Hi Everyone:

We have been really busy this year and 2017 has flown by.  We wanted to let you see some of the stray and feral cats we've helped this year so enjoy our newsletter.  Your support has meant that we were there when they needed us and so thank you.  We hope that 2018 will be another great year and more cats can be assisted to better circumstances.  Please get involved if you see a little one needing help !

ADORABLE NORAH GETS A HOME

Her background story is a bit murky but we've pieced together what we think it was and, luckily for Norah, several wonderful people had a hand in helping her.

It was more than a year ago when Hisako, in Burnaby, started to notice the little brown/grey tabby cat in the garden area of her condominium complex. The little kitty wouldn't come to her but Hisako started watching for her and soon realized that a man came from across the street every day to leave some food at a hidden spot and the kitty would always be waiting for him. One day Hisako was able to talk to him and found out that he had been coming for months. He said the kitty had lived at a nearby home but the people got a dog which the kitty didn't like and then they moved away and left her behind. She was scared and he couldn't pick up the kitty but occasionally he could touch her when she was eating.

Hisako knew it was only a bit of dry food that he brought and was worried it wasn't enough once a day for the cold winter months so she started sitting out on a garden bench with some canned food. It didn't take long before kitty, whom Hisako named “Norah”, started waiting at the spot for her. Rain or shine, Hisako would come to the bench every day and Norah would come to meet her. With patience, Hisako won Norah's trust and, after eating, Norah would sometimes jump up to Hisako's lap, however wouldn't let Hisako pick her up. The man still came every day and told Hisako that he was soon moving into a new apartment being built across the street and would take Norah home with him. He definitely cared for the little kitty.

However, one day the man stopped coming and Hisako became the sole caregiver for Norah. Hisako contacted PAF to ask how to get kitty into a kennel. She wouldn't fall for the old 'food in the kennel' trick. Hisako was willing to give Norah a home but Hisako lived 20 floors up and was not sure how Norah would react if she was suddenly inside.

So we devised a plan and Hisako started working on it. Every day she put a sturdy linen laundry bag, with a cord drawstring on her lap, and Norah got used to lying on the bag. One night sitting on the bench, Hisako decided that “tonight was THE night” and quickly drew the drawstring of the bag when Norah was sitting on her lap. Norah was bagged!  It happened so fast Norah didn't have time to jump away. So off to the building front door went Hisako cradling a bulky laundry bag and Norah took her first elevator ride to her new home!

Hisako had been prepared for this – a litter box with dirt was waiting, along with food and water dishes – and Norah scooted under the bed for a safe hiding place. It was a strange few days for both of them as they got used to a new routine. Hisako placed her food dish by the bed and Norah came out from under it to eat her food and sniff at a couple of catnip toys that Hisako had from her previous kitty. Norah was shy and uncertain but would sometimes lick Hisako's finger and, in the middle of the night, come up onto the bed. It took a long time for Norah to explore other rooms in the condo but Hisako made a nice home for her and was very patient. And the best thing is that Norah was off the street before the worst winter Vancouver had in a long time. All thanks to Hisako and her concern for a little homeless cat.

After awhile Hisako was able to get Norah into a kennel so Norah had a couple of veterinary visits to get any care she needed, including a dental, and PAF paid the bills for this dear little girl.

Hisako later found out that the man had fallen ill very suddenly and went to hospital for an extended period. She did talk to him again when he came around and he admitted he wasn't able to take Norah and was so glad that Hisako stepped in to give her a home.

See photos of Norah

BELLA and BARNEY

PAF has done some work in the Fraser Valley barns and paid for neutering, spaying and veterinary care for a number of cats. Danielle, (who works at In the Raw Pet Foods and is also a licensed vet tech), stables her horse out there and has been concerned about a number of the cats that frequent the acreage. We've loaned her a humane cat trap and, with several other people, she has managed to trap and arrange for some cats to get to the vet for their care, with PAF paying the bills.

On one occasion, Danielle found four little feral kittens born in the rafters of the barn. They were approximately 6 weeks old and definitely needed help. Her own words -

“They were not looking too well and were very scared. One by one they were caught (with the help of a friend, Bianca) and taken to my home where they got the necessary vet care. They each had various health issues when caught ranging from dehydration to upper respiratory illnesses and eye injuries, as well as being semi feral. Over the few weeks that they spent in my home they were exposed to people, other cats, dogs and tonnes of handling, having their nails trimmed and eyes cleaned, picked up and played with. They discovered toys with the help of my own cat, a 3 year old Siamese, and it was very enjoyable to see their kitten personalities come out and develop and not be the scared little creatures hiding behind furniture anymore.”

