- Joined
- Jun 28, 2013
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I was linked to the site by a fellow rescuer, and spent hours reading all the threads. So I decided to join; it seemed like a great resource for a neophyte foster like myself.
I am involved with a wonderful rescue group in MD and have run the gamut of volunteering at the shelters and low-cost clinic, feral cat feeding, adoption shows, fostering and now managing a small shelter focusing mainly on the exotic breeds i.e. Siamese, Himalayans, Snowshoes although I also have some wonderful DSH characters too. I'm learning so much on all aspects of cat husbandry; each day brings some new experience. I do have 3 of my own kitties who graciously share their home with the unadoptables and my husband has renovated an existing shed on our property to house the cats, complete with a huge outdoor enclosure with trees to climb (not too high as to get over the fence). In fact the only cat to escape, 3 times, from the enclosure is a partially blind kitty. We worked out that while she could use the cat-flap to get into the enclosure from the cat-shed, she couldn't figure out how to get back inside so she would climb the fence and then sit at the front door to the cat-shed waiting for us to let her back in. Too funny! We have since fixed the area of the fence where she would escape and we've had no more problems. She can also use the cat-flap in both directions now too...clever girl. Inside the shed, in addition to the ground floor, there is a mezzanine floor, reached by a series of cat trees, and a window that looks into the enclosure; it's warm and cosy in the winter and cool in the Summer thanks to some great insulation. I picked up some great dog beds from a local auction and the cats are often all found lolling around on them while watching the great outdoors.
I work for the airlines and have a great time visiting shelters in other countries. There is a house-boat near our hotel in Amsterdam that is a shelter for the cats, and in Rome, there is a major excavation site, in the middle of a busy square that houses a very busy rescue/shelter. Of course the cats are everywhere in Rome! On a recent trip to the Middle East I found a very tiny kitten in the middle of a pedestrian mall. One eye was completely closed and covered in a green pus, and people were just stepping over him, like he was a bit of trash. I scooped him up, smuggled him back into the hotel and during my layover obtained the correct paperwork to bring him back to the US. (I was unable to find a rescue in the city.) That's the little guy I've used as my avatar. His name is Pi, and he is a character and a half! He is being cared for by the best kitten/orphan carer one could ask for and he has thrived in her care. Check out the ears...their size, and his very thin skin have evolved to keep the cat cool in very hot climates.
Do I have a favorite? I love them all, and it's bittersweet to adopt them to their furever homes but I have the memories and photos of their time with me. At the moment, my pet is a little CH kitty. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to let this one go. She is just too precious!
Thanks for listening and I look forward to reading the great information available on this site.
I am involved with a wonderful rescue group in MD and have run the gamut of volunteering at the shelters and low-cost clinic, feral cat feeding, adoption shows, fostering and now managing a small shelter focusing mainly on the exotic breeds i.e. Siamese, Himalayans, Snowshoes although I also have some wonderful DSH characters too. I'm learning so much on all aspects of cat husbandry; each day brings some new experience. I do have 3 of my own kitties who graciously share their home with the unadoptables and my husband has renovated an existing shed on our property to house the cats, complete with a huge outdoor enclosure with trees to climb (not too high as to get over the fence). In fact the only cat to escape, 3 times, from the enclosure is a partially blind kitty. We worked out that while she could use the cat-flap to get into the enclosure from the cat-shed, she couldn't figure out how to get back inside so she would climb the fence and then sit at the front door to the cat-shed waiting for us to let her back in. Too funny! We have since fixed the area of the fence where she would escape and we've had no more problems. She can also use the cat-flap in both directions now too...clever girl. Inside the shed, in addition to the ground floor, there is a mezzanine floor, reached by a series of cat trees, and a window that looks into the enclosure; it's warm and cosy in the winter and cool in the Summer thanks to some great insulation. I picked up some great dog beds from a local auction and the cats are often all found lolling around on them while watching the great outdoors.
I work for the airlines and have a great time visiting shelters in other countries. There is a house-boat near our hotel in Amsterdam that is a shelter for the cats, and in Rome, there is a major excavation site, in the middle of a busy square that houses a very busy rescue/shelter. Of course the cats are everywhere in Rome! On a recent trip to the Middle East I found a very tiny kitten in the middle of a pedestrian mall. One eye was completely closed and covered in a green pus, and people were just stepping over him, like he was a bit of trash. I scooped him up, smuggled him back into the hotel and during my layover obtained the correct paperwork to bring him back to the US. (I was unable to find a rescue in the city.) That's the little guy I've used as my avatar. His name is Pi, and he is a character and a half! He is being cared for by the best kitten/orphan carer one could ask for and he has thrived in her care. Check out the ears...their size, and his very thin skin have evolved to keep the cat cool in very hot climates.
Do I have a favorite? I love them all, and it's bittersweet to adopt them to their furever homes but I have the memories and photos of their time with me. At the moment, my pet is a little CH kitty. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to let this one go. She is just too precious!
Thanks for listening and I look forward to reading the great information available on this site.
