advoCATS, Inc
Helping Hawaii's Abandoned and Homeless Felines
advoCATS News Good "Mews" For Hawaii's Cats Autumn 2006
BIG ISLAND CATS HAVE A SANCTUARY!In a remarkably short amount of time our dedicated volunteers made the advoCATS sanctuary a reality. It’s the largest Feral Cat Sanctuary in Hawaii. We had 5 big work days in August and September with 41 different volunteers who ranged in age from 17 - 67 years old. They came from all over the Big Island and as far away as Hawi and Hilo, which are over 2 - 3 hours from the Sanctuary. Most of the volunteers came from Kailua, at least 1 hour away. The camaraderie and fellowship we felt was remarkable and the sense of purpose was worn on our work soiled shirts like a badge. We gathered together to make a dream come true; a dream to make a home for the abandoned and homeless cats of the Big Island. Each workday brought us closer to this dream and we all felt the excitement and shared in the joy. It was such a gratifying feeling to see so many people working so hard together for this cause. Many local contractors donated materials and equipment; Frank Genescritti of S&F Building Consulting Inc. loaned us his hoe ram and operator for two days and gave us lumber for the cattery. Gulam Lincoln loaned the use of his farm tractor to move cinders. Stafford Akoni donated cement. Paul Caron of Caron Concrete donated a huge truck load of sand. Paul and Michelle Solis let us use their commercial cement mixer, plus donated cement and helped us pour the concrete pad for the cattery. The Home Depot gave us a discount on all the materials we needed for the entire project. Within the sanctuary 2 catteries were made to confine the new arrivals for 2- 3 weeks so they have time to acclimate and learn to trust their surroundings and caretakers. Inside the catteries there are trees, logs, ramps and shelves to keep the confined cats entertained. Many of the city cats brought to the sanctuary may never have climbed trees, so this will give them ample opportunity to practice. Afterwards they will be released into the wild area which will be their home. Most of the forested 5 acre sanctuary was left natural except for walking trails which lead to different feeding stations. The entire sanctuary was fenced in to protect the cats from stray dogs. Location of the sanctuary will be kept a secret and the number of cats it can accommodate is still to be determined. A Big Mahalo To All Our Volunteers Who Made It Possible: Jan Abbott, Roberta Agre, Samantha Cristos, Rodney & Kandice Crusat, Jenny Crusat, Laura Foster, Margie & Greg Gillman-Wolfe, Gen & Mike Griffin, Abe Guzman, Damon Hansen, Sharain Herrick, Jim & Nancy Hitzemann, Brent Humble, Dustin Jones, Karen Klein, Ferol Kolons, Bill “Hub” Lucas, Mike & Darcy May, Larry & Linda Martz, Tisa McMannus, Janet Mello, Cindy Mendez, Ruth & Tom Mulkerin, Mike & Leilani O’Grady, Jennifer Olson, Jaime Patrick, Frannie Pueo, Tamir Smith, Paul & Michelle Solis, Larry and Vivian Toellver and Marilyn VonCramm.
Finding a Lost Cat in Earthquake Territory When a cat responds to a crisis situation like an earthquake, they tend to hunker down and hide in their own neighborhoods, usually only a house or two away. But don't think they'll come running when you call, "Here, kitty, kitty." They are likely to be terrified by new sights and sounds and will want to burrow into a hideaway. So instead of calling for your lost kitty from your front porch, put on your shoes and start looking. Explore potential hiding places in your backyard. Don't forget that someone might have visited the shed, closed the garage door, or lowered the lid of a trash can. Check thoroughly: Get down on your belly with a flashlight and look in bushes and drains and under porches. Investigate decks, boats, and cars. (Cats find comfort snuggled next to a warm car engine, a dangerous place for an animal to be.) Glance up at trees and scan rooftops. Then move on to your neighbor's yard. When you spot your kitty, approach her slowly, gently saying her name and resisting the urge to give chase. If she's so spooked she won't come when you call or offer food, or if she runs just as you reach for her, your next resort is to set a humane trap.
Poisonous Holiday Plant Reminder Beautiful plants given as a gift could become a deadly enemy. Here are only a few of the poisonous plants that must be avoided if there are cats or kittens in the home. If you have any of them, keep them safely out of reach. Should your feline friend eat part of a poisonous plant, rush the cat to your veterinarian as soon as possible. If you can, take the plant with you for ease of identification. Holiday plants include: Holly, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, Chrysanthemum and most types of Lilies. There are dozens more, for a complete list see this web site: http://www.cfa.org/articles/plants.html
advoCATS Spay and Neuter Clinic Once again advoCATS volunteers set out their traps and brought 50 cats to the October 14th spay and neuter clinic. We spayed 33 females, 1 of which was pregnant and neutered 11 males. We were not able to spay or neuter six of the cats brought in due to being underweight, illnesses or bad reactions to the anesthesia. The cats came from Waimea, Kailua-Kona and Ocean View. Thirty-eight volunteers helped at the clinic. Mahalo Nui Loa to Kona Veterinary Services for hosting the clinic, veterinarians Drs Bob Jordan, Jenny Chartier and Robin Woodley, and our volunteers for donating their time and making this clinic possible as well as their continued commitment to this cause. Mahalo to Kathy Vilander and Judy Kocon for preparing all the food.
