PACIFIC ANIMAL FOUNDATION  MARCH 2011 E-NEWSLETTER
 

Hi Everyone:

 

Spring is here and so is our first e-newsletter of 2011.  The year started off quickly and our first feral neuter was January 4th.   When the opportunity presents itself, we move or we might not get a second chance.  By the end of January we had TNR’d 10 cats – 6 male and 4 female. 

 

February also saw more feral cats TNR’d.  PAF has been working closely with several people on the Squamish Reserve who have great compassion and understand how important TNR is in order to reduce the numbers of feral kittens being born.  Education is the key and our information is making a difference.  As well in February, PAF sent an email to every Mayor and Council in British Columbia to provide them with information regarding Trap/Neuter/Return.  You can read our municipal email at the link below.

 

Click here to read our municipal email.

 

Some rescue stories for you:

 

TY

 

An urgent phone call from Laura about 4:30pm one afternoon last year needed immediate action.  Two young girls had knocked on her door to say they saw a cat run across her busy street and weren’t sure if the cat had been hit by a car.  They saw the cat run into the carport of a vacant house opposite Laura’s house.  Laura took her cat carrier and immediately went over and found the cat hiding in a dirty old sofa.   She encouraged kitty to come out and saw the cat was badly matted and seemed to favour one leg.   She got him into the carrier and called PAF.  Within the hour we had kitty being examined by a vet.  There didn’t appear to be any broken bones or wounds but kitty was unneutered and his long brown tabby coat was a matted mess.  He definitely needed some TLC.  He was scared, but not feral, and looked like he had been on the street for some time and had made the vacant house carport his home.      

 

He was given a nice dinner and scheduled for neutering the next day.  While under anesthetic, Ty was given a lion cut body shave to get rid of all the matted fur.  After another night to recover, we placed him into a lovely foster home with Daniela.  With lots of tender care and good food, Ty started to calm down and enjoy life.  After hearing his story and seeing his photo, Judy and her husband decided to give Ty, a home.  Well, actually not one home but TWO !  One beautiful summer home was on Bowen Island and his “city digs” were in Point Grey !   How neat is that?  . . . not bad for a previously homeless cat !!   We weren’t sure how Ty would react to Judy’s handsome dog, Griffin, but Ty really didn’t seem to be bothered by him.  Within only a few days of the adoption, the two were passing each other in the house with no fuss.  Oh, and did we mention that Ty became a traveling cat too?  Yes, well you can’t be expected to stay in the rain in Vancouver in November so what’s better than a month in Scottsdale?   Judy emailed us photos of the Scottsdale trip and said “We are in Scottsdale and he made the trip down in the car with Griffin and his new sister, Kali. As you can see, they all get along well. We've been here almost a month and will be heading back on Thursday. Ty has turned out to be THE greatest cat EVER. Nothing fazes him and he is such a cuddle muffin. “

 

Click here to see Ty

 

 

RODGER NINE LIVES

 

Well, he must have used a few of those lives up by now.  One tough feral and one happy ending for him athough we don’t think he wanted to “be rescued”  . . .  he was doing just fine up there.  “Up there” was in a Squamish Recreational campsite and it was freezing cold last November.  Rod had been at the campsite earlier in the Fall and had noticed a large, orange and white cat hanging around the area but he wouldn’t come close.   When Rod came home he was worried about the cat surviving up there in the woods through the winter.  He had been calling around for help and finally found PAF.  We initially thought the cat must be eating garbage out of the campsite canisters and finding shelter under buildings but Rod told us there were no buildings or garbage canisters at all at this campsite, just woods.  In fact, there were no houses or buildings for at least a 5 mile radius around the campsite.  At the time Rod called us with his concerns, the weather temperatures were starting to dive in Vancouver in the third week of last November.  They were at their coldest of the year, dipping to – 10 to – 14 celsius at night with wind chill factor taking the temperature even lower . . . night after night of really freezing temperatures.  What would the temperature be like at night in the Squamish woods, covered with snow?  Since it had been nearly a month since Rod had last seen the cat, we wondered if there was any chance it would be still be there and alive.   Rod lives in Maple Ridge but agreed to go back up to the campsite with one of our traps on his first day off . . . but we didn’t have much hope.  So, on the snowy, freezing cold morning of Friday, November 26th, Rod was at my house at 8am getting instructions on how to set a trap and left armed with a bag containing a can of tuna fish, cat treats, catnip and blankets.   Miracles do happen !  Rod called me at 2pm from Squamish – he had TRAPPED the cat !!  I met Rod in a parking lot in West Vancouver to receive the cat from him.  I was overwhelmed that this kind young man had taken the time and effort to try and find help for a cat he saw at a wilderness campsite.  However, I can tell you that “Rodger, the cat” was not that impressed.  He was in great shape – a sturdy, stocky cat that didn’t look at all like a cat needing rescue !   Being a bright orange and white cat, how did he avoid all the coyotes and eagles?  Well, Rodger (the cat) went to the vet for neutering, a vaccination, tattoo, deworming and defleaing.  He was definitely feral so we placed him at one of our feeding stations near the North Vancouver waterfront.  The employees at the business soon started seeing this great big handsome orange tabby roaming around their complex and he became a hit with them.  He can come to the feeding station daily if he wants but we hear that sometimes the employees feed him too.  How he came to be at the Squamish campsite in the middle of nowhere we’ll never know.  But survive he did and he must like his new home turf or he wouldn’t stay around. 

