tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33895857802826630492024-03-14T11:03:37.956-07:00Raising Money (and Awareness too)I'm no longer running my fundraiser, but please still donate to HART (link is on the side) and enjoy the information.Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-18249600683488330842012-10-20T17:04:00.002-07:002012-10-20T17:04:57.302-07:00The Best Kind of Ending<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's always a happy ending at a shelter when an animal finds their forever home, but the best endings are when lost animals are reunited with their owners. We had just that happen with a very sweet cat that we called Renni. This is her story.*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago a man named Stacy was out with his dog, Bailey, when all of a sudden something ran up Stacy's leg, climbed up his back, and clung on for dear life with very sharp claws. Stacy ran home, having no idea what was on his back. It wasn't until he took his coat off that he realized it was a cat! Although this new kitty initially didn't like Bailey, they did become very good friends and Momma, as the cat came to be known, would sleep between Bailey's legs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, in August of 2011, Stacy had to put Bailey down. Since Momma and Bailey were very bonded by that time, she took it quite hard. Several days later she disappeared and was found on a deck just a street away during a bad storm. Momma was hungry and thirsty, and was brought to HART as a stray. Stacy tried to find Momma and was very distressed, as she was a very important part of his life. But...he just knew she wasn't dead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the shelter, the stray cat was named Renni, and as part of a routine surrender she received medical care, was tested for rabies and distemper, and received vaccinations. She had been spayed and obviously had been well cared for and loved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Renni was not thrilled to be in the shelter and was quite stressed. Margaret Bussa, a HART volunteer, felt drawn to the little girl and started to spend time with her. Renni lived in the hallway where there were fewer cats. She could look out the back door and sit in the sun. Margaret would spend time with Renni, brushing her and holding her. They developed a fondness for each other. Other volunteers also fell in love with the little black girl with the attitude and very interesting meow. (I was one of them!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In July of this year, Stacy's roommates, Sarah and Hannah, began volunteering at HART. They noticed Renni's similarity in looks and actions to Momma. A couple of weeks later, after hearing Renni meow and seeing the surrender date and location from Renni's file, they realized Renni had to be Momma. Stacy was called, and he immediately came to the shelter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Stacy arrived, Renni was in the hall sleeping. Several HART volunteers were anxiously waiting on the outcome of this meeting. Stacy saw this black kitty, sat down on the floor, and called "Momma." Much to everyone's amazement, Renni immediately ran to Stacy, bounded into his arms, wrapped her front legs around his neck, began kneading, giving love bites and purring. Justin like Momma had found Stacy years before on a dark, rainy night in Freeport! Momma knew her name and definitely knew her man!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacy kept repeating, "Oh Momma, I knew you were alive and that I would find you." Momma was hugging Stacy and rubbing up against him. There was NO doubt that these two were old friends. Stacy had tears of joy running down his face. There was not a dry eye in the building as these two were reunited after almost a year. As Carmen Girard, a volunteer and Board member who witnessed the reunion says, "You had to be there to appreciate the love and devotion the two of them had for each other."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Momma's joyful reunion, she returned to her loving home, now to be an indoor cat. Momma is so happy to be home where she definitely rules the household! Stacy says "I am so grateful that HART is a no-kill shelter because if Momma had gone to another shelter, she most likely wouldn't have survived. I'm also thankful for the great medical care she received and wish I could repay them somehow."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was not at the shelter the day that Renni was reunited with Stacy, but I had gotten to know her during her stay at HART and she was definitely a special cat. It makes me very happy that she was able to go home with someone that she shared such a special bond with. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">* This story is excerpted from HART's annual donation appeal letter.</span>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-28293570103749173982012-08-03T16:22:00.002-07:002012-08-03T16:48:39.442-07:00Pretty Little Charlene, Part Deux<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in October I </span><a href="http://hartofme.blogspot.com/2011/10/pretty-little-charlene.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">made this post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> about my foster cat, Charlene. She has been at my house for more than a year now, and although I still can't pet her, lots of progress has been made!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time of my last update, Charlene was sleeping on the opposite side of the couch from me, and I caught her once sleeping on the bed while I was still in it. She would sniff my hand if I extended it out to her, but I couldn't come any closer. She would follow me around the house so that she was in the same room as me, but still kept her distance. She attacked my feet a couple of times to get me out of bed, and she would steal socks and underwear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what progress has she made?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charlene has moved from the opposite side of the couch to sleeping as close to me as she can get without actually touching me. I can sit on the couch when she's on it without her running away, and I've even sat in front of her on it without her running away. When she's on the back of the couch next to me, I can put my face right next to her and she'll sniff me, without running away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She routinely sleeps on my bed with me in it, and has even allowed me to get into bed while she was sleeping on it without running away. She happily joins my other cats on the weekend in rousing me out of bed for feedings. She comes up to me and sniffs my face while I'm laying in bed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She follows me closely all around the house, and even though she still won't let me pet her, she gets close enough that I can sneak touches. She immediately runs off, but she comes right back too. She has gotten to be quite chatty, although her voice is very quiet. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen/heard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charlene is very much a cat's cat - she loves to rub against my other cats, and bathe them. She would sleep with them if they let her. She would definitely be very happy in a house with other loving cats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're interested in Charlene, please </span><a href="http://www.hartofme.com/documents/HARTadoptionapplication.