Teacher by Day, Trapper by Night

Transcription

1 The Award Winning Newsletter of Homeless Cat Network Editor: Melissa Riofrio Graphic Artist: Gail Waldo, Waldo Graphics Spring 2016 Teacher by Day, Trapper by Night Holly learned she could help kitties in East Palo Alto by teaming up with HCN by Nicola Macfarlane I first met Holly almost nine years ago, when she contacted HCN for help with a litter of kittens she found behind her husband s office in East Palo Alto. One thing er, cat led to another, and Holly has become one of HCN s most dependable and important resources in this very needy city. When I watched Nicola back in 2007 grab those little white kittens and bathe them one by one, she recalled, I felt my inner rescuer coming out, and I got hooked on helping these defenseless creatures. Holly is a teacher at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto and so not only does she help with cat rescue herself, she also helps to educate the residents and young people in East Palo Alto. Like many trappers, Holly has a day job and so her rescue activities have to fit in between her job, her husband, her dog, her own kitties and all her many other activities. But she juggles it all impressively! Holly is a Spanish teacher and being bilingual has been a huge help in communicating with the residents that we are helping. Working side-by-side with her, I ve gotten much more comfortable working with people for whom English is not a first language and have even picked up a little Spanish myself! Although we do our trapping in the evenings in the summer (as the title would suggest), now that the short days are here we are trapping on our lunch breaks. Holly s commitment to the cats in East Palo Alto continues year-round. There are many stories that Holly could share about her adventures, but one that comes to mind is when she had to climb a ladder to set the traps on the roof of a building to keep the local dogs from scaring off the cats and trying to eat the bait. While she was trapping she was informed about a tiny siamese kitten with a bulging eye. The little kitten was not even two pounds, and unfortunately it was too late to save her eye. But a few weeks later, the eye was removed and JoJo was spayed. A few months after that she found a super home! (Continued on page 2 ) JoJo after her eye surgery As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat. Ellen Perry Berkeley

2 Teacher by Day, Trapper by Night (Continued from page 1) Another time one of her students told her about a kitten that had been found on the sidewalk. Holly picked up the starving kitten and was not sure she would even last the night. She kept her warm and syringe-fed her through the night. When she brought her to me the next morning I could see that she was very dehydrated and had a bad upper respiratory infection. Happily after some subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and more TLC, it was not long before little Mila was doing great. Holly s students helping her feed homeless cats As is often the case when you are trapping in lowincome neighborhoods, you come upon many hungry cats. Holly also distributes food (provided by HCN thanks to donations!) to residents that we have been able to encourage to feed the cats after we have spayed/neutered them. Many times these cats had only previously been fed leftovers or dog food. If you would like to donate to help purchase food for Holly and other volunteers to provide to low-income residents who have agreed to feed the cats we have spayed/neutered, please mark your donation with Food for Holly and Others. Alternately if you would like to donate toward the medical care of these kitties, please let us know that. We could not do what we do without your donations! Mila a week later Without Holly s dedication, hundreds of homeless and unwanted cats would have been born in East Palo Alto. Holly is grateful, too. It s something I m able to do and it surely provides a worthy example for my students who live in the community and who often help me out. When asked what keeps her going year after year, Holly responded with When you stop and think about the dramatic power of exponential growth that 1 female cat can become 88,000 or more over a span of five years then it dawns on you that there s no time like the present. These animals need us now. Thanks to HCN and the all-volunteer team of rescuers who help provide spay/neuter assistance, equipment and information the rescuers need to be able to make a difference. Traps loaded in Holly s car ready for transport to the spay/neuter clinic 2 How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. Robert A. Heinlein

