2018 Winter Issue. There are no bad cats. They are just misunderstood. Page 1. Summer Edition 2016

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1 Summer Edition 2016 This issue we will take you for a tour of our shelter. It is also full of all kinds of fun and interesting information. Sit back and enjoy! What we did in the community Special Thanks Special Projects Virtual Tour Our wish list items Happy Tails Upcoming Events 2018 Winter Issue Christmas Open House Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make our Christmas open house a success. We all had a great day! We raised $2,800 for the shelter and had a few cats adopted as well. The PURRFECT News can be found on our website. If you would like to receive it by , contact the editor Tilda at cavolunteer@outlook.com. Contact Us: Dufferin County Road #3 East Garafraxa, ON L9W 7J1 (519) Registered Canadian Charity Visit our website and Follow us on Facebook There are no bad cats. They are just misunderstood. Page 1

2 Paulmac s Pets Milton Many thanks to Paulmac s Pets in Milton for hosting our adoptable kittens on Saturday December 16 th. We had a great Caturday as one of our kitten adopters called it! Brushcuts Professional Pet Grooming We would like to thank our friends at Brushcuts Professional Pet Grooming on Dawson Road in Guelph for selling pet ties to help us raise money, and for collecting donations for us. Your support does make a difference and we can t thank you enough. East Garafraxa Public School A big thank you goes out to the students at East Garafraxa Public School! They raised over $100 for Cats Anonymous with a story contest where they wrote about their pets. Wellington Veterinary Services Each year, the vets and staff at our vet clinic hold an annual fundraising event and donate the funds to our shelter. As if their exemplary care and compassion for our cats isn t enough, they donated $2,000 to help the cats in our care! We just can t thank them enough! Here is Dr. Waterman-Scott presenting the donation cheque to Jodie. Whisper Lane Wellness Making Spirits Bright Raffle During the month of December 2017, Whisper Lane Wellness in East Garafraxa ran a Raffle Draw where their very generous clients purchased ballots for a chance to win a private healing session. Whisper Lane Wellness matched their contributions dollar-for-dollar and have donated the funds to Cats Anonymous. Thank you so much! I have been volunteering with Cats Anonymous for about 18 years time has flown by. Why do I do it? I love cats and cannot adopt every cat in the world, so helping is the next best thing. Our founder Tish cannot take care of all the kitties she is trying to help just on her own, she also works and has a family and friends to spend time with. As the old saying goes, Many hands make light work. I found Cats Anonymous through a good friend of mine. Nolle has been volunteering for over 22 years herself. We go together and keep the main room clean, feed the cats and best of all, pet and cuddle with the cats which is good for all of us. It doesn t take a lot of time and one of the benefits is that Nolle and I get to see each other to talk and socialize, share good and bad times, plus you also meet some other wonderful cat loving friends. Not everyone wants to clean dishes and litterboxes, so what else can you do as a volunteer. Well there are office jobs; I enter microchip information into a database from home. Other ways to help is with fundraising, which might involve finding items for silent auctions or helping at the event. There is doing laundry or helping with maintenance of the building. We need drivers to transport cats to and from our Vet and also take some of the cats/kittens to pet stores. You might want to get involved in the TNR (trap-neuter-return) program or maybe even fostering some of the kittens that we trap and help socialize them and get them ready for adoption. So you can see there are jobs for every talent. Without volunteers things would not run as smoothly as they should. So if you love cats, think about volunteering with Cats Anonymous. If you are a student, what better way to do your volunteer hours? If you are interested, send an to our office administrator at admin@catsanonymous.ca and they will get back to you. Deb, Oakley and Sugar A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes. Page 2

