2018 Summer Issue. Special Friends Group Summer Visit. There are no bad cats. They are just misunderstood. Page 1. Summer Edition 2016

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1 Summer Edition 2016 This issue is full of all kinds of fun and interesting information. Sit back and enjoy! What we did in the community Did You Know? Feral Colonies Volunteer Messages Special Thanks Upcoming Events The PURRFECT News can be found on our website. If you would like to receive it by , contact the editor Tilda at Contact Us: Dufferin County Road #3 East Garafraxa, ON L9W 7J1 (519) Registered Canadian Charity Visit our website and Follow us on Facebook 2018 Summer Issue Special Friends Group Summer Visit The Special Friends Group of Hillsburgh came for their annual visit on July 13 th. They enjoyed their time with the cats in the main room and had a tour of the other rooms. They were entertained by the antics of Pewter, Clyde, Scarlett and California (Cali for short). It was all fun and games until Clyde got a bit too bossy with Cali and had to retire to his cage for the remainder of the visit. Cali was the consummate hostess, sitting on laps and posing for pictures. Their favourite room is always the kitten room. Who can resist the love and antics of those adorable little kittens? They met siblings Tigsy and Migsy, as well as Canola, Molasses and Safflower, a litter of tabbies. Last year the friends enjoyed thinking of and voting on their favourite name for one very lucky kitten. This year they enjoyed hearing all of the names that were given to the kittens and voted for Doohickey as the funniest name. It was a hot day, and Tish kindly provided each of the visitors with a coveted Cats Anonymous travel mug filled with a nice cold beverage. The main room only had a few cuddly cats for the friends to hold and pet, but they did a good job of sharing, and Cali did a great job of cuddling with each of the friends who wanted some love. See you next year, Special Friends! There are no bad cats. They are just misunderstood. Page 1

2 Wingrove Vet Services BBQ Our friends at Wingrove Vet Services held their annual fun BBQ on July 19 th. We were invited, and Molasses & Safflower were on hand showing off to the guests. Everyone had a great time and the weather was perfect. Paulmac s Pets - Milton Our friends at Paulmac s Pets held a Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinic on Sunday, July 22. For just $25 you could get your cat or dog either vacinated or microchiped. What a great deal! Ruffin s Pet Centre Georgetown There were seven (7) blonde beauties that were hosted at Ruffin s Pet Centre in Georgetown while waiting for their forever homes. All seven needed names so the great staff held a naming contest with their customers. The theme was Famous Blondes. Here are the names they selected: Girls: Marilyn, Goldie, Farrah Boys: Monroe, Heath, Sting, Fabio We just returned from RVing for a little over a month. Our cats Oakley and Sugar travelled amazingly well. They seemed to enjoy looking at the scenery along the way. We had them both in one travel pod... actually an outdoor vinyl crate (Oakley sitting inside). This was a great idea that we picked up from a fellow RV person who has traveled with her cats for years. You should never have your pet roaming free while you are on the road. Wellington Veterinary Services Look what our wonderful friends at Wellington Veterinary Services in Elora just donated to our shelter! We have had a microscope on our wish list for almost 2 years now, since our old one died. We are so pleased to be able to cross this item off our wish list! Thank you Wellington Vet Services, for all you do for our cats. Cats Anonymous Merchandise We now have Cats Anonymous merchandise for sale. Each item proudly displays our logo. We have ladies and unisex (mens) t-shirts $15.00, zipper hoodies $40.00, white ceramic mugs $10.00 and stainless travel mugs $ You can pick up any item at the shelter during our meet and greet days, or any event that we are holding. For something a little different. Quiz Time! a) A cat has how many whiskers, on average? 8, 12, 16 or 24 b) Do cats have fewer teeth than dogs have, or more? More, Fewer or The Same c) A term for a group of cats is: Clutch, Covey, Caggle or Clowder d) A term for a group of kittens is: Nook, Kaggle, Kindle or Kaboodle e) Tabby is the name of a cat breed. True or False f) What do you call the hair in the ears of a cat? Whiffles, Furnishings, or Beanies You can find the answers at the bottom of each page in the footer. Deb, Oakley & Sugar Quiz a) A cat has how many whiskers, on average? A: 24 Page 2

