Cat Thought of the Day!

"If purring could be encapsulated, it'd be the most powerful anti-depressant on the pharmaceutical market" - Alexis F. Hope

I don't actually know anything about Alexis F. Hope, but I like her quote! Nothing beats a purring cat on your lap when you've had a bad day.

She also has some interesting thoughts on chocolate:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kashis/3550950576/

-Alanna

Long Road to a Home

Every now and then PFA fosters a rescued cat who, through no fault of its own, seems to have a harder time than most when it comes to finding a forever home.

Our latest hard-luck cat is Isis, an 18 month old female tabby who was kicked out of her original home along with her sister, Eve, when they were no longer tiny kittens.

A kind neighbour rescued Isis and Eve and fostered them with assistance from PFA to get them spayed and vaccinated. However, she moved outside of the city several months later and we had to find new foster homes for both cats.

Isis adapted easily at first but eventually became stressed by the other cats in her loving but small foster home. So, she was placed at PetSmart in the hopes she’d be adopted quickly and sure enough, after a week a young couple wanted to adopt her. Her foster care provider took her back home so that she wouldn’t have to spend any more time in a cage and the couple was to pick her up there, but then backed out of the adoption. So, Isis went back to a cage at PetSmart where she has been for a month now, becoming more lonely and sad each day.

Isis is a sweet, smart and affectionate young cat that loves people and attention, and she is lacking the love she so craves while living in a cage. The stress of all the moving around has led her to require gastro food for a sensitive stomach for now and that has prevented several people from adopting her. However, she has been vet checked and we expect this issue to diminish once she is finally in a stable home environment.

We are currently trying to move Isis into another foster home with either no cats, or only 1-2 other cats, which is difficult at the best of times let alone now, when we are overwhelmed with winter rescues. And, the sad fact is that temporary situations and frequent moves are very hard on animals. What Isis really needs is a loving, permanent home where she can settle in and just be a loving cat companion her owner. She has been waiting a very long time.

If you or someone you know is interested in adopting a young, affectionate female cat, please consider Isis! You can view her ad here or contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com for more info.

-Alanna

Spaz One Year Later

Last year just before Christmas we rescued Spaz, a young, three-legged cat suffering from a terrible respiratory infection after spending considerable time living outside during the brutal winter cold we experienced much of last year. Despite his illness and lack of one leg, Spaz was a fun and spunky little character who loved to run around and play.

Spaz recovered with some TLC from his foster mom Sarah and soon landed in a loving adoptive home with PFA volunteer and then-board member Jody, where, as you can see, he is thriving and enjoying life with his cat buddies (he is the black cat with a tiny touch of white on his chest).

It couldn't have happened to a sweeter cat!

(p.s. Spaz's mama Rosie and and sibling Lolita, rescued from the same perilous life as strays in the downtown area, are very sweet black cats still waiting for their forever homes.)

-Alanna

Spoiled - y - Cat!

This is my cat Beckham enjoying his Christmas stocking, which is full of toys and treats for my lucky little cats.

Not that long ago he was a homeless stray. Sometimes I see him staring out the window and I wonder if he is wishing he still had the freedom to roam about at will. But, the next minute he is by my side snuggling, or meowing for his favourite fishy treats, and I am quite certain he is just as happy as I am that he is safe and sound with me!

-Alanna

Thank You, And Happy Holidays From PFA!

It's been an amazing year for PFA with record numbers of sterilizations and rescued cats in foster care.

With help from our members, volunteers and supporters, PFA has been able to sterilize close to 300 feral and tame cats, leading to a significant reduction in the feral cat population in Regina. We have also found loving adoptive homes for numerous tame strays that were rescued right off the street.

These are huge accomplishments. PFA is making a big difference to homeless cats in our city and that is something that we can all take pride in. Thank you so much to all of our friends and supporters for helping us save so many innocent lives.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year from PFA and the PFA cats!

A Foster Home for Christmas?

Recently I wrote about our sweet boy, Reggie, rescued from the severe cold a few weeks ago. He is now safe and sound in boarding at the vet clinic while he recovers from a severe upper respiratory infection.

Reggie is recovering slowly, but his sadness and loneliness are beginning to affect his recovery. He is in isolation due to his cold, but he loves people and craves attention and affection. The clinic staff are doing everything they cat for him, but what he really needs now is a good dose of TLC in a foster or adoptive home.

We've had foster homes offer to take Reggie, but he can not go to a home with other cats due to his infection. He needs to be an only cat for a little while until he is better. Reggie has been tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids and is negative for both. He just has a really bad cold that will take time to work out of his system.