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fill out an adoption application</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and contact </span><a href="http://www.hartofme.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HART</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, if you haven't yet seen it, HART has a </span><a href="http://184.74.89.125/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">live video</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> camera up in one of the rooms! It's really cool to watch the cats do their own thing, and it has night vision so you can see the glowing eyes at night. The username/password to log into the video is hart. </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sampson, my little buddy</span></em></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-36028751946619830852012-07-29T08:43:00.000-07:002012-07-29T09:10:29.035-07:00A Call To Arms<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shelters are again experiencing too many animals and not enough adopters. At HART, there are about 130 cats at the shelter, around 50 kittens in foster care, and close to 20 adult cats in foster care. Overall, HART is caring for over 200 cats right now. Unfortunately this is too many. Adoptions and donations are down, but vet bills are high. HART is facing having to, once again, close its doors to taking any more animals until the population reduces. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WE NEED YOUR HELP!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All our lovely cats need their forever home. If you are interested in adopting a cat, please check out our kitties on the website </span><a href="http://www.hartofme.com/catspageone.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HARTofME</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or come by during open house on Wednesdays and Saturdays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as we need adopters, we need donations! Any donation you can make will help greatly. I've got an easy to use donation link right on this blog! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not going to let you go without seeing cats of course. HART has a brand new camera setup in one of the rooms so you can see the cats, live! It even has night vision so you can see the activity at night. Please click </span><a href="http://184.74.89.125/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to view the camera. The login is hart (username) hart (password.) <u>Please note</u>: the Opera browser is not compatible. I've also heard reports that the video does not refresh automatically on iPads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please, enjoy seeing the kitties, make a donation if you can, spread the word, and help get our kitties adopted!</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I maintain this blog independently of HART. My views and opinions expressed here are my own; I do not speak for the shelter.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">If any kind viewer knows how I can embed the live video, I would love to hear from you.</span></em>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-21752495742219388762012-06-30T17:18:00.003-07:002012-06-30T17:18:18.470-07:00Kittens Are So Stinkin' Cute!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the best things about being a volunteer at HART is that you get to play with incredibly cute cats and kittens. Today was one of those super adorable days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've never been to HART (which is probably most people reading this) we have cats running around loose everywhere. There is a storage/laundry room off the lobby that several senior kitties call their home. (The lobby and the storage/laundry room that is.) These cats usually are on medications, but they're not all seniors. One such kitty is Sampson, a 6-7mo. old kitten who has been having bowel issues, URI, and I'm not even sure what else. He is so adorable, and is totally my snuggle buddy on Saturdays. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>(These were taken in 5/19/2012. Sampson was not feeling well, and not impressed with having his picture taken.)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sampson and I had our usual playtime, until he was completely tuckered out, but then, a new playmate arrived! Tiny little Fancy didn't get adopted during today's tabling event, so she came to hang out at the shelter until her foster mom was ready to go home. Sampson was delighted to have another kitten to play with, but Fancy wanted nothing to do with him. Instead, she kept running into the storage/laundry room where the much bigger, older cats were hanging out. They would try to sniff her, and she would puff up like a miniture halloween cat. It was so cute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>What does this do?</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the older cats in particular took an immediate shine to her. His name is Lucky, a 16 yr old black cat. The first time she ran into the storage/laundry room, he jumped down from his nap on the shelf and went over and sniffed her. She sniffed back, did her halloween cat impression, and ran off out of the room. Lucky followed after her. He followed her all around the lobby, and into the conference room. What made it wicked adorable though, was if he lost sight of her, he would start crying like a mother cat would! At one point he was in the storage/laundry room crying for her, and she ran into the room, gave a little mew, he instantly stopped crying and then ran over to her. It was almost more cute than I could handle!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fancy was full of energy and all over the place. Sampson never stopped trying to play with her though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually Fancy stopped to eat some food, clean herself, and then take a little nap, so I attempted to snap some pictures. Enjoy the cute, and ignore the blurriness.</span><br />
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<img height="77" src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 524px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1071px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-36811167415431528232012-06-13T18:17:00.002-07:002012-06-13T18:17:52.694-07:00June is National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I posted (shame on me!) so here are a couple of things to be aware of:</span><br />
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June is National Adopt a Shelter Cat month! I'm not sure who decides these things, but I'll go with it. Shelters all across the country are having promotions to celebrate, and HART is no different. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz9WYwliTybcPfWuvfieYcYWTYLdxTL5hSaRhLoCdHH5HkgyEzYqttTSFLGbnOFZ-DEtniNJzKzihE-SnfzF8bA8WpsXK3Hd0XsDH9ql2csmmNZ-mT8ylltD1TMIAuSpKnInJFBseZ4I/s1600/adopt_shelter_cat_month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz9WYwliTybcPfWuvfieYcYWTYLdxTL5hSaRhLoCdHH5HkgyEzYqttTSFLGbnOFZ-DEtniNJzKzihE-SnfzF8bA8WpsXK3Hd0XsDH9ql2csmmNZ-mT8ylltD1TMIAuSpKnInJFBseZ4I/s320/adopt_shelter_cat_month.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a low cost </span><a href="http://www.communityspayneuterclinic.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spay/Neuter clinic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for low-income households that has opened at Freeport Outlet. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to talk a little bit about sponsorship programs. Sponsorship programs are important to shelters because they help to provide a reliable influx of money into the shelter. While donations and adoption fees bring in more money than sponsorships do, they are unpredictable and can vary greatly from month to month. How the sponsorship money is used varies by shelter, but being able to count on a known amount coming in each month goes a long way to keeping the lights on and the animals fed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HART, being a volunteer run shelter, uses the money it receives from the sponsorship program to pay for food, medicine, veterinary care and more for each cat sponsored. If you are interested in learning more about the </span><a href="http://www.hartofme.com/documents/SponsorshipProgram.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sponsorship program</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, please contact </span><a href="http://www.hartofme.com/contactus.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HART</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij2rgKgHvpQ5QQn0UK3gc58o0JkIDATE6M58EXLQ0YSR0C1_kQaT0xRg0niMiXhZBVJ1NzlKYyIUnA8zaXKNDHAE8B3Q8awHodru0IOuaU6UTZq-H-d7cr0bxZWlRhU7-mWO0jNRKuoc/s1600/Sapphire_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij2rgKgHvpQ5QQn0UK3gc58o0JkIDATE6M58EXLQ0YSR0C1_kQaT0xRg0niMiXhZBVJ1NzlKYyIUnA8zaXKNDHAE8B3Q8awHodru0IOuaU6UTZq-H-d7cr0bxZWlRhU7-mWO0jNRKuoc/s1600/Sapphire_001.jpg" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-45115800941200745702012-02-25T20:32:00.004-08:002012-02-25T20:32:59.343-08:00But Mom, I want a cat now!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the years I've met a lot of people who treat animal shelters like a store - they expect they can just walk in, pick out their custom pet and walk out the door with it in tow. This expectation is not from callousness, but from a lack of understanding of the adoption process. Listed below are some of the common misconceptions about adopting from a shelter*.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>"I'm looking for (insert purebred cat breed here)"</u></strong> - Shelters occasionally get purebred cats brought in to them, but this tends to be more of an exception than a rule. Shelters are not breeders - the cats they have were trapped, rescued or surrendered to them by the community. This means the shelter cannot plan what types of cats they have, and they cannot arrange to get a particular breed of cat for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>"I'm here to get kittens"</u></strong> - This is two-fold. Kittens are very popular, but shelters cannot control how many kittens they have at any given time. Many times there are more adopters than there are kittens, and often this leads to a waiting list. Kittens are also kept in foster homes, not in the shelter, so if you stop in unannounced, you are unlikely to see any kittens. If you are interested in getting kittens, it is best to submit your adoption application with the knowledge that you will likely be on a waiting list, but that the kitten adoption team will work with you to find the kittens that are right for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>"Why do I need to fill out an application, can't I just take this cat?"</u></strong> - Shelters have adoption processes for several reasons, but primarily we want to make sure that you are a good home for the cat, and that the cat is a good match for your home. Unfortunately there are many people out there who are cruel to animals, and we do not want to send an animal into a home where they will be abused, or worse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>"I want to let the cat outside"**</u></strong> - Shelters that have indoor only policies on their adoptions do so for the welfare of the cat. Cats who are let outside have reduced life expectancies, higher medical costs, and can bring disease into your home. Living in a quiet area, or out in the woods can actually increase the odds of your cat becoming sick, or being attacked/killed by another animal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><u>"If you don't let me take this cat, I will just get one free elsewhere"</u></strong> - Although getting a cat from a neighbor, friend, family, or stranger might cost less than adopting one from a shelter initially, it can actually end up costing more. Shelter cats have been spayed/neutered, are up to date on vaccinations and are in good health. A cat that you get from someone else could potentially cost you $300 or more, depending on their health and if they are spayed/neutered. A significant portion of cats surrendered to shelters also come from people who got the cat from someone else - most commonly because the cat wasn't the right fit for their home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as a personal example - when I was a kid we wanted to get a kitten. My mom knew someone with a barn cat that had kittens, and they said we could have one. We got the kitten, but our older cat would have nothing to do with her, and hissed every time the kitten was near. We had the kitten for a very short time, because as it turned out, the kitten had such a bad case of intestional worms that there was nothing the vet could do to save her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The staff at the shelter is there to care for the cats, but also to get them adopted to the right homes. If you have questions about the adoption process, please, ask!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62qmOXWnSs-9NslfoCbG_vwrXFmbonfrLsGv6xB5scY7JVeJYmpkoYdATK2WBTFrZ1ONnblpTVtKNUQkU6gWiBo9Xpy1OgH9R3lwiuIIW7ffjKjf9XeC_p2OHmWnYeS5MEe5e-GI5Qn0/s1600/Tinkerbelle_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62qmOXWnSs-9NslfoCbG_vwrXFmbonfrLsGv6xB5scY7JVeJYmpkoYdATK2WBTFrZ1ONnblpTVtKNUQkU6gWiBo9Xpy1OgH9R3lwiuIIW7ffjKjf9XeC_p2OHmWnYeS5MEe5e-GI5Qn0/s1600/Tinkerbelle_002.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*This is written based on my experience at HART, I cannot speak for all shelters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">** Not all shelters have an indoor only policy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-9667255584253077532012-01-22T09:36:00.000-08:002012-01-22T09:36:25.469-08:00New Year's Resolutions<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every January 1st, millions of people make New Year's resolutions, the most common of which include losing weight, eating healthier and getting fit. While these goals are admirable, let's not forget about kitty!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cats need exercise just as we do, and an overweight kitty can lead to the same </span><a href="http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/overweight-cats-diets-and-associated-health-risks" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">health risks</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as it can in people:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Type 2 diabetes mellitus</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cardiovascular disease</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">osteoarthritis</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">respiratory problems</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">non-allergic skin conditions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lower urinary tract disease</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fabcats.org/owners/feeding/overweight.