3 Our 2018 TNR (trap-neuter-return) program started off with a bang in early March. All adult cats were spayed/neuter and returned to their colonies and all of the kittens have already been adopted. Colony #1 was in a dairy barn near Elora. There were 26 adult cats in total (14 male & 12 female). We also took in 2 litters of kittens already born. Of the 12 females, 4 were pregnant. They went to our wonderful foster home to raise their broods. We had a total of 6 litters with 19 kittens (7 male & 12 female) from this colony. Colony #2 was in a small metal yard near Guelph and was somewhat smaller consisting of 7 adult cats (3 male & 4 female) and 6 kittens that were already born (all female). Colony #3 was on a farm near Elora and consisted of 9 adult cats (5 male & 4 female). There were 3 females that were pregnant and gave birth in our loving foster homes to 10 kittens (7 male & 3 female). As well as all the cats in these 3 colonies there were an additional 11 adult cats (5 male & 6 female) that were found as strays or surrendered to the shelter. The 6 females gave birth to 24 kittens (12 male &12 female). Time to do the math so far our 2018 TNR program has seen a total of 53 adult cats (27 male & 26 female) come through our shelter. All are much happier and healthier, now thanks to our efforts. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all the volunteers involved in this project. Jo, who spent many afternoons and evenings sitting patiently in the barns, watching the traps and waiting for the last stragglers. Our foster care families for the love they gave all the kittens. And of course we can t forget to thank all of the folks out there who continue to donate to our Feral Cat and Kitten Programs. Your generosity makes it possible for us to do the work we love and help these wonderful cats in need Tish Walshe (Founder & Shelter Supervisor) Cats Anonymous TNR program does not end with returning the feral cats to their colonies after their initial visit here to the shelter for spay / neuter, vaccinations and parasite treatments. Over the years we have been available to help the colony caretakers with food donations, any medical issues that may come up and have assisted with re-trapping cats in need of further medical care. This spring Cats Anonymous implemented a new deworming program for all the feral cats in our managed colonies. We want to ensure that our feral friends stay healthy after our initial TNR efforts. As you know, feral cats are hunters and most of their prey carry some kind of parasites. The most commonly seen parasites in cats that hunt are roundworm and tapeworm. Over time, a heavy parasite burden can become debilitating to older cats or those with poor immune systems. Our deworming program will help to rid the cats of internal parasites so that they are healthier and do not become ill from an overload of worms. Our volunteer feral cat program co-ordinator Jo visits each of the colonies two to three times a year to help administer dewormer to all the cats. The dewormer is in a liquid form and can be mixed into their food, so it is fairly easy to administer at mealtimes. We hope that this program will help the cats to live longer, healthier lives and to be more comfortable. It will also give us a chance to monitor the colonies and see how the cats are doing each year. Perhaps our TNR program should be called TNRM --- trap-neuterreturn-manage! Tish Walshe (Founder & Shelter Supervisor) Quiz b) Do cats have fewer teeth than dogs have, or more? A: Fewer Page 3

4 I chose to earn my high school volunteer hours by helping out at Cats Anonymous over the past couple of months. I have always been a cat lover (with 4 of my own!) and knew that volunteering with animals was how I wanted to get my hours. The problem that I faced was that I did not want to volunteer somewhere where the animals were Before not treated well, as it would make me sad. Cats Anonymous is the exact opposite, as I am excited every morning to go and know that the cats are happy and comfortable. I am extremely sad that it is over, although eventually once I am able to get a ride to the shelter I will definitely volunteer my time again here and there. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have been able to help out the cats, as well as Tish and the rest of the team at Cats Anonymous. My volunteer position was Shelter Cleaner, and I would spend a few hours two mornings a week cleaning the main room as well as the kitten room! While cleaning litter boxes might not seem very pleasant, I can assure everyone that it is in fact not that bad at all, and the time spent with the cats and the extremely rewarding feeling that you are helping definitely makes it worth it. For anyone with a love of cats and some extra time on their hands - I strongly recommend getting involved in one of the many volunteer opportunities at Cats Anonymous! All you have to do is send an to the office administrator and they will get back to you Maggie We have had the pleasure of fostering kittens for Cats Anonymous a few years now. There are so many things we love about it. Bringing along a shy, afraid, antisocial little kitten and seeing the transformation into a purring, affectionate little lap kitten is personally my favourite part. Each of my kids has their favourite part. My son, Colin, loves to play with them, giving them much needed exercise and practice using and coordinating their muscles and eyes. My daughter, Nicole, is more interested in the cuddles. There s nothing like a tiny purring bundle of fur to warm your heart. Both kids love the name game. The first question they ask when we are considering taking on a foster is Do we get to name it? There s always a theme to the naming which adds to the challenge. Our first group of 3 kittens needed to have names beginning with Z. They became Zula, Zander, and Zodiack. Colin named Zodiack and pointed out that Nicole and I had cats, but he did not, so we became foster failures and adopted Zodiack. We have one or two fosters each kitten season. There were Black Walnut (Wally for short) and Honeysuckle named for trees because they were found in a forest. Then Kryptonite who needed a name starting with K but also was a little superhero. He came to us so tiny and undernourished and left us a bit rotund (we might have overdid our part in encouraging him to eat ). Then we had the two kittens found in the parking lot of a Real Estate office who became Broker and Condo. Bridget was found by a bridge, and Kismet (meaning destiny or fate) was in the first litter of kittens after Cats Anonymous was named as an official charity of the lottery. Our newest little guy has sisters named Hope and Charity and we were challenged to name him something that would fit with them. He came to us with a terrible eye infection, so that one eye is bigger than the other. We were playing with him and toying with various names when one of us said He s such a little wonder and right away we knew we had the right name, Wonder. He is an incredibly special guy, full of personality and affection. He needs the very best of forever homes The Turk Family Quiz c) A term for a group of cats is? A: Clowder Page 4

