FELINE DEFENDERS FALL of the National Cat Protection Society W. Coast Highway Newport Beach, CA (949)

Transcription

1 FELINE DEFENDERS of the National Cat Protection Society FALL W. Coast Highway Newport Beach, CA (949) Birch Street Spring Valley, CA (619) The National Cat Protection Society is a shelter whose primary mission is dedicated to the protection and welfare of cats.

2 EDUCATION Providing humane education to protect welfare... Declawing A serious surgery, onchyectomy or declawing painfully amputates each toe s last bone with the nail bed and claw. This process cuts, injures, and destroys sensory and motor nerves. Further, complications may occur from anesthesia and bleeding during the surgery, and conditions like infection and severe short- and longterm pain can and do occur following the surgery. Although the paws appear to heal well, recovery is a slow and painful process with a wooden lack of feeling, then a tingling sensation, explains CAP. On a human, declawing essentially equals removing the finger to the first knuckle. Since claws can t regrow, declawing: Upsets natural behaviors, such as scratching to condition claws, mark territory, and stretch, climbing, chasing, hunting, and defending against attack Obstructs natural sensations while walking, running, jumping, climbing, and stretching Prevents activity, ultimately causing obesity Impairs balance and agility Stresses the mind and body, causing physical and behavioral problems, such as arthritis, biting, and shyness Discourages litterbox use If you just want to protect your furniture, don t declaw! Rather, simply set out scratching posts covered with a different texture. When your cat uses a post, praise her and if she scratches any furniture, spritz her with a water bottle. Additionally, trim your cat s claws. To learn more about claw trimming, check out Cat Cable in our Fall 2010 issue at NatCat.org. Based on information from: Declawing Cats. (2006). Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP). Position Statement on Declawing Cats. (2011). American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). EVENTS Keeping you informed of community events... Newport Beach November 12, 2011, 10 a.m. Long Beach VPI K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk (benefiting the Animal Cancer Foundation) at 320 Golden Shore St., Long Beach (888) 899-4VPI TBD 2012, 1 to 4:30 p.m. National Cat Protection Society Open House and Fundraiser at the Newport Beach shelter RSVP (949) Spring Valley Thursdays, 1 to 3 p.m. Microchipping at the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services Shelters (619) October 1 to 31, 2011, By reservation Harvest Tours for Kids! at Helen Woodward Animal Center (858) x318 November 19, 2011, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jingle Paws (benefiting El Cajon ACES Foundation) at Wells Park, El Cajon TBD 2012, 1 to 4:30 p.m. National Cat Protection Society Open House and Fundraiser at the Spring Valley shelter RSVP (619) If you d like to receive the latest news and announcements from NatCat, please send your address to newport@natcat.org. NATIONAL CAT PROTECTION SOCIETY, INC. Founder: The Late C. Richard Calore President: Denise Johnston Vice President & PR Director: Gerri Calore Financial VP & Legal Counsel: Richard Tanzer Editorial Advisor: Nanci Burris Editor-in-Chief: Alexis Ravey Art Director: Steve Kinkaid FELINE DEFENDERS 2 3 FELINE DEFENDERS

3 NEWPORT BEACH FEATURED FRIEND, SIMONE Simone is a 9-month-old black domestic shorthair female. Extremely sweet, she loves to be petted and hang out on shoulders! She arrived at NatCat with her three siblings, but she and her brother, Sebastian, are the only ones still adoptable. Simone doesn t care for other cats, though so if you d like to adopt a single kitty, she sure could sweeten up your home. Sebastian recently moved to our Spring Valley shelter to run free with other kitties his age in Gino s Den one of our new adoptable adult cat buildings. SUCCESS STORY, CALLIE After finding little Callie on a freeway on-ramp, one of our staff members brought her to NatCat. Betty Johnson and her sister, Dorothy Dedman, met Callie soon thereafter and not surprisingly, snatched her right up! We then received this thoughtful letter from Dorothy: Dear Sue, Callie is a joy and has made my sister beyond happy. She has taken over the house, doesn t know a stranger, and is a very happy kitty. My sis said, God must have blessed me. Her highly bred Persian (that died of cancer) wasn t friendly. Callie loves everyone. May you all be blessed for the work you do. Dorothy Dedman Sister to Betty Johnson and Auntie to Callie Thank you for your kind letter, Dorothy! We re just thankful for gracious people like you who help find homes for our much-deserving cats and kittens. RALPHS COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM As of September 1st, Ralphs Community Contribution Program registrants must re-register to support NatCat Spring Valley or Newport Beach. In turn, Ralphs donates to us every time you swipe your Ralphs rewards Card. To Re-Register: 1. Visit 2. Click on the Sign in link 3. In Address, enter your address 4. In Password, enter your password 5. Click on the sign in button 6. Click on the My Account link 7. Select Community Rewards 8. Click on the Edit Community Contribution Program Information link Community Contribution Program 9. In Find Your Organization, enter National Cat Protection Society 10. Click on the search button 11. In Select Your Organization, select the shelter you wish to support 12. In Save Your Selection, click on the save changes button 13. Edit any other information necessary New to the Ralphs Community Contribution Program? Learn how to support NatCat at NatCat.org/donate/more-ways.html. CAT CLUE The Maine Coon cat s large and tufted paws often with extra digits are commonly called snowshoes, as they evolved to navigate New England s dense snow. For more on the Maine Coon cat, check out our Breed-born Traits and Behaviors series on page 8. FELINE DEFENDERS 4 5 FELINE DEFENDERS

