This is an archived newsletter. Information featured in it may no longer be pertinent or accurate and some features may be missing.
Spring, 2007
Inside This Issue
By Joy Smith
Daisy loves her full body massage.
Daisy loves getting her long fur brushed. Georgie tried dreadlocks, but Dr. Berta said it wasn’t good for his skin, so off to the salon he went for the really “in” bald look. Rosebud and Lindy get all they want to eat because, unlike some haute couture fashion designers, we don’t like skinny models on the catwalk. Dogma grudgingly dons his harness and goes for a walk through the FieldHaven gardens in an effort to shed a couple of pounds. These are just a few of the spa treatments the felines at FieldHaven receive while they are getting prepared for their BIG DAY: adoption!
We take the health, beauty, and happiness of all our kitties very seriously. FieldHaven staff, volunteers, and veterinarians spend days, weeks, and sometimes even months caring for each client from the time they come in until they are adopted.
First, every client gets a thorough medical check-up that includes vaccinations, worming, blood tests – whatever Dr. Berta, our client’s personal physician, feels is necessary.
Then, an individual treatment plan is designed to get each cat and kitten ready for adoption.
Following are some of the services the FieldHaven Feline Spa offers:
Heidi’s herbal body wrap.
Herbal Medicated Body Wrap: This is for kitties needing an all-over skin treatment for conditions, like flea infestations and ringworm, and for curious felines who have accidentally dunked themselves in icky, sticky substances like motor oil.
Custom Exercise Program: Volunteer personal trainers design individual diet and body-toning programs for those kitties that are weight-challenged. You’ll find personal trainers taking kitties for power walks and involving them in aerobic exercise (aka chasing the feather teaser).
Full Body Massage: Using a variety of brushes (depending on what our client prefers), our masseuses brush out loose hair and mats while providing a soothing, gentle skin massage that’s sure to make any kitty purr.
Manicure and Pedicures: Unlike their human counterparts, our feline clients really despise having their treasured nails touched by anyone other than themselves. We work hard to convince them that razor sharp talons really aren’t in fashion anymore: shorter, blunt nails are much more in style.
PID Implants: We humans do things like tattoos and belly rings to add to our individuality. Since tattoos are not visible on kitties, they have a personal identification device implanted. Commonly known as a microchip, this tiny piece of technology will help ensure a lost kitty will get reunited with their human family.
Smile Makeover: Each client gets dental work done (if needed) to keep those pearly whites in healthy, kibble-crunching condition.
Group and Individual Therapy: Many clients that come to FieldHaven have unknown backgrounds, and because kitties are typically very private, we often will never know what they’ve experienced. Volunteer therapists spend many hours working to understand each client’s personality and discovering what type of home and human family would be best. You’d be amazed at what our therapists learn about some kitties – all in strict confidence, of course. It truly helps us to find that perfect home.
The garden is full of exotic sights and smells to make exercise fun for Dogma
Customized Diet Plans: Some clients have the need for a special diet: skin allergies, digestive upsets, anorexia and, of course, those portly felines who need to shed a few ounces. Our nutritionists customize vitamin and supplement programs for any client that needs a little extra “bloom” on their coat or enhanced body tone before making their adoption debut.
Corrective Surgery: While we believe our clients need no enhancement (they are beautiful just as they are), there are two surgical procedures that are a must: spaying and neutering!
All spa treatments are supervised by Dr. Berta and other veterinarians to ensure our clients are in the best physical health during their stay at FieldHaven. When a FieldHaven client is ready for adoption, our volunteer personal image specialists put together an individual portfolio. She/he poses for fashion photos and a biography is written. This information is showcased on the FieldHaven website and Petfinder.com and sent to the media.
When the big day arrives and a potential match is found, our family therapists (aka adoption counselors) work with everyone – human and feline – to ensure this is a good match, but our work doesn’t stop there. Volunteers are available for consultations anytime after adoption to help work out those little adjustment issues that may arise.
Nothing but the best for our clients and their new families, of course! It is through your generous support, donations, and time that we can take such wonderful care of these beautiful deserving creatures. Adoption fees cover only a portion of the cost to provide each cat with the specialized care that will give them the best possible chance of a forever home.
If you’d like to be a FieldHaven Feline Spa volunteer, please call us at (916) 434-6022 or email [email protected].
By Jen Rosenbrook, volunteer and foster mom
Failure is usually very depressing, but being a “foster failure” makes you so happy it’s hard to find words to describe it! The term refers to foster parents who’ve decided to give a forever home to one (or more) of the cats or kittens in their care. FieldHaven’s Foster Program extends the shelter’s capacity to provide a safe haven for homeless cats and kittens until they are old enough, or in some cases, healthy enough to be adopted.
FieldHaven provides food, medical care, and lots of support for foster parents whenever problems arise. Foster parents provide lots of love and toys, transportation to FieldHaven for vaccinations and other medical treatment, and litter, of course. Sometimes, they also take their kitties to PetSmart and other adoption events.
Foster parents are not expected or required to adopt any of their kitties, but it goes with the territory because you fall in love with them. Sometimes there’s a special one that tugs at your heart, and you just can’t let him or her go, and another “foster failure” joins the club.
If you’d like more information about the joy and fun of being a foster parent (we always need more), please contact Courtney Nunes at [email protected] or call (916) 434-6022. Kitten season is just around the corner and we desperately need foster homes! Typically, half of the cats under the care of FieldHaven at any given time are in foster homes. Join the Foster Frolic and help us save lives!
This article was written by FieldHaven volunteer and foster mom, Jen Rosenbrook. Jen is a “foster failure” to Dovey (above), a beautiful girl who had an eye condition as a kitten that left her partially blind in one eye. Jen has fostered dozens of kittens and cats for FieldHaven, but Dovey was that one special kitty that she couldn’t let go. As Jen mentions, being a foster parent does not mean you should ever feel obligated to adopt one your charges, sometimes, there is one that you just can’t give up.
Here’s what we hear from some of the wonderful felines who have found homes with loving and generous people.
Hello!
My name is Simon. I’m five years old and I live happily in Sun City with Katy and Norm. However, there was a time when I was not so happy. I always tried to look really ferocious so people would think I was tough. On the inside, I’m really a touchy-feely kind of guy. One day at FieldHaven, a volunteer took a chance and started to pet me. That was it! I rolled over on my back to get my tummy rubbed and my true self came out! At an adoption event in Sun City Lincoln Hills (I decided not to go that day), a volunteer started talking to Norm and Katy. They didn’t see exactly what they wanted in a kitty at the adoption event. The volunteer said she knew of a kitty that might be a good fit. She took Norm and Katy to FieldHaven and introduced them to me. I knew Norm was a really great guy from the start, so I jumped up in his lap and purred. He really liked that! Long story short, Norm and Katy took me home and I am so happy. Here is a picture of me doing one of my favorite things, sitting on Norm’s lap. I also enjoy checking out the birds in the backyard. Oh, and you should see my food buffet! I’m the best fed kitty in all of Lincoln! There are lots of other kitties like me at FieldHaven who just want to have someone take them home and love them.
Love,
– Simon (formerly Micron)
Hi all,
Here is a picture of our new addition (Carter), and our beloved old man dog (Jackie). Carter has gotten over his initial shyness and has apparently decided that we are an acceptable family. He’s right in the thick of things these days. He spends his evenings chatting and snuggling with us, and has even decided that Jack might be an adequate playmate (Jack wholeheartedly disagrees). We’re having a lot of fun with them both.
– Kelly
Hi friends at FieldHaven!
We first want to thank you so much for rescuing us and taking care of us so that we came through healthy and happy. We are now in a wonderful home and get plenty of love! As you can see, we definitely eat well! Our days are spent playing with mom and dad and with each other, running through the house and bounding on chairs, tables, and our perch. We get to look out the windows, as you can see in the pictures, and just love to keep track of all the birds. Sleeping is also something we enjoy. We purr quite often and are so happy that we can be with each other. Life is good and we love our forever home!
– Zena & Zeus
By Georgia Bockoven, FieldHaven volunteer and published author of over 20 novels
If you were the cheerleader or star basketball player in high school, you won’t understand this story, but all of you who, like me, stayed home from a prom or two, or suffered through being the last one chosen in a pickup game of baseball, this tale is for you. Still with me? Then I’d like to introduce you to Miss Forrester, Rosebud, and Lindy: hands down, the most beautiful cats at FieldHaven, on the inside.
