January 26, 2012
PLANNED GIVING . . . If something happens to you, who will take care of your cats?
WALK THIS WAY . . . Renovation update . . . Pawprints Brighten up the Entire Shelter!
ADOPT A CAT IN FEBRUARY
Sweet Pea - looking for a home of her own
HAPPY TAILS . . . Charlie - (aka Waldo)
Checkers Checks In . . .
ASK DR. SUSAN . . . Why won't my cat use the litterbox anymore?
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PLANNED GIVING . . . If something happens to you, who will take care of your cats?
We often get phone calls from relatives who are left with someone's beloved cat(s) after they have passed or become disabled in some way. Have you planned for the future of your cats or will they be brought to a city shelter to wait with hundreds of other homeless pets in hopes of another home? With the Sanctuary's Planned Giving/Surviving Pet Care Program, you can rest assured that your cats will be taken care of in a home-like environment, enriched with entertainment, medical care and love.
If you've been thinking about the future of your felines when you're no longer here to care for them, why not consider enrolling in our Surviving Pet Care program and allowing us the privilege of caring for them in your absence.
In order to be eligible for this program, you must first become a Ladew Cat Sanctuary member. Then, depending upon the number of cats you have, an additional fee(s) will be imposed which will allow us to care for your cats for your lifetime. These fees can be left in accordance with planned giving (as outlined on our website), or during your lifetime. If Surviving Pet Care is on your mind, becoming a Ladew Cat Sanctuary member is the first step towards peace of mind. For further information, please contact Dr. Susan Whittred @ 516-922-CATS (2287) or email at info@theladewcatsanctuary.org.
WALK THIS WAY . . . Renovation update . . . Pawprints Brighten up the Entire Shelter! While we await more permits for our spay/neuter clinic, we continue to make the environment for the cats we care for bright and cheery. Bianca (who was adopted by ladew mews Creative Editor Elise Kingensmith shortly after this photo was taken) shows off some of the pawprints in one of our newly renovated Adoption rooms. Mr. Big (above) lounges in another one of our adoption rooms. If you'd like to come and visit us, please call 516-922-CATS (2287) and set up an appointment to see us soon!
ADOPT A CAT IN FEBRUARY Adopt a cat in February and receive a framed (frames and paintings vary) paw print painting, painted by our own Ladew kitties, under the supervision of our Arts & Crafts Director, Lynn Manno with the help of her assistant, Tatum Christiansen. The cats have been in the drawing room trying to think up ways to get new homes for themselves. They finally came up with parting with some of their limited edition paintings to see if they could entice people to open up their homes to a new kitty. The cats worked hard on this project and we'd hate to disappoint them -- please call us at 516-922-CATS for your original artwork and better yet, original artistocat! 
Tatum Christiansen gets the supplies ready
Lynn Manno assisting Igor in his creative process
SWEET PEA - Looking for a home of her own Sweet Pea was taken from a hoarding situation. She was thin and sickly when she first arrived, but now is thriving and loves to play! We estimate Sweet Pea to be just shy of a year old. She is spayed, tested negative for FELV/FIV, dewormed, microchipped, is up-to-date on her vaccines and is an accomplished laser light player. Please call us at 516-922-CATS (2287) for more information on adopting Sweet Pea.
