Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Mewsletter

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1 Mewsletter Time to Paws and Reflect The winter of 2014 will no doubt be remembered for the horrific ice storm, power outages that went on for days for many of us, and some bitterly cold days. With many more weeks of winter still ahead of us, it is inevitable that there will be more bone-chilling weather to get through. That is why it is important that we look forward to the next few months and enjoy the upcoming occasions that are anything but cold and bitter. Valentine s Day and Family Day evoke a warm feeling when we celebrate both love and family. As well, the delicious chocolate and sweets that we savour at Valentine s and Easter are anything but bitter...well, unless you have bitter chocolate! Spring 2014 So it is very timely that two articles in this issue of the Mewsletter relate to chocolate. It s Hard To Just Take One (page 4) is about fostering for FOCR. In this piece, one of our volunteers writes about the similarities between fostering and eating chocolate who knew! And on Page 2 you can read about how chocolate chip cookies have raised thousands of dollars for FOCR. I also look forward to the months ahead being more positive for FOCR, as last year our donations and adoptions were down significantly despite how hard our volunteers worked and how much effort we put into our fundraising. In the best of times, running a rescue has its challenges, and 2013 s low adoption rate and financial crisis was discouraging. However, we choose to look at the new year with optimism and we anticipate that, as we get further into 2014, things will start to be much brighter both metaphorically and meteorologically! ~ Laura Wyatt, Director with Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Feature Adoption Fluffy and Boots We adopted Fluffy and Boots in August of Initially we were looking for a senior cat one cat only. We didn't mind if the senior feline was on medication, missing teeth, walked on three legs, had a heart problem, had an injury, or had medical needs. We just wanted to share our home and our love with a cat that needed to live out its remaining life with us. And instead of just one senior cat, we found two! We saw a picture of Boots and Fluffy on Petfinder and learned they were up for adoption because their owner had passed away and wanted these 15-year-old boys to be adopted together. We did not hesitate to contact Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue to inquire about them. We learned Fluffy was hyperthyroid and on medication, but that did not deter us from adopting both him and his brother Boots. Both cats have wonderful personalities. Boots drools when he is petted or brushed, and loves to be with us in the living room. Fluffy enjoys sleeping on the big beds in the master and spare bedrooms. He loves to tuck me into bed every night with his ritual of kneading on me until I fall asleep. They have also laid down the rules the foremost of which is that they will allow us to cater to them! Boots and Fluffy have certainly put their little paw prints on our hearts. We can't thank Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue enough for these wonderful boys, and we most certainly enjoy them! ~ Janet and Bill 1

2 SWEET TREATS THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING Deborah and Kathrine are friends, Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue volunteers, and avid bakers. Both ladies have been doing charity baking for years and their decadent delights have raised thousands of dollars for FOCR. Kathrine was the first to start baking for charitable donations fifteen years ago after the homemade banana bread she provided for a company coffee break was met with rave reviews. I was really surprised by my coworker s enthusiasm about my baking as it was a very simple recipe. I guess people really notice the difference in flavour when they taste freshly-baked snacks. Realizing there was a demand for home-baked goodies, I brought in cakes or cookies on a weekly basis and sold them to raise money for animal rescue groups. Everyone was very generous with their donations but my coworkers were not so generous in forgiving delays in their sweet-treat deliveries. If I missed a week in providing freshly baked sweets, I would hear grumbling outside my office. My coworkers often seemed more Kathrine (top) and Deborah have learned that presentation is an important factor in holding a successful bake sale. Selling goodies in little bags tied with ribbons or twine makes even a simple cookie look very appetizing. concerned that I would meet my baking schedule than any work-related deadlines. I changed jobs about 10 years ago and, after a year in my new position, I decided to try charity baking at the new company, Once again it was a hit! Usually I would sell out by 10:00 a.m. and, if someone was running late getting to work, they would send me an asking me to put a piece of cake on hold for them; or I would get advance payment for the following week s baked goods. As well, on my bake-sale day, I usually had a lineup of coworkers outside my office waiting for me to deliver the goods. These people were desperate for home baking and my donations benefited from their weakness yeah! I am always surprised that people are so enthusiastic about my baking because I think my cookies and cakes are fairly ordinary. I m even more surprised and thrilled that something as simple as homemade cakes and cookies can raise so much money and can help save animals lives. Deborah started her office fundraising baking four years ago with the classic chocolate chip cookie. Deborah explains how one single cookie has raised more than $ for the Rescue. My specialty is the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe I discovered at a Christmas cookie exchange and that was love at first bite. I have modified the recipe and added some healthy ingredients and everyone seems to like the recipe. I believe in using the best-quality ingredients, having consistency and an attractive presentation. Putting the cookies in baggies with bright ribbons makes them easy to transport, and encourages people to buy them as gifts or for a treat later on. It's so rewarding when people line up to purchase their cookies and deposit a loonie in the jar. 2

