Winter 2004

Inside This Issue

• Home 4 the Holidays Campaign
• Events & Adoptions
• FieldHaven Alumni
• Feline Fanatics – Volunteer Spotlight: Amanda Oldham
• In Memory: Kathy Leach
• Board of Directors
• Mature Cats for Mature People
• FieldHaven Receives Tax-Exempt Status
• Our List for Santa
• FieldHaven Volunteers at Work (Fun)
• Garfield – A Very Special Adoptable

• April Lujan
• Chloe Collins
• Cindy and Joe Moore
• Feed Plus
• Green Acres
• Il Giardino Garden Inspirations
• Jann’s Best Friends Animal Care

• Jillian Ebrahami
• Kathy’s Pet Shop
• Melissa Shadle
• Montclair Villa Senior Care
• Rhonda Dennis, Lions Real Estate
• Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital
• Trader Joe’s

PetSmart Adoptions

November 27 & December 11
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

PetSmart – Roseville
10363 Fairway Drive, Roseville, CA 95678
November Event Page • December Event Page

Adoptables at Il Giardino Garden Inspirations

November 26 – December 24
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Il Giardino Garden Inspirations
Highway 65 (between 5^th & 6^th Street), Lincoln, CA 95648
Event Page

Gift Wrapping at Barnes & Noble

December 3
9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Barnes & Noble
Creekside Town Center, 1256 Galleria Boulevard, Roseville, CA 95678
Roseville gift wrapping fundraiser and adoptions
Event Page

FieldHaven Cat Trailer Sundays

FieldHaven Feline Center
Every Sunday or by appointment
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
2754 Ironwood Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648

We love to stay in touch with our FieldHaven Alumni. We like to think of their Forever Home Families as an extension of our FieldHaven Family. Please drop us a line or visit our FieldHaven Alumni Facebook Page to let us know how your family members are doing.

Here are a couple of letters from some recent adoptions.

Angel

Long time, no see! It’s me, Angel: the beautiful, wonderful grey tabby polydactyl you guys were wonderful enough to give a home to when I needed it. As you remember (well, I’m sure you remember me), I was taken home back in June by a lady who had just lost her 12-year-old female kitty to cancer. She really wanted a companion for her 11 year old male kitty (Tooz) who was very lonesome without his “wife.” Anyhow, I’ve been wanting to write to let you know how I am doing…

I LOVE MY NEW FAMILY! Even though my new mom wasn’t sure if she was ready for another cat yet (she was sad for a long time), she and I bonded quickly and it is true love all around. She told me that I was really helping her heal from her loss, and that Stuie (the dearly departed) and I are a lot alike. She even suspects that Stuie may have taken over part of my body to come back to her…OK, enough metaphysical stuff. Aside from my new boyfriend, Tooz, I also have a 6-month-old pug puppy named Yoda, who has quite the crush on me. It’s a little bit of a love triangle, actually. He loves me, I love him, Tooz loves me and I love him too, but Tooz and Yoda haven’t quite warmed up to each other yet. Poor Yoda has to ward off Tooz sneak attacks. There’s two black chows that live here, and the big male one is really friendly – he seems to like me, but the older female one is a little grouchy, so I don’t see her much. I also have a 2.5-year-old human brother who I adore (except when he has a squirt gun) and my daddy, who really isn’t overly fond of cats in general, plays with me and loves on me. He even lets me chew on his beard! I get to sleep on the bed with everyone. It gets a little crowded sometimes with all of us on there, but it’s cozy now that it’s getting cold.

I was shy for about the first week home and lived under a bed and would only come out for my mom, though she had her friends come over to try to help me get socialized and feel comfortable around everyone. Now, I run the house! I am 100% healthy, happy, and purrrrr like a motorboat all the time! If anyone believes in fate, it’s my new mommy and I.

We all want to thank you for putting us together. I’m attaching a few pictures for you to enjoy of me and my new buddies (by the way, Tooz is a grey polydactyl tabby, too. How cool is that!?) There’s also one of Tooz with Stuie when she was healthy… see, he has really high tastes.

Love,
Angel

Tiki

I just wanted to let you know that I am doing A- OK. I love my new home. There are two other tabby kitties here named Helen (9) and Jessie (1), and a Chihuahua named Cricket (3). They didn’t like me too much when I first got here, but now we play lots…I even chase Jessie around a bit. I went to the Doctor at PetSmart today. He said I was big for my age but overall very healthy. Thank you for taking such good care of me. I did have to get a few shots in the fanny area and they tell me it is for my own good. My owners bought me a pretty purple collar and two new toys while we were there. And I get to go back in three weeks!

They have been trying to think of names for me…sounds like they are going with “Tiki”-you should hear some of the zingers the little girls have come up with… I hear that I come very close to a dear kitty they had for 14 years that they lost last year. Measles was her name…I hope I can live up to her paw- prints…she sounds pretty special. Here is a picture of me and I’ll send more as I grow. Thank you again for all the love and care you gave me…I miss you. Say Hi to all my friends…if they’re around and not being adopted like me…(I’m hoping they are finding homes).

