Cats Cradle Animal Rescue - Cats & Dogs - Victoria, Sidney & Saanich BC

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	11 Mar 10 - We have kittens ! Momma cat "Peep" had a litter of five in late February. We will post updated photos of the kits about once a week. Go to the 'Our Kittens' page to keep track of their progress ! These kittens will not be available for adoption until they are 8 weeks old.
NEW 'GOOD STORY'	11 Mar 10 - Click on the 'Good Stories' button (just right of the News window) to read about young "Ronin" and his newly adopted family.
	10 Mar 10 - 9 month old "Gracie" is probably the most affectionate grey tabby on the planet, or at least on Vancouver Island! She is definitely an extrovert who keeps her figure by playing energetically throughout the day. Gracie is available for adoption; her bio is in the 'Our Cats' section.
ADOPTIONS	10 Mar 10 - Hurray, hurray... cat "Angel" and kittens "Felix", "Lavender" and "Jacks" have all been adopted !
	9 Mar 10 - We have six new babies! Our pregnant mom gave birth on Saturday afternoon and our foster family were there for every birth with foster dad stepping in to tie off the cords when momma didn't do it! All seems well with all babies nursing happily off this very young mom. Watch for updates and photos!
PURDY'S	9 Mar 10 - Good news for all you Chocolate Bar Eaters and Sellers out there. Another order of Purdy’s chocolate bars will be arriving next week. If you want some to eat, or better yet, to sell to your friends or neighbours, contact Joan.
	8 Mar 10 - "Jackson" is a generally shy but truly beautiful boy, probably a Main Coon cross. He is willing to reveal his strong playful and affectionate nature when he feels safe. Check him out in the 'Our Cats' section.
ESPERANZA NEEDS HELP	8 Mar 10 - "Esperanza" has a page under 'Our Cats' but in fact she is not available for adoption. Read her horror story, then, if you can, send us a donation to help pay her medical expenses.
VIDEO	7 Mar 10 - Our dog "Valentina" now has a short video at YouTube. Go to her page in the 'Our Dogs' section of this site, for the link to her video at YouTube.
NEW CATS FOR ADOPTION	7 Mar 10 - We have three new cats for adoption. Go to the 'Our Cats' section to see photos of "Joyce", "Gabriel" and "Asha".
	6 Mar 10 - Beautiful "Valentine" has been adopted.
DOG FOSTER HOME(S) NEEDED	6 Mar 10 - Can you take two small dogs, even for a couple of days at a time? These two little dogs, one badly traumatized, need to know what it is like to live in a house. They are not completely house trained so will need to be let out regularly so they can learn to piddle outside. Both would benefit from lots of walks and time spent with them. So, even if you only have a couple of days on the weekend, why don’t you give some time to helping one or both of these little dogs?
APOLOGY !	5 Mar 10 - This is Beverly and I am apologizing to you wonderful volunteers and supporters who have had to deal with me for the last couple of days. I am apologizing because I know I am short tempered and complaining and I want you to know that this isn’t personal. This is year end for the little bookkeeping business that I have and I am far behind. It is also the anniversary month (March) of my husband’s death and his birthday month and it is always a difficult month for me personally. I am also far behind in everything else, not because I am sitting around eating bon bons, but because there are many animals that need my attention and are not getting enough of it. Forgive me please for my past and future bad temper. It is temporary I promise! Beverly.
DOG WALKING	4 Mar 10 - CCAR has two small dogs, currently at Beverly’s, who need lots of visits and short walks. If you can spare an hour or so to come and visit with the dogs and cats, just give Beverly a call.
SORTING RECYCLABLES	4 Mar 10 - We are desperately in need of one or two people to come to Bev’s and sort out a pile of recyclables. I simply don’t have time to do this and they are taking up a lot of room at my house. So, if you can spend an hour or two, and that is all it will take, sorting out recyclables, perhaps hanging out with the animals, I will even supply lunch or tea and cookies. Alternatively, if we can deliver them to you so you can sort them at your place, that would work too. Let me know!
	3 Mar 10 - "Lulu" is a lovely brown tabby. Only 5 years old, she has a big heart to match her big feet ! Read "Lulu's" bio in the 'Our Cats' section.
