Autumn 2009 Mewsletter - Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue

Registered Charity No. 86023 4467 RR0001
Love. Protect. Respect.
Vancouver Orphan Kitten
Rescue Association (VOKRA)
We are a registered non-profit, no-kill
organization dedicated to rescuing
kittens and cats, and finding them safe,
loving homes.
Autumn 2009
Upcoming Events
Now!
2010 Calendars on Sale
See p. 8 for locations and
ordering information.
From Karen
Fall is here and after a long, hard, exhausting spring and summer we are all very
tired at VOKRA. Newborns and pregnant mothers continue being brought to us.
We still have over 150 adoptable cats and kittens waiting for their new homes.
13–15
November
Adoption Days at
PetSmart, North
Vancouver & Grandview
Highway locations
November &
December
Photos with Santa
Both PetSmart locations.
See the News section on
our website.
VOKRA has been instrumental in rescuing and caring for two large groups of
cats this year. Generally, we stick to our mandate of tiny kittens, and pregnant
and nursing cats, but this year we did our best to help some cats that had no
chance otherwise. One group of over 40 cats, all from one home, had started
with two cats who didn't get fixed. Police had been called, as neighbours thought
the ammonia smell was a meth lab. The SPCA had no room, so we ended up
with all of them. Some of the cats had not been socialized at all and are still with
us. Others were pregnant and have had their kittens or miscarried. All because
two cats were not altered by five months. For another group of very ill cats, we
are still trying to find homes and pay the vet bills. All these cats deserved a better
life and were suffering due to humans who should have known better.
Karen updates her blog
frequently. Now you can
also join us on Facebook
and Twitter.
People ask why we do this volunteer work, why we slog on for endless hours day
in and out. Each person connected to VOKRA is involved because they want to
reduce suffering and make a difference for innocent, mistreated cats. Let’s hope
that in 2010, more and more people will find the time and energy to volunteer,
for whatever group draws their interest. Volunteers are vital for rescue work.
Ongoing
Our 2010 calendar is now available. Last year’s was a huge success, and this
year we have even more great pictures and information. All proceeds from the
calendar go directly into caring for our kittens and cats until they are adopted.
More info is on page 8 of this newsletter. Thank you for your support!
Foster Homes Still Needed
Much as we all enjoyed the extended summer, the warmth inevitably led to additional
litters, and we continue to receive numerous cats in need of fostering. Dumping and
abandonment rates have also increased. With the cold weather arriving, it becomes much
harder for these poor cats to survive outdoors. There is no cost for fostering. VOKRA
provides all food, litter and other supplies. If you are interested, please submit an
application form online: www.orphankittenrescue.com/volunteer%5Fapplication/.
Love. Protect. Respect.
VOKRA Newsletter
From the E-mailbag…
VOKRA loves receiving follow-up stories and
pictures from adopters. Below are a few that
have cheered us and made the sometimes
difficult days a bit easier to get through.
MeiMei Chloe
In July of 2008, we (I and my
roommate at the time) fostered our
first mom cat and her litter of
kittens. There was something a little
off with one of the kittens – she was
smaller, wobbled far more than her
siblings, could barely sit up at three
weeks – and soon we found out
there was indeed something going
on with her: little MeiMei Chloe
had cerebellar hypoplasia. This is a
fairly rare condition and it basically
means that the part of her brain that
controls balance didn't develop
properly.
We learned that she would be
forever wobbly on her feet,
incapable of jumping up onto
things, and very, very prone to
running into things and falling over.
Thankfully, she wasn't in any pain
and would learn to partially
compensate for her disability over
time. Reassured, we monitored
MeiMei's progress, gave her
supplements according to
VOKRA’s instructions, assisted her
with going to the litter box when
she was
too small and wobbly to manage it
herself, and tried to help her
exercise so her muscles would
increase a little.
MeiMei turned out to be the best
cat you could ever ask for. She is
sweet, smart, determined (she will
go where she wants to, even if it
takes her longer!), playful and very
curious about the world around her.
Despite her disability (or thanks to
it?), she is not fearful and trusts
people very easily. She loves
human friends and the snuggles
they provide. Every night, she
sleeps curled up next to me and
never wakes up until morning,
when I do.
Because yes – you probably saw it
coming – we couldn't let go of our
wonderful little MeiMei. In October
of 2008 I signed adoption papers,
and I have been so grateful to have
her in my life ever since.
People sometimes praise me for
taking on a cat with a disability, but
really, I'm the lucky one here.
MeiMei makes everybody who
meets her melt, and with good
reason. She is the best companion I
could ever have hoped for, and I
look forward to spending many,
many more years of taking
afternoon naps with her.
