Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Mewsletter

Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Mewsletter Spring 2011 Time to Paws and Reflect Rescuing cats and finding them loving homes is FOCR's mandate. We assess every cat that comes to FOCR to determine the best option for each to live life to the fullest! For example, many of our adoptable cats have special but treatable needs, such as food allergies, chronic colds, diabetes or FIV. These cats can live a long and happy life in loving homes with families willing to commit to their special needs. True feral cats usually cannot be socialized, so for them adoption is not feasible. We help them by paying for neutering and vaccinations and then release them to a safe environment. Fortunately there are good-hearted people whose mission is to ensure that feral cats are fed and have shelters. Some cats may appear to be feral, but are just frightened and need to be shown that their human rescuers want to help them. These cats can become loving and affectionate once they learn to trust. Other cats might be social, but exhibit stress when confined to indoors. We neuter and vaccinate these cats, and find them homes on farms, where they are free to roam but still have food, shelter and human interaction. Finding the right lifestyle and home for our rescued cats does not always come easy, but with hours of work, persistence and resourcefulness, we have a success rate to be proud of. ~ Laura Wyatt, Director with Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Feature Adoption: Quinn, Oxford and Chip In 2005 we lost our beloved Maine Coon Oliver, and our home was very empty since we had shared our lives with him for over 16 years. We decided to adopt two cats and spotted a handsome fellow named Quinn on Petfinder. We contacted Debbie at Forgotten Ones and arranged to meet him. When we arrived, there were so many wonderful cats, but we loved Quinn instantly. We narrowed our choice for our second kitty down to Oxford or Chip. Oxford, a tabby, was about four years of age, and Chip, a black and white domestic, was nine months old. After much consideration we chose Oxford because we thought Chip would be adopted more easily. A month later, we saw Chip (below) being showcased at PetSmart and learned he had been adopted but was returned due to allergies. It didn t take long for us to know that his forever home was with us, so we adopted him on the spot and took him home. At first Oxford (left) and Quinn (right) were very cautious of us and their surroundings. It took Oxford a long time to trust us or let us pet and cuddle him. Quinn was afraid of every sound he heard, from the washing machine to the refrigerator. We are happy to say that those days of discomfort for them have long since passed. Chip, on the other hand, made himself at home the second he set paws into the house. We know that our boys were really lucky to have found a forever home with us. Quinn was scheduled to be euthanized and we thank FOCR for saving such a wonderful cat. We feel privileged to share our lives with these remarkable animals who love us unconditionally. We commend the work that all the volunteers at Forgotten Ones do. You make a difference in the lives of so many unfortunate cats and give them a second chance at finding a loving family and home. Thanks again for our wonderful boys. We think they would want to thank you, too! ~Ellie, Steve & Ryan Manizie; Oxford, Quinn & Chip 1

Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Feature Volunteer: Lily Hu Playful, friendly, cuddly kittens are guaranteed to draw the public s attention to FOCR s in-store adoption centres. So it is ironic that it was one rather pathetic older feline fellow who actually caught Lily s attention and ultimately led to her volunteering for FOCR organization. I first found out about Forgotten Ones when I was visiting the PJ s at Yonge and Lawrence with my mom. That was also when I first met Laura, who was taking care of the FOCR display. Talking to her made me seriously consider adopting a cat, but what sealed the deal was a glum-looking orange tabby huddled in his litter box at the end of the display. To be honest, I m pretty sure I was a dog person, but somehow my family and I made the decision to adopt that cat in October 2007. Definitely a decision I don t regret! Beau turned out to be a total troublemaker with a face that s hard to stay mad at. I was thankful to the organization and volunteers for giving Beau a second chance and wanted to give back. Forgotten Ones rescued him from a high-kill shelter, and patiently took care of him until he could find a home (apparently he had been at FOCR for almost a year), and I wanted to be a part of such a great cause. I was hoping to get to work directly with the rescued cats, but wasn t old enough at the time. Instead, I began my volunteer work by designing and selling pinback buttons to fundraise for FOCR. I started my volunteering in 2008 while in high school and have continued while at university. Lily first laid eyes on Beau when he was lying in a litter box fortunately his seemingly unsanitary behaviour didn t deter Lily from adopting him and he has obviously cleaned up his act! Lily s talents as a designer were apparent when she first started raising money for FOCR by selling her adorable cat buttons. She went on to use her creativity to design our wonderful FOCR logo and promotional material. While in high school I did some fundraising, selling cat buttons to my friends, as well as organizing and selling at some small charity marketplaces during school concerts. I also went to one or two larger-scale events per year. Nowadays, in university, my fundraising is limited to one large-scale event (if I have the time), and through my online Etsy shop, Slice of Orange http://sliceoforange.etsy.com Instead of fundraising, I now focus more time on caring for cats on display and talking to the public whenever we have Adoption Weekends at PJ s. I also take on any graphics-related requests, like greeting cards, business cards, and letterheads. What s most rewarding for me is seeing the happy face of an adopter when they take one of our cats home. I also love hearing stories from the previous adopters who come by PJ s just to see how Forgotten Ones is doing. It s an amazing feeling, knowing that what I m doing doesn t only have a positive impact on cats lives, but people s lives as well. Whether selling her designer cat buttons, creating wonderful Christmas and greeting cards or helping out at adoptathons, multi-talented Lily shines as a volunteer. Thanks, Lily, for the many ways you have contributed to FOCR and made a difference in the lives of so many, cats and people alike. 2