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hepatic lipidosis</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now, just because your kitty weighs 14 lbs or more doesn't mean he/she is overweight - some kitties are just big. </span><a href="http://annarboranimalhospital.com/animalhospital/2011/06/do-you-own-a-fat-cat/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to tell</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> if your kitty is overweight:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr-7tZt3G0uuSogifupLG4Z1BiEb9WkoNS5igIH67OLqyhpi9YFnnYKX2mUY0DEYqYcZmkfcdVKETtrkJRpUcsSwrerFqoY01bYbXO2tUhu-63_gRE_LmOf4OAzd-1lsRspGIVOpfeAA/s1600/Body-Condition-Scoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinr-7tZt3G0uuSogifupLG4Z1BiEb9WkoNS5igIH67OLqyhpi9YFnnYKX2mUY0DEYqYcZmkfcdVKETtrkJRpUcsSwrerFqoY01bYbXO2tUhu-63_gRE_LmOf4OAzd-1lsRspGIVOpfeAA/s400/Body-Condition-Scoring.jpg" width="308" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have any doubt, consult with your veterinarian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have an overweight kitty, make it one of your New Year's resolutions to get kitty fit again! There is a wonderful pdf file </span><a href="http://www.thecatpracticepc.com/Guides/Obesity.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with tips for getting your precious kitty to lose weight. It's very basic really:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exercise</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">diet change</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">portion control</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's all get in shape this New Year together :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH7BH9qvqwcCHzd9DNXZQcxALzlHoPiH9X9I78D-W-xusX3V-kkUsOhVV_lX8l7gWpYgjTzzreXJ86gLID6Gny3NatQ17rycSh4OI6YGcFO7fkw13VLz3NRrpykj6R1o1KDWMnrDIJtQ/s1600/AQUILA_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH7BH9qvqwcCHzd9DNXZQcxALzlHoPiH9X9I78D-W-xusX3V-kkUsOhVV_lX8l7gWpYgjTzzreXJ86gLID6Gny3NatQ17rycSh4OI6YGcFO7fkw13VLz3NRrpykj6R1o1KDWMnrDIJtQ/s1600/AQUILA_000.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Please consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to your cat's diet.)</span></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-88028885405676029092011-12-11T08:18:00.001-08:002011-12-11T08:26:33.349-08:00Tis the Season<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the holiday season, when everywhere you turn everyone is wanting your money. It's also the season of giving, and in that spirit, HART has a new promotion for December:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For every regular can of cat food that you bring to the shelter, you will receive $1 off the adoption fee of a cat! How is that for saving money :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, we have a very generous anonymous donor who is going to match every donation HART receives before December 31st, up to $10,000!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please pass the word along to all your friends and family. Happy Holidays everyone!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBpb18y3ejmUiLAcAx-Tpf4jKIhEkCE-2gUYUPh8tgo_jjZAZE0OkybAZyZaBjrIPlibleAbrUKF3hu2mpdEEVOFr4TY-fuxmSbRigVpN0CdN2F88N6jp6vicUQzBEbSP1NRi8CbxkcQ/s1600/Dec_promo_Page_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBpb18y3ejmUiLAcAx-Tpf4jKIhEkCE-2gUYUPh8tgo_jjZAZE0OkybAZyZaBjrIPlibleAbrUKF3hu2mpdEEVOFr4TY-fuxmSbRigVpN0CdN2F88N6jp6vicUQzBEbSP1NRi8CbxkcQ/s1600/Dec_promo_Page_1.jpg" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-10087416942624362482011-11-20T08:46:00.001-08:002011-11-20T09:31:32.713-08:00Why Keep Your Cat Indoors?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HART has an indoor only policy with their cats, and sometimes people ask why. Below are 5 reasons why cats should be kept indoors:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Humans. People can have a huge impact on an animal's life. A good samaritan may think your cat is a stray or lost, and take the cat home or to a shelter. Cats crossing roads can be hit by cars, and cars swerving to avoid a cat can lead to fatal car accidents. There are also (unfortunately) many people out there who are cruel to animals and could get their hands on your cat for any number of reasons, including to use as bait for training fighting dogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Animals. Living in Maine especially, there are a lot of animals out there that could potentially kill your cat, including other cats. If you live in a city, don't think you're exempt from these animals being around. Ever see a moose in Portland? I have. Fishers, coyotes, foxes, lynxes, bobcats, birds of prey, and dogs are just some of the animals that would think your cat is a tasty meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Disease. Even with vaccinations, cats can pick up a variety of diseases including rabies, feline leukemia, FIV, and cytauxzoonosis. They can pick up fleas and ticks and bring them into your home. If they get into a fight they could receive injuries resulting in the need for costly medical care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Domestication. There is a reason why your cat is a "domestic ____ hair." Your cat, despite its wild cat instincts, has been bred to live with and be cared for by people. A cat that has been indoors all its life and is suddenly left outdoors has a poor chance of survival unless found by a good samaritan. Letting a cat outside when it is young to "get used" to being outdoors is not any better - young cats have not fully developed their skills and are even better prey for other animals and diseases. If you have let your cat outside before you have probably noticed that the birds and small mammals it kills get brought to you - not eaten. A domestic cat has the wild cat instinct to go after and kill the small animals, but its domestic instinct is to bring its kill to you for a reward. This is not survival behavior, and can seriously impact the food chain in your area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Life expectancy. An indoor cat can live 12 - 18 years (many times even longer than that!), but an outdoor cat typically only lives 4 - 5 years. Wouldn't you rather have 18 wonderful years with your pet?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgjCwCReS4Li8pNFsww833KYc6wWMnBoQ0-FEVu61M4aS3DmAA47yHh0QiaCaWlp0K3VVahUuHB89b8ooYHbYgx1yUTFg1Bgqs0ztaj7x8yY9MSCKu-UemhhlaO3EIiAwKS_ryl8X6JM/s1600/Orpie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgjCwCReS4Li8pNFsww833KYc6wWMnBoQ0-FEVu61M4aS3DmAA47yHh0QiaCaWlp0K3VVahUuHB89b8ooYHbYgx1yUTFg1Bgqs0ztaj7x8yY9MSCKu-UemhhlaO3EIiAwKS_ryl8X6JM/s1600/Orpie.jpg" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-45326161144899463962011-10-19T17:36:00.000-07:002011-11-20T09:38:22.802-08:00Pretty Little Charlene<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to take a moment to tell you about my foster cat, Charlene, because she is awesome.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx6WXKW3bloAn9RDVKJJRh7VlDfdhQwCW_erBMADx-7kinEv82O_Vl-5Jkgen8qGPzDSQArZELnjY6xVBYy9mNPrm14xML8VTyia1QDZgJJxLIdV484ak7fATKsl3ixmG1gTQyYBDt3g/s1600/charlene_window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx6WXKW3bloAn9RDVKJJRh7VlDfdhQwCW_erBMADx-7kinEv82O_Vl-5Jkgen8qGPzDSQArZELnjY6xVBYy9mNPrm14xML8VTyia1QDZgJJxLIdV484ak7fATKsl3ixmG1gTQyYBDt3g/s320/charlene_window.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Charlene first came to HART, it was thought that she was an older kitten, due to her size. A visit to the vet however revealed that she is actually a couple of years old. She was not really approachable, and very timid, so she was added to the quietest room at the shelter. It was in this room that I first met her - if you tried to approach her, she would run and hide with other cats. She was always with other cats, never off by herself. She always looked terrified at the sight of a person. I decided if there was any hope for her to learn to trust people, she needed to be in a home. Thus, Charlene became my foster.