KEEPING CATS IN HOMES
STEPHANIE MONTEMERLO, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS OUR COMPANIONS ANIMAL RESCUE, CONNECTICUT Founded in 2002; Program Center located in Manchester, CT and Animal Sanctuary located in Ashford, CT both opened in 2012 2016 Budget=$875,000 Program Center activities focus on proactive programs and pet retention activities, no sheltering facilities Currently in $1M Capital Campaign to expand Animal Sanctuary, which currently has 4 buildings for cat and dogs of the 16 planned for the entire project. 17 Employees, 7 Full-Time and 10 Part-Time 450 Volunteers, 337 considered Active
PROGRAM CENTER
ANIMAL SANCTUARY
KEEPING CATS IN THEIR HOMES Proactive Prevention and Retention Programs Community Helpline addresses a variety of issues to save the home Feline Behavior Counseling via Helpline Veterinary Intervention Adoption Program Volunteer caseworkers specialize in matchmaking Customized Welcome Home materials for each cat Adoption follow-up Lifetime Promise
PREVENTION AND RETENTION PROGRAMS
HELPLINE & SAVE THE HOME PHILOSOPHY Helpline is a free resource for the community and offers a variety of troubleshooting resources to allow pet owners to keep their animals No quick surrender based programs are offered Helpline volunteers offer a variety of unique options to help pet owners in need When rehoming is the only option, owners are asked to be involved in the process Veterinary and behavior intervention wherever possible
CAT BEHAVIOR COUNSELING
CAT BEHAVIOR COUNSELING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Many behavior resources focused on dogs, time to develop similar programs for cats Always had unofficial cat behavior program, used HSUS Cat Retention course as a resource to create structured program using our existing Helpline. Launched in 2015! Started slow, with existing callers and word of mouth referrals Over time, focused on community awareness Offered service to Helpline callers Referrals from veterinarians and ACO s Website Programs and Services Community seminars on cat behavior
CAT BEHAVIOR CASE PROCESS Call/email comes into Helpline and dispatched to a cat behavior counselor; initial information is gathered A phone call is scheduled for a later date (30 + minutes) Case log is updated with client info and cat details Follow-up information is provided in writing with all suggestions, product links and supporting documents (i.e. Interactive Play Guide) Check in 1-2 weeks later, check 1 month later if needed Case is closed and added to tracking spreadsheet/database
CASE STUDY # 1 15 YEAR OLD CAT WITH KIDNEY FAILURE & LITTER BOX ISSUES Lesson Learned: Don t expect the obvious, ask questions!
CASE STUDY # 2 BORED CAT ATTACKING OWNER IN KITCHEN Lesson Learned: Don t give up on the owner!
CAT BEHAVIOR COUNSELING ORGANIZATION RESOURCES It s NOT in the budget, NOW WHAT? Cat Behavior Counseling can be done with very limited resources HSUS Cat Behavior Counseling Course A website, phone number, email address and a few willing volunteers! Use of existing Helpline Staff/volunteer resources and time available
VETERINARY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS Willow after surgery!
LETTER FROM WILLOW S FAMILY More than any time in memory I wanted to take a moment and thank you from the bottom of my family's collective hearts. Little Willow came to us alone, tiny, hungry and covered in fleas. BUT - she was as sweet as could be. Despite no real human contact at about 8-10 weeks old (she was so skinny it was hard to tell) she was about the sweetest little thing I've ever met. Pet her and she purred like a motor boat. Hold her and she cuddled in and just loved it. I reached out to Our Companions with the intention of fostering and finding her a good home. They stepped up and we had her in the vet the next day and got her flea free & up to date on shots. It wasn't hours we had her and she was running around playing, although stopping frequently to run over and give someone a lick on the nose. There went the fostering idea! We didn't have her long though when she was bolting around the room and knocked over her cat tree, and in being a VERY fast little kitten managed to knock it over and somehow get underneath it so it landed on her. She let out a scream that told us something was bad hurt. As you know, that's when she broke her leg. We rushed her off to the vet and even with this injury she would still purr as we pet her to sooth her the best we could. When the determination came back that she needed a very pricey procedure to give her the best chance for a positive outcome. I'm a single dad, and at the time had one kid preparing to leave for college at the time, things are stretched beyond thin. My parents raised me to be self sufficient, and I can honestly say I've never asked for help of this nature before. Your act of kindness to a family and a kitten you've never met is something I can truly never say thank you in such a way to convey just how much it's appreciated. One of the first times my kids ever saw me tear up. The surgery went great, the folks at the vet were incredible, and loved Willow nearly as much as we do. Within a day this kitten was moving around and within 1-2 weeks it was as if it hadn't happened. She kept the leg out of use at first of course, but nothing would stop her from playing and snuggling up to sleep with one of us. I've had a good number of cats in my life since I begged my way into that first one when I was 5. This little girl though, she's special. She loves to play a lot, but she loves to just curl up in a tiny little ball right up by your shoulder almost as much. She loves to be held and will purr a marathon for you. She will always lick your nose to say hello. Whenever I come home, she comes running, almost falling over herself (sometimes does!) to get to me and flop around until I pick her up for a proper hello. She gives this little tilted head and sad eyes whenever one of us leaves. More than once it's trapped the person for a little longer. When she's playing with her toys she makes these little noises just like a tiger, something I've never heard a cat do but is about the cutest thing ever. It's funny how you can think you aren't missing something until something that fits perfectly comes along. That's Willow. She has our hearts, and you have our deepest appreciation for your generosity. She will be loved and spoiled. Thank you SO much.