Hélène August 2009
“The work you do and the commitment you have on a daily
basis is so appreciated.”
Hello all,
I hope this finds its way to
those rescuers out there
who might be having a
hard day. I adopted my
two darlings, Maddie
and Jolie, from VOKRA
about four years ago as
adolescents and I want
you all to know how
much I LOVE them. And
when I say love, I don't mean
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in a kitschy cute kind of way – I
mean in a complete, total heart
way. I often check the VOKRA site
just to see the news and often
quietly thank you for rescuing
forgotten kittens and cats. The work
you do and the commitment you
have on a daily basis is so
appreciated. I thought it was time I
sent a thank you that you could
hear.
Anita August 2009
Autumn 2009
VOKRA Newsletter
Love. Protect. Respect.
Page four of our Summer 2009 issue contained a photograph of
a tabby mother cat curled up with her kittens (below). We then
received a letter from Moira Silcox and Debbie Ayers, who
adopted two of Nancy’s babies.
In 2003, VOKRA invited us to
meet and adopt two Maine Coon
siblings, Buddy and Gus. Tragedy
struck in February of 2009, when
we lost Buddy to a genetic heart
problem called HCM –
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
After the death of his brother and
closest friend, Gus fell into a deep
depression, lost weight, and never
let us out of his sight. He was
constantly in our laps, wanting
reassuring hugs. Although
knowing we’d never find another
Buddy for Gus, we were open to
adopting new kittens. Our hope was
for companionship for our sad,
lonely boy.
Patrick
Patrick currently lives at our barn
location. The VOKRA volunteer who
was contacted when Patrick first came
to us wrote the following:
“The guy who phoned me about
Patrick said he was feral and the
most miserable nuisance he had
ever seen and wanted rid of him.
He refused to take him back and
was very hateful towards Patrick.
Yet look at Patrick now! He loves
the barn and is so-o-o affectionate.
Autumn 2009
From a parking lot in downtown
Vancouver, the VOKRA team had
rescued Nancy, who gave birth on
13 April 2009 to six bundles of love.
We chose Sunny and his brother
Max, and brought them home on
June 1.
VOKRA volunteers had
recommended that we adopt two
kittens, not just one, and what great
advice that turned out to be. Max
and Sunny kept each other
company, playing, wrestling,
sleeping and hanging out, while
Gus could observe without being
pestered, as he no doubt would
have been if we’d brought home a
single kitten.
showing signs of a positive
outcome. Gus remains the boss,
using a gentle but firm paw when
necessary, and his nephews
entertain him and look up to him
endlessly. One day we expect
all three may cuddle together in a
circle of love, just as Gus did with
Buddy for six great years.
Moira & Debbie
June 2009
Ever so slowly but purposefully, the
integration of Gus (now “Uncle
Gus”) and his two “nephews” is
When volunteers visit, he comes
running and shows them the little
entrance to his new condominium
at the back of the hay room. ‘Look,’
he seems to say, ‘Free food,
attention and a place that I can call
my own!!!!’ Patrick is a lovely cat
and brings a lot of joy wherever he
goes.”
Patrick makes a cameo appearance in
our 2010 calendar on 17 March, Saint
Patrick’s Day. He is waiting to be
adopted and would do best in a quiet
home where he could be the only animal
companion.
3
Love. Protect. Respect.
VOKRA Newsletter
For Panther … One of Many Angels
By Elizabeth Downey, VOKRA Foster Parent
Dawn is breaking. Panther pulls his
emaciated little body closer to my
neck, breathing shallowly,
searching for comfort. My hand is
covering him, trying to protect him
from the inevitable. A deep sigh
and there is one more angel.
Panther is one of many kittens who
have not survived. Thankfully,
there are more tiny babies who do
make it. When you receive a call
about new kittens coming in, you
feel the apprehension come,
knowing their lives will depend on
what you have learned from
experience. But along with the fear
is happiness that they were found
and have a chance to live.
Wonderful, devoted volunteers
raise these babies who come in
from one day to a few weeks old.
Bottle feeders need to be fed every
two to three hours – and yes, that
includes the nighttime as well.
Sleep is in short supply during these
times. Feeding becomes easier as
they grow, and days become more
enjoyable. Their little eyes open,
they move around more, and their
tiny baby teeth come in. And let’s
not forget the purring.
Panther was found abandoned at
two days old; his sister was one day
old. They were in someone’s back
yard, where the mother cat had
found a safe spot. But she could not
be located, and had very likely been
either hit by a vehicle or killed by a
predator.