Fundraising News Our September garage sale was a whopping success. We made $1,630.00. A huge Mahalo to our helpers: Roberta Agre, Katherine Florer, Laurel Gregory, Gen Griffin, Sharain and Dustin Herrick, Nancy and Jim Hitzemann, Karen Klein, Judy Kocon, Debra Martin, Linda Martz, Mike May, Pica Mertvago, Linda Welker, Margie Wolfe and Tamir Smith. Also thanks to Dean Towle for the tarp, Torun and David Almer for the tables, and Linda Welker for the water. Most of all Mahalo to Kathy Vilander for allowing us to have the sale at her house again. And, of course, Mahalo to our wonderful donors, for without you the sale would not be possible. In August advoCATS was invited again by UpCountry Pet Center’s owner, Donna Russo, to join them for their puppy swap meet at Mango Court in Kainaliu. Robert Agre, Nancy Hitzemann, Judy Kocon, and Margie Wolfe set up a booth in front of Upcountry Pet Center. It was a great opportunity to be able to meet our mauka friends and answer questions about advoCATS. We had small items for sale and made $153.00 for our spay/neuter program.
Hawaiian Wedding Bells Help advoCATS When John Rabi and Cathy Wang got married last summer they said they were fortunate to have everything they need and want in life. So instead of getting another blender they asked their guests to donate money to advoCATS instead of giving them gifts. Mahalo John and Cathy and may you have a long and happy life together.
AdvoCATS Welcomes New Volunteers Mahalo to all our new volunteers, the kitties love you: Tina Kitchens for helping with feeding and the newsletter, Linda and Larry Martz and Laura Foster for fostering kittens, as well as helping with the sanctuary construction, Ruth and Tom Mulkerin who just moved to the Big Island in August and jumped right in doing relief feeding for one of our feeders, as well as helping with the sanctuary and Sharain Herrick for taking on answering the advoCATS phone line, as well as helping at the garage sales. If you or someone you know loves cats and wants to help out please call us at 327-3724.
Mauna Lani Christmas Tree Fundraiser Though the weather is hot and steamy, snowmen, glittering decorations, holiday cards and the signs of an impending holiday season are popping up around us! For advoCATS that means preparation for our annual entry in the Mauna Lani Charity trees event. Four years ago the first advoCATS tree was started by Linda Welker and we won 3rd place. For the past 3 years Thalia Naidu has organized the event and we won second place (a $2000. prize plus a portion of the donations) which helped to spay and neuter a lot of cats. We are convinced our success is due to the inherent “cute factor” which describes our collection of beautiful handcrafted ornaments donated over the years by our talented artist friends and crafters, our sign in Japanese and our diligent claim of a highly visible space between the main entrance and front desk. This year we are hungry for first place so we can win the additional $1,000. and neuter even more cats. To do this we need your help! We wholeheartedly encourage you to come out and enjoy the beautiful display of charity trees at the Mauna Lani, especially our festive feline entry! For those of you who are not able to make the trip, but would like to support local charities, you may send a check to “Mauna Lani Charity Trees” with advoCATS designated on the lower left corner and send it directly to: advoCATS, P.O. Box 4415, Kailua Kona, Hi. 96745. If your donation comes in by December 15, it will be sure to get to Mauna Lani in time to help procure the top prize. Each dollar you donate on behalf of advoCATS, counts as one vote for our tree. The tree with the most votes wins. The total pool of donations is split amongst the worthy local charities represented at the festival. Also, anyone wishing to create and donate new ornaments, help with setup and or takedown, or has some creative contribution for the tree please call Thalia at 329-2666. All contributions are greatly appreciated for a Very Meowy Christmas!
Mahalo to Carolyn Witcher at Witcher Engineering for printing our brochures and newsletters. A BIG MAHALO to all our supporters whose donations make our work possible. We appreciate them all, no mater how big, no matter how small.
You Can Help Hawaii's Cats! $130. donation: the cost to spay 2 female cats. $90. donation: the cost to neuter 2 male cats. $65. donation: the cost to spay 1 female cat. $45. donation: the cost to neuter 1 male cat. Please make checks payable to: advoCATS, Inc. Mail to: advoCATS, Inc. P.O. Box 4415 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 (808) 327-3724 advoCATS, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. As of October 2006 we have spayed or neutered 3761 Mahalo To All Our Veterinarians and Staff!
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advoCATS Inc. P.O.Box 4415 Kailua Kona Hawaii 96745 Phone: (808) 327-3724 Email: advocatshawaii@aol.com Web Site: www.advocatshawaii.org |