Spring 2011 Mewsletter FUNDRAISING APPEAL FOR TERRY TERRY came into FOCR s program after being surrendered to a vet clinic under heartbreaking circumstances. He was brought in by a family who no longer wanted him. When the vet first saw Terry she noticed something was amiss-- his back left leg was locked in an awkward and unusual position. The vet was stunned and asked what had happened to Terry s leg. His owners answered that he had been hit by a car about 3 months prior to their decision to bring him in. They had not taken him to a vet nor seemed to be at all concerned about the cat's serious injury. When the vet asked why they had not had their pet treated, she was incredulous at their answer that they did not consider the cat their responsibility. Recognizing that the owners disregard for the cat's welfare was a form of animal abuse, the vet had Terry immediately signed over to the clinic and the owners were asked to leave. X-rays of the cat s injured leg revealed that his femur had been broken in about four places and had healed itself in a position that was crippling the cat. Sadly, the only option was to have this leg amputated. We can only imagine the extreme pain this poor cat had to live with for several months, hobbling around on a busted leg with no medical attention. All the suffering this beautiful boy has endured hasn't deterred him from being extremely loving, friendly and completely trusting of people. His sweet demeanor and docile nature are incredible. Two weeks after his surgery, volunteers noticed that Terry seemed to be depressed and decided to have him checked by the vet to rule out any physical reason for his lethargic behaviour. Unfortunately, instead of depression, the problem turned to be IMHA Terry had developed a disease where his body attacks and kills its own red blood cells. Fortunately this condition is treatable and FOCR immediately authorized the additional costs to treat him. He had to remain in the emergency clinic for three days and received two blood transfusions. Terry s vet bills are extremely high. FOCR does constant fundraising to meet the rescue s day-to-day expenses; however, cases like Terry s put extra strain on the organization s financial situation. Dealing with this cat s situation exemplifies what Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue is truly about rescuing and saving abandoned and abused cats. If you can help by making a monetary donation to FOCR and/or by coming out and supporting our fundraising events, it would truly be appreciated. Any donation of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt: Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue, P.O. Box 32203, Harding Postal Station,250 Harding Blvd West, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9S3 Everyone is so inundated with fundraising requests that you might be hesitant to approach people for money, but raising funds for Terry can be easier than you think. Asking friends or family members for a Toonie for Terry ; selling homemade cookies, cakes or cupcakes to coworkers; or donating a portion of garage sale profits can all be surprisingly easy and rewarding ways to raise funds. Whatever contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated. 3

Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue Working with Cat Stats Grady and Emma are two FOCR rescues that are in some ways typical: they meow loudly when it is their mealtime; they sleep curled up together; and Grady spends hours on the windowsill looking through the window. But what makes their situation different is that they are feral cats and they will always sit outside of the window looking in. Feral cats by nature are difficult to socialize and therefore cannot go into FOCR s mainstream adoption program. Nonetheless, with FOCR s intervention the lives of these two cats were greatly improved. They were neutered and then released to the backyard of a FOCR director, where they have made their home for the last three years. They are fed, and cared for, and spend their nights safely tucked away in a protective cat house built by the director s husband. Most people are probably unaware that thousands of wild and unwanted cats like Grady and Emma are living in their own neighbourhoods and the numbers are staggering. It is estimated that there are minimum of 100,000 and up to a possible 250,000 feral, stray and abandoned cats in the Greater Toronto Area. FOCR s primary goal is to rescue cats from high-kill shelters. To expand their role to trapping, neutering and assessing homeless cats would require additional financial and human resources something the organization is always in short supply of. Despite these limitations, FOCR volunteers are in the neighbourhood on a regular basis rescuing strays, helping with local cat colonies and being a resource for people who have multiple-cat households. Benji would have also been one of the sad statistics if FOCR had not taken him into their program. He was a dirty, scrawny, matted stray who was a bother to the neighbourhood, skulking around people s backyards looking for food and water. When he came to FOCR attention, he was trapped, neutered and assessed. This neighbourhood nuisance turned out to be a beautiful, affectionate young cat who is now waiting to be adopted and will make a wonderful family pet. Grady, Emma and Benji are just a few of the roaming cats FOCR has helped and the aid extends to the community in which they were living. The descendants of one unneutered cat can create 420,000 offspring; when you do the math, FOCR has saved thousands unwanted cats from being born into desperate lives and they have done it one cat at a time. Rescuing these beautiful cats Benji (above), Grady and Emma (top) was the right thing to do. By neutering them, FOCR has prevented the birth of more homeless cats who would end up roaming our neighbourhoods desperately searching for food and shelter. 4