TWO INTROVERTS BECOME EXTROVERTS WHEN THE RIGHT OWNER COMES ALONG! Another cat story that, as one of my professors would so astutely say "keeps me honest". Sure as I was that Yelena and her mom, Zena, would adopt the beautiful orange boy that we had. . .I was once again proven wrong! Yelena writes in . . . My mother and I originally came to the sanctuary looking for an orange kitten named Alvin. We were scrambling to catch him until a little gray and white baby caught my eye. As soon as we held him, we melted. When we brought him home, he was so scared he didn't eat or use his litter box for days. One day, he decided we weren't too bad and came out of hiding. These days, Charlie (formerly known as Waldo), can be seen carrying toys twice his size and weight around the house. He likes to sleep under the bedspread and go into the medicine cabinet to find hair ties to chew on and knock around. To know him is to love him! Thanks guys! --Yelena Gitsis
Charlie
CHECKERS CHECKS IN How is it that when you meet the right cat you just know that's the one you want to take home? That's how I felt when I met Checkers 4 years ago. I saw his picture on the petfinder.com site. He was at the Ladew Foundation (what a wonderful place for cats and kittens to be while they are waiting to be adopted). To me he was the most adorable kitten I have ever seen. I called the foundation to inquire about Checkers and see if he was still available for adoption. The answer I received was yes but..he is very, very shy. I felt that was ok and took a ride to Oyster Bay to meet him. I am so happy that I did, he was very shy but that didn't last long at all. Checkers is 4 1/2 years old now. He is without a doubt the most social and confident cat I have ever known (he doesn't have a shy bone in his body). He has a great personality that keeps my husband and me laughing all the time. He is quite the character (and I believe that he thinks he is human). He is very vocal and lets us know exactly what he wants. He loves to play, his favorite things to do are: run through a tunnel, chase little soccer balls and retrieve them, hide in a laundry basket but most of all he loves hanging out with us. All I can say is that he is awesome, and it was fate the day I saw his picture. PS - As you can see (by the picture) another thing he loves to do is hang out on our computer while we are trying to do work. Ronnie and Glenn
Checkers
ASK DR. SUSAN MEDICAL REASONS For inappropriate defecation: Reasons such as diarrhea or even constipation can cause them to defecate inappropriately. There are many medical reasons that could cause both diarrhea (parasites, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, to name a few) or constipation (renal disease, dehydration) and either of these resulting symptoms can cause a cat to defecate in inappropriate places. The bottom line is, if your cat is inappropriately urinating or defecating, it is important to take your cat to the vet and make sure there isn't a medical reason for the new behavior. BEHAVIORAL REASONS Once the medical reasons have been ruled out, then you can start looking at possible behavioral reasons and see what can be rectified. 1) Number of litter boxes: Animal behaviorists recommend that you have one litterbox for each cat you have, plus one. So, if you have 3 cats you should have 4 litterboxes. If you don't have enough boxes and are having a problem with one of your cats, we recommend adding another litter box in a different location from the one that you have. 2) Cleanliness: Many cats will not use a dirty box. It is very important that you scoop at least once a day, more if you have multiple cats. If you're not using litter liners, make sure that you completely change the litter and scrub the entire box more often. Even though you've scooped, the odors can penetrate the plastic of the box, making it uninviting for kitty. If you are using litter liners, the box is fresh each time you lift up the liner, sifting the excrement out. When you get down to the last liner, you start all over with fresh litter and avoid having to scrub a messy box. If you're not keeping the box clean, it could be that kitty found a new clean place to go to the bathroom. 3) Are your boxes open or closed? While many cats will use a closed box, most prefer an "open" litter box (without the hood). If you have all closed boxes, try taking the tops off, especially if you are experiencing problems. Some cats feel too closed-in with the hooded boxes. 4) Type of litter: Most cats like the sand-like feel of clumping litter, which is also easy to scoop out for cleanliness, but be mindful that some cats would prefer litters that are unscented. Cats are extremely sensitive to any change. Perhaps you just changed your litter to a different brand? Even if you still use clay litter, remember that any change can change a cat's mind when it comes to using the bathroom! 5) Location of boxes: If all of your boxes are in one area, try moving them to different areas, particularly areas that are quiet. Something may have happened near or in the location where the boxes are that has caused the cat to stop going to that location. Maybe your litterbox is next to a boiler that turned on and scared the cat when he/she was in the box. Perhaps one of your cats is intimidating the other one when they're in the litter box or pouncing on them when they come out so they don't want to go in there anymore. If you have multiple cats and suspect that there might be an inter-kitty war brewing, Feliway brand diffusers (similar to Glade plug-ins) might help. They emit an odor of feline pheromones similar to those that cats naturally emit when they are happy (like when they rub against your let when you're getting dinner ready!). They are undetectable to humans but are pleasant for cats. Recently collars have entered the marketplace (Nurture Calm) which may be more cost effective if you know which cat is under stress. If all the above fails, you can talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medications, which, along with some modifications in your household, can be very beneficial to you and your kitty.
One of the most common reasons for relinquishment of cats to shelters is inappropriate urination/defecation. Many people incorrectly believe that cats are being spiteful for some reason i.e., upset that you went on vacation, or mad that you changed the food. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, cats do not understand nor do they act out of spite like we humans do. