Hi Everyone:

It's been a quite awhile since we did an e-newsletter so here's one now to update you on some of the work we've been doing this year. 2016 has just flown by but we have kept busy with all the feral and stray cats that have crossed our path. It's Autumn so we decided to do the e-newsletter in a beautiful Fall colour.

FERAL CATS IN NEW YORK CITY

The article at the link below just came out this week and it's inspiring to read about how a City is working together with feral cat groups to help the ferals instead of trying to eradicate them. And the ferals get a job too – rodent control captains ! The Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals works with a coalition of 150 animal groups and the spaying and neutering for the Trap/Neuter/Return Program (TNR) with feral cats is provided, free of charge, by the Humane Society of New York and the ASPCA. This is so much better for cities and municipalities than using taxpayer money to spray areas with pesticide to kill the rodents.

Slowly but surely, officials and the general public are realizing that using feral cats to provide rodent control is an efficient way to deal with the constant and overwhelming number of rodents. And a compassionate benefit is that TNR improves the health of the feral cats and keeps them from reproducing and contributing to overpopulation.

NYC Feral Cats Dispatched For Rodent Control

MARY AND SAM

We began the year with heavy hearts. A dear friend of mine and a stauch, long time supporter of PAF passed away suddenly on December 29^th.

Mary Matthews had adopted a feisty little orange and white semi feral cat from PAF in August 2000. She called him Tim and the two lived happily in her house with Tim 'setting the rules'. Mary doted on Tim and he, in turn, felt he had the best ever arrangement going. The front door got opened whenever he asked for it, breakfast was served at the time of his demand, and dinner included the choicest pieces of meat from Mary's dinner plate. Mary kept me regularly posted on “His Highness” and I enjoyed tea and talks with her. She always brought out her 'cat themed' serviettes with the plate of cookies. She loved hearing about all our PAF work with feral cats and TNR.

Over the years, once or twice when Tim didn't come home, the two of us would scour her lane and the nearby woods for the missing mouser but he always eventually showed up. Sometimes it would be a little worse for wear. On at least one occasion he was limping and off to the vet we went for the verdict.

Old age finally took Tim in 2010 and Mary missed him terribly. Her house was too quiet. Cats had been her life long companions and it wasn't long before she wanted another homeless kitty to share her home. Enter Sam ! A lovely great big, over sized puss with an attitude! Sam had Mary trained in no time flat. It was 'his way' or she was out ! You can just read what Sam wants by looking in those large green eyes! This giant boy tips the scales at 24 1/2 lbs and is clever with his paws. Mary was so delighted to show me how he flips a single dry crunchie out of a bowl, into the air and lands it right in front of his nose on the floor. He has a “knack' and gets it right EVERY time !! He obviously got too much practice !

Mary had a way with these feisty cats – she didn't take the easy ones. Her love for them was so all encompassing that they knew they were safe and adored by her. They blossomed. Mary's concern for both Tim and Sam was displayed by her forward thinking plans if anything happened to her. Tim or Sam would immediately be looked after by PAF as we agreed. Sam is now in our loving care . . . and we miss Mary very much. She was special.

Handsome Sam photos

MEET TIGER SMOKEY DEXTER

Yes, this little feral guy has THREE names ! That's because he hung out at three different homes and everyone had a different name for him when he showed up at their place near Mountain Highway.

We began to hear about 'Tiger' when he would show up sporadically at Gary's back porch about two years ago. Gary wouldn't see him for days, or even weeks at a time and then bang, there he'd be hanging around and Gary would fill a dish for the hungry little guy. We loaned Gary a trap but we were never successful at catching Tiger. Fast forward to February of this year when Gary sold his home and we still hadn't trapped Tiger, although he was showing up regularly on the porch. Gary was gone but his place was scheduled for redevelpment and the house remained vacant so we placed the trap on the porch, tied open the trap door and, with the help of a neighbour, Trish, we left food on the porch every single night at the same time. We knew Tiger was wary of the trap so we started with the dish outside the trap but left a tempting trail of goodies inside the trap to encourage him to be bold and get used to going inside the trap with nothing happening to him. Trish, unbeknownst to Gary, had also been feeding Tiger at her house but was calling him 'Smokey'. Smokey was always waiting for us beside the bushes in the garden at 5:30pm and for 3 weeks we left the trap tied open. He began to be confident that there was no harm in going into the trap. On the night of March 31, we placed yummy tuna fish at the back of the trap and set it while Smokey was eagerly waiting for us to leave! We followed the usual routine and left. We came back within 15 minutes to find Mr. Smokey annoyed that he had been outsmarted and firmly trapped !

He was neutered, vaccinated, tattooed, dewormed and defleaed at Norgate Animal Hospital and, because he was feral, we returned him to his lane. But we had a feeding plan. The lovely neighbours next door to Gary's house were willing to feed him daily so we have been supplying canned and dry food to them regularly.

Trish keeps a caring eye on Smokey and noticed, at the end of August, that he sometimes ducked under the fence of another house down the lane. She called on the couple (Marilyn and Dale) to find out that THEY had also been feeding our little guy for many years and they called him 'Dexter' as he spent a lot of time on their back deck in a cozy spot they fixed for him ! They loved him and were so happy to learn that he had been neutered. They had some super photos of him over the years. So, in early October we took a lovely insulated feral house filled with straw to them and we placed it in a protected spot in their backyard. We also gave them a snuggle safe microwave disc to warm up and place in the shelter box for the cold winter nights coming up.  Marilyn writes "we sure do love that silly cat - he's a daily fixture in our lives and he brings us such joy".

So Tiger Smokey Dexter has it made ! Food, warm shelter and a caring group of wonderful people to keep this little feral happy and healthy.

Meet Dexter

GYPSY GIRL

A heartfelt email plea from Bev one early September morning made us jump into action. Bev and her husband had been trying to find help for a skinny, frightened, malnourished looking kitty that had come to their property in the Fraser Valley about a month earlier. Right away they had sought help from the usual resources in their area but were turned away because the shelters were overcrowded. They weren't looking to adopt a kitty but this kitty was sick and in need and they wanted to help her; they didn't turn their backs.

They bought food and encouraged the little one to eat several times a day but it was apparent that the kitty was getting weaker. They fixed up an area in their garden and made it safe so she couldn't leave and nothing could get inside the enclosure to hurt her. Bev's husband built a little wooden house but they knew she needed expensive veterinary care. Bev feared if they couldn't get her veterinary help immediately she would die very soon.

Luckily, PAF has a volunteer living in Bev's area and Rhegan made contact with Bev right away. PAF arranged for urgent vet care with Apex Animal Hospital and Rhegan met Bev at the hospital later that same day with Gypsy, as Bev and her husband were calling the little waif.

She only weighed 4 pounds 9 oz and she was a full grown cat ! Gypsy was very dehydrated and shaky on her feet. She was given fluids and had a blood test and urine collection. Results the next day indicated that Gypsy was anemic, had poor kidney values and was badly in need of thyroid medication. She would need continuous fluids for awhile so Bev took Gypsy in for another appointment and the vet techs gave her a fluid hydration kit and showed her how to administer fluids to Gypsy at home. Medication for her thyroid was dispensed and, with Bev and her husband providing the TLC, little Gypsy had a chance! PAF paid all the bills but Bev decided to help by starting a “Go Fund Me” page with little Gypsy's story, as Gypsy will likely be needing continuous thyroid medication and fluids. Any donations to the Go Fund Me page at the link below would be welcome to help Bev with the Gypsy Girl.

Bev started to keep us posted with updates and we are all amazed and delighted that Gypsy is doing so much better now.

Sept. 17^th - “Hey Rhegan! Gypsy is doing so great!!!! She is actually up and about now, instead of sleeping all of the time!! She has a healthy appetite, eats everything we give her, drinks a fair amount of water and actually purrs everytime we IV her.

For 4 days now she is up before we go out to feed her, just wandering around and talking. She LOVES her garden house, sleeps in it every night and is super happy here.”

