Dog Adoption

TEENA

Teena is a female, black, long hair Maine Coon mix born approximately end of April 2019. Teena was rescued from an outdoor situation. She is sweet but very shy. A patient adult owner in a quiet home will be rewarded with her love.

MARABELLE

Marabelle is a female, tortoiseshell, long hair Maine Coon mix cat, born mid May 2018. She has a very attractive long coat that will require some daily maintenance. She would do best in a quiet adult home as a companion to another cat or going with one her siblings MeMe or Marco.

BOOGIE

Boogie is a female black, short hair, cat with a touch of white born approximately mid March 2018. Boogie is sweet but a tad shy with strangers. She may do best in an adult home without young children.

Collaborative Cats PO Box 88 Ancramdale, NY 12503 (518) 303-2910 collaborativecats@gmail.com www.collaborativecats.com

The holiday season is a joyous time of year when people gather together and celebrate. It’s also a time when we prepare our home and hearts for this yearly celebration. Decorations are displayed and food is bountiful. However, there are a few things that every cat owner should be aware of to avoid any potential problems.

For instance, Christmas decorations can be hazardous for cats. Items such as ribbon, string, garland and tinsel can create the most health problems for cats this time of the year. Far too often cats swallow these items and it can cause for an intestinal blockage that requires surgery. It’s best to eliminate decorations such as these to prevent health problem to their cat.

Holiday decorations are not limited to what is put on a tree or for what we use to wrap presents. Oftentimes plants and flowers are used for décor. For us humans, floral bouquets containing lily flowers are festive, fragrant and beautiful. For cats, lily flowers are deadly. Most parts of this plant can cause acute, irreversible kidney failure if ingested. When decorating your home, it’s best to stick with holiday plants and flowers that are safe for cats.

Family and friends may visit to celebrate the holidays with you. As much as you may enjoy having company over, cats usually do not enjoy any kind of disturbance from their daily routine. Cats don’t deal well with change and even subtle changes in their environment can cause your cat stress. Just being around new people can be very stressful for a fearful cat. It may be a good idea to remind guests, especially children, that cats are usually good about getting out of the way on their own and while some cats may enjoy watching all the activity from a secure area such as a high perch, other cats may just enjoy hiding out and watching from a distance. Before guests arrive, be sure to provide your cat with a private retreat, a place that’s quiet where they can access their food, water and litter box. This place should be off-limits to people and other animals, giving your cat a secure place to feel safe in.

Part of the festivities is sharing dinner amongst family and friends. This is a timeless holiday tradition that provides much enjoyment. As tempting as it is to share table scraps with your cat, it’s best to avoid feeding anything from your dinner plate. Typically cats do not tolerate sudden changes in their diet and eating table scraps can cause severe indigestion. However, if you can’t resist the temptation and end up sharing a few bites with your cat, as we all do at one time or another, make sure that the food does not include onions or garlic because it can break down the red blood cells and cause anemia in cats, which could be life-threatening if left untreated.

The holidays can be overwhelming and stressful but don’t let that stop your from enjoying it. Set aside at least ten minutes of playtime each day to interact with your cat. Use cardboard boxes to create tunnels or toss around some crinkled wrapping paper. When the day is over you and your cat can cozy up, cuddle and relax.

How to Make a Holiday Light Display

What you need:

Paper lunch bags Votive candles Sand Lighter or match

What to do:

Step One:

Open up the paper lunch bag and fold down the top inch, creating a lip

Step Two:

Add 2 -3 inches of sand so there’s enough to hold the candle and weigh down the bag

Step Three:

Place the votive candle inside the center of the bag

Step Four:

Use a lighter or match to light the candle

Helpful Hints:

- Luminarias or farolitos can burn for up to 4 hours before going out.

- When setting up your lights, it’s best to choose a night that is not too windy.

- When designing your light display, keep bags about 20 inches apart from one another.

- When the time comes to take down your lights, reuse the sand for your garden or for next year’s candles.

- If you want to add some flair to your lights, stencil a design on your bag and use a hole puncher to cut out the holes along the lines.

Airedales

Bo is a New England Airedale Rescue dog adopted by Pat Kohl from Wallingford. Photo Credit: Pat Kohl Article provided by Barbara Curtiss

Airedales are the biggest of the terrier breeds, with the standard being about 50 pounds, but frequently they are double that size. They are smart and curious. Terriers were created to deal with vermin, and while we might not have rats or otters around our houses these days, we probably have squirrels or rabbits, so Airedales are very reactive to seeing these critters, and if off leash, they will surely start an intense chase. And part of the genetic background is the Otterhound, so noses are at constant work on any walk. They were not bred to do things for people as some breeds are, so you probably would never see an Airedale as a service dog whose obedience to a task must be relied on. Airedales are smart and curious. Chasing rodents, for example, doesn’t need human direction, these terriers are independent workers and will go about their job of chasing and dispatching naturally. If you mind being outwitted every now and then, you might not be enchanted with a terrier! Expect your judgment to be questioned, and don’t be surprised if they have opinions on how to run things. Intelligence is not the same as obedience! They thrive on praise rather than punishment. They want to work with you, not for you.

Some people are impressed with the Airedale reputation for courage and bravery. Airedales can be territorial and while this does make them watch dogs in a sense, dog owners today should realize threat they are more likely to be sued by someone than to be robbed by a burglar, though having an Airedale in the house can be a deterrent to unwanted visitors. Jumping up on visitors, though, can be their over enthusiastic greeting at the door or on walks.

If you’re a neat-nik, you may object to their drippy beards after a dunk in the water bowl. Well groomed, Airedales are stunning, but note that the pictures you see in books or the dogs at dog shows have been hand stripped. Pet Airedales are clipped which creates a softer coat and sometimes less dark colored. An ungroomed Airedale gets wooly and unkempt so regular grooming is needed. This is a hypoallergenic breed but that doesn’t work for very sensitive people, and though they don’t shed, the coat grows to one length and dies (unlike dogs who are constantly shedding and renewing their coats) and once an Airedale’s coat is “blown” (fully grown out), it tends to come out in clumps. Keeping an Airedale groomed solves this problem.

Airedales are clowns and they enjoy a good joke. This isn’t always desirable in an obedience ring! Most love the company of other dogs, but some need to be an only pet. All need a fenced yard, and a leashed walk. They are athletic and strong and love long hikes. Airedales are a very healthy breed with no notable genetic health issues. With their families they are loving and kind, often named “Teddy” because they are like living with a happy teddy bear.

Airedale Rescue is a national effort (see airedalerescue.net ) with each region of the country covered by a rescue organization. The six New England states are covered by New England Airedale Rescue, a 501c3 non-profit organization with a board of directors, http://www.NewEnglandAiredaleRescue.org. We have rehomed over 500 purebred Airedales in these 25 years and respond to the needs of dogs and owners whenever we hear about a need. The process for adoption begins with an application so information is known in order to match an evaluated dog with homes on the waiting list. After placement, the adoption is supported with advice for the life of the dog. Everything is done to make it a successful adoption. Adopters sign an adoption agreement contract, which makes clear expectations. Fortunately we have few Airedales needing rehoming now and many excellent applicants on the waiting list, but there will always be a need to help a dog whose owner cannot continue to provide a home for his pet. New England Airedale Rescue is there to help.