The Power of One...

Matty was once feral...she's now found her forever home as a lap cat... 

Many of you have heard the parable about the starfish on the seashore.  Coming across a young man picking up starfish that had washed up on shore and throwing them back into the sea, a wise man remarked “There are just too many, you can’t save all of them.  Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?”  At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.  As it met the water, he said, “I made a difference to that one!”

Rescued babies...

Riley

 Yup!...still looking

After a frightful trial by fire, Riley has fallen into the lap of luxury in our care.  She has managed to insinuate herself into the household, becoming just another one of the creatures that allow me to live with them.  Even though she had a feral beginning, she has made great strides.  She's always underfoot, out and about, but always just tantalizingly out of reach.  I've petted her a few times when she was cornered and couldn't escape, but she's not yet seeking my touch.   She loooooves the other cats in the house, snuggling up to any and all that will allow it.  Still looking for a home...

A Survivor's Tale

Riley had a rough day. 

Scrounging for food, she was picked up in a dumpster and thrown into the back of a compaction garbage truck.  Heaven knows how long she was squished in the truck with little air, but she was eventually dropped unceremoniously onto the sorting floor at the dump.  Staggering to her feet, this kitty then ran headlong into a steel post.  Picking herself up again - disoriented - she tried to make her way to the nearby woods, but she could barely stand up.  She'd walk a few steps, then fall over, lurch back to her feet and try again.  Her rescuer had little difficulty in catching her and putting her into a box for transport to the vet.

We fully expected that Riley would need to be put down.  Although she had no broken bones, she couldn't seem to coordinate her lower limbs.  Her head was shaking as if she had Parkinson's, suggesting a neurological injury.  But - bless her - the vet said "Give her 24 hours" and lo and behold, she rallied.

Riley is a special case - she's feral but her home environment isn't where we picked her up; and we have no idea where she came from originally. Where do we return such a cat? 

We need to find her a home.

From our Mailbag....

Dear Pamela,
 
Beau couldn't be better! Anna, Alex, Todd and I just wanted to thank you.  You have given us the greatest gift. Beau is part of our family in a way we could have never imagined. He is a loving, playful, constant companion to our girl cat Belle. They sleep, eat and play together as if they've been together from birth. Beau has brought something special to each of us and we give thanks for him every day. We honestly believe he was sent to us. It's hard to imagine he was once the cat who hid under our beds for nearly the whole first week. He is definitely Daddy's boy. My husband Todd LOVES him and Beau follows him everywhere. Beau plays with the children and lays on each of their beds at night to help tuck them in. He provides constant amusement with his quirkiness.( for instance he tips his water bowl over on the floor before he drinks). I could go on and on!
 
Please be sure to share this with your rescue org. This is a beautiful, happy, healthy animal because of your hard work, compassion and limitless dedication to this wonderful cause.
 
With greatest gratitude,
Karen, Todd, Anna, Alex,Belle and Beau. 

Mall Dates

We will be at the Halifax Shopping Centre on August 6th and August 28th, touting our "wares".  Hope to see you there! 

Foster homes needed 

"Be the change you want to see in the world."  Mahatma Ghandi

Princess Bea Update

Bea is now almost 4 months old and she has been in foster care since she was 3 weeks old.  Bea was found out on her own on the top side of a landfill.  We suspect her mother dropped her while transporting her to new "digs".  For all of her apparently feral origins, Beatrice is sweet, cuddly and friendly.  And full of beans!  She's tackling all the big ol' cats in her foster home head-on.  She's ready for her audition; the most important one - a new forever home.

Looking for a home 

Baxter 

Baxter is one of those cats easily overlooked in an ad because he doesn't have iridescent blue eyes, extra toes, missing legs, broken tail...just an everyday handsome black American Short-hair.  I find that people can either be spooked or drawn in by pure black cats.  The attached photos don't do him justice - Baxter is much more handsome in person.  Luxurious black fur and a small but sturdy body.    This 1-year old boy has no health issues at all.
 
Baxter has a delightful personality - bold and inquisitive.  Endearingly, he's fascinated by water.  Given the chance, he will repeatedly knock over his water bowl.  Even when presented with a no-spill water container, he likes to jostle it with his paw just to see the water move.  He'll hunker down by the sink in hopes that you'll run the water for his entertainment pleasure.
 
Baxter came from the Valley where he was rescued from the pound where he was on the brink of being euthanized because there was no place for him to go.  The time he has spent in a kennel probably explains why he has become so enamoured of his water bowl; not much else to do.
 
Baxter has been vetted - neutered and needled - and he's ready to be adopted at any time.  He gets along with other cats but may be too rambunctious for small children.
 

Rosa and Ripley

These adorable 5-month-old kittens need a forever home. Rosa and Ripley have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, tested for feline diseases (negative) and thoroughly examined by a vet.

These kittens had a rough start– their mother was abandoned to live outdoors because of her inconvenient pregnancy. So the kittens were born behind the mother’s former home, left to shiver in the cold days and nights of March. Luckily, a neighbour heard the little ones crying and we managed to trap them and their mother and brought them in from the cold. 

Ripley is a quiet tempered and cuddly boy. Rosa is a perfect little female who adores playing and cuddling with her foster family on their bed. These kittens love to snuggle with eachother and the other cats in the house.  They play for hours on end with anything they find – toilet paper, shoelaces, hanging towels. 

Gandhi said, "In a gentle way you can shake the world."

Here are some things to think about how to do just that …

1. Know that all significant change throughout history has occurred not because of nations, armies, governments and certainly not committees. They happened as a result of the courage and commitment of individuals. People like Joan of Ark, Albert Einstein, Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Rosa Parks. They might not have done it alone, but they were, without question, the change makers.

2. Believe that you have a unique purpose and potential in the world. It's not so much something to create as to be discovered. And it's up to you to discover it. Believe that you can and will make a difference.

3. Recognize that everything you do, every step you take, every sentence you write, every word you speak-or DON'T speak--counts. Nothing is trivial. The world may be big, but there are no small things. Everything matters.

4. To be the change you want to see in the world, you don't have to be loud. You don't have to be eloquent. You don't have to be elected. You don't even have to be particularly smart or well educated. You do, however, have to be committed.

5. Take personal responsibility. Never think "it's not my job". It's a cop-out to say, "What can I do, I'm only one person." You don't need everyone's cooperation or anyone's permission to make changes. Remember this little gem, "If it's to be, it's up to me."

6. Don't get caught up in the how of things. If you're clear on what you want to change and why you want to change it, the how will come. Many significant things have been left undone because someone let the problem solving interfere with the decision-making.

7. Don't wait for things to be right in order to begin. Change is messy. Things will never be just right. Follow Teddy Roosevelt's timeless advice, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

8. The genesis for change is awareness. We cannot change what we don't acknowledge. Most of the time, we aren't aware of what's wrong or what's not working. We don't see what could be. By becoming more aware, we begin the process of change.

9. Take to heart these words from Albert Einstein--arguably one of the smartest change masters who ever lived: "All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge."

10. In order for things to change, YOU have to change. We can't change others; we can only change ourselves. However, when WE change, it changes everything. And in doing so, we truly can be the change we want to see in the world.