4 SPRING VALLEY 43 RD ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE AND FUNDRAISER On June 5th, we enjoyed our Open House and Fundraiser in a sunshiny scene of friendly fun! The silent auction raised funds we needed to properly care of our kitties, especially through the Comic-Con and San Diego Padres skybox tickets, restaurant and hotel gift certificates, and a special San Diego Humane Society gift bag. Our raffle also gained great support. When we weren t nibbling on hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, or veggies and sipping soda or water while listening to Trent Slatton s rich repertoire of playful cat jokes, we were visiting kitties of course! We also saw the new building Krull s Place immediately following completion. Then, we all savored Hans & Harry s Bakery s scrumptious cake in celebration of the great day! Thank you, kind supporters, for joining our event to help cats and kittens alike. CAT CABLE (Continued from page 10) whether they re to be petted, play, or sit on your lap. With your loving help, he ll feel at home in no time. Based on information from: Bringing Your New Cat Home. (2011). The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Choosing and Caring for Your New Cat. (2009). The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). Visit Cat Cable in Feline Defenders every issue to read the latest in cat care. If there s any specific information you d like to see in Feline Field or Cat Cable, please notify the Newport Beach shelter. NatCat FEEDBACK We hope you enjoy purr-using Feline Defenders every quarter. Let us know what you think or would like to see in future issues at newport@natcat.org! SHELTER UPGRADES Always working to provide our kitties best-quality care, we recently upgraded our shelter with new adoptable adult cat areas. First, we replaced our room on the north side of the shelter with a permanent building that connects to the main office. We now call this new building Krull s Place. We then replaced our room on the west side of the shelter with a permanent building that connects to the adjacent space. We call this building Gino s Den. Both feature an enclosed outdoor patio with torch-on roofing, allowing our cats to bask in the sun or get some fresh air even while it s raining. Also, the space next to Gino s Den was refurbished with patching, new paint, and new lighting. PURINA ONE AND AFG Purina ONE and their advertising agency Avrett Free Ginsberg (AFG) in New York graciously asked us if they could tour the shelter on June 29th. They also wanted to ask questions on our start, uniqueness, environment, findings over the years, community involvement, adoption methods, and other details on cats and shelters. Why? To understand how Purina can holistically nourish cats and find inspiration for future ad creative. Purina ONE then publicized the visit on their Facebook page, highlighting our enclosed outdoor areas they called catios and asking their 193,000 fans if they ve created a catio for their own cats. We received great feedback! Want to check out the post? Visit CAT TIP When you bring a new kitty into your home, get a scratching post in the orientation and material type he prefers to scratch, such as a horizontal-pointing, carpet- or sisal-covered mat if he likes to scratch your carpet. For more on welcoming your new kitty, check out page 10. FELINE DEFENDERS 6 7 FELINE DEFENDERS