3 Spring 2014 Mewsletter Deborah and Kathrine also supply some of the baked goods sold at Amber s Pet Valu North Best-Ever Charity Bake Sales, which are always very successful fundraising events for FOCR. Deborah s chocolate chip cookies and Kathrine s best-ever banana bread are often requested and always sell out quickly. We are happy to share these recipes with you for you to enjoy with family and friends. Or perhaps you might rise to the occasion, and use these recipes for a FOCR fundraising bake sale at your office. There really is very little whisk involved and, actually, you could become very popular. Bon Appetit! Best-Ever Banana Bread Ingredients 2 ripe bananas mashed 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla 1-3/4 cups unsifted flour 1-1/2 cup sugar 2 tsps baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup chocolate chips Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan (1 large or two small). Whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to wet ingredients. Add in bananas, mix well, and pour into prepared loaf pans. Bake until golden brown and until a test in the centre with a skewer or toothpick comes out clean approximately 1 hour 10 minutes for large pan; 1 hour for small loaf pans. Ingredients Deb s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies 2/3 cup butter 2/3 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 2 cups large-flake oatmeal 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup chocolate chips Optional: 1 cup walnuts or raisins 1/3 cup flax seeds Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix butter mixture with dry ingredients and fold in oatmeal. Stir in chocolate chips and optional ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until brown around the edges. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes and move to wire rack. 3

4 IT S HARD TO ONLY TAKE ONE! While FOCR cats and kittens wait to be adopted, they need to be cared for in a safe, nurturing, and loving home. We are very fortunate to have wonderful foster families who take on this critical role. Joy, who has been a long-term foster parent, and Nicholas, who had his first foster experience last December, share their experiences. Hi, my name is Joy and I have fostered sixteen cats for Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue over the last six years. Sometimes the cats stay with me for a few days and sometimes a few months. When I tell people I foster, I am always asked the same question: Don t you worry about bonding with the cat and find it really hard to give them up? The answer is not a simple yes or no. As a foster parent, I know that bonding with a rescued cat is very important. Often the cats or kittens arrive at my home after being in stressful situations, and they need to bond with me in order to feel safe and secure in their temporary surroundings. Most cats are quite resilient, and usually it takes only a few hours or a few days before they adjust. Daisy Duke (above) and her babies were very timid and immediately hid when let out of their carriers. But toys and treats quickly tempted them out from their hiding spots and they were happily running around and playing in no time. As for it being hard to give them up absolutely, it is difficult! But the short-term sadness is outweighed by the happiness I feel knowing that, as a foster parent, I have played an integral role in helping an abused animal find a loving home. There are a number of other reasons why my moments of melancholy are brief. To begin with, the day after a cat is adopted, I always get an or a phone call from the adoptive family to let me know how their new furry family member has settled in. Over the course of months and years, I often receive updates and pictures of my former fosters, and the comments are always so positive. It is extremely rewarding to learn that a cat is doing well and to read about the joy and companionship it has brought to a family. Secondly, FOCR volunteers work very hard to ensure that the adoptive family and the feline will be a good fit. I know my foster is going to a home that is suitable for its personality and the cat will fit into the family s lifestyle. This important screening process will mean that, in all likelihood, the pet and human(s) will bond quickly and the cat will easily adjust to its forever home. Thirdly, I know that the tears I shed when saying goodbye are a very small price to pay to prevent a cat from suffering or to save a cat s life. The cats and kittens in the FOCR adoption program often have been struggling to survive on their own my help prevents their suffering. Or they were rescued from an overcrowded animal control centre and were about to be euthanized. The fact is that the number of cats that can be saved directly relates to the number of foster homes available. 4

