January/February 2013 Issue of Pet Me! Magazine

January/February 2013

Your Guide To All Things Pets

A Healing Place PLUS: The Feral Cat Epidemic Managing Osteoarthritis In The Senior Pet Is Feeding Human Food To My Dog Or Cat Safe?

The Gift Of Hospice & Much More!

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY

Contents 4 Saffyre Sanctuary’s Abused Horses Found A Healing Place 10 Managing Osteoarthritis In The Senior Pet 13 Is Feeding Human Food To My Dog Or Cat Safe?

14 The Gift of Hospice 16 The Feral Cat Epidemic: How It Evolved And How We Can Help Resolve It 22 Directory for All Things Pets

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Please Contact Us For A Subscription – Annual Subscription By Mail: $12 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Bridget Alves ART DIRECTOR Doug Conboy COVER PHOTO

By Jim Harris – Photo shows the son of “Caleyndar,” owned by Esta Bernstein of Saffyre Sanctuary PUBLISHED BY Pet Me! Publications Find Us On Facebook Pet Me! Magazine

It’s so exciting to be starting a new year and celebrating our third anniversary! This year, I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have met so many wonderful pet advocates. In this issue, two of those selfless women bring to reality the touching and gut wrenching world of rescue.

My visit to Saffyre Sanctuary earlier this month was heart– warming. There is nothing quite like the connection one makes with a horse. Such an intense bond is formed when we put our trust in them and allow ourselves to become one riding together. In my teens I preferred riding without a saddle and most times chose to forego the bit. I was lucky enough to have a horse that graciously cooperated when handled this way. My visit to Saffyre Sanctuary brought back so many great memories.

It was a pleasure to meet with Esta Bernstein and share her story of the joy, tears and successes of the many horses she has rescued over the years.

There is no doubt that winter is here; and the homeless pets know better than any about the struggles of dealing without shelter or food during the cold winter months. In this issue we bring awareness to the thousands of feral cats and kittens that desperately need our help and attention. It takes just one small act of kindness to make a difference in whether an animal lives or dies. In this issue Debbie Eskow, Save A Kitty, Inc. talks about how we can help these cats and decrease the feral population.

As always, our magazine is geared to providing the most helpful, current information for pet owners, lovers and advocates. Thank you for your wonderful emails and kind support. We appreciate the privilege of bringing you Pet Me! Magazine.

Peace & Blessings for the New Year!

Bridget Alves Publisher & Editor

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Saffyre Sanctuary’s Abused Horses Found

A

g n i l P a l a e ce H

Esta Bernstein, founder and CEO of Saffyre Sanctuary, uses unorthodox medical and spiritual methods to rehabilitate abused horses. She is closely bonded with the horses she rehabilitates.

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By Jim Harris

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

E

maciated, looking like a skeleton instead of a horse, Lucky walked painfully into his stall. The owner had stopped feeding him, and the former race horse had no recourse but to survive on fallen leaves.

It was bad enough that Lucky had started life as a race horse living in a 10-foot by 10-foot stall, worked incessantly, drugged and doped.

“He falls down when we ride him,” said Lucky’s owner over the phone to Esta Bernstein, CEO of Saffyre Sanctuary.

“I don’t know what to do.”

The woman had called Bernstein to persuade her to take the horse into the sanctuary. In disgust, Bernstein told her to call a vet immediately and hung up on the woman.

“Then it (conscience) hit me like the proverbial sledge hammer and I picked up the phone, called her back and told her that I would take him,” says Bernstein, the founder of Saffyre.

Four months later the horse, renamed Lakota, has gained back his weight and is happy and healthy. This is due to the efforts of Bernstein’s one-of-a-kind horse rehabilitation program located on the Summer Hawk Ranch in Lake View Terrace, California.

“Neglect and ignorance are the worse sorts of abuse. These animals suffer, so we bring them here and we treat them as beings worthy of respect. We take care of them physically and

spiritually,” says Bernstein.

Counter to the belief of many equestrian experts, Bernstein says that horses have the same capacity for love as do humans.

“Everyone wants to be loved and respected—this includes all species,” says Bernstein. “We talk to them, explain to them what we have to do. We ask their permission when we ride them. We spoil them.”

Bernstein says the horses respond to them out of love not fear.

“We spend mountains of time on ground work before we gain the trust of these abused animals,” says Bernstein. “They let us ride because it is useful work for them and a way for them to return the love we have given them.”

Lead Saffyre volunteer, John Navalesi, a veteran horseman, agrees. Navalesi has changed his ideas about horses. “A horse is a mirror of you. I’m not training these horses, I’m being trained,” he smiles.