If you know of anyone that does NOT currently have pets and who might like some company over the holidays in the form of an incredibly sweet feline, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com. PFA can provide all the necessary supplies for Reggie.

-Alanna

An Animal Dumping Ground...

PFA was recently contacted by a kind animal lover who lives on a farm just outside the city. Like many farm homes close to Regina, this woman's farm is used as a dumping ground for people's unwanted animals. This family has rescued many unwanted litters, and numerous injured and maimed cats. People have dropped off cats - right onto their property- that were missing eyes, toes, tails, teeth, and so skinny it was amazing they were alive. Astonishingly, the farm is within 10 minutes of the Regina Humane Society!

It is very heartbreaking, and also costly for the family to come across so many abandoned cats. They have spent hundreds of dollars trying to help these distressed animals and find them homes, and finally contacted us for some assistance.

Jazzy, pictured above, is one of their rescued cats that needs a new home. PFA is partnering with the woman to have Jazzy spayed, vaccinated and listed for adoption. Jazzy is super cute, friendly and is definitely a happy indoor house pet.

Jazzy, and many other unwanted cats, are fortunate to have a second chance thanks to this kind and generous woman. If you are interested in learning more about Jazzy, contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com

-Alanna

Tis the Season...

Cats like Christmas too (or maybe they just like Christmas trees!)

Happy Holidays from Ella, Malley and Beckham!

-Alanna

Thank You PFA Friends and Supporter!

There is a biblical quote, Matthew 21:22, that states (more or less) "ask, and ye shall receive."

Well, PFA asked! We asked for blankets and supplies to support our outdoor cats over the harsh winter months, and our supporters came through with an overwhelming response. We now have approximately 20 big garbage bags full of blankets, towels, and sheets to help make our outdoor shelters comfy and cozy for the cats. We are hearing from citizens all the time who are attempting to shelter stray or feral cats, and we are happy we can help so many more cats this year with your support.

This is way beyond our expectations and we are very grateful to all who have donated. Thank you so much, from PFA and the kitties!

Here is a picture of a shelter box, made from an insulated container used to ship pharmaceuticals - and a few of the cats who enjoy them. This styrofoam box contains donated pillows and blankets and is being enjoyed by a homeless cat out there right now! Our feral team has spent countless hours this fall assembling many, many of these boxes, and now we can help many more cats thanks to your generosity!

-Alanna

No Room at the Inn...

Once again PFA foster homes are completely full and we have no more room for rescued cats. Sadly, almost every night our dedicated Feral Team volunteers are finding tame cats that were once someone’s pets, but are now abandoned and are freezing and starving on the street, like poor Phineas and Reggie (pictured).

For a donation of only $11 you can help save a life by paying for one night's boarding fee for a cat. This will help buy us some time until we can find foster homes for the cats. Your generosity will make a huge difference to a cat living on the street during the brutal Saskatchewan winter.

To donate on-line, please visit our website and use the Paypal function to make a secure, confidential donation or mail your donation to People for Animals of Saskatchewan Inc. PO Box 33066, Cathedral Postal Outlet, Regina, SK, S4T 7X2.

-Alanna

Reggie was Ravaged by the Cold

This cute tabby is Reggie, a sweet young male that our feral team rescued from the bitter -40 cold late last week. Reggie is a tame stray that has been relying on a PFA feeding station for several months. One night last week our volunteer found him crying from the cold, but he was a bit shy and ran away from her. A few nights later, she saw him again and this time he was ready to be rescued.

As you can see from the photos, this poor boy has no ears left. He lost them due to frostbite and also has a terrible respiratory infection. He is currently in isolation from the other animals at Victoria Vet Clinic where he is getting excellent care. He is quite lonely though, and cries for attention. He loves people and purrs and purrs when you pet him.

We are very happy Reggie is safe, well-fed and warm now. We hope that by the time he is recovered we will have a spot in foster care for him or better yet, an adoptive home. This boy deserves a loving home where he will never have to freeze or starve again.

-Alanna

Help Keep A Homeless Cat Warm This Winter!

Winter is most definitely upon us, and our dedicated feral team members have been busy for the last 2 months preparing our feral cat shelters for the harsh Saskatchewan winter.

They have made many shelter boxes and upgraded many of the makeshift shelters where our feral cats make their homes, but we've hit a snag. We have materials for the boxes, but we have run out of blankets and pillows to help make them cozy and warm.

