Steak Night Fundraiser - The Hub

PFA is hosting a steak night fundraiser at The Hub on Wednesday, September 28th! As always, all proceeds go directly towards helping rescued animals.

Tickets are $20 each and include:

• steak sandwich 
• baked potato
• choice of salad
• glass of beer or highball
• chicken or veggie stir-fry also available

Please contact us at pfasask@gmail.com if you would like a ticket.

-Alanna

National Holistic Pet Day!

They say you learn something new every day, and it is certainly true when you volunteer in animal rescue!

Today I learned that there is such a thing as National Holistic Pet Day! Today, August 30th, has been designated as holistic pet day and Halo has a "Top Ten List of Ways to Celebrate Holistic Pet Day!"

Their tips include info on all-natural pet foods and supplements, among other things - and naturally they encourage regular veterinary care.

It's nice to know that there are holistic options for pets too, for pet owners who are so inclined.

-Alanna

Emergency Preparedness for Pets

With Hurricane Irene raging along the eastern coast of the US and expected to hit the east coast of Canada in the next day or so, animal shelters and rescue groups are encouraging people to have an emergency plan for their pets - and bracing for the onslaught of homeless animals once the hurricane has moved on.

Here in Saskatchewan, we may not have to worry about hurricanes but we have enough severe weather to warrant consideration of our furry friends. Tornadoes, floods - and fires - all these events can leave a family homeless and without a place for their pets in the aftermath.

Care2.com offers a number of tips to help prepare prepare ahead of an emergency, and also how to handle a rattled pet post-disaster.

It's not fun to think about, but it could certainly make the difference for a beloved pet in the event of the unthinkable.

It's also important to have a sign or sticker alerting rescue workers to the presence of pets in your home, to ensure that they are rescued in an emergency. PFA offers pet emergency stickers for sale as a fundraiser - please contact us at pfasask@gmail.com if you would like one!

-Alanna

Still More Kittens...

...the season never ends!

These two little cuties are Solar (orange/white, female) and Ezra (orange tabby, male). They have been hanging around a feeding station for the last several weeks, although they are only about 3 months old, and too little to be out on their own.

Both kittens had the obvious signs on life on the street - ear mites, worms, and scabs and scrapes. But, they have been treated and are safe in foster care. They are fun and playful kittens that will make great pets for a lucky adopter.

For more info on these two cuties, contact us at pfasask@gmail.com

-Alanna

Sweet and Sassy

This adorable young calico is Sassy, one of many skinny little pregnant females picked up at PFA feeding stations this summer.

Sassy definitely suits her name - she is energetic and spunky, and she loves attention.

There was no foster home available for Sassy, so she currently resides at the PetCetera Adoption Centre, where she has already made lots of friends and admirers. She has been spayed and vaccinated and is available for adoption.

Stop by and say hello! She would love a visit (and a bit of catnip, if you are so inclined)! In the pics, she is enjoying one of our famous catnip turnovers!

-Alanna

Roadside Rescue - Comet the Kitten

The other day one of our dedicated foster moms notified me that her parents had found a young kitten on a country road in rough shape, and that they had picked him up and brought him home with them.

Poor little Comet is woefully thin at just over 3 pounds. He had bad earmites, scab wounds and is missing several bottom teeth that were somehow knocked out. All this for a tiny kitten that is only 5 months old.

Comet has been treated for ear mites, and will be vaccinated and neutered once he's put on some weight and had a chance to recover from the hardships of trying to survive on his own on the open prairie.

He is a friendly and loving kitten who immediately fit into a home with several cats and a young child, and will make a wonderful pet when he regains his health.

We are so grateful to caring people who take action to help animals in need like Comet.

-Alanna

Update - Regina and Kittens

Three weeks ago I wrote about a lovely tame mama cat, Regina, and her two kittens who were sheltering under a deck in the south end and in need of foster care.

Luckily, our pleas were answered and the little ones went to a kitten foster home, while mama Regina went to be spayed, and to a foster home of her own.

Regina turned out to be a super calm, super friendly cat that has already been adopted by a great family, and her kittens will soon be ready for forever families as well. They are thriving in foster care, learning to play and hanging out with their big brother who is helping them adapt to being house pets.

Babe / Cindy (fluffy tabby) and little Tough Guy (short-haired tabby) will be listed for adoption shortly. For info on one of these sweet kittens, contact us at pfasask@gmail.com

-Alanna

Volunteer Needed - PFA Feral Team

PFA is seeking a couple of dedicated cat lovers to help care for the many homeless cats residing at our feral feeding stations.

