Savannah's Paw Tracks

Autobiography of a Former Shelter Cat

Feline Dinner Service Challenges

HIYA!  SAVANNAH HERE !!!

I must learn if any other fur family household has ANY CHALLENGES similar to mine. My pals, my readers…whether KITTIES or WOOFIES…PLEASE…SHARE in comments what you experience when the NOMS aka FOOD is served…

My purrsonal experience is about ‘cuteness’ competition…and ASSUMED ‘first in line’…PLEASE let me hear from you all…

Dining

Ok…now the ‘stage’ is set…

Delivering Noms

And now the decision maker…

Delivering the noms

So what happens in youR Castle when the noms are delivered???….

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

Happy Tails Ending: Round Up Report

HIYA! SAVANNAH HERE!!

You know I like to keep my paws in all things about cat rescue here in my community, right? And lots of times I share the stories of cats, usually adult cats, who are searching for a forever home. I decided my readers deserve a Round Up Report  to share what is going on in the lives of the cats I write about and also those I come across who have a great rescue story to share.

First, I am excited to be able to share some news about some of the Adult Homeless Foster Cats (AHFC)  I interviewed in late 2015.

Adult Homeless Foster Cats

My interview series featured 7 adult homeless foster cats, representative of all those adult cats who languish in foster care across the USA, and the world. Humans do not always see that an adult cat, even a senior cat, can be the best fur family member ever.

Remember the first AHFC cats I interviewed? Coco and Chanel. Well, they were ADOPTED TOGETHER!! A very nice lady saw them on the CC4C website. She was looking for a tuxedo cat, but went home with BOTH! The two girls have very happy tails indeed!

c and c

Another AHFC I interviewed was Queen Victoria Noire. She had a tough time because she was adopted twice, and returned within a day both times. The adopters did not follow the foster human’s instructions about how to make sure Noire was comfy before trying to ask too much of her. After the second return, Noire was very distressed and depressed. She was forming a close bond with her foster human…and yes, Noire is also adopted now…by her foster human!

noire

The other AHFCats I shared through my interviews, Irish, Nicky  and Patches remain, sadly, unadopted. If you are able please be sure to share their stories once again. I sure do appreciate it.

Now one more Happy Tails Ending I just learned about today. This is sure to put a smile on your face. I just posted about the Return to Field (RTF) Program my pals from Outcast Cat Help implemented last year in partnership with my county’s Animal Services shelter. Well take a look at this adult senior cat who was liberated from a life in the wild to a life of luxury…just from being discovered by my county Animal Services shelter and the founder, Ms Julie, of Outcast Cat Help.

Oliver (renamed Mortimer) is a 12 year old cat that came to the Martinez shelter as a stray & ended up in the feral room in November 2015. This sweet boy was born with a split nose/cleft palate. It was determined that he was not a good RTF candidate due to his health & age; so we marketed him on our FB page. His photos caught the eye of Milo’s Sanctuary, Inc. in LA, and we assisted them with his adoption/ transfer. We received the below update & photos from his caregiver Michele. Thank you for rescuing wonderful Oliver/ Mortimer, he really is living the Life of Riley!

“Mortimer was transported to Milo’s Sanctuary in Los Angeles and was super-skinny, with broken teeth and anemic. Well we can happily say he’s doing great! He had his dental to remove his teeth (we couldn’t do it until he was stronger and his anemia had gotten better). Mortimer came through his dental with flying colors, the bad teeth are gone, he’s gained weight and his anemia is completely resolved. This darling senior boy with a cleft palate is a shining star here at Milo’s and we want to thank everyone involved in his rescue including Outcast Cat Help, his Foster home in N California and his personal chauffeur to Los Angeles! It takes a village and we are proud to be a part of this one!”

milo 1
That’s my Happy Tails Ending: Round Up for this month. I bet’cha you have a grin like a cat on ‘nip’ just reading about these Happy Tails!!!