“You have to understand their mentality. They can reason, cooperate, and communicate,” says Bernstein.

“Horses are going to react to your reactions,” she says.

“Once a very uptight friend of mine came to visit and one of the horses closed up, acted uptight and would not interact. He switched to his right brain side and became reactive.

continued on page 6

Durina was an aggressive, neurotic Dressage horse who had been shown day and night seven days a week. The horse bit and wore a path around her stall until Bernstein gained the horse’s confidence and trust through Saffyre Sanctuary’s extensive physical and mental therapy program.

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continued from page 5 Once my friend left, the horse went back to its former, open, relaxed self.”

Bernstein feels that she can communicate with the horses and has done so with the help of animal communicator Lisa Larson, a medium (pawstalk.net). Over the phone Larson determined that Lakota did not like his original name, “Lucky.”

Larson told Bernstein that Lakota said, “I don’t like my name.

I’m not very lucky.” Bernstein renamed the horse “Lakota.”

“Lakota” means “friend” in the tongue of the Sioux Indians, once a horse culture on the Great Plains in the 19th Century. Like Saffyre Sanctuary, the Great Plains Indians used the same spiritual and physical methods with their ponies; never “breaking” their horses, but working in unison through love and respect. According to Wikipedia, “Horse Whisperer” Marvin Earl “Monty” Roberts agrees with this method.

The website says Roberts “… is an American horse trainer who… believes that horses use a non-verbal language, which he terms ‘Equus,’ and that humans can use this language to communicate with horses…He runs an Equestrian Academy in Solvang, California, and an ‘online university’ to promote his ideas.”

A vegetarian, Bernstein also contends that people who refuse to eat meat are more trusted by animals, especially prey animals. Horses are prey animals that evolved by roving to6 Pet Me! Magazine™

gether in close groups for protection against packs of meateating predators, she says.

While Saffyre Sanctuary is unusual in its training methods, it is also one of a kind in the way it physically rehabilitates horses.

For example, each horse has a specialized diet according to its needs. An equine nutritionist for the past 20 years, Bernstein spends at least $300 a month per horse on organic foods for the seven Sanctuary horses.

“Do you know what most people feed their pets?” she asks.

“Other horses, dogs, cats—the standardized animal foods get their substance from rendering plants.”

According to the Realfoods. Net website, “Rendering is the process of cooking raw animal material to remove the moisture and fat. The rendering plant works like a giant kitchen.

The cooker, or ‘chef,’ blends the raw product in order to maintain a certain ratio between the carcasses of pets, livestock, poultry waste and supermarket rejects.”

Bernstein says the results from rendering are not healthful.

“Process feed like this can cause a multitude of health problems” Saffyre Sanctuary, additionally, uses non-standard methods to restore horses that have been injured by their abusers. Bernstein proudly points to a majestic 15-year-old black Dressage horse named Durina.

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

“Durina was shown for 10 years, nonstop. She came in here with her back bunched up, her head down, and her shoulders not working, angry, given up on by everyone. She had worn a trench in her stall from endless pacing. She was attacking other horses and people.”

When Durina came to Saffyre, Bernstein says she could see that there was something physically wrong with the horse. Durina receives Shock Wave therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care every two weeks.

“Now she’s a model citizen. Durina is friendly, well-mannered, lunges, and does not pace anymore. In fact, we will be riding her in a month,” said Bernstein, smiling. “However, this kind of treatment Bernstein is overcome with emotion as she carasses the emaciated “Lakota” when costs $500 every two weeks,” she added. he first comes to Saffyre Sanctuary. Ironically, the starved and abused horse’s To maintain this level of care, it name was “Lucky” at the time. costs Saffyre Sanctuary at least $4,550 per month. And that is without rent. Realizing the value of The sanctuary accepts tax deductible gifts and money. She is lookwhat Bernstein does for these animals, Summer Hawk Ranch ing for other ranches that might provide space to enable her to owners Vikki and Nils Brink generously donate stalls on their rehabilitate even more horses. Ranch owners are eligible for the equestrian ranch for Saffyre Sanctuary.

Welfare Tax Exemption based on square footage, she says.

Still the costs are enormous for Bernstein’s non-profit 501 3C. continued on page 8

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two colts that she shows.

Caleyndar, in fact, became world famous. In 2004, he won the “Most Classic Contest” ran by the Arabian Horse Times.

The stallion was featured in Robert Vavra’s “Horses of the Sun” and in the National Geographic documentary “The Nobel Horse.” Artist Kim McElroy has painted the horse’s image for portraits, note cards and “Leanin’ Tree” publications. The horse’s likeness can be found on Ron Kimball’s screensavers and wallpaper.