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubnhD4oD_XV2bC1uz_qcRUErtpph-1kVJxXrJOzvkGxXXOKY7XQzPUaBaDAIBFYMgNW1VALzEUObnpmIIpzUwO-zx3297yvrPSRXgq14PDblP_dsb2CuDVvhPj41DOgF1q8HijNMuhAc/s1600/P1000863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubnhD4oD_XV2bC1uz_qcRUErtpph-1kVJxXrJOzvkGxXXOKY7XQzPUaBaDAIBFYMgNW1VALzEUObnpmIIpzUwO-zx3297yvrPSRXgq14PDblP_dsb2CuDVvhPj41DOgF1q8HijNMuhAc/s320/P1000863.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She hid for the first day, which I expected. It really didn't take very long though, for her to make herself at home and appear (ever so cautiously) when I was in the room. It took her even less time to find the box filled with cat toys, and I learned that Charlene LOVES to play. She not only loves to play with all the toys, she also likes to play with my two cats, and with my feet! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took Charlene awhile to stop going around the very outer edge of the room in order to get around me; now she just dashes behind my chair and is on her way. She is still pretty cautious when I approach, and I can't pet her, but she will come up and sniff my hand if I extend it out to her. She gets up on my bed while I'm in it, and will tackle my feet. She's even slept at my feet for a few minutes. She has come close to my head a couple of times, but usually will run off if she thinks I'm even marginally alive. Despite her nervousness, she follows me all around the house, and sleeps on the couch next to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love watching Charlene, she provides hours of entertainment. It helps that she is just too cute! She doesn't meow, but I have heard her chirp at birds, and I've seen her mouth open in a silent cry at me when she wants to be fed. I've discovered that she is an undergarment thief as well - if socks or other garments are on the floor and I turn my back, she'll run in and grab them, take them into another room and roll around on them! She's really well behaved though - I only had to speak to her a couple of times to get her to stay off my counter, and she doesn't scratch my furniture. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMzEHeZRdPJlVbBY8bQygfgnHtt09pcRnY56z0cy_5gPXVZT3a4LjnNR9gW1D8OJwaq2IEOrcxEx_WfSA5c9WGUqXkOIZ3FVFq7_kxceagb4V0aDXgG6XzmsJre4AyRsANVF-fDt0bfA/s1600/P1000862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMzEHeZRdPJlVbBY8bQygfgnHtt09pcRnY56z0cy_5gPXVZT3a4LjnNR9gW1D8OJwaq2IEOrcxEx_WfSA5c9WGUqXkOIZ3FVFq7_kxceagb4V0aDXgG6XzmsJre4AyRsANVF-fDt0bfA/s320/P1000862.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWTlDemRTDkvonJqdR8yPAu0xXEMOe3rjQeWljlvXoO4cI8yhZyWIzVN75oaMEDRcyRErHlKH2Sfx4aGtTL-abfiBYlSwl5h0LFwDod-5r7WacW7LsvLriZf4bjfubTZVyB332wsc9zA/s1600/SSL12548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWTlDemRTDkvonJqdR8yPAu0xXEMOe3rjQeWljlvXoO4cI8yhZyWIzVN75oaMEDRcyRErHlKH2Sfx4aGtTL-abfiBYlSwl5h0LFwDod-5r7WacW7LsvLriZf4bjfubTZVyB332wsc9zA/s320/SSL12548.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're interested in adopting Charlene, come into <a href="http://www.hartofme.com/index.html">HART</a> and fill out an application.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Update: On November 6th I woke up to find all 3 cats sleeping on my bed - including Charlene! She woke when I moved to take a picture, but instead of running, she decided to take a bath. Didn't she pose so pretty for the picture?</span></div>
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<br /></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-40607180590308408632011-10-11T17:04:00.000-07:002011-10-11T17:04:29.488-07:00When Danger Strikes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used to have this sticker that I kept in my apartment window advising firemen that I had cats. Then I thought I was "cool" and put up this sign (with an "S" added to Cat with black marker):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truthfully though, I never had a real plan for what to do with my cats in the event of an emergency or disaster. I can't imagine what it was like for people who had to leaves their homes due to Irene, or Katrina (just to name a few.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully, </span><a href="http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FEMA</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is out to help. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plan for Pet Disaster Needs</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Identifying shelter. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to allow pets -- well in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers -- they might be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they're not available later. While the sun is still shining, consider packing a "pet survival" kit which could be easily deployed if disaster hits.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home. Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.<br /></span></li>
<li><a href="http://emc.ornl.gov/CSEPPweb/animals/animals_emergencies_owner.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Animals in Emergencies for Owners</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This video, developed by the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) /FEMA, is intended to help pet and livestock owners prepare to protect their animals during emergencies.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare to Shelter Your Pet</span></h2>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call your local emergency management office, animal shelter, or animal control office to get advice and information.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your pet. Find out where pet boarding facilities are located. Be sure to research some outside your local area in case local facilities close.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters will need your pet's medical records to make sure all vaccinations are current. Include copies in your "pet survival" kit along with a photo of your pet.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>NOTE:</strong> Some animal shelters will provide temporary foster care for owned pets in times of disaster, but this should be considered only as a last resort.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have no alternative but to leave your pet at home, there are some precautions you must take, but remember that leaving your pet at home alone can place your animal in great danger! Confine your pet to a safe area inside -- NEVER leave your pet chained outside! Leave them loose inside your home with food and plenty of water. Remove the toilet tank lid, raise the seat and brace the bathroom door open so they can drink. Place a notice outside in a visible area, advising what pets are in the house and where they are located. Provide a phone number where you or a contact can be reached as well as the name and number of your vet.</span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During a Disaster</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring your pets inside immediately.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have newspapers on hand for sanitary purposes. Feed the animals moist or canned food so they will need less water to drink.