Miss Forrester was mistaken for feral until she sought out the human companionship she enjoys so much.
Unfortunately, nature made these three ladies a study in beauty being skin…uh, fur deep…but, oh, what amazing cats they are when you give them two minutes. That’s right. Just two minutes. That’s all it takes to discover how much tenderness, gentleness, and love can be packed into a diminutive, purring package.
Ever had your heart broken? They have, too. Forgiven and forgotten? Them, too. Become a better person in the process? How could you not be impressed with a cat like Miss Forrester who was mistaken for feral, spayed, had her ear clipped, and was put back in a feral colony where she didn’t belong. She managed to find her way to a construction site where, half-starved, she sought refuge in the construction trailer, until finally, someone rescued her and brought her to FieldHaven. She not only trusts people, she seeks them out, desperately hungry for a loving hand and warm lap.
Lindy is a special kitty for someone who can give her special care.
Lindy is our literary lady with six toes like Ernest Hemingway’s famous cats. She’s also our greeter. Sit down at the table to work on something and she’s right there checking it out, too, bumping noses, purring, talking. She came to us from another rescue, and like all of our cats, was tested right away. Turns out she had a high FIP titre, which means she was supposed to be really sick and catch every bug (the viral and bacterial kind, not the creepy, crawly kind) she was exposed to. She didn’t, and hasn’t. She does have a gum disease which requires regular treatment, but come on, which of us doesn’t have something we’re treating?
Miss Forrester was mistaken for feral until she sought out the human companionship she enjoys so much. Lindy is a special kitty for someone who can give her special care. Our last beauty is Rosebud. She’s breathtaking, pure, and simple. There has never been another cat as loving, forgiving, or tenderhearted as this girl. She came to us distraught and depressed over being left behind when her people moved.
After she was left behind when her people moved away beautiful Rosebud is anxious to find a real FOREVER home.
Someone had treated her badly, cutting off her whiskers and eyebrows. They’re growing back now: little stubs, reminders that the most gentle souls can be the easiest to destroy, but not Rosebud. There was a spark inside her that would not be extinguished. When our volunteers saw the note on the bulletin board that Rosebud was depressed and needed extra love and attention, they gave her what she needed to understand that life could be good again. Now she will crawl on your lap and put her paws around your neck and let you know that she believes in people once more.
These three FieldHaven beauties are ready for adoption. The only thing they ask in return for a lifetime of devotion is a permanent place in your heart, a warm lap, and a spot near a window to bask in the sunshine on a summer day.
After she was left behind when her people moved away, beautiful Rosebud is anxious to find a real FOREVER home.
FieldHaven Adoption Hours
Monday – Friday: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Closed Sundays
By Roger Carroll, CPA, Treasurer FieldHaven Board of Directors
A number of changes were made to the tax laws relating to charitable contributions, beginning on January 1, 2007. The two most relevant are discussed below: Deductions of Clothing and Household items are now limited to $500 and must be in usable condition – don’t give us your broken washing machine: we don’t want to have to fix it and you can’t deduct it! Should you happen to have a usable item worth more than $500 that you want to donate, you will need to have a “qualified appraisal” of the items value before you donate it for it to be deductible.
No deduction is allowable for any monetary gifts (cash or check) without documentation. This goes all the way down to buying cookies from the child next door. Allowable documentation includes a cancelled check with the related bank statement, or a receipt or written communication from the recipient organization. Self-created (by the taxpayer) documentation is not acceptable.
Here are some basic rules of contributions:
- Charitable contributions are deducted in the year they were made, even if made by credit card.
- Charitable contributions by individuals are only deductible if they itemize their deductions on Schedule A of form 1040.
If you choose the standard deduction, contributions are not deductible.
- Donated time is not deductible, but the miles of travel for charitable purposes are.
- Vehicle, motor boat and airplane donations are limited to the gross proceeds of the sale of the vehicle. In the past, one could deduct the appraised or “Blue Book” value of the vehicle. This is no longer allowed.
- Just in case you wanted to know, you can donate up to 50% of your annual income to qualifying organizations. If you donate more, you can “carry-over” the non-deducted amount to deduct in future years.
