Identity Crisis

It's Hovertime

Book: Second-Hand Cat (Kamen)

Second-Hand Cat by Gloria Kamen is a charming story about Louie, a sweet black and white cat who was re-homed with Nathan when his owner moved. Nathan's family also gained a second-hand car on the same day. An indoor/outdoor cat, Louie goes missing after a trip to the vet, and Nathan learns just how different a second-hand cat is from a second-hand car.



This picture book is a good one for all ages, although the length may be best for pre-K and up. C.R.O.W.'s favorite quote from this book:

"Louie would only go

when he wanted

where he wanted

and if he wanted."

Cat Butts, the Ultimate Gift

Cat Butts features 5 cats showing attitude--Black and White, American Shorthair, Siberian, Persian, and Siamese. This set even includes a real hairball magnet!


What's the perfect hostess gift? Cat Butt Coasters, of course!


A definite conversation piece, this air freshener smells like.... hyacinth! (What were you expecting?)


click pictures to purchase

Cerebellar Hypoplasia

We've mentioned this before. Maternal Toby is a CH kitty, and Rudy who hopes to come to us from Tennesee is as well. This is one of the best informational videos on the web about CH:



Do you ave any questions about CH? If so, feel free to ask in the comments section.

The Top 3 Ways to Keep Your Cats Safe on Halloween

1. Keep your cats inside.
This will protect them from increased foot and car traffic in poor visibility, and will prevent them from becoming targets of pranksters. Secure them in a room, if needed, to keep them from getting out when the door is opened for trick-or-treaters.


2. Keep them away from the Halloween goodies.
The foil wrappers are shiny and crinkly temptations for kitties, but can be hazardous if swallowed, and chocolate is toxic to cats (and dogs). Give them some nice catnip instead, so they don't feel left out of the festivities. (Skip the costumes, though.)


3. Watch those flames!
If you have candles as part of your Halloween decor, keep the cats clear of them. The end of a cat's tail can easily snake its way into the eye of a pumpkin's Halloween face.




Feel free to add your own tips in the comments.

Never Gonna Let You Go

It's raining cats...

A creative gift for cat-lovers, young and old, sun or rain.




For little ones.




For big ones.

Cute, eh? (Click the pictures to go to their websites.)

Colorado's New Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law

Legalese can be confusing, so let's lay it out in everyday terms.



Colorado House Bill 08-1185 (also known as HB 1185) will go into effect in January of '09. Simply put, it mandates that all cats and dogs released from animal shelters of any kind (pounds, shelters, rescues--even those based out of homes or networks of foster homes) must be spayed or neutered before being adopted.

There are only two exceptions to this policy:

1. A veterinarian has determined that it is not safe to have the animal sterilized at that time.

2. The adopter puts down a 90-day deposit, and if they don't show vet proof of the spay/neuter in that time, they don't get their deposit back. (The deposit then gets sent to either the state Pet Overpopulation Fund, or another established spay/neuter program.) The rescue can also take back the pet from the adoptive family.



You can read the full text of the bill here, but be warned, it has a lot more words than this post. Heh.



Any questions?

For Readers in our Valley

This is a rare post about dogs. If you share this valley of ours, please share this information with the dog-owners you know.

The Valley Humane League is offering Low Cost and Free spay and neuter for dogs of 40 pounds or more. There are no income guidelines. Participants must be a San Luis Valley resident and must use any veterinarian in the San Luis Valley. Please call Sandy at 580-8752 to receive a voucher.

Smelly Cat

The music video


Check out the much more entertaining live version.

C.R.O.W. kittens "nursing" from neutered male

Yet more evidence that cats with cerebellar hypoplasia are some of the sweetest on earth. Toby, a CH kitty, is a neutered male. Past posts have shown him loving on the kittens, but now it's gone to another level.


Five kittens, 3 different ages and from 3 different litters. The oldest 4 have been weaned for weeks, and the youngest is a bottle baby.

Twiggy's irked that she didn't land a prime spot.


Toby's giving bottle-baby Atticus some TLC.


I think that Toby may need to become the C.R.O.W. mascot!

Simon's Cat

Interspecies Snuggles

Iggy and Ziggy are cozying up to something warm. What could it be?



Oh my!




And of course, Twiggy's always in on the action.






Front to back: Ziggy (adopted), Iggy (adopted), Edie (adopted!), Idgie, Twiggy (barely), and Toby. One big happy family.