Danielle found homes for two of them and then asked PAF if we could find homes for the other two, one of whom had a bad eye. PAF knew of a wonderful couple who had just lost their elderly cat and asked them if they would 'foster' the little brother and sister while we pursued specialist treatment for the little girl's eye. Wayne and Kathleen immediately agreed and lovingly helped the little girl through her eye appointments and medications with the wonderful result that she has regained sight in that eye now. Of course, they fell in love with the kittens they named Bella and Barney and soon told us that they wanted to adopt them permanently. A long journey for the little ones from a drafty barn loft but, through a chain of caring individuals who made the effort, they came to be caught, well cared for and adopted into a loving home.

See photos of Bella and Barney

CINCO de MAYO

. . . . named that because he got trapped on May 5^th ! A celebration for us to catch him and the start of a better life for him !

Pat, from Lynn Valley, contacted us to say she had been feeding a feral cat for quite awhile. He wasn't a fighter but he wasn't neutered and, occasionally, he wanted to come in to her basement. She was willing to let him come inside but she wanted him neutered so he wouldn't bother her cat.

So PAF helped her set up a trap in the area where she always fed him and soon he was 'in custody'. She named him Cinco as we loaded him into the truck and off to Norgate Animal Hospital we went where he was neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, defleaed, and tattooed. After recovering in a nice big, comfortable dog kennel overnight, we released him back into her yard on a sunny, warm afternoon. Pat is quite a gardener and Cinco has a lovely area of green grass and bushes on several levels to hide in if he chooses for a snooze.

Pat says Cinco still comes around but he must have a large roaming area because he's gone for long periods of time. He shows up, eats, comes inside for a bit, and then he is off on his travels again . . . but at least he's neutered. Just a wandering little adventurer we guess!

See photos of Cinco

A PRINCELY FELLOW

For a long time, Jean thought this handsome Siamese X boy in Lower Lonsdale had a home somewhere because he would visit her for treats and then leave her ground floor patio. He also visited other people in the complex, each one assuming he had a home, but no one could pick him up to see if he had a tattoo or get him in a kennel to go to a vet. He seemed well fed but then . . . he was a moocher from everyone!

Jean called us to let us know she was feeding him and she seemed to be making friends with him. He would sometimes wander into her apartment and she started to be able to brush him a bit which he seemed to like. She didn't think he was neutered though and the next step in the plan was to see if she could get him to the stage of letting himself be picked up or encouraged into a kennel for a vet visit.

Suddenly an urgent call came from Jean who told us that he had come inside and peed blood on her white carpet right in front of her. We jumped into action. He refused to go near a trap but Jean found her old wire dog kennel and she managed to wrangle him into it. As soon as she had him, we picked him up and headed to Mosquito Creek Vet Hospital who were on standby waiting to give him immediate care. He was sedated and the vets went to work, both to neuter him and to find the cause of the blood in his urine. Jean named him Prince and, after excellent vet care, we returned Prince 'home' to Jean where he immediately ate a hearty meal and fell asleep. Jean kept him inside to recover and distracted him with treats and toys every time he headed to the patio door and wanted outside. She didn't find any more blood and, with antibiotics, it seemed that he was back to normal very soon. A few days later she told us that he had jumped on her bed in the middle of the night and she was thrilled. Pretty soon he was his 'old self' and now he goes out for his 'garden time' every day but is inside her cozy apartment at night, keeping her company. Jean's effort to make friends with him, seek help for him and offer him a home resulted in such a better life for Prince. Thank goodness for caring people taking the initiative to help animals.

See photos of Prince

MOODYVILLE FERAL CATS and KITTENS

PAF has worked in this area over the years when residents have contacted us for help with feral cats. The neighbourhood has undergone extensive redevelopment and, along with the now finished Low Road, it has resulted in many animal encounters by residents. As with any neighbourhood near waterfront and undeveloped bushy areas, coupled with demolished houses and new construction, rodents abound, so having feral cats around is a significant benefit.

Cats are the BEST rat catchers on the planet and a built-in natural resource for businesses and neighbourhoods that want to eradicate rodents from the area. Even if the cats don't kill the rodents, their very presence and smell will make the rats move on. City officials in many places are finding that using feral cat patrols are far more efficient than the constant use of taxpayers' money on pesticides, with the added bonus of being safer for the environment. Read the CNN News link below from Chicago – turn up your sound!

CNN Report - Are Cats the Ultimate Weapon in Public Health?

Recently, PAF and Liz from VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Assn) were asked to help several Moodyville residents with a number of adult feral cats with three tiny kittens in tow. None of the residents wanted the cats removed as they were happy to have them around but they did want the cats to be spayed and neutered so there weren't constant litters of kittens being born. One of the homes even had live video cameras trained on their patio where they fed the cats so it was a real help when we set the traps. An instant text would be sent to us, via the homeowner, and we would know to go collect kitty in the trap. We caught three of the adult feral cats and the kittens fairly quickly but the mother adult cat eluded us for awhile. But we never give up. After a few days of steady rain, we set the traps up again and, bingo, a text at 3pm from the homeowner told us that the elusive mother cat was in the trap ! VOKRA took in the 3 kittens (about 6 weeks old) and PAF arranged for and paid the vet care for all the adult cats to be spayed and neutered. The residents are really pleased to have the cats fixed and returned and are continuing to supply them with some daily food to keep them around. One of the residents says he hasn't seen a rat in ages and his property is right smack in prime rodent territory! The feral cats are obviously doing their job !