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Animals have instincts about severe weather changes and will often isolate themselves if they are afraid. Bringing them inside early can stop them from running away. Never leave a pet outside or tied up during a storm.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Separate dogs and cats. Even if your dogs and cats normally get along, the anxiety of an emergency situation can cause pets to act irrationally. Keep small pets away from cats and dogs.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an emergency, you may have to take your birds with you. Talk with your veterinarian or local pet store about special food dispensers that regulate the amount of food a bird is given. Make sure that the bird is caged and the cage is covered by a thin cloth or sheet to provide security and filtered light.</span></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a Disaster</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If after a disaster you have to leave town, take your pets with you. Pets are unlikely to survive on their own.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the first few days after the disaster, leash your pets when they go outside. Always maintain close contact. Familiar scents and landmarks may be altered and your pet may become confused and lost. Also, snakes and other dangerous animals may be brought into the area with flood areas. Downed power lines are a hazard.<br /></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The behavior of your pets may change after an emergency. Normally quiet and friendly pets may become aggressive or defensive. Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place them in a fenced yard with access to shelter and water.</span></li>
</ul>
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Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-2951470804235426902011-10-04T17:13:00.000-07:002011-10-04T17:13:36.629-07:00Too Many Kittens!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when HART has too many kittens, and they're not getting adopted! Everyone loves kittens! We have so many kittens that need homes, we're having TWO tabling events this weekend (October 8th):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kittens 12 weeks and over will be at HART from 11 to 2 (302 Range Road, Cumberland)</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Kittens under 12 weeks will be at Pet Life in Portland-Northgate Shopping Plaza from 10 to 1</strong></span></div>
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Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-18923922509863366552011-09-26T18:25:00.000-07:002011-09-28T17:02:52.279-07:00Long Live the Kitty Mafia<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first became a HART volunteer when I was in college, but after awhile life got in the way and I stopped volunteering. I started volunteering again because of the Kitty Mafia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's the Kitty Mafia? If you own cats, you are probably living with the Kitty Mafia yourself. Let me explain...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was 11 years old my Christmas present was an adorable little calico kitten I named Holly (short for Holly Berry, since I found her playing in the Christmas tree.) When I graduated college and got my first apartment, I brought Holly to live with me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only problem was, I spent very little time at home, due to my work hours and commute. At the time I was still volunteering at HART, so I decided to adopt a kitty to keep Holly company. Thus Cleo (short for Cleopatra) entered my life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least 6 months went by before I realized that I was living with the Kitty Mafia. The realization came to me as I lay in bed one Saturday morning, attempting to sleep in but being completely thwarted by the cats, as was usual.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not a morning person. If I had my way I'd be up until 1 or 2 in the morning and then sleep until 10 or 11. So the weekends are my chance to do just that. Unfortunately, just as the sun would start rising at some far edge of the planet, Cleo would climb on top of me and start purring, kneading, and licking my face. This of course would instantly wake me up, and I'd have to fend her off with the blanket until she would finally settle down next to me. Grumbling, I would go back to sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as I would return to dreamland, Cleo would get up and search around the room for any bit of plastic or other noisy items that should could rustle. Again, I would wake instantly. Stubbornly keeping my eyes shut, I would yell at Cleo to go away. The rustling would stop for a minute, then start up again. This would continue in a loop until I would fumble around on my nightstand for an empty water bottle or chapstick that I could throw in the general direction of the sound. Ah, peace at last!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleo would return to my bed, to purr, knead and lick again, this time joined by Holly. Holly never messed around - she would just sit right on my head until I was forced to get up. The cats always won.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may be wondering how this lead me to the realization of the Kitty Mafia...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One sleepless night I woke early, before the cats. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. As the sun started to come up at some far edge of the planet, Holly rose, stretched, hit Cleo on the head, and then left the room. Cleo, having been woken by Holly, got up as well, and left the room. She didn't make it out of the doorway before I heard an hiss and glimpsed Holly's paw reaching out to smack Cleo again. Cleo ducked her head and came back into the room. She jumped on the bed, came over to me and started purring, kneading and licking. I fended her off with the blanket until she settled down. I waited, and heard soft growling coming from the doorway. Cleo got up and jumped off the bed again. She searched around the room to find something to rustle. I was completely dumbstruck as the lightbulb went off in my head. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since that morning, I watched their interactions more closely, and found that Cleo deferred to Holly in everything. She wouldn't even eat food until Holly had finished. Holly was the Kitty Mafia boss, and Cleo was her soldier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I enjoyed my Kitty Mafia, but sadly the mafia boss became old and sick, and eventually passed away. I adopted another cat from HART, Danu, and she joined with Cleo to form the Kitty Assassins! (They vowed on Holly's deathbed that they would spend every day trying to kill me, in honor of her memory. They're very good at it. Danu has needles of death (i.e. very sharp claws!))</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What has the Kitty Mafia done in your house?</span><br />