WANTED TO RENT	3 Mar 10 - Responsible working man with 2 small dogs looking for rental cottage, house, trailer pad or place to live and pasture or barn to have 8 miniature horses. Please email Karen at runamuckhobbyfarm@hotmail.com
WE HAVE KITTENS !	2 Mar 10 - Watch the site for information on kittens! We now have two pregnant and a mom and very young babies. None of these kittens will be adopted until they are 8 weeks old but you can “reserve” one ahead of time by making a deposit, after you have gone through the application process.
STUFFING MICE	1 Mar 10 - Is there someone, or two, who could stuff some catnip mice? Wendy very kindly crocheted 100 and now they need to be filled with stuffing and catnip. These are valuable little money-earners, so if you can help, call Joan at 250-656-1169 or email her at joaniemdoug@shaw.ca
FOSTER HOME FOR PREGNANT CAT	28 Feb 10 - We need a foster home for a pregnant cat. We're not sure how pregnant she is so this could be a fairly long term foster as you will see the mom through the birth and keep the babies until they are about 8 weeks old. Everything will be supplied including round the clock advice so don’t be scared. You will need a room for the cat apart from any other animals you have and some time to spend with her and her babies. For more information, call Joan at 656-1169.
BEV AWAY	26 Feb 10 - Bev is away until Tuesday March 2nd. Please don't phone or email her until next week !
LOST NEAR COURTENAY	26 Feb 10 - Vinnie is approximately 3 years old, neutered male. He is all black, except for a few single hairs on his chest. He has a broken canine tooth, bottom right, which he probably wouldn't let anyone find anyway. No collar, as he is not an outdoor cat. He was lost in the Cumberland Road and Comox Logging Road area. There is a lot of woods and trees here, even our neighbour has 5 acres with lots of little barns and sheds and old vehicles, but we have been through all of it. If you see Vinnie, please let us know.
WATCH FOR NEW POSTINGS	26 Feb 10 - Watch for photos and bios on some new cats and kittens who will be posted soon. Valentine is a lovely white and calico girl, under two years, a sweetie and loves attention. An as yet unnamed black and white lovely female, gentle, sweet and affectionate. She is not really a medium haired cat but is slightly longer than an average short haired cat. I need a name for this girl ! We had four kittens, one is about 5 -6 months old and may be pregnant! Hoping not, but I think so. She is a lovely silver tabby girl, gentle and sweet. There are three others but two are already spoken for but I am not sure yet which two. Will keep you all posted. Lovely, lovely kittens and all were doomed to die in the facility where they came from because they have colds!
WESTIE WALK	25 Feb 10 - Contact Gloria at winstonandgloria@shaw.ca if you are interested in participating in the 10th annual "Westie Walk" on April 4th at 1:00 PM at Fort Victoria.
	24 Feb 10 - This little girl is arriving today. "Valentina" is a spayed female, lively, high energy and is ready to go to the perfect home. She is less than 2 years old, and is only 10 lbs. Check under 'Our Dogs' for more info.
	24 Feb 10 - "Lavender" is a cute 4 month old kitten who is ready for adoption. Still a bit shy, but she accepts people easily after introductions ! Her page is in the 'Our Kittens' section.
SPECIAL BIRTHDAY	24 Feb 10 - Thank you to Barb E, a great friend of CCAR. She recently had a “special birthday” and asked that in lieu of gifts, donations be made by her friends to CCAR and we received several. Thank you to Barb for thinking of this and to her friends for donating.
THANKS	23 Feb 10 - Erika, a great supporter of CCAR, has just joined those of us who have failed Fostering 101. She recently fostered and has now adopted "Summer", a silky, lovely black girl who won over Erika’s heart and that of her family. Lucky "Summer" now has a great home with a loving family. Thanks to Erika and family!
	23 Feb 10 - Thanks to all the ladies who came out on Sunday to learn how to crochet and knit our catnip mice. We had a good time, made a few mice, spilt a glass of wine, ate some cake, drank some tea, and played with a kitten. I am waiting anxiously to see how many catnip mice our newbies produce!