See the Moodyville Gang

 
BENNAIR

Well, this little guy really made us get creative – three different types of traps before we FINALLY caught him just the week before Christmas. The very kind couple who have been diligently trying to entice him to their patio and into their home christened him “Bennair” - chic for “Bent Ear” but we gave him the middle name of “Houdini”.

Laurie and Rock asked PAF for help back in the Fall to get a plan together about how we were going to help this little black and white cat with a 'bent ear', likely ear mites.

The little cat was first noticed several years ago in lower North Vancouver living under an old building. He was more feral than friendly, but a tenant fed him daily. When the building was finally abandoned ahead of renovation, the tenant moved away but Bennair stayed on the property. Construction of a new building began right smack next to this old building and trucks and noise and dust and dirt were constant now. The construction fence even partly circled the old building so, although Bennair was 'safe' behind the construction fence which he could crawl under, it was a dangerous place to be for a little cat.

On the daily walk around his neighbourhood, Rock noticed the little cat in all the commotion and started to leave food at the edge of the fence for him. Soon Bennair was waiting for him every day. Rock and Laurie lived half a block away on the ground floor of a townhouse in a nice enclave of homes and Rock was soon moving Bennair's food dishes daily, a few feet down the lane closer to his place. Bennair started to come out from behind the fence to eat at the dishes. This little exercise went on for weeks. Every night when construction stopped and the workers went home, Rock walked down to call Bennair and Bennair would come out from under the fence and walk up to meet him in the lane and eat dinner. He actually started following Rock after dinner and would 'walk him home'. It was a happy day when Laurie emailed me to say that “Bennair was on the patio waiting for his dinner” one night and Rock didn't have to go get him. Rock could touch him but he couldn't pick him up. The quandary was how to catch Bennair and get him to the vet for a 'clean up' because Rock and Laurie would love it if he decided he wanted to come inside their townhouse.

Well, getting caught was NOT on Bennair's agenda ! No way, no how ! Didn't matter how we disguised the wire trap or what bait we used – tuna fish, catnip, salmon . . he avoided it and often would take off without dinner.

Plan B - so, we next tried a large wooden box with a floor trigger that we borrowed from VOKRA. It doesn't look like a trap and some cats are fooled by it. No way, no how with that one too.

Plan C – was the drop trap ! PAF had one made years ago and it's 4' x 4' and covered in netting. It's propped up with a stick, food is placed underneath and, when the cat is happily munching away under the propped up trap, the string attached to the prop stick is yanked. The cat is now trapped in the space and you cover the trap with a blanket to calm the cat. Then you line up a wire box trap against a sliding door in the drop trap and the cat usually makes a beeline for what it thinks is an exit. Drop the trap door and you have the cat ! Simple huh? No way, no how with Bennair !

We set it up and Rock pulled the string. Bennair was caught but . . . . he vanished right through the netting ! Turns out, when the trap was stored, some little mice teeth decided to chew on the netting and made a few tiny rips in it. Bennair exploited those rips ! The wonderful fellows (Greg and Joe) at Redden Net in Surrey did an emergency patch job on the netting on Dec. 15^th and we set up again for Bennair on Sunday night, Dec. 17^th. YES !!! SUCCESS !!! Off to the vet for care and return two days later to his patio home – a box of straw with a warm microwave disk under Laurie and Rock's patio table. Dinner served by the front door and an open invitation to come inside where it's nice and warm – tv and fireplace time guaranteed . . . if Bennair makes the decision !

See photos of Bennair

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT !

It's a collaborative effort from so many compassionate people to help these little cats to a better circumstance. Each person in the chain is an important link to the next step and we cannot thank you enough for taking the time to seek help for our furry companions – feral or friendly.

And it's more than just the actual 'rescue' . . . it involves an on-going effort to maintain their care in the case of feral cats who aren't 'owned' by anyone. Thank you to the PAF team like Willow, Minna, Taylor, Jane, Jim, Lani, Mike, Patsy, Donna, Helen, Doug, Dani, John, and Tony who all have contributed to some aspect – either feeding regularly (rain or snow), putting microwave warming disks in the shelters at night, building the little wooden shelter and food boxes, and/or lugging bales of straw and traps and kennels around.

We have a truly terrific relationship with several of the North Vancouver veterinary clinics who tirelessly assist us by taking in our cats and giving them expert care, often times in emergency situations, and supporting us through donating silent auction items and fundraising for us. A grateful shout out to Mosquito Creek Veterinary Hospital, Norgate Animal Hospital, VCA Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital and Westview Veterinary Services. We are so thankful for your steadfast support, advice and veterinary care.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from PAF !