Pet of the Week May 18 – May 24

Charlie

 

Hi My name is Charlie. I am a domestic short hair, 8 year old male cat. I grew up in the same house with the same wonderful woman since I was a tiny kitten. She left for an assisted living facility that won’t let me come with her. I am waiting for a new home because I am a superb companion cat. I am lovable, loyal, and sweet. I just can’t get used to this “group home” atmosphere. Please come and meet me.

Pet of the Week May 11 – May 17

Fudge

Hi My name is Fudge. I’m a 2 year old domestic short-haired tuxedo. I was picked up by PACC as a stray and then the Hermitage rescued me. Only because I’m so sweet, lovable and cute and funny. I’m not so thrilled with all these feline roommates here – I really want my own home.

Orphaned kitten Care

This is a wonderful article I found on the internet and use a resource for thsoe who have found kittens.

the link is below

http://www.sheltermedicine.com

Introduction

Welcome to the team of dedicated Kitten Rescue Volunteers! Kittens under the age of 8 weeks need a mother- either a cat or a human surrogate. They are very vulnerable in a shelter and the chance to get them into a foster home within 24 hours is a chance to save their lives. The following guidelines will help you with the care of your kittens and will help you understand the policies and procedures of the foster care program. Please keep the following items on this list in mind before you agree to bring foster animals into your home.

• A foster animal could potentially carry illness into your home that could affect your resident animals’ (or humans’) health.
• To protect people, young children should not handle the foster kittens and everyone should wash their hands after handling animals, fecal waste, or litter boxes.
• To protect other cats, foster animals should be separated from household pets for at least two weeks. This means that you should also prohibit the sharing of food and water bowls, litter boxes and toys.
• Kittens should be de-flead before they enter your home and as often as necessary to keep fleas off of them, because fleas can spread disease among cats and to people.
• You should wash your hands with soap and water before handling your own animals or children and you may also want to change clothes.
• You should routinely disinfect the foster kittens’ quarters and disinfect the entire premised before new kittens are introduced.
• The best way to disinfect the area is to remove all organic material and fecal debris and then soak with a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 32 parts water) for at least 10 minutes. All surfaces, bowls, toys etc need to be disinfected (so you probably want to keep kittens in a room without carpeting, hardwood floors and so forth).
• It is best to have only litter at a time (rear the kittens in cohort groups) rather than constantly adding new kittens in with others. Keeping them in cohorts allows you to prevent disease mixing among cohorts and to disinfect between groups.
• It is possible even with these precautions that resident cats could be exposed to mild infections such as URI. Ask the foster coordinator for more information if this is a concern

Kitten Season

The kitten season has come in more like a lion than a lamb this year.  Numbers of litters seem to hint at a kitten endemic this year. The recent economy has lead to the loss of many homes and in turn has meant the abandonment of many former pets.  These pets unfortunately have not been spayed or neutered and are adding to the every growing population of stray and feral cats. Additionally free roaming “owned animals” are breeding at incredible rates. This leads to overcrowding in our shelters, streets and available homes in Pima county. 

Understanding not everyone is a cat or a dogs person, the responsibility lies within the communities to conduct Trap Neuter and Release programs to combat the ever growing population. 

The Hermitage will find these kittens forever homes

 

In this past month The Hermitage has rescued over 54 kittens from PACC, and this is not enough. There are over 30 kittens being released to PACC on a daily basis! There are not homes for them all, and there is limited space to provide sanctuary.

 

What is one person to do? If you find a mom and her litter, leave them where they are unless you are able to care for them and adopt them out to homes that will spay and neuter the litter. Often good intentions lead to more cats in the shelter system tying the counties’ and local shelter’s hands. The shelters offer sanctuary and support, within limits. 

 

 

 

 

 

If you own a pet that is not altered, do so. There are low cost spay and neuter clinics available as well as ones that even offer free services for qualifying families. Reference PET FIX.

Animal Birth Control 

1114 S. Craycroft (520)745-4564

Eastside Spay and Neuter Clinic

7036 E. Broadway Suite 100  (520)731-1714

Humane Society of Southern Arizona

3450 N. Kelvin (520)881-0321

Arizona Spay Neuter Clinic

4 W. Grant (520)624-5005

Guadalupe Veterinary Clinic

5107 S. 12th Ave (520)889-5949

 

If you live in the following neighborhoods, you may qualify for FREE spay and neuter: 

Pueblo Gardens, Littletown, Midvale Park, Barrio Hollywood, South Tucson, Picture Rocks, Pascua Yaqui, Catallina, Nogales Highway, Ajo, Arivaca, Three Points, Avra Valley, Tohono O’Odham

JAN – APR Adoptions

Total Adoption Jan-Apr: 118

Average Adoptions per Month: 29.5

January (41)

Special Needs

• Oleander
• Gia
• Candy

Eminently Adoptable

• Willow
• Spalding
• Tulip
• Kevin
• Yoko
• Shack
• Monty
• Ronny
• Indigo
• Hazel
• Sushi
• Bethany
• Nikki
• Hershey
• Persephone
• Peter
• Lindsy
• Megan
• R.J.
• Olan
• Otto
• Chatterbox
• Cleo
• Gracin
• Louie
• Keira
• Kelly
• Brice
• Snickers
• Milkyway
• Thomas
• Furby
• Ming
• Remi
• Matthew
• Dion
• J.P.
• Kit Kat

Pet of the Week May 4 – May 10

Hazel

My name is Hazel. I am an 11 month old female, spayed, DSH, Egyptian Mau Mix. I’m great with other cats and kids. I enjoy watching the birds around the shelter and chatting with anyone that is willing to listen. Come down to the shelter so we can get to know each other.

Kittens, kittens, everywhere kittens!

Over the next few weeks, dozens of kittens will be available for adoption. Come on down to the shelter to see if there is one that is right for you.

Due to the increased care that kittens require, a $10 deposit is needed to hold any kitten. This is only refundable if the kitten becomes unadoptable.

lolcat of the Week May 1 – May 7

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Fun Cat Vid of May

Sponsor a Cat of May

Pookie

My name is Pookie, and I came to the shelter several years ago. I have incontinence problems and the Manx syndrome. I’ve had surgery for Spina Biffida, and I wear some wonderful little shoes which give me more support—“cammies” and red ones. I have a “cattitude,” and love to make the shelter staff chase me.

If you are interested in sponsoring Pookie, or any other cat, please visit our website.