VETERINARY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS Spay/Neuter Voucher Programs for Owned Cats and Community Cats Special Veterinary Fund for Illnesses and Injuries used to Save the Home when owners cannot afford care Future Plans to open a Community Veterinary Clinic to offer Full Service Veterinary Care to the low income community Veterinary assistance is available to Our Companions adopters post adoption
SPECIALIZED ADOPTION PROGRAM
ADOPTION MATCHMAKING & PRE-ADOPTION SUPPORT Each cat has a dedicated volunteer Adoption Caseworker to help with making the best match possible! The cats needs are compared with the owners lifestyle and experience to make great matches the first time around. Cats are sent home with a customized Welcome Home Letter to view specific preferences, enrichment recommendations, litter box habits and any skills to be worked out At the Sanctuary, we are able to gather this information through day to day interactions and caring for the cats. The facility is set up as a home-like/cage-less environment so the behavior of the cats at the Sanctuary is very similar to what will be seen once they move into forever homes.
Personalized Welcome Home Letter Sample Content Congratulations! And thank you for choosing to adopt ARTIMUS Artimus arrived at the Sanctuary very nervous and fearful of noises and strangers. Over a period of two months he slowly became more confident and adjusted to his new environment. He is a very cautious cat and will carefully explore new places and objects- often rubbing on objects to soothe and reassure himself. He is still easily frightened by noises and can become frozen with fear, but, he also can be quickly comforted by people he trusts. Reaching out to touch and pet him during these times will help to restore his affectionate personality. Very tolerant and docile he seeks attention and loves to be pet and brushed. If frightened he often retreats to a high location to be able to safely observe the situation. It will be important to have a sanctuary room in his new home to allow him to be comfortable in his area before exploring the rest of the home. Ideally each room will have numerous places to hide and high places for him to perch.
Artimus prefers to use his cardboard scratcher- often chewing on the edges (leaving out cardboard boxes for him to hide in/chew on might be a good outlet for this behavior). Although less often, he does also use the vertical scratching post and occasionally the couch. It will be important to notice where he likes to scratch in his new home and place the scratchers accordingly. He is a tall and solid cat so a tall, sturdy post is important factor that will help to encourage its use. We find our cats like the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post best as it is tall and sturdy.
Artimus is moderately active and loves to play with the interactive feather and mouse toys. He doesn t like to jump too high for the feather toy preferring more to stalk and pounce on his prey. Hiding the toy and quick movements with frequent stops works best to get him interested. His solo toy preferences are mice and toys with feathers and he enjoys watching his cat DVD s. Catnip is another favorite for him. Engaging him in interactive play sessions in different areas of the home will help to build his confidence and release stress. Da Bird cat toy and Go Cat cat teaser wand with mouse toy are both available on Amazon.com and are some favorites.
We use medium grained, unscented, non-scoopable clay-based litter at the Sanctuary. Artimus is a larger cat and will need a larger sized litter box with higher sides but is otherwise good with his litter box habits. We do not anticipate any issues with a changeover to his litter box in his new home. Use of self-cleaning or covered litter boxes is not recommended. Of note, Artimus will on occasion play in his litter box when it is cleaned and replaced with fresh litter- he hasn t been noticed to do this once his box has been used.
Some additional information: Artimus is a loving, friendly and gentle cat that will relax more as he bonds with his owners and adjusts to his environment. He offers little chirps of greeting and will meow more heartily when he wants something- such as food, or to get back into his room. He is easy to get into his carrier but is very nervous with car travel. He does tolerate nail clipping but it is more easily accomplished using two people and towel wrapping. He prefers to eat dry food over wet- he will sometimes nibble at wet food that is a gravy variety. He does like Temptations treats, tuna flakes cat treats, and will eat fresh cooked chicken. These, as well as catnip can be used as rewards for good behavior. He does also eat Salmon flavored pill pockets if he is ever in need of medications. Some things to be aware of: he has been noticed to nibble on plastic (Ziploc type) bags that are left out. He will also give a few short coughs when he stretches his neck over something that he is looking at. We also do recommend the use of Feliway plug-ins while he is adjusting to his new home.
ADOPTION FOLLOW-UP & LIFETIME PROMISE The adoption caseworker that handled adoption follows up with adopter at regular intervals for the first year: 1 st Follow-up, 2 Weeks, 6 Weeks, 3 Months, 6 Months, 1 Year Available to help with advice or behavioral issues anytime they pop up. Develop rapport with adopters so they feel comfortable reaching out for help! Lifetime Promise is offered so adopters can reach out any time in the future for assistance! We offer anything we can to prevent the cat from getting returned, including financial assistance if that has become a barrier.
THANK YOU! Stephanie Montemerlo Our Companions Animal Rescue 860-242-9999 ext. 303 Stephanie@ourcompanions.org www.ourcompanions.org