There are an estimated 100,000-200,000 in stray cats in Jerusalem, with the population growing every day. The co-founders of Street Cats of Jerusalem aims to reduce those numbers through a Trap-Neuter-Release program. One of those founders is Hindy Pearson. Her … Continue reading The Street Cats of Jerusalem
A year ago, my husband and I started fostering kittens through The Cat House. We started with a spare room and some hand-me-down cat supplies. TCH provided food and litter. As our friends and other TCH volunteers became aware that … Continue reading Growing into Kitten Foster Care
The Comedy Kittens came to us from The Cat House to foster when they were about seven weeks old. At this age, it’s important that kittens are socialized. It was even more important for these particular kittens, as they had … Continue reading Socialization and The Comedy Kittens
One can either give into or rise above terrible circumstances. Sam Franklin is an animal lover and rescuer who has chosen to rise above. Despite losing her basset in 2009 and despite being a victim of domestic violence, she persevered … Continue reading Lost Pets & Shelter Me
In December 2013, my husband and I adopted a one-year-old tortoiseshell cat from Hearts United for Animals. Cinder has taught us so much about cats that it seemed proper for her to have her own advice column. QUESTION: How do … Continue reading Cinder’s Advice: Door Dashers
Saunders County Lost Pets is an all-volunteer non-profit that offers a unique opportunity for volunteers to help both animals and the community through pet therapy. SCLP grew from Wilcox’s personal loss. The family had removed part of their fence to lay down some sod in their yard. Two of their Labrador retrievers were in the yard with them and took off. Wilcox looked for them for years, even driving around to other agencies for months and months, but she never found her dogs. “Before that day, I had never given any thought to homeless pets or strays,” Wilcox said. “I … Continue reading Saunders County Lost Pets Rescue Offers Pet Therapy
Poupack braced herself against the blowing snow as she made her way towards her apartment building. Her hands and feet had begun to tingle in the biting Nebraska weather. No creature should have been outside in the miserable winter, but shivering next to Poupack’s apartment building was a black cat. Poupack ran upstairs to her apartment for food. She and her husband didn’t own any cats, which meant they didn’t have any cat food on hand. Poupack settled for a piece of sausage. “The cat ate the sausage very fast,” Poupack said, “and I could hear her saying what sounded … Continue reading Poupack and Shiboo
This is rescue. Momma Jenny (perhaps one of the sweetest cats ever) found her way to us when her kittens were just wee little nuggets. They’ve been in one of our amazing foster homes and now everyone is ready to find their forever homes.—The Cat House On July 12, Andy and I were scheduled to take our current foster kittens to The Cat House, as they had just been spayed/neutered and ready to be adopted. Then I got an email from the The Cat House’s president, asking us if we’d be willing to foster a Momma cat and her four … Continue reading This Is Rescue
Carol Miller’s passion for horses recently led her to adopt a rescued horse through Hooves and Paws. Her love began as a young person. At 14 years of age, Carol received her first horse as a gift from her dad. She learned how to ride and show jump on Hurry Sundown, a quarter horse and American Saddlebred mix, and has fond memories of her time with him. One particular moment stands out to Carol. “My dad would haul our horses up to Chimney Rock to ride. On one ride, we were heading up the ridge and Sundown stopped. He wouldn’t … Continue reading A Love for Horses
THE FIRST DAY The four kittens arrived at their new temporary home. Their pet foster parents took turns welcoming each of them by saying their names and hugging them. Then the pet foster parents quietly slipped out of the room and eased the door shut behind them. The four kittens looked up and down and around their room. They whimpered a little, and then were drawn to a cat bed that had a familiar smell. The kittens realized it was a bed from their previous home and were comforted to have found something familiar in this new place. Nacho wrapped … Continue reading Kitten 101, According to Nacho, Taco, Queso, and Sopa
Fostering a cat family of six has been both a learning experience and a joy. Andy and I have fostered only two cats previously, but only one at a time. We weren’t prepared for how busy a family of six cats would keep us. For example, there’s the daily job of caring for them. At mealtimes, the eager cats climb over my feet the moment I walk into the room, making it a challenge not to trip over them. Before I can feed them, I need to retrieve their dirty dishes and fetch food from the closet without shutting the … Continue reading Farewell to Shiboo and Her Kittens
Andy and I received the call earlier this month that we’d been waiting for. The Cat House had a cat family that needed a temporary home. In one afternoon, our household increased from three cats to nine! We began with the following sage but basic advice. Provide a safe place and then allow the cat to explore it. When checking in on a cat, keep visits short. Play with the kittens, but mostly spend quiet time with them until they’ve adjusted. Safe space: check. That one was easy, we put them in the guest room. But the other two, not … Continue reading Then There Were Nine!