Deductions are only allowed if made to Qualified Charities. To find out whether a charity is registered or not, click here, at the Registry of Charitable Trust, and search for the charity’s name. You can see information about the organization, and the annual tax forms filed.
Last year, you all responded wonderfully to our book drive and nearly $5,000 was contributed to FieldHaven through your generous book donations. Our “book brokers” still want more books, so please don’t stop bringing them! Pass the word along to all your friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
Books, CDs, DVDs, and books-on-tape are all welcome. No Reader’s Digest or encyclopedia, please. The book drive is ongoing!
Drop your books off at FieldHaven, Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM or Saturday from 12 PM to 4 PM. Thank you!
By Lorraine Davis, FieldHaven Volunteer and Sun City Lincoln Hills resident
FieldHaven volunteer Lorraine with an armful of irresistible “feral” kittens who will soon be socialized and ready for adoption.
I’ve been volunteering at FieldHaven for about two years now, but it’s only recently that I’ve become involved in the foster program. Several months ago, I trapped some feral kittens and reluctantly jumped into the ocean of trapping and fostering cats. I gained a new appreciation for what a difficult job it is, but it’s so very rewarding and I treasure every moment that I experienced. Last summer, I received a call from a neighbor that some kittens were sighted on the golf cart lane near Safeway in Lincoln. I was determined to assess the situation and trap the kittens if possible. I started on Saturday morning and by Sunday afternoon realized there were seven kittens and a momma cat. In the meantime, I enlisted the help of a friend and by 5 PM on Sunday, we had successfully trapped six of the kittens and the mom. On Friday morning, we caught a male adult cat, and it was obvious he was the dad because of the similarity in color and markings. We still set the trap every night hoping to catch the last kitten. At eight weeks old, living alone, his chances of survival were questionable.
We had mixed emotions. We were exhausted but excited that we had captured a total of eight. We also had many questions. How did the cats get there? Was the pregnant cat dumped and were the kittens born in the field? All the cats were afraid but didn’t act feral. Some of the kittens could be picked up and loved which led us to believe that they had experienced human contact at some point. Did someone dump mommy and her kittens after they had been born?
Please let everyone you know that dumping cats or kittens in a field or near a park is NOT the humane thing to do. They will probably not survive and it can be a cruel and agonizing death for some. Your cat should be spayed or neutered so this won’t happen in the first place, but if your cat does have kittens and you cannot take care of them, please call FieldHaven Feline Rescue or Placer County Animal Services. Do not abandon these kitties. It not only affects the abandoned cats, it involves a string of volunteers who must get involved in a long drawn-out project. These volunteers could be using their time and talents in other areas that might be more helpful to the rescue agency.
As for my kitties, three have already been adopted. The others are available for adoption at FieldHaven. The mom and dad cats were neutered and spayed and released as barn cats so they can live a safe and happy life. If you’re interested in adopting or volunteering, please give us a call at (916) 434-6022. Help us save more lives and educate the public so that this will not happen again.
Memorial Gifts
- Janice and Curtis Covington in memory of Sid
- Sarah Boudreau, Fran and George Philip in memory of Maxine Jones
- Joy Smith in memory of Sid
- Ann Peckenpaugh Becker in memory of Maxine Jones
- John and Jennie Gill in memory of Murphy
- Alex and Jason Jahn in memory of Sid
Did you know that a female cat can get pregnant at six months of age and have two to three litters of kittens a year?
Please do the responsible thing and have your cat spayed or neutered. FieldHaven’s Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) makes it EASY to be responsible. Spay/neuter is low or no-cost and we’ll even help with transportation to the veterinarian.
SNAP Program assistance provided by a grant from PetSmart Charities.
See an up to date Event Calendar at www.fieldhaven.com/events/
Microchip Clinic
3rd Saturday of each month
Ben’s Bark Avenue, 800 Sterling Parkway #30, Lincoln, CA
PetSmart Adoptions
2nd and 4th Saturdays and 2nd Sunday of each month
10363 Fairway Drive, Roseville, CA
Petco Adoptions
Sunday through Friday
6672 Lonetree Boulevard, Rocklin, CA
Junior Volunteer Meeting
First Saturday of each month
Contact Peri at [email protected] for times
2754 Ironwood Lane, Lincoln, CA