Petunia, Panther's sister, was a
challenge as she became very ill. I
gave her medication and she spent
long nights snuggled in bed beside
me; I monitored her constantly and
slept little. Petunia weighed only a
couple of ounces at that time, but
had the strength of many. She is
now almost eight weeks old, a
bright, beautiful, healthy kitten who
fills our days with joy and
amazement. Nurturing these little
ones is not an easy task but very
much worth any effort required.
At times, after losing a tiny kitten, I
say, “No more.” There are days
when your heart cannot bear any
more loss. Yet when the call comes,
VOKRA is always ready to accept
more kittens that need our help.
In a perfect world, people would
spay and neuter their pets so there
wouldn't be so many abandoned
kittens. In the real world, VOKRA
volunteers try to reduce the
suffering and give each individual
who comes to us the best possible
chance for survival.
Petunia and many other kittens and
cats are looking for their forever
homes. Please open your hearts and
give them a chance.
We raise them with love and we
trust you to take care of them.
Please help to stop the suffering.
Spay and neuter your cats by 5 months.
Donate to VOKRA, volunteer:
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www.vokra.ca
Autumn 2009
VOKRA Newsletter
Love. Protect. Respect.
Fostering Jethro & Ellie May
By Jenny Lee, grade 10 student and cat lover
In April of 2009, I met Jethro and
Ellie May through my friend Dania
who volunteers for VOKRA. The
two of them had been abandoned
outside of a rundown building with
no food or water, and were nervous
and very thin. They didn’t have a
place to stay so I decided to foster
them.
…they gently poked their
paws at me, making me
put away my work for a
while so that I could
stroke them.
I was very excited to have them
stay with me but at the same time, I
was worried that Jethro and Ellie
might have a difficult time adapting
to my house. When the two of
them first came into my room, they
were very cautious. But I think they
were also very scared because
everything was odd to them. For
several days, they stayed in the
bathroom and wouldn’t budge. I
would go in there to spend time
with them, petting gently to show
them I would be their friend.
Soon, Jethro was not scared of me
anymore, and decided to come out
of the bathroom and start exploring
my room. After a few hours, Ellie,
who was more careful, finally came
out but was still cautious of
everything.
After several days, both of them
seemed comfortable in my room
and even jumped onto my bed.
That first night with two big cats on
my bed, I did have a difficult time
falling asleep because Jethro kept
poking me with his paw, wanting to
play. I wanted to as well, but I was
too tired and had to get up early for
school. When I pulled the blanket
up over my head, Jethro finally
relented.
Ellie May, Jethro and over 100
other VOKRA cats are waiting for
great homes. Visit our Gallery
www.vokra.ca.
Autumn 2009
The next morning, I found him
sound asleep on a corner of my bed.
He was so cute! Ellie was back in
the bathroom, eating her food.
Dania had told me that Jethro and
Ellie hadn’t been eating well but
fortunately, they seemed to have
their appetites back!
In a very short time, I
bonded with these gentle,
loving cats.
For two weeks, I had a great time
fostering two furry, affectionate
beings. They would watch me leave
for school and greet me when I
came back. When I was working on
my homework, they would sit
beside me, wanting to be petted. A
lot of the time, they softly poked
their paws at me, making me put
away my work for a while so that I
could stroke them. In a very short
time, I bonded with these gentle,
loving cats.
Unfortunately, Jethro had
developed a health problem while
they’d been living abandoned
outside, and it wasn’t getting better,
so the two of them went to another
location to receive medical care.
My room felt really empty without
Jethro and Ellie! During that time,
we learned that our building had a
no-pet policy. Although this seemed
unfair, my dad decided we could
not foster them again.
Fortunately, I learned that the
disease was cured and they went to
a new foster home, where they’re
very happy. I miss them terribly but
am glad they’re doing so well. I
hope that Jethro and Ellie will soon
be adopted into a nice home;
they’re lovely cats who need care
and attention.
Although it was a short time,
fostering Jethro and Ellie May was
a great experience! I hope they’ll
remember me, because I know that
I will never forget them.
Apply online to foster: www.vokra.ca
and click on Volunteer.
For information: danias@vokra.ca
5
Love. Protect. Respect.
VOKRA Newsletter
Barn News
By Victoria Ronco, VOKRA Volunteer
As some of you know, we’re extremely lucky to have a location
in Southlands for our adult cats who have been rescued but aren’t
adoptable, or have some problems with living in a home setting.
The barn has come to us through the generosity of the stable and
land owner, and has been the clean, safe, comfortable home for
more than 40 felines at a time.
I’ve had the privilege of feeding all the lovely cats that make their
home there – and seeing their personalities shine through has
been an amazing experience. There’s nothing quite like feeding
that many cats and seeing them run up to greet you (and the
food!).