Because of her success with Caleyndar, Bernstein is known across the country for equine holistic nutrition and rehabilitation.

A fully restored Lakota after of months of rehabilitation at Saffyre Sanctuary. Bernstein stands behind Lakota and her lead volunteer John Navalesi, a veteran horseman who says “A horse is a mirror of yourself.” continued from page 7 In addition, Bernstein is expanding her program with “Virtual Foster Care.” In this program, donors give money toward the care of a specific horse that is housed and cared for in Sanctuary facilities. The virtual foster person is involved with the animal to the degree that she or he wishes.

Bernstein’s passion for helping horses came from a violent incident she witnessed as a child. She watched two inexperienced wranglers tie a petrified three-year-old quarter horse to a tree and beat it with a chain until he was too scared to move.

In their attempt to geld the stud colt they failed to tranquilize him properly, and threw the horse to the ground and cut off his testicles with a kitchen knife, says Bernstein.

The next day, she said, “I cried on his neck, feeling helpless in the presence of this beaten, depressed, and confused horse.”

As a ten-year-old, she saw the “…inhumane treatment that rental horses were exposed to at the hands of inexperienced people.”

Renters beat them with sticks, kicked and pulled them and rode them “non-stop…in the heat and humidity of the summer months. They (the rental horses) rarely felt the caress of a brush, and never saw a warm bath or an occasional kind word.”

In her 20s, Bernstein saved her money and bought Caleyndar, a lame Arabian stallion. She knew she could rehabilitate the Arabian’s severe ringbone. Ringbone is an arthritic condition in which the right front leg pastern and joint are almost fused. Vets told her that the stallion would not live to the age of 15.

She spent two years researching and found a way to cure him. At 28, Caleyndar is Bernstein’s trail horse and has sired 8 Pet Me! Magazine™

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Managing

Osteoarthritis

in the Senior Pet

By Evelyn Vega, DVM, Happy Pets Veterinary

A

pproximately 1 in 5 adult dogs in the U.S. are affected with osteoarthritis (OA). It is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs and approximately 10-12 million dogs in the U.S. show signs of OA. The symptom we know we can recognize immediately is when one of our pets is limping. Unwillingness to use a leg is most often due to pain. With dogs and cats each having four legs, it makes it very easy for them to compensate with the other three legs without us even knowing it is going on.

Sometimes a lameness is not so obvious to us until we compare muscle mass and notice one leg’s muscles are much smaller in comparison to the other side. This tells us the pet was not using that leg even though there was no obvious lameness noted by most owners.

In the early stages of arthritis, as previously mentioned may go unnoticed, with progression of the disease, there is more discomfort which may be now noticeable with movement and bearing weight. In the later stages, the pain will affect nearly all of the pet’s activities and behaviors.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis can include behavior changes such as urinary or fecal incontinence, aggression, “laziness” or lethargy, not using the litter box for cats, panting, unable or unwilling to jump, or go up the stairs, no longer socializing with the family unit, anorexia or lack of appetite, decreased grooming behavior, licking or biting at a specific joint, restlessness, insomnia, seeking warm areas or wanting to sun

10 Pet Me! Magazine™

themselves – all potential signs of discomfort or pain.

Pain control is the goal for treating OA. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS, are the foundation for treating OA, however their potential to cause organ damage has led in the growth of alternative treatment options With OA, a joint loses cartilage which is what cushions the ends of bones. Cartilage is a slippery tissue that is composed of four components: water, chondrocytes, proteoglycans and collagen. With age, the amount of water in cartilage decreases in turn causing the cartilage to “dry up” and become brittle.

Proteoglycans are large molecules that help hold on to water molecules in cartilage to make it sponge like. Lastly, collagen forms a mesh which is like the “skeleton” of cartilage.

Glucosamine Normal cartilage cells make glucosamine which in turn stimulates the production of collagen and proteoglycans.

However once arthritis develops, chondrocytes can no longer produce glucosamine which leads to a decreased production of proteoglycans and decreased amount of water in cartilage.

So now our once sponge-like tissue, has less water, making it dry and brittle and no longer that “cushion” that protects the ends of bones in a joint which leads to OA pain. Oral supplementation helps to replace the glucosamine that cartilage cells no longer can produce and it helps keep the cartilage that is still available moist like a sponge again.

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Chondroitin Chondroitin sulfate is also found in healthy cartilage. It is one of the components that make up the proteoglycans in articular cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is what holds on to water component of cartilage thus creating the “cushion” that protects the ends of bones. Chondroitin Sulfate also helps to maintain the structural integrity of cartilage by stimulating collagen synthesis. It also helps to prevent collagen breakdown.