3 Our original Cat House was set up in the spring of 1992 in a small playhouse at the back of my property. Back then, we fostered cats for a humane society that didn t have a shelter. There were usually only about 10 cats at any given time but as the humane society grew, our little cat house was bursting at the seams. We were close to 30 cats, and very overcrowded. My sister Kathy and I decided it was time for a bigger facility. In the spring of 1996, a group of very dedicated and generous volunteers began the task of renovating my garage to become the new and greatly improved home of our homeless cats. The project was completed in October 1996 and the cats happily moved in. In the fall of 1999, after long consideration, my sister and I decided that it was time to separate from the Humane Society and become a private shelter. This was a difficult decision, as it meant that financially we were on our own and we would have to learn about fundraising to support ourselves. But we felt that it was the right thing to do, for the cats and us. Again, with the help of very dedicated people, we raised the money to adopt all the cats from the Humane Society, and continue on independently. It has been a learning experience, but we managed to keep things going in those early days and achieved official Canadian charitable status in Since then we haven t looked back! Our shelter is usually home to cats. All cats are blood tested negative for feline leukemia and feline immune deficiency virus, are vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed/neutered. All the cats remain in the shelter until the right adoptive home is found. There is no time limit on their stay with us. On average we find homes for 150 cats and kittens each year. Our facility consists of six rooms. The largest room is our main adoption area, where the majority of the cats reside. The cats roam free in this room once they have adjusted to living with the other feline residents. They have a sofa, scratch posts and climbers and a lovely screened outdoor enclosure where they can enjoy the great outdoors safely. The second room is our Special Diets room. The cats in this room are on specific diets, either for medical conditions or for weight loss purposes. They are fed measured amounts of their specific diet twice daily and are supervised for meals to ensure that they all eat the proper food to stay healthy. This room has been home to many very special cats including those with diabetes, urinary tract issues, kidney issues or digestive sensitivities. It may take a little longer to find homes for our special needs friends but eventually they are all adopted by equally special people. The third room is our Single Cat room. This room is dedicated to cats that cannot co-exist peacefully with other cats and must be adopted into single cat households. These cats are housed individually and are given free roam of the room for a full day, one cat at a time, on a rotating basis. They have their own separate outdoor enclosure and a TV so they can enjoy You Tube videos of birds! Our fourth room is the nursery. This room is for our kittens. Due to the delicate immune systems of kittens, we keep them separate from the adult cats. As you can well imagine, this is a very busy and very popular room! The fifth room is our New Arrivals area. This is where the new cats stay until they are fully vaccinated, dewormed, spayed/neutered and ready for adoption. The cats usually stay in this room for 3 weeks, which gives them time to adjust emotionally to their surroundings, and is an adequate quarantine period for virus control. Once they have had all their medical needs met and space in the main room permits, they are moved to a cage in the main room for a short adjustment period and are then permitted out with the other cats once they are ready. The last room is our feral cat porch. This area is a three season porch designed to house the feral cats that are part of our TNR program. These cats are usually only with us for a few days before and after their surgeries and are then returned to their colonies. We would now like to take you for a tour of our shelter. Enjoy the many different columns written by our very own volunteers! You can see just how much they love our cats and what they do here to help our feline friends. Tish Walshe Founder & Shelter Supervisor Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o fur? Page 3