We especially need fleece blankets (fleece dries the fastest if it gets wet), or other blankets and material scraps and old pillows.

If you have materials to donate, please contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com. The homeless cats appreciate it!

-Alanna

Cats Give Back in More Ways Than One!

The news just keeps getting better for cat owners. There have been recent studies showing that people with cats are less stressed and live longer.

Now comes word that your pets can actually help prevent wrinkles! Apparently our blood pressure is lowered when we interact with our pets, helping us to relax. Click here to read more about how your cat can help keep you looking young.

Hooray for cats (and dogs too - this one applies to them as well!)

-Alanna

Phineas Finds a home!

Recently we posted a blog on a cat named Phineas. I have been watching him for awhile now, upset with how neglectful his owner was with him and his brother. They never were sterilized, had no vaccines, left mostly outside crying to get in and often seen eating from our neighbourhood feeding station. Several phone calls were made to Regina Humane Society from many concerned neighbours over these cats running at large. RHS had been at the house several times to talk with them, however little could be done. If apprehended the cats would face time in a cage with possible euthenization.

At the end of November when the neighbours moved and I saw they had left these poor souls behind I was very upset. First chance I had I rescued Phineas. Unable to find his brother, he is still out in the cold. I have briefly seen him around, however have not been able to catch him.

The good news is Phineas was rescued, neutered, vaccinated and boarding at the Vic Vet Clinic (as we have no foster home spaces available) Luckily for Phineas one of the staff fell in love with him and has just asked to adopt him!

Congratulations Phineas, may your new life be good to you!

-Michelle

Petsmart

Season's Greetings!

This year People For Animals will be assisting with Petsmart's Pet Holiday Christmas Pictures! Volunteers will be onsite Saturday and Sunday Dec 19 & 20th helping out from 11am-4pm!

Come on down and get a photo of your pet with Santa and support People For Animals at the same time! With every photo package purchase $5.00 goes to PFA!

Also check out Isis who is back in our adoption enclosures at Petsmart and Itty Bitty and Missy who will be arriving soon!

- Michelle

PFA Cats of Christmas

Chances are if you are reading this blog, you've already seen our terrific Christmas tree of cats on the main page of the PFA website.

However, we have another new feature that you may not have seen yet - a wonderful video featuring our sweet adoptable cats. It's only fair to warn you that viewing this video may result in an irresistable urge to run out and adopt a rescued cat!

After a busy fall and early winter, we are up to over 90 cats in foster care again, with adoptions almost at a standstill. If you are looking to add a furry friend to your home or know of someone who is, please check out this video then visit our cat-a-logue for more detail on the cats.

-Alanna

An Early Christmas Present for Edsel (and PFA)!

A few weeks ago I wrote about Edsel, an 18 year old cat who had been abandoned at a boarding facility and was stressed and unhappy to be suddenly living life in a cage.

We were pretty thrilled when a kind PFA member and supporter agreed to foster Edsel for us, but not nearly as thrilled as Edsel was to be out of the kennel and into a cozy home where she is getting lots of attention and affection!

Edsel's foster "mom" says that Edsel has settled in nicely and is eating well and lapping up the attention she gets from her foster mom and dad. She especially loves to cuddle up in bed with them at night.

We are so happy to see Edsel thriving in foster care, and so grateful to her wonderful foster mom, Katherine, and her family, for giving Edsel a second chance at a happy home life.

We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas gift for a rescued cat.

-Alanna

Left Alone in the Cold

This cute little grey tabby boy is Phineas, a 16-month old male who was rescued last night by our foster home coordinator Michelle. She noticed him on the doorstep of a nearby home a few days ago, crying to get inside. She soon realized that her neighbours were gone. They simply moved away and left their 2 cats behind - unfortunately for the cats, right in the midst of the first real cold spell of winter.

Phineas was shivering from cold and very hungry when Michelle found him and took him in last night. He is now safe and sound and awaiting his neuter at Vic Vet, where he will board until a foster home spot opens up. He is a lucky boy and is very happy to be warm and well-fed.

This type of abandonment is all too common and keeps rescue groups like PFA very busy. We are now turning our sights too his brother, and we hope to get him soon before he becomes ravaged by the cold. Wish us luck!

-Alanna

And yet more kittens...

Here is another little cat family rescued by PFA recently after we were alerted that a mama cat had given birth to kittens under a citizen's front steps! With cold weather setting in and no foster space, we were very concerned about the 6 week old kittens who are too young to survive the cold without shelter.