MSM MethylSulfonylMethane is used to manage pain, inflammation and as an antioxidant. It occurs naturally in some primitive plants, is present in small amounts in many foods and beverages, and is marketed as a dietary supplement. Researchers are not sure as to why MSM helps with OA. One theory is that patients may be deficient in Sulfur and MSM is a natural biologically active source of sulfur which the body can use to make other chemicals such as the Chondroitin.

Some researchers have suggested that MSM has anti-inflammatory effects and that is why it helps to alleviate OA pain.

Omega Three Fatty Acids Omega three fatty acids derived primarily from cold water fish sources have been found to have anti-inflammatory

properties and many dogs with OA have benefitted from fish oil supplementation. At least one month of supplementation is needed in order to see positive effects.

Adequan Adequan in an injectable supplement that is both a chondroprotectant and chondrostimularoty agent. It helps protect cartilage cells by inhibiting various destructive enzymes associated with OA. It also stimulates cartilage cells to produce proteoglycans and collagen. It also promotes the production of synovial fluid which acts as a lubricant in all joints. Adequan in given as an injection and it is spread via the blood stream to all the joints, but it seems to have an affinity to damaged joints. The injections are given 1-2 times a week usually for a month before the pet is started on maintenance doses.

Overall neutriceuticals are used to provide the nutritional building blocks needed for cartilage repair and maintenance, to help with inflammation, or to act as an anti-oxidant to help fight free radicals that destroy healthy tissue. Used together with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help control OA pain, we have a multimodal approach to managing osteoarthritis in our senior pets.

Other treatment modalities available for OA include acupuncture, laser therapy, and rehabilitation therapy.

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Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Is Feeding Human Food To My Dog or Cat Safe?

S

tudies have shown that, generally speaking, lean dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives as compared to obese dogs and cats. Obesity is always a concern for any dog or cat that receives human food as part or all of its diet.

Obesity has been shown to be associated with higher risk for osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, respiratory disease, skin infections, fatty liver disease, feline lower urinary tract disease, constipation, and even increased anesthetic and surgical complications. If your pet is obese and you do not feed human food, you may be feeding too much pet food.

In addition to the aforementioned diseases, feeding human food to your dog can potentially lead to a life-threatening condition known as pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas which often times is incited by a high fat diet. The pancreas is the organ in the body that is responsible for producing digestive enzymes used in the breakdown of ingested food. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it begins to auto digest itself. This is extremely painful and can lead to serious life-threatening consequences such as multiple organ failure, abnormal heart rhythms, and various forms of shock. Pancreatitis should therefore be treated immediately following diagnosis. Unfortunately there is no specific cure for pancreatitis, so therapy is mainly aimed at supporting the function of all the organ systems and monitoring those systems for malfunction or failure. The main signs of pancreatitis are: Anorexia, vomiting, weakness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dehydration. Treatment duration, expense, and outcome are all highly variable. These patients often require intensive hospitalization for several days to a week or more and, as you might imagine, this can be relatively expensive and may not be successful.

If you must feed people food to your pet, please consult

with your veterinarian first and determine what amounts and types of food would be relatively safe to give. Always remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you think your pet may need emergency care please contact All Creatures Emergency Center at (661) 291-1121.

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Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

The Gift of Hospice

By Sylvia Hathaway, Acupressurist & Reiki Master josephinesplace@msn.com

B

illy was dying. As he lay beside me on the floor, it slowly occurred to me that was what must be happening; quiet now, between spasms. But how could that be? The medications had kept his condition in-check for many months according to the recent ultrasound. No one had ever said the ‘D’ word. He had been acting a little agitated all day. That was something new.

Confusion seeped in. OK. Wait a minute. Focus. Think. You need to do something. But what? Load him into the car and take him to the Vet? No. Clinic’s closed now. Besides, car rides are his worst nightmare; what would be the point? I watch him breathe.

I promise him no car trips; touching a damp washcloth to his forehead; his mouth… I wish I had some kind of pain medication.

Another spasm. “it’s tough…” he sighs. “I know..” I whisper “I’m so sorry… it’s OK for you to go… I love you… I will so miss you… but I’ll be OK… “ My heart aches with helplessness. And so 12 long hours passed. But, I must have dozed; awoke with a start. Billy was gone. He’d somehow managed to crawl into the closet… his ‘safe place’ … and there he’d left his precious little body…

In the years that have passed since that sad night, I’ve learned a few things. It has also been my privilege to stand in the forefront

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of a burgeoning movement toward hospice care in the veterinary community. Through the dedicated perseverance of the Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets, Assisi International, and Spirits in Transition, the First International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice was held on the campus at UC Davis in the Spring of 2008. The two successive 3-day Symposiums were also held there; and the 4th is already in the planning stages. We are fortunate to have decades of human hospice experience to draw from for both definition and protocol. For many it may seem to be a radical shift where our animal companions are concerned; particularly for older generations who were taught to regard euthanasia as normal.