Fosters Fostering Fosters

This is interesting. Before coming to C.R.O.W., Lola lived in foster care for awhile when the city shelter discovered she was pregnant. She had her babies in foster care, and also took on a couple of orphaned kittens and nursed them alongside her own. When she and the 6-week-old kittens returned to the shelter, it was not a good experience. A nasty virus soon went around, and all of Lola's babies died, except for her foster babies who were later adopted.

Lola was never adopted, since for some reason tortoiseshell cats are less wanted than others in general. So, she ended up with C.R.O.W. Lucky for us, because she is a spunky, fun, and darling cat. And so much more.

It's been many months since her last nursling left her, and she has since been spayed. Apparently that's not going to stop her from mothering these little kittens, even though they aren't hers and she isn't making milk. (Although we won't be surprised if she re-lactates at this rate.) Look for yourself.





How lucky are Twiggy, Edie, and Ziggy (the black one--more about him later)?

All of these lovelies are ready for adoption.

We're trying to bring Rudy to Colorado

This is Rudy.



He is a 6-month old male cat in Tennessee who needs rescuing. Like Toby a few posts ago (Enforced Licking), Rudy has CH. He needs to be in a home that will accept him for who he is and will give him the space he needs to start learning how to compensate for his disability.

His Tennesee advocate is working on finding transport for him, and C.R.O.W. helpers are willing to do some travel as well.

Think good thoughts for Rudy!

Bubba, the Survivor

Bubba's been around the block. Initially a feral kitten, he tamed easily in a loving foster home. This is him then.




Somehow he ended up with a painful broken tail and ended up back in foster care to recover from having it amputated. He has a couple inches of very expressive tail nub left.

A few months later, he developed an eye ulcer that didn't heal, despite weeks of veterinary treatment. This was the subsequent result:



Yes, he had his eye removed.

Now Bubba is a healthy adult cat with one eye and no tail and an absolutely luxurious coat. He's a bit shy at first, but warms up with one on one time and gets just the tiniest droplets of happy drool when his purr engine really gets going.

These pictures really don't do him justice, but we'll add more when we can.






Bubba is full grown, neutered, and would do best in a home without a lot of other animals. He is currently doing fine in a foster home with kids, dogs, and cats, but we feel he would thrive even more someplace a bit quieter with more one-on-one time. He needs to be an indoor-only cat, due to his limited vision.

Cause and Effect

Meet Iggy

A young teen friend of ours named him Igor, Iggie for short.




Iggy is a sweet little six-week old male who is adjusting well to his foster home, and doesn't mind the mayhem of kids, dogs, and cats one bit. He loves snuggles, food, and is starting to enjoy riding on shoulders.

Enforced Licking

Twiggy submitting to Toby's grooming.










Toby's awkward stance is a result of his cerebellar hypoplasia (CH). If you ever come across a cat with CH symptoms and don't know what to do, give us a call!

Book: The Cat's Meow (Soto)

This short chapter book is targeted to kids ages 4-10 and makes a great read-aloud. The Cat's Meow is decidedly unconventional, unique, and often surreal. Graciella, a bilingual third-grader, is shocked when her beloved cat, Pip, suddenly starts speaking in Spanish.




Our review is mixed. The cat's antics make children laugh aloud, the vocabulary-building is impressive, and the story flows smoothly, but the strange adult behavior can be off-putting, the neighbor's messages about secrecy could be concerning, and Graciella's deception shouldn't be emulated. All in all, we recommend this charming animal fantasy as a family read-aloud, so that parents and children can laugh together and discuss any issues of concern. Read this way, the message are positive, fun, and full of laughter.

Thanks to a couple young donors!

This is a shout out to Mr. Leo G., age 6, and Miss Marian G., age 8! Thank you so much, young ones, for donating your Walmart gift cards with balances of $4.78 and $8.25, respectively. That will buy many pounds of much needed cat litter!



Thank you!

Sweet Edie

Edie is a sweet 7-week-old kitten who adores other cats and purrs easily in the arms of humans. She is comfortable around children and dogs, and does actually have eyes. lol She was trying to hide from the camera in this picture.



"I'm invisible. I'm invisible. I'm invisible."

Edie is a total sweetheart. For more info, give us a shout.

Twiggy, a freakin' adorable kitten

She's up for adoption. You know you want her.