So, we called our friends at Prairie Animal Assistance and luckily they were happy to help us out with the mama Charlies and babies: Twister, Tuxedo, Mr. Jones and Teddy.

These little ones are incredibly cute - and incredibly lucky to have a safe haven from winter!

-Alanna

When it Rains...(Kittens)

PFA volunteers have made a huge effort to get stray, orphaned and abandoned kittens off the street before the weather turns brutally cold. Six weeks ago I wrote about the rescue of Lola and Wally, two adorable tiny kittens out fending for themselves, each one on their own in 2 separate locations.

But, we know where there is one kitten there is usually more and sure enough, 2 more kittens eventually made an appearance at the run-down garage where Lola was found. We are a little swamped with kittens right now but with snow falling and time running out for these kittens in terms of tame-ability, we decided to grab them.

Here are little Apricat (the sweet one) and Saffron (the sassy one, in blanket) safe and sound in their foster home awaiting forever families. Thanks to feral team leader Leanne for searching and waiting patiently to nab them and foster mom Denise for offering them shelter from the cold.

-Alanna

Sweet Sophie is Back; Needs A New Home (again)

This pretty, soft and shiny cat is Sophie, one of our favourite success stories of 2008. She was rescued with her litter of kittens struggling to survive on the streets of North Central. She started out quite timid and shy but quickly became a snuggly, affectionate and fun cat once she was adopted into a caring home.

Sophie's family contacted us this week with bad news - they have a new baby who is asthmatic and struggling with 2 cats in the home. They love Sophie and don't want to give her up but need to put their baby's needs 1st.

So, Sophie is back in the PFA fold. She is still with her owners as we have no foster space currently available, but she needs to be moved soon to either a foster home or new adoptive home. We would dearly love to find a place that would take Sohpie and her cat buddy, Howie, to reduce the stress of re-homing for both of them

If you are in the market for a pair of sweet and snuggly cats that are fixed, vaccinated and very well behaved, consider Sophie and Howie. For more info, contact us at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

-Alanna

Sweet Stray is Safe and Off The Street!

This handsome fellow is Ian, one of the many sweet tame cats our feral team has been monitoring at our feeding stations. Ian is friendly and affectionate but has been left outside due to a lack of foster space even though we could see his condition detiorate due to the cold.

However, last week we picked up another lovely tame stray from the same location, Meggie, who sadly tested positive for Feline Leukemia. So, we decided to try and get Ian off the street too, in hopes we could prevent him from suffering the same fate.

Ian is now safe off the street and boarding at Victoria Vet clinic, where he will be neutered shortly. We are very, very happy to report that he is negative for both Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids!

This is one cat that we were able to rescue in time, thank goodness. Now we just need to find him a loving forever home - but with his good looks and charm, that shouldn't be a problem!

-Alanna

More Poly Babies!

These adorable kittens are Gradie (fluffy grey) and Sadie (fluffy white), 12 week old babies recently rescued from a cold garage where they were sheltering and now safe and sound in foster care.

Sadie and Grady are the 2nd set of polydactyl (six-toed) kittens that we've rescued this fall - we also have Thumbs and Bigfoot, brothers who were rescued struggling in the cold as well.

All of these kittens are super sweet and snuggly, and tons of fun. They are also all up for adoption through PFA! Oh, and so is Lunette, the adorable tortie kitten snuggling with Grady.

-Alanna

The Plight of The Tame Stray

Meet our lovely Meggie, a sweet tuxedo girl with beautiful markings and perfect little white mitts. Meggie is another tame, affectionate cat who somehow became homeless and ended up living on the street and depending on a PFA feeding station.

Despite our ongoing lack of foster space, our volunteers decided to take Meggie off the street after noticing that she had suffered some bite wounds. She went to Victoria Vet clinic to be spayed and await a foster spot. While there, we had some testing done to ensure that Meggie hadn't suffered any adverse effects from living outside.

We were heartbroken to learn that this beautiful cat tested positive for Feline Leukemia, a terminal illness that is commonly linked to cancer, blood disorders, and that may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. It can take many months or even years for a cat to exhibit signs of the illness, but once it does become apparent, the cat's health will progressively deteriorate.

Feline Leukemia is communicable so we could not place Meggie in a foster home with other cats. Fortunately, our caring feral team volunteers were able to locate a fantastic foster home for Meggie where she can enjoy life in a safe, warm environment and she can receive the TLC that she needs to help her remain healthy as long as possible.

So far she is a healthy and happy cat grateful to be off the street. We are so pleased that she has this opportunity to live the life of a cherished pet. We just wish we'd gotten to her sooner.