But euthanasia is not ‘normal.’ Ideally it should be reserved for only those truly desperate situations of pain and breath. And although this is often not realistically feasible for various reasons, perhaps a little thoughtful contemplation is in order. The evolution of the veterinary profession in a mere 250 years is almost startling.

What began as basically livestock-maintenance now largely deals with companion animals. Realizing that animals feel physical pain, providing palliative/comfort care, and recognizing the profound bond that commonly exists between them and their human families are very recent developments. This did not come from waxing anthropomorphic. It came from acknowledging animals

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

as sentient, sensitive beings who share our lives. Hospice is a logical next step for veterinary medicine. In fact, both the AVMA and AAHA already recognize it in concept.

At this point it is imperative that we become more precise in our definition of what is and what is not hospice. For instance, although all hospice includes palliative care, not all palliative care is hospice. Palliative care may also be included alongside various other treatments being given to an animal known to be terminally ill; until it the animal euthanized. In true hospice all medical intervention stops; only comfort-care continues. There are no frantic attempts to prop-up one failing body system after another.

Rather, we are allowed to recognize and accept that there is a dying process underway; there are signs of a body gradually shutting down. And when you recognize what is happening, you can support and ease it. Hospice seeks to neither hasten nor postpone death. For, prolonging the process should be unthinkable; being the very embodiment of torture. I find this a particularly gruesome concept and an unfortunately widespread practice.

When we shift our focus, we can shift our perception. Hospice is the acceptance of death as a natural part of the cycle of life.There is no cure for it. Hospice frees you from struggling against the inevitable and shifts your focus to the miracle of life-itself. The intense caring that defines hospice keeps you in the here-and-now; to savor every precious moment you may be given to share with your beloved companion. Allowing them to disconnect from the physical at their own pace frees you from the guilt of deciding for them; adding a profound depth to your bond. This is the gift of hospice.

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The Feral Cat Epidemic

How It Evolved And How We Can Help Resolve It

By Debbie Eskow, Save A Kitty, Inc.

T

hey live in the shadows—the alleyways, empty lots and condemned buildings—of almost every neighborhood.

Their lives are short and usually harsh. They struggle to find food and water in an environment filled with the constant threats of disease, starvation, cruelty and predation. They are the abandoned, the lost and the wild….and they need our help.

Did you know that an estimated 70-100 million feral/stray cats live on the streets in the United States? That equals the number of household-owned cats. Did you know that a breeding pair of cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats over a period of seven years and at least 25,000 cats and kittens are killed in United States’ shelters every day? Not every year, but every single day, 25,000 innocent little beings’ lives are snuffed out because of overpopulation. This is beyond heartbreaking. If a single disease was wiping out 25,000 cats a day, it would make headline news, but this disease goes virtually unnoticed, and this disease is preventable. In an attempt to help resolve this problem Save A Kitty, Inc. became active in TNR: The Trap, Neuter and Return of feral cats to their colony.

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So what is a feral cat and how did this problem evolve? Cats were domesticated thousands of years ago by man for mans’ own reasons. Be they out of companionship or need; the need for granaries in ancient civilizations to be free from rodents and, likewise, these same rat-catching skills were invaluable aboard sailing ships. Our ancestors cultivated cats to aid in their own survival. Without the cat, rodents multiplied, contaminating food supplies and spreading disease.

Although we currently have an epidemic of homeless cats in this country, the domestic cat is not indigenous to the Americas. The migration of cats across the world can be attributed to the sailors aboard the trading vessels of ancient civilizations. Cats arrived in the United States from Europe with the early settlers and pilgrims. Although also not native to Europe cats had been ensconced there long before being brought to the American continent. It is believed that the house cat evolved and was domesticated in the Middle East.

The cat has aided man in controlling rodent populations for thousands of years. However, from 1230 to 1700, cats fell from grace in Europe, as pagan superstitions swept across the lands; cats were denounced as being spawned of the devil.

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Literally millions of cats were hunted down and killed. This genocide nearly caused their extinction in Europe. Without cats, the rat population exploded. Along with that came the bubonic plague, wiping out half the population of England alone. When it was discovered that rats were the culprit of the plague, guess what? Cats were pardoned. They were exonerated, welcomed back into favor and even protected by law. Yes, it was cats to the rescue!