3 How Adopting a Second Cat Changed My, and My Cat s, Life by Karolina Burstrom I adopted Winston as an only cat in January of It was estimated that he was about nine years old at the time. Kittens are adorable, but I prefer a cat that has calmed down slightly. Another benefit of adopting an older cat is that you get a better understanding of the cat s personality. Winston was outgoing, unafraid, and snuggly from day one. He settled into his new home very quickly and his favorite spot was my lap. Winston was always a talker, but after a few months in his new home, his vocalization was starting to be disruptive. He was not talking to me but was rather aimlessly wandering around the apartment, meowing excessively. It was worst at night, where he could go on for hours. I was only getting about four hours of sleep per night and was exhausted. I tried everything. I took him to the vet and got blood tests done; everything was fine. I bought toys, toys, and toys. I sprayed cat pheromones around the house. I streamed cat videos on the TV for him to watch. I created more vertical space in the living room. I played with him before bedtime, hoping to make him tired. Nothing worked. The last thing I was willing to try was bringing another cat into our home. I always saw myself as a one-cat-only person, but I was desperate. I contacted HCN to help me find a companion for Winston. I knew that I did not want a kitten even though some people think it s easier to introduce a kitten into a home rather than an adult cat. The #1 criterion was that the new cat be comfortable with other cats. I was introduced to Wiona (Tanith at the time). Wiona had a rough start in life and was found on the streets of East Palo Alto in really bad shape. She was around two years old at the time she was trapped and was not used to humans. Winona (on the left) and Winston The original plan by HCN was to get her healthy, spay her, and return her to where she came from, as it was doubtful she would be happy as an indoor cat. However, during the course of her treatment (which even included a complete bath!), it became apparent that she was a sweet and trusting cat; and that, combined with the poor condition in which she had been found, led to her being placed in a foster home instead of being returned. In the foster home, it turned out that Wiona took comfort in the other cats there. Thanks to the tremendous patience and loving care by her foster mom, Wiona started slowly gaining more trust in humans. When I visited Wiona, she had been living in the foster home for almost a year. She was still very shy of humans, but incredibly sweet. The foster mom was able to describe Wiona s personality very well, and it seemed to match with what I was looking for. Wiona moved in with us in September of The very first night Wiona was in our home, Winston slept through the night without making a sound. Since then, I can now sleep through the night, as Winston no longer walks around the apartment crying. He is also a lot more content during the day. It took a few weeks for Wiona and Winston to interact with each other, but now she adores her brother and will rub up against him. He will respond by giving her a lick or two on her head. As she is only about three years old, Wiona has a lot more energy than Winston does, but he will sit and watch her play. In addition, her presence has made him more playful, and he will play on his own more than he used to. They will also play together by chasing each other or sometimes wrestling. They are so entertaining to watch and bring so much joy into my life! I am so grateful to HCN for the time, effort and love that were given to Wiona, enabling her to trust humans. It is wonderful to see her thriving in her new environment and witness the progress she is making every day. Winston has transformed into a happy and contented cat due to Wiona s company, and our home is in harmony again. We thank our wonderful fosterers who are willing to take the time with shy cats and give them a chance to find a loving home like this one. Please consider an adult kitty when you adopt. They re loving, entertaining, and a little easier to deal with than rambunctious kittens! You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals. George Mikes 3

4 How HCN Helped Me Save Katara by Alyssa Winn I can t adopt another cat, I repeated to myself over and over as the tiny kitten meowed from the box on my passenger seat. She had been lurking under my brother s porch: small, skittish, and eyes nearly crusted shut. I caught her, but was convinced to not keep her. After all, I already had one cat, and having just graduated from a Master s program I wasn t in the financial position to cover the initial costs of a kitten. But, oh my goodness, she was so cute! HCN loves helping people help more kitties that s how we spread the humane solution! If you find a cat in need, please contact us at info@homelesscatnetwork.com and we ll be happy to advise you on trap-neuterreturn, fostering, low-cost spay/neuter, and adoption strategies! 4 No, heaven will not ever Heaven be unless my cats are there to welcome me. Author unknown

5 Instead, I got a lot more. The Homeless Cat Network provided me with the resources I needed to get the kitten (now Katara) her I stopped by Pet Food Express to grab the kitten something to vaccines and spay surgery. She s now happily eat, where I encountered Homeless settled into her new home and absolutely in love with her big brother, Mycroft. Cat Network volunteers at an adoption fair. I told them my story and indecision in order to get some advice. No longer a skittish porch kitten, Katara enjoys chasing her tail, protecting the house from the perils of wadded-up tissue paper, and cuddling up with any warm lap available. A huge thanks to Homeless Cat Network for helping me provide her a forever home! If you want to know the character of a man, find out what his cat thinks of him. Anonymous 5