4 Cats Anonymous is located in East Garafraxa, Ontario, in the small hamlet of Marsville. There isn t much to see in Marsville other than the Community Hall, Public School and a Chip Truck. Main Room - We begin our tour by walking to the front of the shelter along a winding path through a lovely perennial garden that is home to birds, butterflies, squirrels and chipmunks. Looking through the front window you may catch a glimpse of one of the cats sunbathing on the window ledge or perhaps you might spot a cat in the Singles outdoor enclosure. As you enter the front door there is a vestibule where you can either enter into the office and visit with Franny, our feline office administrator; or go into our Main room. Make sure the door is closed behind you before you open the next door to the Main room. Why? When you enter the Main room, cats will be running towards you and welcoming you with a rub on your leg or a meow from the couch. You see, most cats that are in the Main room roam free in a living room home-like setting. Franny But wait, there are some cages with cats in them. Why? When cats are transferred from our New Arrivals room, they have an adjustment period to acclimate themselves to the new room and their new roommates. There is plenty of light coming from the front windows. Felines get to bask in the warmth of the sun in comfy cozy baskets puffed up with pillows. If the sun is not to the cats fancy, then they can climb, scratch or sleep on any of the cat trees inside the room. And, if that is not enough, the kitties get to enjoy the safe, enclosed and bright catio overlooking the back garden. With all these cats, you would think that there would be a certain odour to this room. But you would be wrong! Our volunteers come every day to clean, feed, give medication when needed and most importantly, pets and hugs Anna Singles Room - Just over a year ago, we completed a major renovation of our Singles room - new cages, flooring, paint, cat tree and best of all a television so our resident cats can watch their favorite bird or squirrel shows. I have the pleasure of tending to this room weekly. This room houses cats that normally don t get along with other cats. We have four (4) tower condo cages, one for each cat. The multi levels give them the security they need and they can get away from the cat that is left out for the day. Over the years, I have seen some unique personalities go through this room. All of the cats in this room require a nice quiet home where they will be the only feline resident. Once they have settled in they are the most loving and trusting pet you could ever have Tilda Tower Condo Cages Sassy Maya Who hath a better friend than a cat? Page4

5 New Arrivals Room - My name is Kate and I have been volunteering at Cats Anonymous for 18 years. I volunteer in the New Arrivals room every week. I really enjoy working in this room as I get the chance to meet the cats when they first arrive and to learn about their different personalities before they are placed into the Main room. It is sometimes heartbreaking to see them when they come in, as many are scared and don't really understand what is going on. It is so rewarding to be able to help them adapt to shelter life after living in a home for many years. We also often get the feral kittens in our room to hand feed and get them used to people before they go off to their foster homes. This is always fun! Occasionally we have had a cat come in who is very ill and even with the best veterinary care we cannot save them in these cases. We have the chance to love and pamper them so that they know that they are loved when they pass on. I have volunteered in all the rooms over the years but New Arrivals is my favourite Kate Kitten Room - Around two years ago, my daughters and I started volunteering at Cats Anonymous. I had been looking for a facility that was able to provide a relatively quiet environment for my oldest daughter because she struggles with severe social anxiety. I also wanted an environment that would provide exposure to animals, for their therapeutic effect on people with anxiety disorders. Cats Anonymous fit the bill. We were trained in the Kitten room and it has proven to be a fun, rewarding and sometimes frustrating challenge, to say the least. I have to admit there have been days when I ve doubted my sanity in taking on the Kitten room. The smell alone some days can knock you flat, and the mess is frequently monumental, yet all it takes is that one moment that steals your heart and you can t help but forgive them for their sometimes disreputable behavior. Who wouldn t fall in love with those crazy fur babies as they race around the room, getting underfoot as you re trying to clean? Who wouldn t love having their hair pulled by the residents of the upper cages while you re tending to the residents in the bottom cages; or even when you re washing the dishes and one of them decides that you need assistance? They have to stick their nose in the garbage, in the cupboard, in the bucket wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself. Be prepared for a swat or two on the backside or an unexpected visitor on your shoulder as you bend down to pick up their myriad of toys. You also need to be aware that your legs are mobile climbing posts I strongly recommend jeans or preferably, Kevlar! It sure doesn t seem like a good fit for a young girl with anxiety, but the best is yet to come. Once their little bellies are full, and they ve worn themselves out doing their utmost to undo everything that you ve just done to clean their room, you get to sit and cuddle with them. Absolutely nothing beats that feeling you get when these furry little purr machines decide that they like you and want to use your lap, (or your shoulder, or the top of your head) as their new resting place. The stresses of the day just seem to melt away as you hold one of these precious little babies in your hands and watch as it slowly fades off into sleep. I ve watched my daughter relax in the face of a panic attack just by sitting with a kitten in her lap. No matter what their personality, from the adventurous escape artist, to the mouthy, attention seeking, neurotic, pint-sized feline, to the shy, quiet or laid-back furball, they are all so uniquely special and they have the power to steal your heart and calm your soul. Working with the cats, not just in the Kitten room, but also in the Singles and Main rooms, has had a very positive effect on both of my girls. They ve also learned that it s a lot of work looking after so many cats, and have a deeper appreciation for the efforts that are made to help these animals. I can t say enough about Cats Anonymous and the small army of people who volunteer to make this shelter what it is Karen A. I pet her and she pays me back in purrs. Page 5