It only takes a few hours a week, but it makes a tremendous difference in the lives of the cats struggling to survive on the street. Many of them were once somebody's pets, but were abandoned or neglected and ended up homeless.

Orientation sessions are provided. Please contact us at pfasask@gmail.com if you would like more info.

PFA Raffle Ticket Sale - Saturday, August 20th

Hardworking PFA volunteers will be selling our 2011 raffle tickets tomorrow at the Normanview Liquor Store - 490 N. McCarthy Blvd & 9th Ave. N. from 9:30 - 5:00.

Raffle prize is a 42" LG plasma 3D-ready TV. Tickets are $5 each. If you can't make the event, tickets are also available by emailing saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com.

All proceeds go directly towards caring for our rescued cats and kittens! Please drop by to support a great cause.

-Alanna

Adoption Drive - Metro Pet Market August 20th

Don't forget about our monthly adoption drive at Metro Pet Market Saturday August 20th!

We have an amazing group of cats and kittens that will be there seeking homes, including:

• Dorian
• Sam
• Mystery and Bella
• Hazel (himalayan X kitten )

This is in addition to the kittens previously announced: Munchkin, Tuff-tuff and Smokey, Arthur, Lancelot, Whisper, Parker, Storm and Dario, Rider

Come check out some of our sweet adoptable kitties! Hope to see you there!

-Alanna

A Friend Indeed!

Back in February, we rescued Wyatt, a sweet but frozen kitten who had been abandoned in the cold.

Wyatt proved to be a terrific little cat who was adopted by his foster mom! Now, he is helping make new foster kittens feel at home. Here he is with little Arthur, who was rescued with his sister Morgan at only 4 weeks of age.

What a nice big brother for a little foster kitten to have! We hope that Arthur finds a loving forever home of his own soon, too, just like Wyatt did.

-Alanna

Tips for "Greening" Your Cat!

Anyone with pets (and thus pet products) knows that our furry friends can generate quite a bit of waste, and that affects the environment too, just as with humans.

Many of us are trying to be more environmentally friendly with our own habits, and now we can extend those efforts to our pets as well as green pet products are becoming much more common.

Care2 has provided tips on how to "green your cat", including suggestions for organic and natural food, toy and litter sources.

There is a related article on greening your dog, as well.

-Alanna

Getting Kittens Out of Dodge!

The PFA feral team has rescued numerous cats and kittens from our infamous "Dodge City" feeding station, named for the rusted old cars that provide shelter for the feral cats there.

This summer they found a litter of tiny kittens and set about trapping them to take to foster care. Over the span of a several days, 4 little kittens were taken to safety. Then, a week later, a feeder noticed another kitten from the same location, and nabbed him. Several days later, another one was spotted and was scooped to be reunited with her litter-mates, for a total of six kittens:

• Manolo (black and white)
• Sophie (tabby with white)
• Nala (tabby)
• Cashmere (grey and white)
• Coco (light tabby)
• Mieko (grey with white blaze)

That is one busy foster family! The kittens get lots of love, attention and handling and they are all sweet and playful. They've been vaccinated and de-wormed and are ready for forever homes.

If you are interested in adopting a Dodge City kitten, please contact us at pfasask@gmail.com.

-Alanna

August Adoption Drive - Metro Pet Market

Join us this Saturday, August 20th, for our 3rd monthly adoption drive at Metro Pet Market:

• Metro Pet Market, 1637 Victoria
• 12-4 pm
• $25 gift card and free food sample with each adoption

Come meet some of our cutest and sweetest kittens, including:

-Munchkin, Tuff-tuff and Smokey

-Arthur

-Lancelot

-Whisper

-Parker

-Storm and Dario

-Rider

-more to come

Hope to see you there!

-Alanna

We Are Full and Seeking Adoption / Fostering Help

PFA is seeking help from our members and supporters and the community to get word out about our wonderful adoptable cats!

HOMELESS CATS AND KITTENS NEED HELP FROM REGINANS

People for Animals of Saskatchewan Inc. (PFA) is calling on Reginans to help find foster and permanent homes for the many stray cats and kittens in the animal rescue organization’s care.

“If there are people in Regina who can adopt a cat or kitten, or serve as a foster home, we really need their help,” says Alanna Whippler, director of pet rescue for PFA. “Our current foster homes are overflowing with cats and kittens waiting to be adopted, and there are many more on the streets that we want to rescue, but we just don’t have the means.”