FOOD RECALL ALERT	22 Feb 10 - Dog & Cat Food Recall alert: Nature’s Variety has initiated a voluntary recall of their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diet for dogs and cats with a “Best If Used By” date of 11/10/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
REWARDED IN SPADES	22 Feb 10 - Some months ago, Sue adopted two very shy cats from CCAR. They were being fostered with Eileen and had progressed very well in her care, but were still shy. Sue, bless her, recognized that these cats were lovely girls and that they had huge potential. Here is an excerpt from her e-mail. “Just thought you might enjoy the attached photo of Meeka and Peeka (formerly "The Twins" Suzanne and Suzette) ... taken moments ago as they enjoy the sunshine on my bedroom floor. We've been together for 16 months now, and they've settled in wonderfully as you can see. They follow me around the house like shadows, and burrow under my comforter with me every night. We have truly bonded! Thank you again for allowing me to adopt these two sweet girls, and for all the good work you do.” This is a wonderful example of someone who was so willing to work with two scared girls and give them a loving home and, in return, now has two wonderful companions. Many of the CCAR cats are scared, traumatized and/or abused cats. If you can be patient and caring with most of these cats, as was Sue, you will be rewarded in spades!
	21 Feb 10 - Unlike his three companions, "Maxy" survived an ordeal that ended with arrival into Cat's Cradle's open arms. His thoughts on the 13th week of living in a new adoptive home are available via the 'Good Story's' button on the website home page.
CAT TRANSPORT NEEDED	21 Feb 10 - We are finding, happily, that we are short of adoptable cats in this area. By adoptable cats, I mean young, healthy cats with few issues. We have no shortage of older, traumatized adults and they will be adopted eventually but there are a number of people who I have to turn away because we don’t have a young cat for them. We are short of kittens although that will likely change in the very near future. I have put “feelers” out to some areas where they have desperate situations, i.e. healthy, adoptable cats that are routinely killed. One such area is Los Angeles where the situation is desperate. I will be bringing in a three year old dog that was going to be killed last night but I put a hold on him. He is a small terrier mix, about three years old, with one eye, we are not sure how this happened, and pneumonia. I will likely fly to LA and pick him up as soon as he is able to travel. Which brings me to the main purpose of this note. Is anyone going to Seattle or LA in the next couple of weeks? If you are, and things work out, would you be willing to bring back a couple of cats or kittens with you as excess baggage? I will pay any costs incurred. Alaska Air will fly one crate for $100 if you are on the plane. It is much more expensive if they fly separately as “cargo” and not as “excess baggage.” The little dog mentioned above needs to be flown or driven back but cannot travel as cargo and must go under the seat or be driven. If you have any air miles you care to donate, please consider it as I will likely fly to LA periodically and bring back some desperate cases. I know we cannot save them all, and we won’t even make a difference in the big scheme of things BUT we will make a difference to those few animals we can help. And we will be showing compassion and caring to the ladies (mostly ladies anyway) who are doing their best in dreadful situations to help animals. Compassion and caring should have no borders or boundaries.
	20 Feb 10 - We will probably have a small dog to place, soon. Little 3 year old terrier-mix "Valentino" needs medical attention and TLC. Read his bio in 'Our Dogs'.
	20 Feb 10 - "Jaspurr" is our new 'Featured Pet', in place of "Butter" who has been adopted. "Jaspurr" loves to be vacuumed, which makes grooming easier :>)
SETTLED IN !	20 Feb 10 - Both Dora and Zoe love their new home with Kelly and Jason! They are both indoor kittens in Fairfield, and have favorite hobbies of chasing toys, batting the scroll bar on the computer screen, and wrestling with each other -- but all of these are trumped by their favorite hobby, napping! Boy, do they like to sleep. While they do get up to some mischief, Dora eating anything paper she can find and Zoe being a bit of a klutz, they mostly stick to scratching their posts and chasing each other around the house! They are both friendly to anyone that comes to the house, and are quick to turn on their purr as soon as they are petted. You have to love being woken up at 2am to a purring engine in your ear! I can't imagine two kittens who are loved more than these two!
TAX RETURNS	19 Feb 10 - Did you know that Beverly does personal income tax returns and bookkeeping for small businesses and sole proprietors? She charges a very reasonable $20 per hour, and has lots of experience. The money she makes allows her to spend more for CCAR. Contact Bev if you are interested. Straightforward personal tax returns are only $40.