Love,
Tiki

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me a Cat: Amanda Oldham

By Joy Smith

If you’re looking for the perfect feline partner, but just aren’t sure which is the right life pet partner for you, then you need to see Amanda. Amanda has the most uncanny ability to meet you, chat for a few minutes, and then point you to the perfect FieldHaven feline partner. Amanda adores cats and it shows in everything she does. She is experienced at Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) and maintains a feral colony near her home. When volunteering at FieldHaven, she spends time with each cat and kitten, especially lavishing love on the shy ones. More than one semi-feral kitten has become adoptable because of Amanda’s love and patience. At her home, she fosters some of our most special needs kitties, nurturing them until they recover from illness or injury and can become adoptable. She nursed Mr. Carr, who was hit by a car and needed to be force fed for weeks while his jaw was wired shut to heal a fracture.

Currently, she’s medicating Cramer, who has a badly infected eye that he is in danger of losing. At the same time, she is weaning an orphaned kitten off a bottle. To watch Amanda in adoption mode is truly impressive. She listens to the potential adopter, describes the personality of each kitty, and makes suggestions on who might be a good match. She’s not afraid to discourage an adopter if she doesn’t feel they are ready to make the lifetime commitment to a FieldHaven Feline. It’s hard to believe that Amanda is only 12-years-old. She is cat-wise beyond her years. Amanda called FieldHaven last summer asking if we had a youth volunteer program after having been turned down by other rescues she contacted. We explained that we have a “partner” program where a parent and child can volunteer together. This has been a very successful program, and Amanda and her mom, Peri, are one of a number of partner teams we have volunteering at FieldHaven. Speaking of moms, we couldn’t end this without mentioning Peri, because behind every great daughter is a great mom at least in this case. Peri is as devoted to the cause as Amanda, and they are truly among our most valued volunteers. Peri is our Outreach Adoption Coordinator, and you’ll often find her and Amanda working side by side at PetSmart and other outreach adoptions.

If you are interested in volunteering at FieldHaven we don’t discriminate against age. Please contact us at (916) 434-6022 or [email protected]

Joy Smith, President
Jann Flanagan, Vice President
Mary Swanson, Treasurer
Cindy Moore, Secretary
Sharon Kurth, Fundraising Coordinator

Joe Moore, Member
Jen Paul, Member
Jacque Asselin, Member
Lara Fairchild, DVM, Veterinary Director

By Joy Smith

FieldHaven Feline Rescue is introducing an exciting new program: Mature Cats for Mature People, aimed at placing homeless adult cats into loving homes with seniors. We will partner with seniors and senior care facilities to match friendly felines with senior feline fanatics. The health benefits of pet ownership are now widely recognized by the medical community. Research supports evidence that pets can be especially beneficial to the elderly. They reduce loneliness, lower blood pressure, facilitate cancer recovery and, in many cases, simply provide a reason for living, so take care of your health and adopt a kitty!

Here are highlights of the Mature Cats for Mature People program:

• Mature Cats are six (6) years or older; Mature People are at least 60.
• All cats eligible for MCMP are up to date on vaccinations have had a health exam and have been evaluated for appropriate temperament.
• FieldHaven volunteers will work with your residents to make the best possible match for adoption, including a trial period.
• If the adopter is unable to travel to FieldHaven, we will bring several adoptables to your location.
• Our standard $75 adoption fee is waived.

Pictured Below: Ynes, a FieldHaven Mature Cat, with her family at Montclair Villa Senior Care. Ynes won “Best Costume” at the Halloween Party – she dressed as a Black Cat!

We are pleased to announce that we are now an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization, which means your generous donations are tax-deductible.

Your donations will help us expand our current programs and launch new ones. Some examples of the programs your donations help fund:

• Mature Cats for Mature People 
• Special needs adoptables, like Garfield and Mr. Carr
• Educational programs for local schools and scout troops
• Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) feral cats in our community
• Veterinary care for all our adoptables.

Our List for Santa

• Cat Food (Especially Iams, Felidae, Nutro; dry and canned)
• Cat carriers
• Humane traps
• Snuggle safe heating pads
• Cat toys
• Grooming supplies—flea combs, brushes, nail clippers, etc
• Paper towels
• Microscope
• Baby food (chicken, turkey or beef)
• Fluffy Carpet Toilet lid covers (for beds)
• Cat litter (pine or clumping)

The first reaction of most people when they meet Garfield is to feel sorry for him. It takes only a moment with this sweet guy to switch over to laughter and inspiration. You can’t help but smile as you watch Garfield race around chasing toys and harassing other kittens. The inspiration comes from watching him have fun with life, seemingly completely unaware of his disability. He is a very affectionate kitten: when you reach down to pet him, he immediately starts purring.

Garfield has two fused vertebrae that he was very likely born with. As a result, he is very nearly-paralyzed in his hind limbs. He was rescued from a feral colony when he was just days old and cared for by the colony caregivers until he came to FieldHaven in September.

Garfield’s veterinary care is being supervised by Dr. Jyl Rubin, who has begun VOM (Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation) treatment in the hope some of the damage may be reversed. We have begun a special fund to cover medical expenses for Garfield and other special needs kitties.

Donations can be sent to FieldHaven Feline Rescue, 2754 Ironwood Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648 or be made online here.