6 Foster Program - Some of the cat that are trapped during our TNR program are pregnant or have just given birth. Here is a tale from one of our foster moms. Fostering cats and kittens of all ages is a rewarding experience but my favourite feline guests are the litters of new born kittens. Having the honour of being among their first human friends never gets old. Most mother cats are very tolerant of a helping hand by way of providing shelter, clean and warm bedding and fresh water. And as most of the mother cats I ve met are feral to some degree, they are always particularly pleased with the open buffet of nutritious food that is available to them during their stay. It s a good partnership. Before long most mothers will become comfortable enough to allow the kittens to interact with people. Next, after the joy of seeing their little faces for the first time, comes the wonder of watching them grow and mature. In a short 8-10 weeks, they will go from awkward little fur balls with their eyes still not open into rambunctious kittens bouncing off the walls with all the vigor their sweet hearts can bear. While in foster care, the kittens learn all they can about human households. They observe or interact with other cats, dogs and as many other new friends as possible. This helps them to be brave enough to go out into the world on their quest for their forever homes. As awesome as the experience during their first couple of months is, there is nothing that compares to how my heart swells when I hear the news as they get settled into their new homes. It is by far the most rewarding part of the experience, to know they are being loved and living the life that all cats deserve to live Karen H. Spa Room - I have the privilege of volunteering at Cats Anonymous in the Spa room on Monday mornings. This room is where cats go when they have special dietary needs. It could be a measured feeding to lose some weight, or a special food for diabetic or urinary infection control, just to name a few. The Spa will hold up to 4 cats at a time. Our latest resident cats Early & Fuller have officially been adopted (YAY!). Now that the room is empty, we are taking this opportunity to complete some long overdue renovations which will include, rebuilding a wall between the Spa room and Laundry room, replacing the outside window with a door for easy access to the secure outdoor enclosure, a new floor and cabinets and a fresh coat of paint. When all that is done the room will get some new beds and scratching post Erika Before Male cats tend to be south paws whereas female cats are usually righties. Page 6

7 TNR (trap-neuter-return) Program - All of the kittens that enter the Kitten room come through our TNR (trap-neuter-return) program where we have a dedicated team of volunteers who spend many hours monitoring feral colonies. Pregnant moms and any kittens are given a chance to move into one of our lovely foster homes where they will learn to be big brave kittens. Oh those ferals I ve just been advised about another feral colony in need of our help! These colonies can be any size and anywhere (barns, junkyards, factories, car lots or even your own backyard). When we hear about them it s because they all have one thing in common. A human who cares for them! Once I ve made contact and set up an initial meeting with the caretaker/feeder/property owner, I set out with some training traps. During this first meeting I find out a bit of history about the colony, how many cats in the colony, how long the caretaker has been feeding them, the colonies personality and the usual feeding times. Normally the caretaker wants to be involved and assist with the TNR (trap-neuter-return) program. We set up the training traps; these are live traps tied open with the trigger mechanism disabled. We start to place the food dishes outside but close enough to the entrance of the traps, then gradually the food dishes are moved further and further into the trap until after a few days they are at the back of the trap and the cats are comfortable eating in them. So now it is trapping time. We replace the training traps with working live traps with dishes of food (usually Fancy Feast, it is good and smelly) at the back of the trap beyond the trip plate and a trail of cat treats leading the way in. For those wiser trap savvy cats we have to use tuna or sardines. Now all that is needed is patience, stillness and silence and more patience. Tucked away the game begins. Sometimes we can keep the traps in my line of sight, but quite often you have to stay hidden and very still and just rely on your hearing. Trapping can be quick and easier with cats that are somewhat used to humans, but the ones that are shy and more feral can take a lot of time and many attempts and patience. As soon as a cat is trapped, we cover the trap to help keep it calm, remove it from the area and place it in the back of our vehicle. Now we go back and wait for another one. We like to live trap just before the cats goes in for surgery. This reduces the length of time the cat may have to spend in our Feral Cat Porch. Once we have gotten most or all of the cats for the day we are off to the New Arrivals room at the shelter. The cats are sexed to determine gender and to see if any may be pregnant or nursing. If a cat is found to have milk and we haven t found any kittens she is returned to the colony right away. Depending on size and age; the cat is given a dose to control fleas and ear mites as well as a vaccination for distemper. During their surgery day, they are given rabies shots by the vet. The cats are settled as comfortable as possible in the Feral Cat Porch for a day or two before they are returned to their colony. The caretakers are informed when the cats are coming back so they can resume normal feeding. It s so amazing when you open that trap and watch the cat run out. They usually stop a ways away, look around and realize they are home. And it s great to know in almost all cases they will live much healthier lives and no more kittens will be born to the same fate Jo Many cats like to groom their owners freshly washed hair. Page 7

