturday_120421.jpg</a></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">————————————————-</div><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div><div><b>“Caturday”</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> by Linus Petit</span></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3</a></div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span dir="ltr">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div></div></div></body></html>