The barn’s existing structure, while being a phenomenal blessing
to us, needs work. Renovations have been ongoing to make the
entire area watertight, while also creating a “warm room” for the
feral cats. At the moment there is nothing that keeps the space
warm, and with winter approaching, we are trying to make all
the cats as comfortable as possible. The renovations involve
waterproofing, insulating, painting, and installing a safe heater
in the room. Thanks to our great volunteers and supporters,
we’ve received some building supplies and general labour help,
and the renovations are well under way.
We’re also dividing the current feed room into two rooms,
providing a “home” space for the house cats. The stable owner
has generously donated this additional area, and we’re excited
to allow the cats more space to run and socialize. We’re hoping
to eventually have a respite area for those who have the sniffles,
so that they don’t spread it to the other cats.
How You Can Help
Dear Santa,
We need manpower on the weekends, particularly if anyone is
handy!
We need materials. Our current wish list is to the right.
(Thank you to Sue and Chris and Shelley from CML Services
and Four Sisters Co-op for their generous donations!)
And of course, we need funds—for cat food, litter and medical
care; fuel (transporting materials and volunteers); buying and
renting supplies and tools that aren’t donated; snacks for
volunteers; and other incidental expenses for the cats.
If you can help in any way, shape or form, please contact Lyn at
lync@canateam.com (Monday–Friday) or lyncutshall@shaw.ca
(weekends), or phone (604) 739-2872.
If you are interested in volunteering at the barn, please contact
Dania Sheldon at danias@vokra.ca. 6
Please send the Barn …
plywood & two-by-fours
insulated wall covering
doors
laminate
paint
plastic sheeting
metal-clad electric wire
garbage bins
tubs
brooms & dustpans
mops & buckets
spoons
cabinets
baskets
two barrels & two laundry sinks
Autumn 2009
VOKRA Newsletter
Love. Protect. Respect.
Volunteers & Donations: How
VOKRA Continues to Operate
VOKRA relies entirely on donations and the outstanding efforts
of its volunteers. We supply everything for our foster families:
food, litter, nutritional supplements, medication, toys – the
works – because we don’t want financial constraints to prevent
caring individuals from fostering. In addition, we have the costs
of veterinary care, as well as equipment and miscellaneous
expenses that inevitably arise. 100% of our financial and other
resources go to rescuing and caring for the cats, and finding
them the best possible indoor homes. In 2008, we rescued over
800 cats. As you can imagine, our adoption fees don’t even
begin to cover our expenses, so please consider contributing.
VOKRA realizes that the global economic downturn has
necessitated cutbacks for most of us, and we appreciate every
donation. Please visit www.vokra.ca/donate for details.
If you would like to give by offering your time as a volunteer, we
would love to hear from you. Contact Dania Sheldon at
danias@vokra.ca.
Thank you for caring.
Autumn 2009
7
VOKRA Newsletter
Love. Protect. Respect.
170 Colour Photos
Loads of Information
Same Great Price: $15
Purrrfect for Gifts
Purchase online: www.vokra.ca
Also being sold at:
The VOKRA Newsletter
is edited and produced
by Dania Sheldon.
Letters to the editor,
content suggestions,
and other feedback may
be sent to her at
danias@vokra.ca.
VOKRA
PO Box 74571
2768 West Broadway
Vancouver BC Canada
V6K 4P4
rescue@vokra.ca
8
Arbutus West Animal Clinic, 2809 W.16th
The Cat and Dog Shop, 2637 W.4th
Healing Place Veterinary Clinic, 233 Seymour
River Pl., North Vancouver
High Point Animal Hospital, C-9666 King George
Hwy, Surrey
In the Raw, 150 E.2nd St., North Vancouver
Killarney Animal Hospital, 2649 E.49th
North Shore Veterinary Clinic, 227 Mountain Hwy,
North Vancouver
PetSmart, 2860 Bentall (at Grandview Hwy) and 1325
Main St., North Vancouver (available from VOKRA
volunteers at our adoption centres in both stores, first
thing in the morning or around 6 in the evening, and at
special VOKRA events in November and December.)
Tisol Pet Nutrition & Supply, 2738 Arbutus, 3033
Grandview Hwy, & 2949 Main St.
True Carnivores, 5961 West Boulevard
Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital, 105 East
Broadway
Woofgang Pet Supplies, 3356 Cambie
More locations will be added. Check our website:
www.vokra.ca
If you would like to help VOKRA fundraise by
selling calendars, please contact Leigh:
leigh@vokra.ca.
Autumn 2009