It is ironic to think that many of us living here in the United States have European ancestry. If it were not for the cats, we might not be here today. So, back to the feral cats of today whose ancestors may have arrived on the Mayflower with yours. These feral cats, although classified as “domesticated animals” are living in an undomesticated state, unsocialized, for want of a better word, wild. They are usually one or more generation removed from a home environment. They normally live in a group or “colony” usually close to a source of food and shelter. Abandoned/stray cats have a higher mortality rate. The harsh reality of having to fend for themselves on the street takes its toll.

Contrary to common belief, cats do not fend well for themselves. Even though these feral cats are wild, they are not wild in a true sense. Life is very tough for them on the street.

If they survive kittenhood, they will be lucky to reach three years of age, compared to a life span of twenty-plus years in a home environment.

Feral cats are often accused of spreading disease. This is an exaggerated misconception. They are often referred to as pests and a nuisance. The truth is there are very few zoonotic diseases that one can catch from a cat. The biggest finger-pointing is to toxoplasmosis, but this organism is also harbored by many mammals including raccoons, opossums, horses, and yes even dogs. The list goes on. The majority of reported cases of toxoplasmosis are documented as to having been contracted through eating uncooked or raw meat and NOT from contact with animals. You would literally have to eat the feces of an infected mammal to be infected with toxoplasmosis by them.

That is pretty remote. You are more likely to catch something in the supermarket from another human being or eating out at a restaurant.

In the twenty years that I have worked with and have had direct contact with feral cats, I have never contracted a disease; neither have any of my colleagues. That being said, something does have to be done to curtail the breeding of these unfortunate homeless street kitties whose lives are miserable. So, just what do we do with all of these feral cats?

A feral cat taken into a government shelter has zero percent chance of ever getting out. They are considered unadoptable, and therefore, will be killed. Equally, a feral mama with her kittens will all be killed. The shelter is not equipped or staffed to have the time or means available to properly work with

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Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

continued from page 17 even young feral kittens. Often time’s people will find kittens in the bushes with no mama kitty in sight. It is best to leave the kittens put, unless they are in danger, and to watch for the mama to return. The best solution for keeping the cats and/or kittens safe is to contact a rescue and enlist their help.

Many people think if they don’t see the momma cat for a

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few hours, the kittens have been abandoned. Momma cats do go off to forage for food. They usually do not abandon their babies, but, sadly, accidents do happen, and in the event that a litter of young kittens becomes motherless, you need to take immediate action to ensure their safety. Please remember that the shelters do not have the resources to bottle-feed unweaned kittens and sadly they will be killed. You need to find a rescue to help or take it upon yourself to save these lives. Information on raising unweaned kittens is available on our website (www.saveakitty.org).

How do we prevent these litters from being born?

The best we can do is what we rescuers call TNR (trap, neuter and return). This is the only humane method of reducing overpopulation. We trap humanely, we sterilize, and we release back into the colony. This, along with ongoing education, in regard to the importance of spay and neuter, is the only hope we have of making a dent into this heartbreaking epidemic.

Trapping is a huge part of rescue. If we go into a colony and are able to trap and fix 20 cats, we have done an amazing job at preventing thousands of kittens from being born, and you can do it too. If everyone began to get involved, even just a little, we could really start to make an enormous difference. Traps are available to the public from many rescue organizations and

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

pet shops. Most rescue groups will be able to instruct willing individuals on humane trapping methods. Involvement is not limited to trapping. You can help to educate, volunteer, foster, network and/or donate.

Once a feral cat has been fixed, it is customary to tip the right ear. This way we can identify who has been sterilized in a colony.

So now we have a colony of fixed cats. Some of these kitties are really feral, and some seem like they want to interact with us but are just too scared. These may be the kitties that were once owned by someone and are now abandoned. Once knowing some kind of a home and then being discarded is so heartbreaking.

Feral colonies also have caregivers who feed them.

Hundreds of kindhearted souls across the United States go out night after night to feed these hungry cats, and believe me; these cats wait for and rely on their caregivers. They know the sound of their caregiver’s car, and in the dark of the night, they will come scurrying out from under the bushes, under cars, and yes, even out from the sewers to get a desperatelyneeded meal, probably the only food that they will have eaten that day, and the only food they will have until their dedicated caregiver will come again the following evening.

When we encounter kittens in a colony, it depends on how old they are, as to whether or not we will take them in and

ready them for adoption. Feral kittens are just as hissy and snarly as their parents, so if they are under twelve weeks,we will take them in and try to socialize them. The younger they are, the easier to tame they will be. If they look old enough to be fixed, they will go in the next morning with the bigger kitties to be sterilized. We do not get the ears tipped on the kittens that we take in, in the hopes that they will eventually become cherished pets in loving homes.