PFA’s foster program allows pet lovers to provide temporary homes to cats and kittens waiting for adoption. PFA supplies vaccinations, veterinary care, food, litter and other supplies, and foster homes give the animals a place to stay. “It’s very satisfying to know you’re saving a life by getting cats and kittens off the streets, and fostering is also a great way to help people decide if they want to adopt a pet,” says Whippler.

Adoptions have been slow due, in part, to Regina’s tight rental market. Many landlords refuse to allow animals in their apartment buildings, leaving pet owners with no choice but to give up their beloved cats. This situation has resulted in a very high number of cats previously adopted from PFA being returned to the organization, further overloading PFA’s foster home system.

If unable to adopt an animal or serve as a foster home, Reginans can still help by making tax-deductible donations to PFA to help with veterinary costs, or by donating cat food, clumping litter, and other pet supplies to help care for the rescued cats and kittens currently in foster care.

PFA is a registered charity and volunteer-run animal welfare organization that works to assist companion animals in need and to educate people about the humane treatment of animals.

Please contact PFA at saskpeopleforanimals@gmail.com or visit www.people4animals.ca to donate, adopt a cat or kitten, or volunteer to be a foster home.

Best Buds - Sam And Simon

These two adorable cat buddies are Sam and Simon (formerly Dysart), both foster cats who landed in the same wonderful forever home.

Sweet Sam was rescued in the spring of 2009 in rough shape, starving and injured. He was so weak at the time he could hardly walk but he bounced back quickly with some TLC and turned into a healthy and loving cat. We were thrilled when he was adopted into a great home where he blossomed even more into an even more confident and happy young cat.

Simon was rescued in the spring of 2011, and is one of the "Lipton cats" that PFA rescued to save them from an uncertain fate when the town passed a by-law limiting residents to only two pets, with excess animals trapped and taken to farms. He is a real little lovebug who is so happy to have both a cat buddy (his former foster siblings didn't appreciate him so much), and a loving owner to indulge his fondness for head scratches.

We are so happy these awesome little cats found a home together. They even sort of look alike with their cute little faces, and white bellies and blazes!

-Alanna

Musings on Crazy Cat Ladies!

Check out this interesting article from Care2 Healthy Living that discusses the special bond between women and cats!

It also challenges the myth that cats are aloof, indicating that they can indeed become very attached and interact with their owners (which of course we already knew! )

-Alanna

Two Success Stories and How One Person Can Make A Difference!

During the summer months when kittens are being born under decks all over the city, pregnant female cats are found on every other block and stray cats just seem to be everywhere in general, PFA can get multiple calls a week for help with stray cats and kittens.

But, we are a small volunteer based group and we are reliant of volunteer foster homes to care for our rescues. Once we are full, we can't always help in situations that we normally would, and that we would love to help with if only we had the room.

Luckily, there are some really caring people out there who go the extra mile for homeless animals! Smokey (grey) and Maxim (black) are two terrific success stories that resulted from the hard work and determination of their rescuers to find them homes.

Smokey is a 15 year old male who is active and loving. His elderly owner was forced to give up her home and move into a seniors facility after the loss of her husband, and she couldn't take Smokey with her. This is one of the few instances in which PFA will help with pets that need rehoming. A friend of the owner contacted us for help, but with a short timeline and no foster space available, we weren't able to offer a solution. So, the friend acted fast on her own to get a new home for Smokey, making countless calls and sending many emails. But it paid off, and Smokey has a new home where he can enjoy his twilight years.

Maxim is a super handsome and sweet, young black male, who was found confused and hungry in the middle of a south-end street. He was crying and crying at the doors of local homes to no avail, until a super kind lady came across him and took him home with her. He had a tattoo and she was able to reach the vet clinic that sterilized him. They contacted the owner, who refused to acknowledge the cat or take responsibility for him. Although she adored him, the woman is in a no-pet rental and needed a solution fast. So she blitzed the city with posters and ads just this morning, hitting every vet clinic and pet store, and reaching out to every contact she could think of.

We had no sooner made arrangements for Maxim to be taken to the PetCetera Adoption Centre when we heard that a permanent home had been found for Maxim with a loving family that has years of experience with rescued cats.

These two boys are very lucky to get happy endings, and both cases show that determination and perseverance really pay off and can make all the difference to a rescued cat.

-Alanna