5 I urge people to consider fostering, as it is a gratifying experience. But I have to warn you that like eating a chocolate it is hard to stop after just one! Nicholas and his family decided to be animal foster parents as a result of Nicholas choosing the rescue for a school project. The Grade 4 student met with FOCR volunteers last December to learn more about the organization and ended up taking home more than just information he took home two cats to foster! Nicholas talks about his experience in his own words: The two furry fuzzballs, sisters Maia and Freya, came into our lives on December 8, We picked them up at a Pet Valu in Richmond Hill. My teacher, Mrs. Fox, told me all about Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue. I love cats and wanted to help. As I was taking the cats home, they were meowing and I let Maia stick her head out of her carrier. Maia was very nice but shy. Over time, she got friendlier. Maia has two round, black spots on her back paws. A tip for Maia s future owners: Maia likes to eat almost anything left out on the table. Once she tried to eat some broccoli! Freya likes to jump up high. If you can t find her anywhere, look in these five places: 1) near her food, 2) somewhere up high, 3) in her litter box, 4) trapped somewhere, 5) asleep. Both cats loved to watch our fish. They even tried to stick their paws in the fish tank to catch them, but they didn t get any fish. The sisters like to wrestle with each other and clean each other s ears. They had a really great Christmas with us. I was very sad when I had to give them back in January. I liked playing with them with the feather toy. If you run around the house with the feather toy, they will chase you. I enjoyed taking care of them, even cleaning the kitty litter almost every day because it smelled. On the way back to the Pet Valu, the cats did the same thing as on the way to our home they meowed the whole way! I hope they get a great forever family to love them. They are so nice, they deserve to be loved by nice people. We hope that, after reading about Joy s and Nicholas positive experiences fostering for FOCR, you will consider providing a temporary home for a rescued cat or kitten. As Joy mentioned, it can be a delicious experience, just like eating chocolate, except it isn t fattening at all! Nicholas attended a FOCR Christmas fundraising event at Amber s Pet Valu as part of a school assignment and met some FOCR cats, including Panther (above). Nicholas took his research so seriously that he and his family fostered Maia and Freya over the holidays. FOCR thanks Nicholas for his help and we are happy to report that his foster cats Maia and Freya have been adopted! 5

6 LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE Did you know cats and kittens actually show their affection for us in many ways including the way they look at us. CATS LOVE WITH BUNTING When a cat cheek-rubs you, head-bumps your face, or pushes against you, she leaves her scented signature. These behaviours, termed bunting, are expressions of affection cats display to other cats, dogs, and their most favourite people. CATS LOVE WITH ROLLING When kitty throws himself on the ground at your feet and rolls around, consider this a loving greeting and a solicitation for attention. Presenting the tummy in this fashion places the cat in a vulnerable posture. So cats generally reserve the rolling around for people they truly love. CATS LOVE WITH SCRATCHING By scratching, a cat leaves both scented and visual marks of ownership. Pay attention to where your cat scratches the most. The areas most important to kitty often are related to those places associated with you, such as the chair where you usually sit. CATS LOVE WITH GIFTING Mighty hunter cats that catch everything from toys to bugs, mice, or frogs often share the bounty with those they love. Kitties who present you with this bounty deserve praise. They wouldn t bring these special gifts if they didn t love you. CATS LOVE WITH PLAYING Kittens play out of pure enjoyment, and many never outgrow playtime. Some cats actually control the interaction of petting by moving just out of reach so you must go to them. Their most-favoured playmate typically is a beloved companion. CATS LOVE WITH SLEEPING As champions in the sleep department, felines typically sleep up to 16 hours a day. Because animals are most vulnerable during sleep, the place your cat chooses to snooze must be a secure and trusted location. There is no greater loving compliment from a cat than choosing your lap as a favourite sleep spot. CATS LOVE WITH THEIR EYES A kitty s eyes are proportionately very large if human eyes were in the same proportion, each would be eight inches across! So cat eyes are important assets for survival, and also extremely vulnerable. Cats that place their faces and wide-open eyes near a human are expressing great trust and love. A slow eye-blink from across the room is considered a cat kiss. CATS LOVE WITH KNEADING Kneading behaviours front paw treading on soft surfaces hearken back to kittenhood. Kitten paws knead against the mother cat s breasts to induce milk to be released. Adult cats continue the behaviour when they re feeling most relaxed, content, and loved, and that s often when they are being petted on the owner s lap. Kneading is an obvious expression of adoration. 6