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Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-65576388736055420012011-09-21T16:41:00.000-07:002011-09-21T17:17:32.689-07:00Only the lonely<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@PetFinder tweeted today that it is "Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week" and it reminded me of several promotions we have done in the past at HART to try to get the "less adoptable" cats adopted. I did a brief Google search to see what the interwebs thinks is the least adoptable cat. The consensus seems to be that black cats are the least adoptable. Although I agree that black cats are harder to adopt, I don't agree that they are the least adoptable of all shelter cats. Here is my list of least adoptable cats, in order:</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Senior cats (particularly those on medications.) We do get the occasional angel who comes into the shelter specifically looking for a senior cat, but most adopters want a young cat (even more prefer a kitten.) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnukTBl5l6bAOiMGrs3123i0u9SNsf8GEiaDl-_3Qw2JmPrv11Om0kQSIL5poECxXbfd6O1aRCH32TOJLBRaieUOrjqnljbo-fWuhPmggrJT7YEQDKA6v6Gkh3rDJOfziGyRlU2Wmy0mU/s1600/Jules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnukTBl5l6bAOiMGrs3123i0u9SNsf8GEiaDl-_3Qw2JmPrv11Om0kQSIL5poECxXbfd6O1aRCH32TOJLBRaieUOrjqnljbo-fWuhPmggrJT7YEQDKA6v6Gkh3rDJOfziGyRlU2Wmy0mU/s1600/Jules.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Semi-feral cats. Though some, maybe even many, of these cats will eventual become very loving, not many people want to put the time and energy into socializing the cat. Foster homes help this process tremendously, but it is hard to place these cats in foster too. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpp_DSdba6CcPU9XOm3RTZ2HwdeNKtOaMpBl2MrC57-WyHdJbsijxthyWFbMJU8aSivpmPuf9YZsHqBcR1rjlza8-YCXyqzD6Tj3YI_gBlEVgAa1mwRtNXWuRZ0slFkjC08VK7i8CEaQ/s1600/charlenr_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpp_DSdba6CcPU9XOm3RTZ2HwdeNKtOaMpBl2MrC57-WyHdJbsijxthyWFbMJU8aSivpmPuf9YZsHqBcR1rjlza8-YCXyqzD6Tj3YI_gBlEVgAa1mwRtNXWuRZ0slFkjC08VK7i8CEaQ/s1600/charlenr_000.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. FIV+ cats. Most people are turned off by the "aids" misconception. See this blog post for more info: </span><a href="http://hartofme.blogspot.com/2011/08/fiv-psa.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FIV</span></a><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Bonded pairs. You might think that most people coming to adopt a cat would want to have more than one, and that usually is the case. So why do they ignore the bonded pairs? In many cases, they already have other cats at home, and are looking to add just one to the mix. In many other cases, they like one of the pair, but not the other, and are far more likely to find 2 unbonded cats to adopt. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizGUtTlgOZ61VFl8dv3i2QWV4EyR6f3DIyWAcvUUK4hSJ6BE-KiPRhGCFOMKsFcdUZXR40g2_ViS916kdWcCkwBqjKAElTrTDsiemukBjx7dhQtHkHuvtniEQbRNVQrbuJjRUieIXOFI/s1600/Bacardi_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizGUtTlgOZ61VFl8dv3i2QWV4EyR6f3DIyWAcvUUK4hSJ6BE-KiPRhGCFOMKsFcdUZXR40g2_ViS916kdWcCkwBqjKAElTrTDsiemukBjx7dhQtHkHuvtniEQbRNVQrbuJjRUieIXOFI/s1600/Bacardi_000.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2GiQ_6sF5dHuVeaatN_AM-oQRvMvPeHer4j-PhZjbRjiwg8n_5sDqRd7XxeTmoIzOKqiCVSpGrdDNtH6uryyfxCC5-FCdP1VSPFeweXgfMckxKSDwleiCanAl97UygKSqayZQDCqies/s1600/Maggie_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2GiQ_6sF5dHuVeaatN_AM-oQRvMvPeHer4j-PhZjbRjiwg8n_5sDqRd7XxeTmoIzOKqiCVSpGrdDNtH6uryyfxCC5-FCdP1VSPFeweXgfMckxKSDwleiCanAl97UygKSqayZQDCqies/s1600/Maggie_001.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Pure black cats. Call it superstition, call it whatever you want, but pure black cats do stay longer at the shelter before getting adopted. </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQGtCXPEWJZ_7oNIzyg2AZq_Zg1Zs1MjeQUzMd_b7SOBNrkwE-k3wivE1P5KkJV86uMmerOHKzIR5zRCcGEk-XjqMrA5AjKtfVpsa6vvwQ05nFWXjlVhmPd9QWGNQdC9ugoD2b6ZImwo/s1600/Angel_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQGtCXPEWJZ_7oNIzyg2AZq_Zg1Zs1MjeQUzMd_b7SOBNrkwE-k3wivE1P5KkJV86uMmerOHKzIR5zRCcGEk-XjqMrA5AjKtfVpsa6vvwQ05nFWXjlVhmPd9QWGNQdC9ugoD2b6ZImwo/s1600/Angel_000.jpg" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-9132230486318523712011-09-11T19:03:00.000-07:002011-09-11T19:21:47.039-07:00Are shelters really hurting?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may be wondering if shelters are really hurting for money and adoptions as much as I've let on. Let's examine the issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, during HART's open house, they adopted out 6 kittens and 4 adult cats. It was a wonderfully busy day, and an exception, not the rule. Based on the current adoption special, those adoptions brought in approx. $650. (The number is approx. because there are 2 different rates for kittens, based on age, and I don't know the age of the kittens adopted.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also on Saturday there were 10 kittens and 6 adult cats, one possibly pregnant, surrendered. Already the numbers are not good...more coming in than going out. At least 4 of the adults, and all of the kittens, will need to be spayed/neutered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happens to cats when they are brought into HART? They are weighed, checked for fleas/ticks, treated for fleas/ticks/parasites, and given a general lookover to see if there are any issues to bring to the vet's attention. They are brought to a vet where they are vaccinated for rabies and distemper. They are tested for FeLV, FIV, and heartworm. They are spayed/neutered if not done already. They are given a health exam, and any health issues found are followed up with the prescribed treatment by the vet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would all of this cost you, if you had the vet do all this to your cat?</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>Medical Service </strong> What You'd Pay</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Neuter (male)/Spay (female) $92 / $200</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FeLV/FIV testing $52</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Rabies vaccination $29</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Distemper vaccination (1 shot) $20</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Revolution (fleas & ear mites) $18</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Pyrantel (hook & round worms) $8</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Droncit (tapeworm) $6</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>Total Cost: $225 / $333</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HART is fortunate to work with local area vets who are able to offer these services at a reduced rate, but it is still well over $100 per cat. This does not take into consideration the expenses of normal, every day care, such as food and litter. The regular adoption fee for a cat from HART is $75. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's go back for a moment to that <strong>$650</strong> that was brought in through adoptions. Let's assume that all of the cats/kittens brought in will need $150 (for easier calculations) each in vet care. That's <strong>$2400</strong>. I'm terrible at math, but even I can see that HART is fighting a losing battle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is why donations are so important to shelters like HART. This is why I am trying to raise $10,000 to help them, and to help these cats. The cats deserve the high quality of care they receive, but even more they deserve good, permanent homes.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC186nXhy5gutM3jzjZ1C3PQo5uLmyzrGFFPsErx2B3I7vw5zmKh3UxwReY1H1dJI3LMyN4hMs9rT0zK2IN86uEdOuIRE1jZ9WEooYf9xsgV1pSRdNB4La_0bFN7FXGuYX3r1k6nqpTj4/s1600/SSL12568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC186nXhy5gutM3jzjZ1C3PQo5uLmyzrGFFPsErx2B3I7vw5zmKh3UxwReY1H1dJI3LMyN4hMs9rT0zK2IN86uEdOuIRE1jZ9WEooYf9xsgV1pSRdNB4La_0bFN7FXGuYX3r1k6nqpTj4/s320/SSL12568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-35483166503149557172011-09-10T19:39:00.000-07:002011-09-10T19:42:38.843-07:00Apple family<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's come to my attention that the ChipIn donation widget does not display on iPhones, iPads, iPods, etc. If you are viewing my page from one of these devices and would like to make a donation to HART, please use this button: </span><br />