-Alanna

The Heartbreak of Abandonment

Cruelty can take many forms. PFA volunteers regularly encounter cats suffering the obvious physical effects of abandoment, malnourishment and starvation and abuse, but cruelty doesn't need to be physical to have a devastating effect.

This week PFA got word about Edsel, an 18-year old female cat whose owners took her to a kennel for boarding and then refused to take her back, abandoning her and leaving her fate in the hands of strangers. Naturally, poor Edsel is very stressed and scared and isn't eating. What animal wouldn't be stressed to be in that situation after a lifetime in a home?

Peronally, I can not understand what would compel the owners to have Edsel for so long and then just dump her like that. They may have had reasons for not keeping her, but their method of dealing with it is heartless. Maybe they thought they were doing her a favour by not taking her to the humane society! But, they have caused immeasurable stress and fear to a vulnerable senior cat who was their pet for many years (18 cat years equates to about 88 human years).

These people have also caused stress and heartache for the staff at the boarding kennel. They are not in a position to keep people's unwanted animals and are now faced with trying to find her a home or being responsible for sending her to an uncertain fate at the overcrowded humane society where euthanization rates are high.

Finally, Edsel's owners have caused stress and heartache for PFA as we struggle to find a way to help this cat when our foster homes and volunteers are already overloaded and our adoption rates are extremely low. We have no room in foster care, but no-one wants this poor cat to live out her last days in a cage or to be responsible for sending her to an early and unnecessary death.

Maybe, if enough people make enough calls and put out enough pleas, we will find a way to help Edsel. But it won't be thanks to the actions of Edsel's owners. Edsel must now rely on the kindness of strangers.

-Alanna

Little Hobo Has a Happy Home!

This adorable cat is Hobo (now Bella), a sweet stray we rescued in the early spring and placed into PFA foster care.

Hobo was a very friendly and gregarious cat who instantly made herself at home in her busy foster home, and she quickly won over her adoptive family, too!

Now, her days as a stray are over and our little Hobo has a forever home. Hooray!

-Alanna

Update on Scrapalina

PFA is thrilled to report that our sweet stray, Scrapalina, is off the street and is safe, warm and happy in her new foster home.

Check out our little Scrappy snuggling with her new foster mom and looking quite content. It couldn't have happened to a sweeter cat.

Special thanks to Paige and Kevin for giving this beautiful cat a 2nd chance for a loving home!

-Alanna

A Much Deserved Happy Ending for Angel

Last spring PFA volunteers were horrified to discover that a tiny kitten rescued nearly frozen to a driveway had not only been abandoned, but also deliberately beaten. We wrote about poor little Angel a number of times to report on her progress as she recovered from severe injuries and underwent two surgeries to fix a broken tail and damage to her jaw.

Angel's loving foster mom, Cherilyn, nursed her back to health and she became a happy and healthy little kitten. We were thrilled when little Angel found a wonderful forever home. Her new family recently provided an update and sent some pics of Angel and her brothers, Tiger - one of Jade's kittens, and little Red.

We are so happy that our sweet girl landed so well!

-Alanna

Petsmart Adoption Blitz

People For Animals has recently partnered up with Petsmart on Quance St and now have a spot available to help us adopt out our foster cats! This is truly exciting as the more exposure we have the better chances of our little critters finding homes!

In just a few short weeks, Garfield has found himself a home and now pretty Isis is there waiting for her lucky day!

This upcoming weekend (Nov 13-15) we are able to bring in an additional 3-4 foster cats into Petsmart with an information table and give our little guys some much needed exposure!

We will have volunteers with their foster cats come out in between the hours of 12 noon and 4pm to show off their wonderful fosters! We will have posters and lots of PFA information available and volunteers on hand to answer questions.

Come on out and support People For Animals this weekend!

-Michelle

Sabrina, Michelle and Alanna visited some students in Grades 1-4 at Montessori School Nov 4th along with Michelle's foster kittens, Batman, Thumbs, and Bigfoot - and Meadow, Michelle's daughter and resident cat whisperer who helped show the other kids how to play nicely with the kittens.

As you can imagine, the little guys were a huge hit. I've attached some photos from the visit.

The kids had been our our website and knew the names of many of the cats. Each one had their favourite cat. They had done up some artwork for us and had done up a little play box for cats that little Thumbs is enjoying in one of the pics.

They students will be collecting donations of money and supplies over the next several weeks and we'll be going back at the end of the month again to receive them.

The kids were very sweet and it was a lot of fun.