MANY THANKS	19 Feb 10 - Many thanks to Don who is taking over the “poop run” from Beverly. I do this every other week and take a large load of cat litter as controlled waste to the Hartland Dump. It is one of my most arduous and disliked tasks and Don, bless his cotton socks, recognized this. I am very grateful for the easing of this physically demanding and, for me, upsetting task. I say upsetting because frequently as I am dumping the litter into this pit, there are dead deer in there and it upsets me enormously throwing cat litter on such a beautiful creature, or indeed any creature. Seems disrespectful somehow. So thank you Don, at least I won’t have to see dead deer anymore and you are saving my back big time!
NEW CATS	18 Feb 10 - New cats "Silky Girl", "Romeo" and "Juliet" are available for adoption. Look in the 'Our Cats' section for photos and biographies.
MAKING CATNIP MICE	18 Feb 10 - Learn how to make Catnip Mice at Beverly’s house at 2 pm this Sunday. Bring a 4 mm crochet hook, if you have one. If not, I will have spares. We'll have a pleasant afternoon, with goodies, and you will be raising money for CCAR.
DOG TRANSPORT NEEDED	18 Feb 10 - Is anyone going to be in Vancouver in the next few days and would go to Vancouver Airport on the return journey to pick up a small dog that I want to get shipped in as soon as possible? I personally will pay any parking costs. If you can help, you would save me a trip over to Vancouver and a day out of my extremely busy schedule, I would be very grateful. If no-one can help with the above, is there anyone who would be willing to drive my vehicle over there, and pick up the dog? I would pay all expenses. Please contact Beverly if you can help out.
	18 Feb 10 - In a week or so, Bev expects to have two small (around 10 lb) terrier type dogs in the care of CCAR. If you are interested in fostering one or both of these dogs, please contact Beverly.
ADOPTION UPDATES	17 Feb 10 - We're ecstatic to report that cats "Aphrodite", "Butter", "Cherie", "Jo-Jo" and "Zoe-ET" have been adopted.
A HORRIBLE THING HAPPENED TODAY	17 Feb 10 - A horrible thing happened today. One of our cats, Keisha, who never made it to the website and was adopted out to a couple who seemed like an ideal home, apparently went berserk at 3am this morning and attacked the man. They contacted Animal Control who seized her as a dangerous animal. They would not release her to me as it is a potential liability issue down the road. I get that, but I realize now that the couple had not actually paid for Keisha so she was technically still a CCAR cat. It is too late now as this lovely girl was killed this morning and I feel awful and I feel even more awful that I could have, if I had been thinking straight, possibly made them give her back to me so at least I could assess her myself.. I am upset that I wasn’t contacted sooner and need to do something to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. Maybe Keisha was ill, maybe she had a brain tumour, who knows, Dr. Wilson is unsure of what could have happened. Forgive me Keisha, if I had my wits about me, maybe you could be in my front room and I could see for myself what was happening to you and dealt with it appropriately without such a snap decision being made. It might have come to that in the end but I do feel the decision was made too quickly and Keisha paid the ultimate price. I am sorry. (Beverly).
	16 Feb 10 - Which city does our new cat "Angel" come from? Read her bio in 'Our Cats' to find out ! "Angel" is available for adoption.
	16 Feb 10 - "Valentine" is a petite girl who came to us as a stray from up island where she was desperately trying to survive by eating garbage. Check her out in the 'Our Cats' section. "Valentine" is available for adoption.
SORTING RECYCLABLES	16 Feb 10 - Is anybody free for a couple of hours on either Thursday, Friday or on the weekend to sort out a whole pile of recyclables that I am picking up this Tuesday and Wednesday? Any help anyone can offer with this would be much appreciated and if anyone can help by transporting some of these to a Bottle Depot, that would be appreciated too! It’s lots of work but it is all money in the bank!
	15 Feb 10 - Do any of our readers live in Dean Park in North Saanich? If so, would you be willing to allow CCAR to participate in the annual Dean Park Garage sale using your garage and driveway? It is a great fund raiser for us especially since it is so well attended and we do not have to do any advertising. I am not exactly sure when this sale is being held, usually in April, but need to start planning ahead. Contact Bev if you can help us.
ADOPTIONS UPDATE	15 Feb 10 - Cats "Summer" and "Mr. Tibbs" have been adopted.