Few people realize when they see these gorgeous, clean, friendly, healthy little kittens lounging on their fleece blankets during adoption events what it took to get them there; whether they were trapped or literally grabbed by us from the bushes, they are always dirty, usually have fleas and parasites, and are often sick with upper respiratory infections. This article would be another twenty pages if I went into detail about the care and socialization of these little feral kittens. The first thing I do when I get the kittens home is to bathe them. It does not matter if it is 2:00 in the morning; I want to get those feral smells off them right away. A word of caution: Unless you are experienced with handling feral kittens, please do not try to bathe them yourself. Both you and the kittens could be hurt.

Kittens have sharp teeth and claws. If you absolutely have to bathe them, contact a rescue or go online for help. You cannot imagine what it is like to bathe a squirming little being that is

continued on page 20

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continued from page 19

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intent on trying to do you bodily harm! But as I dump them in the warm, soapy water, I laugh to myself because I know in a few days... or a few weeks, they will probably be putty in my hands. I find myself telling them “resistance is futile.” Though these kittens are tiny they are strong and have sharp claws and teeth and are very frightened. Take precaution to go slow, be in an enclosed area with towels nearby and make sure that the water is not too warm or too cold. As soon as I get the little ones dry, warm and snug, they usually start to wash themselves and get cozy with each other. At this point they are just shooting me dirty looks. The bath has humiliated them beyond belief, I am sure at this point they are thinking “what else could possibly go wrong”? They look at me with utter contempt. I bring them dinner, they eat, but all eyes are riveted on me. God forbid I should take another step closer. I leave them be for now. The road to acceptance, trust and love requires patience.

So what does all of this tell us? What it tells us is that we owe the cat. From ancient times through today, we have depended on the cat. I still get asked for barn cats and mousers to this day. Dogs might be man’s best friend, but the cat has been our savior, especially during the middle ages.

Cats have enhanced our lives in so many ways. Just the sound of their purr has been scientifically proven to reduce stress. They are special little beings and they do not deserve to die in the thousands every day. They deserve our help. Let us not turn our backs on these little angels. Please be proactive in finding out how you can help trap and perhaps foster a litter of kittens. Remember, rescue groups do not have a magic wand. We need help from our communities to help our furry friends.

Wishing You a Happy & Healthy New Year!

For everything birds Check out The West Valley Bird Society.

Learn more about birds, training, adoptions and wildlife. www.thewestvalleybirdsociety.com

20 Pet Me! Magazine™

Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

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Animal Aftercare

Cal Pet Crematory (310) 278-0633 (818) 983-2313 (323) 875-0633 www.calpet.com Guardian Animal Aftercare (818) 768-6465 www.guardianaftercare.com Great Groomers Chris’ K9 Clippery 19413 Soledad Cyn. Rd. Canyon Country (661) 251-0011 www.chrisk9clippery.com So Cal Grooming 28011 Seco Cyn. Rd. Santa Clarita, 91390 (661) 513-0778 www.socalgrooming.com Precious Pets 27737 Bouquet Cyn. Rd. #124 Saugus, CA (661) 296-2020 Pawpular Pet Suppliers Bird Bungalow 21021 Soledad Canyon Rd Canyon Country, CA 91351 (661) 284-6200 www.birdbungalow.com Canyon Pet Center 19154 Soledad Cynd. Rd. Canyon Country, CA (661) 250-7356 Fox Feed 17028 Sierra Highway Canyon Country, 91387 (661) 252-9790 www.foxfeed.com Pet Stop 26870 Sierra Highway Santa Clarita, CA (661) 251-3867 www.petstopsantaclarita.com Pet Supply Santa Clarita 26831 Bouquet Canyon Road Santa Clarita, 91350-2372 (661) 296-2654 www.petsupplysantaclarita.com Dermatology for Pets Amy Shumaker, DVM, DACVD Valencia Veterinary Center 23928 Summerhill Lane Valencia, CA 91354 (661) 855-4870 www.dermatologyforanimals.com

22 Pet Me! Magazine™

Animal Control Centers Castaic Animal Shelter 31044 N. Charlie Canyon Rd. Castaic (661) 257-3191 www.animalcare.lacounty.gov Lancaster Animal Shelter 5210 W. Ave. I Lancaster, CA 93536 (661) 940-4191 www.animalcare.lacounty.gov Rescue Organizations