 

Click here to see Rodger      

 

 

A TRIBUTE TO EMMA

 

Ten years ago PAF took in a heavily pregnant, very scared mother cat.  A kind woman had stepped in to remove Emma from an abusive situation and asked for our help.  We immediately took Emma to our veterinarian for needed care and then placed her in a foster home.  Emma was adopted after her kittens were weaned and adopted.  Every Christmas, Pat sent PAF a lovely donation as well as an update and photo on Emma’s activities during the year.  Emma passed away last year in June 2010 after many years of love, affection and tender care from Pat and her husband, Ron.  Pat wrote the most beautiful letter to PAF about Emma’s life with them.  Please click the link below to read Pat’s loving tribute and see photos of darling Emma through the years.  

 

Click here to see Emma

 

 

FERAL CAT FEEDING STATIONS

 

Over the years, we have helped many people with feral cats.  It starts with a phone call or email telling us that they have been feeding a cat or cats at their residence or business but can’t catch them to see if they are fixed.  Almost always they want to help the cat but don’t know how.  We explain about Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) and they get very excited to know that help is at hand.  99% of people are very happy to keep feeding a cat or cats but they just don’t want the poor cat to keep having litters of kittens if it’s a female or to keep getting wounds from territorial fighting if it’s a male.  When we talk about the benefits of TNR the co-operation from residents and businesses is astounding.  If it’s just one or two cats, residents often create a shelter for their outdoor feral kitties under their porches or in their garden sheds.  If there are many cats in a particular place, then PAF often arranges a volunteers’ feeding schedule and supplies a feral cat feeding station and cuddle station for these outdoor cats.   Our feral cats are kept in good shape year round under the watchful eyes of loving caregivers.  During flea season, our feral cats are regularly de-fleaed by using oral Program.   It can be purchased at a veterinary clinic and comes 6 tubes to a box.  When it’s dosing time, we usually make individual little dishes of food for each feral and place the liquid contents of the tube into their wet food.  Bingo – flea free!  We also use strongid as a dewormer to help them keep worm free.  Feral cats can live decent, healthy lives with TNR and a “little help from their friends” (with a slight variation on the Beatles song!)

 

Click here to see our PAF Feral Feeding Stations and Cuddle Houses

 

SLED DOG VIGIL

 

On April 23rd, there will be a vigil for the sled dogs, slaughtered at Whistler last year.  The event is being sponsored by the April 23 Vigil Group and many cities across Canada and the USA have joined.  The vigil in North Vancouver will be on Saturday, April 23rd – 7:30pm – 8:30pm at the New Ship Builders Square behind the Pinnacle Hotel by the Lonsdale Quay.  The Mayor and other VIP’s will be speaking and PAF has been invited to have an educational table at the vigil.  We hope you will come to see us and to honour the memory of the 100 sled dogs.  See the link below for further information for the vigil.

 

Lots more is happening with PAF but we’ll save that for our next e-newsletter.  In the meantime, we would like to thank all for the wonderful support you give PAF in whatever way you contribute.  Every effort helps us and helps the animals.  Special thanks to Tony ! 

 

Sincerely,

Lana Simon, Director

Pacific Animal Foundation

www.pacificanimal.org