	14 Feb 10 - Here's a great big I-LUV-U valentine from all the CCAR foster cats to all the wonderful foster parents who care for them
THINGS ARE SO DIFFERENT HERE	14 Feb 10 - I (Bev) thought you all might be interested in reading part of an email from a lady I have been dealing with in the States who does animal rescue, mostly cats. Certain things have been ** out as I don’t want to give out the city name or the ethnic group she refers to. Have to be aware of potential law suits. This is appalling and it is happening in many cities in the States, probably in Canada, and I am sure far worse in other places in the world. I strongly believe that compassion should have no borders or boundaries and if we can help some of these animals and the rescuers who feel like they are fighting a losing battle, then we should. We cannot save them all but if we can save a few here and there, then we make a huge difference to the animal itself and we let the rescuers know that we care and want to help. " ....things are SO DIFFERENT for rescuers here in * than they are where you live. (Very different here even than in San Francisco, for example—now they are pretty much no-kill in SF). As I told you, it is like a war zone down here when it comes to homeless animals—the shelter conditions are beyond hideous, and there are homeless cats and dogs everywhere. There is a lot of poverty and lack of education among the human population here, and huge resistance from many people to spaying and neutering. The * Dept. of * ** (don’t want to give out any portion of this name) is mismanaged, corrupt, rude, uncaring and inept—like something you would find in the worst banana republic. This is from the highest levels on down to the kennel personnel. They will gladly euthanize a totally healthy, adoptable dog or cat in order to have one less cage to clean. Cats coming into the shelters are almost sure to get sick, even if they come in healthy. Rabbits whose spay/neuters were paid for by volunteers are given to * shelter workers TO BE KILLED AND EATEN. Kittens are born everywhere, all year round. As I told you, the statistic I read recently was that almost five thousand neonates (mostly kittens) were killed by ** last year alone.... "
LARGE LITTER BOXES NEEDED	13 Feb 10 - If anyone comes across large litter boxes in perhaps thrift stores or garage sales, can you buy them for us please and I will reimburse you. They don’t have to be in the greatest shape, but must have a cover. Contact Bev if you find any. I need four to six boxes.
	13 Feb 10 - "Alfred" has been adopted by his foster family. Way to go, Alfred !
	12 Feb 10 - "Laeticia" is a coal black cat who likes to talk! She loves human companionship, especially sitting next to her human and being stroked. "Laeticia" is available for adoption, in the 'Our Cats' section.
	11 Feb 10 - There are lots of cats and kittens who would just love to be your Valentine ! If you can't adopt one, please consider either sponsoring, or making a one-time donation in the name of your favourite !
UPDATE	11 Feb 10 - Kittens "Curious George" and "Marty" have been adopted.
THANKS	11 Feb 10 - Many thanks to Michelle and Michele and all the others for the super job they did selling Purdy's chocolates. We're down to the last few boxes now, so Bev will soon know how well the sale went. Do you know someone who would like some for Valentine's Day? Contact us for price and delivery !
GREAT LAKE WALK	10 Feb 10 - Check out www.greatlakewalk.com and consider entering to raise money for CCAR. Bev is going to do her best to participate. It's a long way but should be fun. Think of all the chocolate you can eat after the walk!
DANCE & AUCTION COMMITTEE	9 Feb 10 - Are there any volunteers who would be interested in forming a committee to organize a dance and silent auction to raise funds for CCAR?. I would be happy to be on the committee which I think should have a chair (not me), and three other members, plus me as a resource. It's not too much work to organize especially if the work is shared. Let me know and we can set up an initial meeting.
VALENTINE'S DAY	8 Feb 10 - There are several boxes of Purdy's dark chocolate bars left, perhaps you know someone who would like some for Valentine's Day? Contact us for price and delivery !
BODY LANGUAGE	8 Feb 10 - Cat body language (from “Your Healthy Cat” by H.G.Wolff D.V.M.): If a cat wants to attract attention, she will rub herself against your legs or against furniture, with her tail sticking straight up. A sharply angled tail indicates she is feeling good. A slow sweeping beat with the tail indicates no enmity and affection is growing. If the end of the tail vibrates, it indicates that the cat is distrustful and will not put up with everything. The beating of the entire tail indicates anger and pain, a state of excitement. An arched back shows readiness to fight. In this case the ears are also flattened back.