Brittany Foundation Agua Dulce (661) 713-5240 www.brittanyfoundationonline.org Citizens for Sheltered Animals, Inc. 26893 Bouquet Canyon Rd. C-318 (661) 513-9288 www.citizensforshelteredanimals.com Forgotten Angels Cat Rescue (661) 273-9822 www.forgottenangelsrescue.org Ratz Nest Rescue (661) 303-7872 www.ratznest.weebly.com Saffyre Sanctuary (Horse Rescue) Sylmar, CA www.saffyresanctuary.org Save A Kitty, Inc. (818) 825-3096 www.SaveaKittyCA.org PetSave Foundation Bunny Rescue (661) 478-7360 www.petsave.org St. Bonnie’s Sanctuary/ Lange Foundation 27567 Oak Spring Canyon Rd. Canyon Country, CA 91387 (661) 251.5590 http://langefoundation.com www.PetConnect.us Trusted Vets In and Around SCV Advanced Care Animal Hospital 19406 Soledad Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91351 (661) 263-4334 www.advancedcareanimalhospital.com

All Creatures Emergency Center 22722 Lyons Ave # 5 Newhall, 91321-2876 (661) 291-1121 www.all-creatures-emergency.com Animal Medical Center 25848 McBean Parkway Valencia, 91355 (661) 255-5555 www.AMCValencia.com Animal Specialty Group 4641 Colorado Boulevard Los Angeles, 90039 (818) 244-7977 www.asgvets.com AV Animal ER & Critical Care 1055 W Columbia Way Lancaster, 90039-1105 (661) 729-1500 www.avanimaler.com

Canyon Country Veterinary Hospital 18840 Soledad Canyon Road Canyon Country, 91351-3772 (661) 424-9900 www.canyoncountryvet.com Cinema Veterinary Centre 23460 Cinema Drive, Unit L Valencia, 91355 (661) 253-9300 www.cinemavet.com Happy Pets Veterinary 27550 Newhall Ranch Road Valencia, 91355 (661) 295-9972 www.happypetsveterinary.com Seco Canyon Animal Clinic 27935 Seco Canyon Road Santa Clarita, 91350 (661) 296-8848 www.secocanyonanimalclinic.biz Sierra Veterinary Clinic 17755 Sierra Highway Canyon Country, CA 91351 (661) 252-3333 www.sierravets.com Stevenson Ranch Veterinary Center 25832 Hemingway Ave. Stevenson Ranch, 91381 (661) 799-0655 www.srvc.com The Cat Doctor & Friends 26055 Bouquet Canyon Road Santa Clarita, 91355 (661) 259-5288 www.catdoctor.com

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Kyle’s Custom Critter Care caninecommands@hotmail.com (661) 305-4981 www.kylescustomcrittercare.com Heirloom Pet Portraits Santa Clarita Photo Studio (661) 775-0890 www.scphotostudio.com Dog Trainers Dog Gone Happy Tami Cox (661) 310-4133 K9 Manners Matter Colleen Lange B.S., ABCDT (661) 993-2366 Training@k9mannersmatter.com www.k9mannersmatter.com Alternative Medicines & Healing Sylvia Nahale Hathaway Acupressurist & Reiki Master (661) 378-8612 josephinesplace@msn.com

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Awesome

Adoptables

Interested in adopting? Visit our website at www.saveakitty.org Email us at Debbie@saveakittyca.org or call (818) 825-3096

HAIZY Hi, my name is Haizy, crazy name but my foster mom gave it to me. I am a neutered 6-month-old male, current on my shots and negative for FIV/ FELV. I am very affectionate and love to be loved. I love to play with my siblings, so if you have a big brother or sister at home for me to play with that would be great. I am told that I am very handsome and every one comments on my gorgeous coat.

MICKEY Hi, Mickey here on the left sitting with my Bro Haizy. My foster mom kept trying to snap me on my own but I like to do things with my brother. I am a 6-month-old neutered male current on shots and negative for FIV/FELV. I am a little shy but with an understanding kitty lover I know that I will come out of my shell. I love my siblings and if you adopt me I would need a brother or sister to play with, one of my own would be just amazing! as you can see I am jet black and my eyes are a light amber, my foster mom says I look like a Bombay! I myself think I resemble a black panther.

GUSS IE Hi, my name is Gorgeous Gussie, that is because I am gorgeous! I am a 6-month-old spayed female Tortoiseshell. All Torties are little girls, but you knew that, right? I am current on my shots and have tested negative for FIV/FELV. I am a little shy, but my foster mom says I have it in me to blossom into a lap cat!

I think she is right.

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Pet Me! Magazine™ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

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24 Pet Me! Magazine™

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