5 FELINE FIELD Helping you get to know more about your cat... Breed-born Traits and Behaviors: The Maine Coon Learn your cat s history, care needs, and expected behaviors by breed In this ongoing series, we help you get to know more about your mixed or purebred Maine Coon the only American-born cat. Legend says that though Marie Antoinette had planned on fleeing France with her Angora cats, they sailed to Maine alone when she was executed. They birthed the Maine Coon, which today ranks as the world s second-most popular cat. Weighing up to 25 pounds, the Maine Coon wears a three-layered, varying-colored and -patterned coat that maintains warmth, resists water, and prevents tangling as needed in its native state s conditions. This coat s length needs regular combing. The breed also has eartip and earflap fur for warmth, a long, thick tail for good balance and agility, large eyes and ears for optimum sensory, and an M pattern on the forehead. Generally strong though prone to hip dysplasia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the Maine Coon usually lives from 12 to 14 years. Behaviorally, the breed is loving, loyal, and playful. It may even fetch! These characteristics make the Maine Coon an ideal first-time cat for an individual or family with children, other cats, and dogs. Based on information from: Cats 101. (2009). Discovery Communications. Stanislow, Sonya. Breed Profile: Maine Coon. (2010). The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). Welton, Roger L., DVM. Maine Coon. (2011). Web-DVM. NATCAT protects and defends all felines of all breeds and mixes. Knowing increasingly more about felines can help you understand your own cat s behavior and desires. Visit Feline Field in Feline Defenders every issue to obtain such knowledge, which can only nurture a happier and healthier relationship with your faithful friend. Interested in adopting a Maine Coon cat? Like National Cat Protection Society Spring Valley and National Cat Protection Society Newport Beach to see some of our adoptable cats and kittens! NatCat NEEDS YOUR HELP! Each year, NatCat finds loving, responsible homes for hundreds of unwanted cats and kittens. Donations and memberships help us supply food, shelter, and medical care while they await adoption. Please help us continue to provide this vital service. Join NatCat by becoming a member! o $10 YEARLY o $250 SUPPORTING o $1,000 LIFETIME o $ OTHER NAME STREET CITY STATE ZIP Payment Method: o Credit Card: o American Express o MasterCard o Discover o Visa Amount: Number: Expiration: Signature (required): o Check (make checks payable to NCPS) o Online: o (to PayPal) o PayPal directly (to natcatnewport@gmail.com) Please mail form and check (if any) to: NatCat - PO BOX Long Beach, CA FELINE DEFENDERS 8 9 FELINE DEFENDERS

6 CAT CABLE Supplying the latest information in cat care... Welcoming Your New Kitty Adopting a kitty begins your exciting future of lifetime love! Just try to calm the excitement long enough to responsibly handle his happy arrival with these tips: Get supplies. Before picking up your cat, get a cat carrier, food and treats, a litterbox and litter, toys, and a scratching post. To properly feed him, learn the food he has been eating and if you want to change it, mix the two brands together to gradually transition him. The litterbox can be simple or extravagant, but most cats prefer simple boxes without hoods, writes the AAFP. Keep in mind that kittens will need a box that s low enough for them to enter easily. They also tend to prefer unscented, finely textured litter. Further, homes with more than one cat should provide one more litterbox than cats. Designate space. Preferably in a separate, quiet room, set out the food, water, litterbox, toys, and scratching post. Always keep food and water dishes clean. Likewise, keep the litterbox and area clean away from the food and water, and regularly change the litter. Use the carrier. At pickup, put your kitty in the carrier without letting him out during the ride. He might panic and cause an accident, or get out when you open the car door, says the HSUS. He may yowl and cry and try mightily to get out of the carrier, but don t give in. Use the designated space. Let your cat comfortably adjust to the room while you spend time with him, talking and offering treats. When he is ready to emerge, gradually introduce him to everyone around the house people and pets alike, maintaining access to his room for retreat. As your kitty continually adjusts, just respectfully respond to his wishes, Continued on page 6 Where There s a Will, There s a Way Protect the Ones You Love Give the gift of quality life after you re gone by including the National Cat Protection Society in your will. Our humane education programs teach animal population control and responsible cat care to children and adults. These programs aim to reduce the number of unwanted cats and enhance animal welfare for years to come. Your bequeathed donation can support these efforts by helping us promote the humane treatment of all animals and adoption of the homeless cats continually entering our shelters. Please write today for our free brochure: Planning for Your Charitable Donations c/o National Cat Protection Society 6904 W. Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA NAME STREET CITY STATE ZIP FELINE DEFENDERS FELINE DEFENDERS

7 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID LONG BEACH, CA PERMIT NO. 491 National Cat Protection Society PO BOX 6218 Long Beach, CA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED