CAT TALES DECEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER FOR CATNIP VOLUNTEERS. Editor: Michelle D

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1 Editor: Michelle D Presidents Michelle D/ Heather W diroccomichelle@gmail.com heatherwatkins@comcast.net Vet Liaison Rurthann D moniquesmail@gmail.com DECEMBER 2013 Adoption Directors Debbie E / Cindy L Bubbalv108@aol.com - sadibelle@hotmail.com Adoption Center Director: PetSmart Kelly Hammer- Kelly.ann919@gmail.com

2 Well friends the holidays are upon us! This is the time of year to give thanks to those outside of CatNIP who do so much for us. For the last few years we have given a little thank you to some of the people who are there for us all year long. We are collecting goodies to put together thank you gifts. We are accepting homemade bake goods, pre-made cookies, candies, chocolates or nuts. Collection dates are from December 2 nd to December 14 th Drop off point is NXT Computers, 624 Baltimore Pike, Springfield (Across the street from PetSmart next to the Best Buy) Drop off Times Saturdays 11-4 Contact is Karen W, ravage2010@gmail.com Please don t leave items in the bonding room at PetSmart. To make other drop off arrangements please contact Karen W

3 SAVE THE DATE Our Annual Fundraiser will be Saturday March 1, We will be having our big gala at The Heritage Ballrooms (Barnaby s) in Holmes Pa from 7pm-11pm. If you would like to sell tickets for the event or sell basket of cheer tickets please Debbie at or call her at to arrange for her to get you tickets. We are also looking for items to use in our raffle and auction. Bottles for basket of cheer are needed, Scotch, Vodka, Rum and Wine. Contact Debbie if you would like to donate a bottle, Bubbalv108@aol.com We also need help in selling sponsorship. Below you will find all the forms you need and instructions. If you plan asking a local business for a donation or sponsorship please let Michelle D(diroccomichelle@gmail.com) know, just because we have repeat businesses each year. We do ask for you NOT to approach We Love Pets on Baltimore Pike. We ask that you follow the instructions provided, it helps us keep everything organized and if you have a question you can always refer back to the instruction sheet before calling someone. If you have any questions please contact Michelle D at diroccomichelle@gmail.com or text at remember to identify yourself when texting.

4 CatNIP Animal Rescue 6 th Annual Fundraiser Saturday, March 1, pm Heritage Ballrooms at Barnaby's, 2107 MacDade Blvd. Holmes, Pa Buffet style food, bottled beer & wine included D.J. Ryan Myers Silent Auction, Raffles, Basket of Cheer, 50/50, Door Prizes and more! Tickets $50.00 For tickets contact us at info@catniprescue.org or Debbie at Credit cards accepted through PayPal, visit our website at

5 2014 Annual Fundraiser March 1, 2014 INSTRUCTIONS Questions and comments to be sent to Michelle, Raffle and Auction: All raffle and auction items are to be kept until a date and drop off time is determined. DO NOT bring to PetSmart and leave in bonding room. Advertising: When you secure an advertiser you give them the top portion of the letter, this is their receipt and the bottom part goes to Michelle with payment. Give Michelle the ad and money as you collect, she will make arrangements to meet with you. If the advertiser wants to mail payment in please indicate this on their receipt, they can also use our Paypal. If using Paypal tell them to put in the memo section ADVERSTISING Artwork should be ed diroccomichelle@gmail.com Ad and payment deadline is on or before Friday 2/14/14 by 3pm No ads will be accepted after this date and payment needs to be received. No Ad s will be ran without payment Basket of Cheer tickets: Contact Debbie Ervin. Anyone who sells basket of cheer tickets will have to return the tickets sold before you can get more. If you have left over tickets they need to be turned into Debbie. A date and time will be given later on when tickets are due. Ticket Sales: Contact Debbie Ervin. Once you sell tickets money can be turned into Debbie Ervin, Michelle DiRocco or Heather Watkins. Tickets can also be purchased using Paypal through our website, be sure they put in the memo 2014 FUNDRASIER TICKET. Tickets are available for purchase at the door. Michelle D diroccomichelle@gmail.com if you text identify yourself Debbie E Bubbalv108@aol.com

6 Cat Nurturing, Information & Placement P.O. Box 284, Springfield, PA Phone: (610) Fax (484) A 501 (c) (3) no-kill rescue & adoption group Dear Business Owner, We are seeking assistance in promoting awareness of the plight of homeless animals and in raising funds for our animal rescue and adoption group. Dedicated to finding loving homes for the animals in our care, CatNIP is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charity with 100% of donations going toward helping animals. Each year, we witness a rise in the abandonment of animals. The rate is overwhelming for any rescue, but is especially difficult for smaller rescues like ours. We have saved starving, injured and ill animals from the streets; animals that were once in a home and were thrown out like garbage. These animals need someone to stand up for them. Won t you help us give these sweet, innocent creatures a voice? On March 1 st, 2014, CatNIP will hold its Sixth Annual Fundraiser to promote animal rescue and adoption. This event will be held at Heritage Ballrooms located at 2107 MacDade Boulevard, Holmes, PA The event will include food, beer, wine, music, raffles, door prizes, silent auctions and a special craft table. All proceeds will go directly to CatNIP Animal Rescue to help promote our programs. None of our volunteers are paid, all donations go directly to the animals. This year has been a challenging year. We have rescued some very ill animals. As an example, we took in a sweet cat named Bear. Bear was hospitalized for several weeks with a condition that was causing him problems in breathing. We spent over 5, in testing and treatment for Bear. We are happy to report that Bear is now fully recovered and ready to be adopted. Without your support we would have never been able to give Bear a second chance at life. This year we are giving local businesses the opportunity to place advertising in our sponsorship book. We are also in need of donations for our silent auction and raffles. And, of course, you are welcome to purchase a ticket to the fundraiser. Simply talk to a local CatNIP volunteer or visit our website at Any help and support that you may be able to give us would be greatly appreciated. As we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all donations are 100% tax deductible. Thank you for your support, CatNIP Animal Rescue.

7 Cat Nurturing, Information & Placement P.O. Box 284, Springfield, PA Phone: (610) Fax (484) A 501 (c) (3) no-kill rescue & adoption group Sponsorship th Annual fundraiser Platinum Package: $100 Full Page Ad Coupons/business cards added to our adoption packet for one year (3/8/2014-3/8/2015). We do approximately 225 adoptions a year. Gold Package: $75 Half Page Ad Silver Package: $45 Quarter Page Ad Business Name Contact Person Package CatNIP Rep Name Payment Received (cash/check) Date Business owner s portion Business Name Contact Person Address Phone Number Address Package CatNIP Rep Name Payment Received (cash/check) Date CatNIP Portion

8 Why Is My Cat Doing That? 6 Weird Feline Behaviors Explained by Julie M. Rodriguez Any cat owner can tell you their pet s behavior often doesn t seem to make sense. Most of us go through pet ownership accepting our cat s quirks but never really knowing what our cat s behavior really means. If you re not a cat person, trying to figure out what s really going through a cat s head probably just gives you a headache. So here s a little insight into the mind of the common housecat: Does your cat like to head-butt you? The technical term for this behavior is bunting. While the way cats rub their heads and faces against their owners seems like a display of affection, it gets confusing when you realize they re just as likely to rub their faces on household objects and furniture. You may have heard that cats do this to mark their territory with their scent, and that s definitely part of the answer. But cats will also rub against each other to indicate their friendly intentions so when your cat headbutts you or demands to be scratched behind the ears, it s not just a move to mark you as his property. Sometimes, you cat seems to turn on you. While some cats have a higher tolerance for petting than others, many cats will get excited by the attention and bite or scratch you while you pet them. Cats aren t doing this to be mean, or trick you into a fight a gentle (or not-so-gentle) nip is your cat s way of letting you know she s had enough for now. The repetitive physical contact can become uncomfortable for the cat over time, sometimes even building up static electricity. If you have a cat who often lashes out during petting, there s a few things you can do. First, let the cat come to you when she wants to be petted. Keep an eye out for signs that your cat is getting overwhelmed during petting: her ears might flatten, her tail might start twitching, or she might show other signs of tension. You can even build up your cat s tolerance for petting by offering treats when you snuggle. Some cats who don t tolerate being stroked on the back may appreciate scratches on the chin and behind the ears. Does your cat eat plants? Or chew on random inedible objects? The good news is that eating grass is totally normal for cats but excessive consumption can give your cat an upset stomach and work as a laxative. Cats may eat grass on purpose to provide fiber and help clear hairballs from the stomach, so unless your cat is regularly eating enough grass to the point of vomiting, you probably shouldn t worry. Just make sure your plant-eating cat doesn t have access to any common decorative or houseplants that could be toxic.

9 Unfortunately, for some cats, this behavior extends to inedible objects like plastic bags or electrical cords. This behavior, called pica, can be potentially dangerous and should be stopped by keeping dangerous objects out of the cat s reach or treating the objects with a substance that tastes bad to cats. What you shouldn t do is yell at or try to punish your cat when you catch him in the act this only teaches him to chew on objects when you aren t around. Some cats like to show their affection by kneading you with their paws. As kittens, they use this same motion to help release milk from the mother cat s breasts when feeding. So when your cat does this while being petted, it s her way of showing love and affection for her human mom. If your cat seems to urinate everywhere but the litterbox, the first thing you need to do is make a trip to the vet. This is not normal cat behavior and indicates emotional stress or a medical issue. Your cat may have a bacterial infection or an obstruction in the urinary tract in which case he s not using the litterbox because he s come to associate using the bathroom with pain. It s also possible that liver or kidney disease is causing your cat to urinate more frequently than normal, resulting in incontinence. If your vet eliminates any medical reasons for your cat s inappropriate urination, then it s time to look at possible emotional causes for the behavior. Cats are stressed out by many of the same things as humans: if you ve recently brought a new cat into the home, travel frequently for work, argue frequently with your spouse, have a new baby, or have been remodeling your home, that may be the reason you cat isn t using the litterbox. Sometimes, existing urinary disease can be exacerbated by stressful living conditions. Finally, if there s one thing cats do that drives everyone nuts, it s the way they love to tear furniture to shreds. Cats aren t just scratching furniture for fun they need to regularly scratch to keep their claws sharp and healthy. While many people respond to cat scratching by declawing their cats, animal welfare organizations like the ASPCA discourage the practice. In fact, in some areas, declawing surgery is illegal because it actually involves amputating part of the cat s toes. Looking for a more humane solution? Providing scratching post is an obvious place to start, although it may take your cat some time to get used to it. Discourage your cat from scratching furniture by moving desirable objects, covering up your furniture, or even placing double-sided tape or sandpaper on the floor where the cat normally stands while scratching. If you simply can t get your cat to stop scratching, you can trim his nails periodically or put plastic caps over the claws to keep them from damaging household objects. Read more:

10 November 2013 Adoptions ARTEMIS CASHEW DEMETER JOE JOE SASSY WENDY MARVIN ROSIE ROSIE IS TO THE LEFT SHE IS WITH HER SISTER LILY, ROSIE WAS ADOPTED BY HER FOSTER FAMILY (HEATHER)