8 Evening Rounds - At the end of each day we have a volunteer that completes Evening Rounds to make sure all the cats are tucked in for the evening. Here is what Brianna has to say as she makes her Evening Rounds. I love doing Evening Rounds because I get a chance to visit all the cats in each room. I start in the Kitten room. This room can be very crazy at times! The first thing I do is give them some food; if you are not fast enough they are all over you telling to you to hurry up. While they are eating, I clean the litter boxes and put out fresh water for them, then finish with washing the dishes. This is done in all rooms. Now that the kittens are looked after it s play time and then cuddles. The little kittens are all tucked in for the night. Now onto the Spa room, or as we also refer to it, the Special Diet room. You put each cat into their feeding station so they don t steal each other s food. This room is easy to do because you only have a few cats. Now some cuddle time before I move into the Singles room. This is the room where cats go that don t like other cats. When you feed them, only one cat is allowed out at a time. Each cat has their own condo tower cage with three levels. A little cuddle time and I leave one cat out for the night, turn off the lights and move on to the last room. In the Main room you will find the majority of the cats roaming freely. They have all kinds of places to play and sleep. We do have a few cages where we keep the new cats to this room until they have adjusted with everyone. I start feeding the free roaming cats and then move to the cats in the cages. All are fed and have fresh water, now it is snuggle time. I sit on the couch and the cats join me for their snuggles, when they are all asleep it is time to go. Our last resident cat is in the office, Franny is our office cat. I give her a treat, feed her and turn off the lights. Everyone is all tucked in for another night Brianna We hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of our shelter! A big Thank You goes out to our volunteers for writing the articles in this issue! People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life. Page 8

9 The ground is white! I m thinking about our feral friends outside and hope that their caretakers have the insulated winter shelters prepared for them and that they know to feed them more food in the cold weather. It s true folks outdoor cats need more food in the winter since their body is working harder to keep them warm. Researchers from the University of Liverpool s School of Veterinary Science, in collaboration with colleagues at the Royal Canin Research Centre in France, spent four years monitoring how much cats chose to eat, and found that food intake increased in colder months and decreased during the summer. The study targeted 38 free roaming outdoor cats and they found that the cats ate approximately 15% less food during the summer. Vets have concluded that the extra effort to keep warm in winter and the temptation to rest during hot summer days contributed to the swing in activity levels during the year. Here are a few tips for caring for unowned, community cats in snow and cold temperatures. Remember to knock on the hood of your car before starting it. Cats climb into engines for warmth and protection. Community cats can get snowed in, so it is important to remove snow from all entrances and exits to their shelters. Shovel regularly to stay ahead of the snowfall. Avoid using salts and chemicals that are designed to melt snow near your cat colonies. They can be toxic when licked off paws or ingested from melting puddles and can hurt a cat s paw pads. Cold weather increases a cat s energy and nutritional needs. Provide extra water to prevent dehydration and replace it often to keep it from freezing. You can also provide a heated water bowl if you have power available. Provide plenty of dry food in addition to wet, as wet food will freeze in subfreezing temperatures. Provide shelters to keep the cats warm. Use storage bins (such as Rubbermaid that are lined with solid insulation, and cut out a doorway to create an instant shelter. A cardboard shelter is better than no shelter. To keep it from getting wet, elevate it off the ground, line with newspapers, and cover the lid with plastic such as a garbage bag. Use sheets of plywood to weigh down lightweight shelters made from plastic, cardboard, etc. Cats rely on body heat to stay warm, so keep your shelter small for colonies with just a few cats. For larger colonies, provide multiple shelters. Because it resists moisture, straw is the top choice for insulation and bedding in your shelter. Avoid blankets, which tend to absorb moisture and freeze. Any household with at least one feline member has no need for an alarm clock. Page 9