7 Spring 2014 Mewsletter Forgotten Ones Community FOCR FACEBOOK PAGE: Please be sure to visit our Facebook page for current updates on our latest adoptions and photos: HOLD A FOCR BAKE SALE AND HELP SAVE A CAT S LIFE! Selling home-made baked goods to raise money for FOCR is a fun and easy way to assist the organization. We can help you get started by ing you our Bake Sale Information Package. It includes some simple, yummy recipes, provides you with tips on how to present or package your baked goods, and a FOCR Bake Sale sign that you can print out and use for your display. Home-made baked goods can be sold in your office or at book or knitting club meetings. You could host an charity afternoon tea it is great reason to get together with family and friends and at the same time raise much-needed money that will go directly to help rescued cats and kittens. If you are interested in learning more about holding a FOCR Bake Sale, please contact us at info@forgottenones.ca. Please put Bake Sale Information in the subject line. IN MEMORY CARD When we lose a loved one or cherished animal companion, we can find comfort in celebrating their lives. You can pay tribute to that special someone or valued pet by helping deserving cats and kittens in need. We will send this gift acknowledgment card with any tribute gift of $20 or more. Donations can be made through CanadaHelps.org. Simply click on the link below: Events Calendar Amber s Pet Valu North Yonge Street, Units 6 & 7 Richmond Hill Tel Visit our cats and kittens at the FOCR adoption centre located in the rear of the store. Adoption Weekend February 8-9 PetSmart Elgin Mills 1700 Elgin Mills Road East, Unit 1 Richmond Hill Tel Visit FOCR adoption centre during the months of March and May Pet Valu Brooklin 5949 Baldwin St. South, Whitby, Tel Visit our foster kittens 7

8 CAT-IVATING PHOTOS They re simply the best! Miracle When we were looking through the available cats on Petfinder, a shy little tortie stood out. Miracle was one of the urgent cases, as she was stressed out because of being bullied by the other cats in the foster home. After finding out this cat had been hit by a car and left for dead (her name is from the fact she survived), rescued from a high-kill shelter, and unsettled in her foster home, we just knew Miracle was the one for us. We took her home the same day we saw her and, although she was a little skittish at first, slowly her hardships and trauma became a thing of the past. The first time our vet saw her, he mentioned, This one has personality he certainly got that right! She may have used up a few of her nine lives early on, but she s got it made now in her forever home. Thanks to FOCR for helping to bring Miracle into our lives.~ James and Minnie Desmond Desmond has been enriching our family life for the past two years. He is a very curious and energetic cat. He alternates playing and cuddling with our alpha feline Penny during the day and sleeps alongside us his parents overnight. He rarely forgets to wake us up in time for his breakfast. Since he was a runt, size is not his strength, but speed is, so he keeps a safe distance from new people until he trusts them. Last summer Desmond tested our emotional (and financial) strength with a recurring urinary blockage and had to spend several days with the ER veterinarians. Since his recovery, he has been as happy and healthy as we could hope for, and continues to bring joy and entertainment to our home each day.~ Beth and Family Sherman Sweet Sherman was found wandering around a schoolyard and was brought to the attention of FOCR. The rescue took him in and, as is the normal practice, he was immediately taken to the vet. At his initial checkup it was discovered that he had a badly injured jaw, which the vet thought was consistent with a hard kick to the face. It was also discovered that this cat the volunteers had been calling Shirley was a male, and the name was appropriately changed to Sherman. Sherman required extensive and expensive dental surgery to correct his severe facial injury and went to the home of FOCR director Laura Wyatt to recuperate. A bond between this funny-looking feline and Laura soon developed, and Laura decided his forever home should be with her. Unfortunately, Sherman s jaw could not be fully restored, so his tongue is often sticking out and he drools when he is happy but that only makes this adorable cat more lovable and precious! To make a donation, please go to the You Can Help tab on our website and the link Donate Now through CanadaHelps.org. Or mail cheque to: FORGOTTEN ONES CAT RESCUE, P.O. Box 32203, Harding Postal Station, 250 Harding Blvd West, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9S3. Tax receipts will be issued.