Spring 2011 Mewsletter Stellar Statistics 2009: 258 cats and kittens adopted 2010: 261 cats and kittens adopted 2011: 89 cats and kittens adopted to date Forgotten Ones Community - Fundraising: We are planning a number of events this spring including a FOCR garage sale in June. This is a fun way for you to support FOCR and find some great bargains as well. If you have any items you would like to donate for the sale and for the dates and locations for all FOCR Spring events, please visit our website at www.forgottenones.ca Volunteers: Urgently Needed for May, July, September and November. We are looking for volunteers over the age of 18 to tend to cats and kittens during their stay at the PetSmart located at Elgin Mills and Leslie. If you can provide a minimum of one hour, one day a week, we would love to hear from you. Both day and evening shifts are available. We will provide an orientation session to review the duties involved, which include providing food, water, and personal attention to the cats, as well as cleaning their cages. The session also covers how to present cats and kittens to potential adopters. We are sure you will find it a very rewarding experience, caring for these little guys and helping them find their forever homes. Tips from our Readers: Canada Chemists is a pharmacy in the Markham area which has a pet pharmacy division. It is at 7155 Woodbine Avenue, north of Steeles Avenue. Hours are Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m to 6:00 p.m. It is a great way to save a lot of money on pet prescriptions: www.canadachemists.ca ~ Sharon SPRING EVENTS CALENDAR Amber s Pet Valu North Year Round -Visit our in-store foster cats available for adoption 10850 Yonge Street, Units 6 & 7 Richmond Hill Tel 905 884-3334 Eva s Global Pet Store Year Round - Visit our kittens 1070 Major Mackenzie Drive East, Richmond Hill Tel 905 508-8895 PetSmart Elgin Mills Visit our FOCR adoption centre during the months of May and July ADOPTATHON WEEKEND: April 29, 30 & May 1 1700 Elgin Mills Road East, Unit 1, Richmond Hill Tel 905 787-8740 PJ s Pets Visit our FOCR adoption centre 3291 Yonge Street, Toronto Tel 416 544-9799 Rick s Global Pet Store Year Round - Visit our kittens 126 Tower Hill Road, Unit 9, Richmond Hill Tel 905 883-4729 Wendy s Pet Valu South Year Round - Visit our kittens 9325 Yonge Street, Unit 16 Richmond Hill Tel 905 884-3911 5

Cativating Photos - They re simply the best! Marco Hello cat lovers: Here is my love story Wilbur was a little baby boy with a bad eye infection, timid but aggressive when we met. I really wanted him to join my family (two older cats and a dog). So, here we are after four years! His name is now Marco an intelligent, loving and well-adjusted cat. Not to mention, just gorgeous! ~ Anca Thunder Our family adopted Thunder in May of 2009. Initially, he had a hard time getting used to his new surroundings. However, when he realized that he was being totally spoiled with love 24/7, his anxiety decreased. Now he is so much happier and so are we!! He is just the sweetest cat with the most amazing loud purr. When Kathy broke her leg in January, Thunder finally became a lap cat, and stayed curled up with Kathy every day, lying next to her injured leg. He was so intuitive and knew something was wrong! Now he spends most of the day cuddled up in one of his many beds, or playing with his vast array of toys. We are so happy that we were able to give him a happy, secure home where he is well-loved! ~ Kathy, Jay, Carly and Philip Pearl Pearl and another cat were found in a small wire crate that had been dumped in a snow bank at the back of PJ.'s pet store. There was no note explaining why they were abandoned. Pearl was quite timid when she first went into FOCR foster care but is slowly making good progress. Pearl is very vocal and loves to have her belly rubbed, says Pearl s foster mom, Karen. She is getting better with being picked up, but only for a few seconds and then wants down. As soon as I get up in the morning she is at the top of the stairs yelling at me to come down and feed her. When I walk in the door from work, she runs to the kitchen and makes it very clear that she has no patience and wants her dinner NOW! She loves to look out the back deck at squirrels and blue jays that come for peanuts and bird seed. Pearl is still a little timid but she no longer runs upstairs when the door opens. She is getting better with people and lets everyone pet her now." Pearl is currently in FOCR foster care awaiting adoption. She will do best in a quiet adults-only home without other pets. Donations to FOCR are greatly appreciated. See the You Can Help tab on our website www.forgottenones.ca and go to 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.