Twiggy is a 7-week-old female kitten who is thriving in her foster home. She is affectionate and playful and talkative, and strongly attached to humans. She has tons of personality!










Twiggy gets along well with children, cats, and dogs and is hoping for a forever home. To learn more about Twiggy, call or email CROW. (Contact info to the right.)

Our First Donation

Dear Everyone,

We received our first donation today--almost 19 pounds of cat food. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Bubba, Lola, Twiggy, Edie, Ziggy, Atticus, Iggy, et. al. (And little Atticus says "Thanks anyway!" as he guzzles down his kitten formula.)

44-lb Stray Finds Home

Prince Chunk, indeed.

The future of C.R.O.W.?

Minus the debt, of course. Yowza.



Amazing.

Dying owner tries to do her best with her 32 cats

Last week five veterinary clinics in Alabama received 32 healthy cats in various containers labelled "Please do not kill!", along with notes from an anonymous donor, "Miss R" begging the vets to find new homes for her cats because she is dying from cancer. "My time is very, very short," the notes read. "There is not enough time to find homes for my children another way. I beg you not to let them die because I have to, please!"

Each cat's container was clearly labelled with each cat's name, age, description and medical summary. "These cats were dearly loved. They're not feral cats or neglected cats," one of the vets reported to the Bond told the Opelika- News.

The good news? Most have new homes already! Dr. Buddy Bruce at Animal Health Center is offering discounts on all vet services to whoever who adopts one of the six remaining cats in his clinic's care. Dr. Bruce says that the other vets agree with his sentiment: "Let's do what we can to find these kitties homes. These are her children. She took care of the situation the best way she could."

The identity of the dying donor remains unknown. Many hugs to her. She must have felt so desperate.

Good energy and love to all humans and cats involved in this bittersweet story. We hope that the dying Miss R. knows her cats are going to good homes now, and we wish she'd had a better way to deal with her situation. Hopefully C.R.O.W. will grow someday to be able to help in a similar situation.

news video and adoption info here

Take a load off

Well?

Caution

Alert for the bleary-eyed and barefooted morning humans:

Another First

Our first Board of Directors meeting went smoothly today. We covered all the topics we needed in the planned time frame, the kids were amazingly self-sufficient, and we had plenty of laughs while still getting the job done.



A beautiful beginning. C.R.O.W. is putting down some roots.

Book: Rich Cat, Poor Cat (Waber)

Rich Cat, Poor Cat is a lovely children's book for all ages. It highlights the differences between pampered cats and stray cats in simple terms, and is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. This is a picture book recommended for ages 4-8+.

Cat-lovers will love this book. Highly recommended.

"Rich Cat, Poor Cat is really good! C.R.O.W.'s gonna help cats like the poor cat in Rich Cat, Poor Cat."
--Marian, age 8.

The Crow and C.R.O.W.

As a Native American animal totem, Crow offers others the choice to fly free of the chains of the past and to soar toward a better future. Crow helps others realign with their true path, and can see through the darkest nights to find the way home.

The guardian of ceremonial magic and healing, Crow is always present in any healing circle, guiding the magic of the healing that dispels the illnesses of body and soul.



Those who have Crow as a totem need to walk their talk and speak their truth, putting aside any fear of being a lone voice in the wilderness. Crow is an omen of change.

C.R.O.W. Cat Rescue is based on truth, healing, change, and the future. We strive to make a difference in the lives of cats and people, helping them heal and soar to a better future.

Meet Lola

Lola is about 7 months old. She ran out of time and was facing euthanasia at the city shelter, and is now here with us at C.R.O.W. She is living in a cage-free home environment, and gets along very well with children, dogs, and other cats. She is playful and very affectionate with both people and kittens.



Lola is small and already spayed. She has no problem behaviors in her foster home. For more information about Lola, call 852-CROW.


Potential adopters need to be approved following the application process.
Adoption fees are by donation.
(719) 852-CROW

Talking Cats

"Act like a cat."

Cat and Crow

A C.R.O.W. is Born

Today Colorado Rescue, Outreach, & Welfare (C.R.O.W.) applied for the required City license and filed the required forms to incorporate. An idea yesterday, "Inc." today, "501(c)3" tomorrow.

Okay, not tomorrow. First we raise the $500 it costs to become a non-profit.

It will come.