5 Shelley is not only a great volunteer with Cats Anonymous, she is also a NeoLife Independent Consultant and a certified Iridologist. I'm excited to say that ANOTHER DONATION went to CATS ANONYMOUS from our NeoLife Residual Fundraiser!!! And I matched these funds!!! When you purchase any NeoLife Product through Shelley, money comes to Cats Anonymous. This can be whole food nutritionals, non-toxic cleaners or organic skin care products. If you would like to host a fun Spa or Health hour, money comes to Cats Anonymous. To see the NeoLife products visit Contact Shelley to receive the discounts and free product information. Sheridan.neolifeclub@gmail.com or If you book an appointment with Eyes For Health, Shelley will donate $20 to Cats Anonymous. Looking for the Purrfect gift for someone who loves cats? Want to adopt a new fur baby but the ones you have at home are demanding that you stop at a ½ dozen? Here is just one of the many ways to help Cats Anonymous. Sponsor a Cat Program, just visit our website and choose a resident in our shelter. It will be hard because they are all just so loveable! Or if you prefer, we will choose one for you. For a donation of $30, you will be providing help with food and litter for a month. Or a donation of $75 will help one of our special needs cats who are on medication and/or special food for their health issues for a month. Either way you will be helping support one of our resident cats. We will send you a picture, history and updates we have for your sponsored cat. If you wish to have a tax receipt, please send us your mailing address and we will make sure you receive one. We recently had a young girl, who for her 7 th birthday requested donations to Cats Anonymous rather than gifts for herself (collective ahhhh, heard here!!!). Three of her guests sponsored a cat through our program as well as the money she collected. Our future is looking brighter with these young people! A big thank you to Maddison and her friends! Thank you so much Maddison for your donation! Michelle DUDE ANNABELLE Quiz d) A term for a group of kittens is? A: Kindle Page 5

6 April Three (3) Adoptions Scout May Eight (8) Adoptions 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 extra financial assistance. Just to mention a few: Baby weight scale or digital kitchen scale for kittens; New or used medical microscope; Rusty New Arrivals Room needs a new double sink. June Seventeen (17) Adoptions 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 Prince Harry Or, mail us a cheque. Quiz e) Tabby is the name of a cat breed. A: False Page 6

7 We hold Meet & Greet days at our shelter, where you have the chance to not only meet and greet the 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, September 1st 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, September 15th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, October 6th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, October 20th 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, November 3rd 1:00 4:00 pm Saturday, November 17th 1:00 4:00 pm Upcoming Events: Pet Valu Fergus Grand Opening Saturday, September 8 (10:00 3:00 pm) Guelph Video Game Swap Sunday, September 30 (11:00 4:00 pm) 57 Watson Pkwy S. (Legion) Wellington Veterinary Services Vaccine Fundraiser Wednesday, October 3 (5:00 8:00 pm). All funds raised from vaccines will be donated to Cats Anonymous and Centre Wellington Food Bank. See more upcoming events on our website Keep up to date with shelter news by visiting us on Squid is keeping everyone on track for the Fall Issue! Quiz f) What do you call the hair in the ears of a cat? A: Furnishings Page 7