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

Give Life to Free Roaming Cats #BtC4A

HIYA!!  SAVANNAH HERE!!!

I am joining a movement which is near and dear to my heart. In case you are new to my blog, I am an adult shelter rescue cat…working hard to make a difference for all those similar to me—who do not have the voice I now have thanks to social media.

Are you ready to join me?

Are you ready to join me?

Today, I again proudly join the global Blog 4 The Change movement.

I pawticipate

I pawticipate

My post this quarter is very important to any and all who want to see the live release rates RISE at their local public animal shelters. Come on, read more, learn, ponder the information and then hopefully, you will JOIN me and Mom L in helping all free roaming community cats live their lives beyond being trapped and left at an animal control shelter to be euthanized.

Interested? Read on.

sign with WM ed s

Now you may be wondering just what is the Return to Field Program? Mom L and I learned about this opportunity to save the lives of Free Roaming Community Cats (FRCC) through one of our rescue pals, Ms Julie, founder of Outcast Cat Help. Now you likely wanna know what is the difference between FRCC versus “Feral Cat”? Right??

Let me help you with that explanation. Basically, they are the same. End of explanation…ok? It is just a new label to address the same challenge.

THE CHALLENGE

FRCC/Feral Cats are frequently trapped by humans who feed them, but do not know what to do about managing the increase in numbers as the FRCC multiply due to lack of being spayed/neutered. Those cats are dropped at public animal shelters across the USA…and then the cats—who have been living a life free from humans, are subjected to anywhere from 72 hours to 5 days on “hold” just in case some human arrives to claim them. The ending is not freedom. It is almost always being euthanized. Healthy, but unadoptable, often young cats who have clearly been fed by someone who cared.

You can see that all these FRCCs are desperate, afraid and also…healthy, and longing to live.

Can I please leave now??

Can I please leave now??

The FRCCs are both young and adult…

Let's Talk

ENTER: RETURN TO FIELD PROGRAM

Advantages:

  • FRCC receive FVRCP & rabies vaccintation; administered by the shelter, at no cost to the transfer partner rescue, for this program. Additionally, each cat receives an examination which includes a Body Condition Scale assessment (BCS) and is treated for fleas. Additional treatable medical issues are also addressed.
  • The cats may be part of an established colony with a caregiver/feeder. The rationale behind RTF is that if the cat has a good or better BCS (not starving), that cat is getting food from somewhere.
  • The FRCC must suffer through the hold period at public animal control shelters and all involved know that the end is death. When the public shelter has Transfer Partners in the local rescue community, these cats can be Returned to Field, meaning the area within which they were trapped, taking no longer than the time to recover from S/N surgery.
  • Once the FRCC are removed from the shelter, there is SPACE for other cats who are not adverse to human contact; and who are adoptable. A Total WIN-WIN!

Concerns:

  • Who will take care of the cats who are RTF’d? Great question. And, given that someone was kind enough to trap the cat, kittens etc….that means someone will care for the newly S/N cat/kittens and there will be NO MORE born into this community
  • Kittens who are not open to socialization are returned with siblings and/or their Mom Cats
  • Adults who are shy, but open to human contact are given the opportunity to live in foster and seek adoption.

Take a look at so many FRCCs being released through OCH’s transfer partnership with my county Animal Services Shelter…615 FREE ROAMING COMMUNITY CATS RETURNED TO FIELD…that is SIX HUNDRED FIFTEEN CATS SAVED!!

Which means MORE space at our county shelter for the adult cats and kittens who are truly adoptable…is there ever a better WIN-WIN???


Please support Return to Field in your local cat rescue community…just say’in…

PAW PATS, SAVANNAH

Additional Information:

Million Cat Challenge: Return to Field

Maddie’s Fund on RTF

Jackson Galaxy on Return to Field

Huffington Post

Managing Community Cats

Transforming Local Government

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