6 Where are They Now? Happy Endings for HCN Kitties How Sunny and Buddy Found Love in Forever Homes by Judy Hnilo Sunny and Buddy were born near a busy highway. They and their other family members were rescued by a kind local resident who spayed and neutered all the cats. All the resident could do was move the cats to a large chicken coop, where they had fresh air, warmth and safety. When the resident had to move, the cats were brought to our Socialization Center where the brothers, Sunny and Buddy, had very outgoing personalities. They were smart and usually getting into mischief. They both waited a long time before the right person for each came along. Could you be the happy ending for an HCN kitty? Please inquire about our adoptable kitties, or tell your friends about us! Calendar of Events Come meet some of our adorable adoptable kittens and cats in purr-son at Pet Food Express in Burlingame! Every 2nd and 3rd Saturday, from 11am to 2pm, 261 Park Road (half-block from Burlingame Avenue) (650) Wayne and Buddy had an immediate attraction that has continued. They call Buddy the Velcro Cat: Anytime Wayne sits down, his pal Buddy is on him. Philip and Sunny have a similar attraction. Both men have become the perfect human cat bedfor these two great cats. It s wonderful to see how these boys started out in a tough situation, and they now have wonderful loving forever homes. There is nothing more that we at HCN can ask for. Do you know any cross-species best friends forever? Go to our Facebook page and post a photo on our wall! 6 There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone. Louis J. Camuti

7 Your Kindness Helps! Here at Homeless Cat Network, our lifesaving initiatives help cats while solving the root problems of feline homelessness. Our programs include: rescue, fostering and adoption efforts for kittens and adult cats; TNR programs for community cats; guidance and support for people who wish to help cats in need; and responsible colony management. As an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill feline rescue organization (Tax I.D. # ), our work is supported entirely by donations from caring people like you. Your donations enable us to save cats lives, erase their painful pasts, cure their illnesses, and fill their bellies with food and their hearts with love. Thank you for being part of our team and making our work possible. $25 Helping Hand for cats in need $50 Supporting Friend helps us place homeless cats in a loving homes, and provides food for feral cats $100 Lifeline Support provides food, vaccinations and supplies for cats and kittens in our foster program and at our Socialization Center $250 Sustaining Supporter subsidizes the spay/ neutering of feral cats to make sure no unwanted kittens will be born, and veterinary care for rescued kittens $500 Guardian Angel helps us rescue countless cats and kittens, and keeps our organization going, including sustaining feral cat colonies, operating adoption fairs, running the Socialization Center Stan's Fund for Special Needs Cats every donation to this fund will be used to help cats with special veterinary needs. Other amount: $ VOLUNTEER & SUPPORT Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Telephone: address: Please make checks payable to: Homeless Cat Network To donate by credit card: Donation amount: Name on card: Address: City/State/Zip: Card number: Exp. date: Three digit code on the back of credit card: Signature: Save a Life Foster parenting We re rescuing more kittens than we have foster parents to help them. Please help by volunteering to provide temporary homes for rescued kittens and cats. Training and supplies are provided and veterinary expenses are covered. Professional help Have a professional skill that can help improve HCN? We d love the help of veterinarians, vet techs, builders, public relations and marketing experts, and anyone with special talents! Cat rescuer Save a life by becoming a cat rescuer! We ll teach you how to humanely trap feral felines, and we ll provide all supplies, and pay for spay/ neuter surgery and vaccinations. Cat feeder Bring fresh food and water to a colony of fixed homeless kitties who need your help to survive. Cat socializer Help care for and socialize rescued cats at our Socialization Center while introducing kitties to prospective adopters. Events helper You ll get to meet lots of wonderful people at our fun events while also helping us raise much-needed funds to support our life-saving efforts. If you can volunteer, please volunteer@homelesscatnetwork.com info@homelesscatnetwork.com 7

8 PO BOX 6 SAN CARLOS, CA ADDRESS SERVICES REQUESTED Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID San Mateo, CA Permit No. 842 Winter Food and Warmth Needed! Brrrrr it s been cold! This is the time of year when the cats in our communities need extra food to stay warm and healthy. Your generous donation will help us purchase additional food for the cats. Please visit the Donations page on our website or search for our wish list on Amazon, or use the envelope provided in this newsletter. Another winter essential is warmers to use for outdoor cat shelters or under traps for recovering cats (yes, our volunteers continue to trap year-round!). As an all-volunteer organization, all donations go toward helping the cats! Thank you for any help you can give.