Sept. 19^th - “Gypsy is now a house cat, courtesy of last night's storm!” (Apparently there was thunder and lightning and Gypsy decided that she wanted to come in the house instead of staying in her outdoor house). Bev also sent the following on the 19^th - “ She has got to be the most loving cat on the planet. It's like she's eternally grateful that we saved her. She walked right past our bird cage, one of the parrots came down squawking at her and she didn't even turn her head. Last night, the dogs were licking her all over and she didn't even flinch”

See GYPSY photos here

. . . . and the GoFundMe link and further updates here
 

AHOY SKIPPER

We have helped Al at his ship building business near the Second Narrows Bridge since 2002. At that time, many ferals were roaming the area and none were fixed. We trapped, spayed and neutered every one, returned them to their colony and found the young kittens homes. Over the ensuing years, we have re-appeared to trap any new faces and Al has faithfully fed every one every single day, even weekends ! They all come out from under the buildings and their hiding places when he drives in every morning as the first order of business of the day is ' FEEDING THE CATS'.

Al called us around Thanksgiving to say a new face had been showing up and was likely an unneutered male as he was a little territorial about the food and with the other colony cats.

So with our trusty trap, we appeared late one afternoon and spotted kitty lying in the sun. It's tricky trying to get a well fed cat enticed into a trap but we pulled out a fresh can of tuna fish and put the whole can in the back of the trap which has a 'see-through' plexiglass back door. The cat thinks it can exit the trap that way and so is less wary entering. The lure of a WHOLE can of tuna fish for himself sold the deal and we had 'Skipper', as we called him, within 5 minutes.

He was neutered, vaccinated, and got the 'spa treatment' as we call it at the vet clinic. After a recovery period, we returned him to Al's at the end of a lovely mild October afternoon. Hopefully he'll be less territorial soon and become one of the gang.

See photos of Skipper here

TUBBY - FAITHFUL COMPANION

About 5 years ago, Roy called PAF and said a lady friend who had been looking after a stray cat in her yard was leaving town and she asked him to help find a new home for the kitty. Roy didn't know anything about cats and wasn't considering taking him in, but as it was only a few days before Christmas and PAF didn't have an available foster home, Roy agreed to keep Tubby over the holidays. We supplied him with good cat food and Tubby and Roy spent their first Christmas together.

Towards the end of January, Roy called to say that Tubby seemed to have some trouble with his ears and so we arranged veterinary care as we needed to get Tubby ready for adoption. Well, you know the story . . . poor Tubby had polyps in his ears and it wasn't an easy fix. He needed surgery and antibiotics and trips to the vet to see how things were going. Tubby was an elderly cat and his coat needed help and his teeth needed cleaning. Back and forth to the vet, Roy dutifully transported Tubby and brought him home and looked after him. Several months had now gone by and Roy knew this poor little yard cat was feeling secure and cared about with him. Roy began to realize that Tubby was a good little companion and maybe he and Tubby were meant to 'batch it together'. Of course, this thrilled us.

Roy kept in touch with us and we paid vet bills with Roy contributing as well as the kind lady who had initially fed Tubby. It was a community effort to put a safety net around this little cat.

After a couple of years, Roy called one day to say that he wanted to take Tubby to the vet because he didn't seem well. Tests and an exam revealed that Tubby was diabetic and needed daily insulin. Roy wasn't going to fail his little buddy so Roy learned how to administer insulin and he and Tubby navigated that hurdle very well. Roy often expressed to PAF how happy he was that he kept Tubby and how much Tubby meant to him.

September brought new health issues for Tubby and many veterinary appointments. Against all our hopes and prayers, Roy had to let Tubby go to the Rainbow Bridge on September 28^th. We are so grateful to Roy for giving that little cat a wonderfully kind and loving home.

See darling old Tubby here

And more rescue stories here . . .

We are ALWAYS busy.  From trapping, setting up new feral stations and maintaining old ones, from distributing cat and dog food and to dispensing advice on every cat matter you could think of, we fill our days.  Thank you to all of you who are supporters and helpers to look after the many cats that we hear about.  You are on the PAF team !

Happy Halloween from PAF !