10 In order to run Cats Anonymous effectively, the shelter requires daily cleaning which uses a lot of supplies. All funds and donations come from adoptions, surrender fees, fundraising events and private donations from individuals and businesses. We can always use the following items: High Quality Dry and Canned Food Liquid HE Laundry Detergent Dish Soap Bleach and Ammonia Paper and Shop Towels Cleaning Supplies such as Mops, Brooms and Scouring Pads Postage Stamps Printer Paper and Office Supplies Clean Wood Pellets (to use as litter) Canadian Tire Money, Gas Cards and Coupons Gift Cards Hot Hands Warmers Pee Pads We are looking for corporate sponsors to help with various projects and events during the year and would welcome the opportunity to partner with your company. Please contact Tilda at cavolunteer@outlook.com or the shelter to discuss how your company can become a corporate sponsor to Cats Anonymous. Our funding comes from adoptions, surrender fees, volunteer fundraising events and private donations from individuals and businesses. We have no government or township assistance. We rely on the community for donations and support to run the shelter. If you can help, please make a donation. To accomplish extra things around the shelter, we need extra help! There are a number of special projects that we need to get completed and we could really use your assistance. The Special Projects Fund is directed towards facility maintenance, upkeep and improvements to our shelter. We have an ongoing wish list that cannot be completed without some financial assistance. Just to mention a few: Baby weight scale for kittens; New or used medical microscope; The spa room needs to be brightened up, new walls, floor, door & paint; New Arrivals needs a new double sink. You can donate directly through our website. Go to and click on the link Donate Now through CanadaHelps.org on our main page. Or, send an Money Transfer to tish@catsanonymous.ca Or, even mail us a cheque. Please use the form below. Cats are crepuscular, which means that they are most active at dawn and dusk. Page 10

11 Happy Tails! October Sixteen (16) Adoptions FULLER EARLY Early and Fuller were looking for a nice barn home where the two could get lots of cuddles and nobody would mind that they don t always use the box! Well their wish came true. In December, they were both adopted. Here are a few updates: They are doing well and enjoy their big barn with all the hiding places. They sure like their cuddles when we go out to see them. They are really sweet. Kelly Ann The boys are doing well. With the better temps we have moved them to their new home in a building they can get in and out of. They have not ventured out yet but they can when they are ready. They were a little confused at first about their chicken neighbours. It took a day before they stopped worrying about those clucking things in the pen beside them! Kelly Ann Piper November Fourteen (14) Adoptions Peanut December Twenty-One (21) Adoptions Kati Cats learn to manipulate humans with their meows some even develop a cry like a baby! Page 11

12 We hold Meet & Greet days at our shelter, where you have the chance to not only meet the great cats that we have for adoption, but also some of our special volunteers. So why not make plans to drop by for a visit if you get the chance! Saturday, February 3 rd 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, February 17 th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, March 3 rd 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, March 17 th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, April 7 th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, April 21 st 1:00 4:00 pm Upcoming Events: See more upcoming events on our website Keep up to date with shelter news by visiting us on See you in the Spring! Meowing is a behaviour that cats developed exclusively to communicate with people. Page 12