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
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Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-20923601741952437552011-09-03T15:53:00.000-07:002011-09-03T15:53:42.937-07:00A Request<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you donate to your local shelter as a result of reading this blog (kudos if you do), please leave a comment on this post with the state and name of the shelter, so that others in your area might do the same.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5IpqDKTXE7gFTYBYpT4r716rrSVAPj9lVRGjGyqBvN7Iu9UftJpRhrIUg2TmYlneLffGM48_3xCVBJOYpJOmFBmmBq6BLRWYccvF9dDgHEXj3afD8vLMvY-A4gOuPL57DgRcy6Oi-V8/s1600/SSL12581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5IpqDKTXE7gFTYBYpT4r716rrSVAPj9lVRGjGyqBvN7Iu9UftJpRhrIUg2TmYlneLffGM48_3xCVBJOYpJOmFBmmBq6BLRWYccvF9dDgHEXj3afD8vLMvY-A4gOuPL57DgRcy6Oi-V8/s320/SSL12581.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-64721990647649807312011-09-03T15:22:00.000-07:002011-09-04T07:17:36.619-07:00Did You Know?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know...that a cat's digestive system isn't designed to handle grains? Cats are carnivores, and in the wild do not eat grains, fruits and vegetables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know...that the primary ingredient in most cat foods (particular dry kibble) is grain? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know...one of the leading contributing causes of diabetes in cats is a steady diet of dry kibble and food high in carbohydrates?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A simple diet change could change your cat's life forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information about feline diets and diabetes, please check out </span><a href="http://www.catinfo.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lisa Pierson, DVM</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://felinediabetes.com/diabetes-info.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feline Diabetes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45N2rEU12YPTtg2IPw6qiHcIhZc2ukABfGIFs6pkXdHSfLq7TlpBGXplIL04jSNBA6x0sb0h4awmZsKGTAwIjYRyLypF5EcvrVvIVMQystJ9qXwFmoqN_PgB4ze22NxSsRF60brjh07w/s1600/SSL12587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45N2rEU12YPTtg2IPw6qiHcIhZc2ukABfGIFs6pkXdHSfLq7TlpBGXplIL04jSNBA6x0sb0h4awmZsKGTAwIjYRyLypF5EcvrVvIVMQystJ9qXwFmoqN_PgB4ze22NxSsRF60brjh07w/s320/SSL12587.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>
Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-10042570948742792272011-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:002011-08-30T16:07:16.018-07:00Now For Some KittensCan't post about cats and not show kittens! These guys were just 3 days old. Yes, they are all HART cats, and happily they have all been adopted.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hBpgKZ9XKps?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-50869120242393434242011-08-30T15:54:00.000-07:002011-08-30T15:56:38.404-07:00An FIV PSA<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to raising money for HART, I would like to spread a bit of knowledge. Here is a video that was done a couple of years ago about FIV. Happily, most of the cats in the video have since been adopted. Unfortunately many more have come into the shelter to take their place. Also, there is a vaccine available to prevent your cat from getting FIV. Be warned though - if you vaccinate your cat for FIV, keep a record of the vaccination because your cat will test positive from then on.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kpGZUQFF5yA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-64926078428610363692011-08-30T15:14:00.003-07:002011-08-30T15:43:03.790-07:00Why should you donate to HART?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You may be wondering why you should donate to HART and not another shelter, perhaps one closer to you. The truth is, you should donate to your local shelter. Shelters do a lot, without much funding, and are very important in their communities. I've lost track of the number of people who have come into HART, heartbroken because they lost their house and couldn't take their cats with them to an apartment, or out of state. Others simply can no longer afford to take care of their cats. There are so many different stories out there, but they all result in more cats brought to the shelter.<br />
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HART is entirely run by volunteers. There is not a single person paid to be there, helping the cats. That includes the Board of Directors. Every penny that HART raises or is donated to HART goes directly to the care of the cats. Currently there are about 150 cats in the shelter, and more in foster homes. All of these cats are under HART's care. <br />
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I am passionate about helping HART, and I hope that you will share some of that passion, if not with HART then with your local shelter. Animals need our help.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixaBS2rfh1SC0-u7PvpS9DNMb2ORP3qI4XIpy7a-sxIIeKZ6VxtpAR-p-PhqqBe3fm6YqbtDc-ZocnI0qJO0NlRVhlFltFSKhVUYqHHtlnyvXCEa_tRjSFM_z1gw6vzUSt124Ll-41m4/s1600/Louie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixaBS2rfh1SC0-u7PvpS9DNMb2ORP3qI4XIpy7a-sxIIeKZ6VxtpAR-p-PhqqBe3fm6YqbtDc-ZocnI0qJO0NlRVhlFltFSKhVUYqHHtlnyvXCEa_tRjSFM_z1gw6vzUSt124Ll-41m4/s1600/Louie.jpg" xaa="true" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-29579664754426872902011-08-30T15:14:00.001-07:002011-08-30T15:40:32.852-07:00Why am I doing this?<span style="font-family: arial;">I've been a volunteer at HART for several years and have watched with a sad heart the toll that the economy has taken on pet owners and all of the shelters, not just HART. Traditional fundraising methods bring in some money, but just not enough. I wanted to do something, in a big way to help the shelter. I have serious doubts I will come anywhere close to my goal, but every penny helps and nothing is lost by trying. I also strongly believe that the Internet can be a wonderful way to spread word about our wonderful kitties and (hopefully, fingers crossed!) increase our adoption rate. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfHPEKHo1fAhnT0zF_sThdzcBhjEaCqS_Tuf3qN6ss-R6gv_kIrmm3nHsyFtaxki4yh2GNISMgQCKX03sNjZp2Q3n-H9Lc9hJks9wtQO_SpuH7qM1Dsf1vAAw7ZiqKo_lCuwIJgxQyV4/s1600/Heidi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfHPEKHo1fAhnT0zF_sThdzcBhjEaCqS_Tuf3qN6ss-R6gv_kIrmm3nHsyFtaxki4yh2GNISMgQCKX03sNjZp2Q3n-H9Lc9hJks9wtQO_SpuH7qM1Dsf1vAAw7ZiqKo_lCuwIJgxQyV4/s1600/Heidi2.jpg" xaa="true" /></a></div>Aerynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17229832978953462576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389585780282663049.post-46162621633020685092011-08-30T15:12:00.000-07:002011-08-30T15:36:22.937-07:00What is HART of Maine?<span style="font-family: arial;">HART of Maine is a non-profit, no-kill, open concept shelter and adoption center for cats. In short, they are really, really awesome. You can read more about the shelter and see the cats here: <a href="http://www.hartofme.com/">HART of Maine</a></span><br />
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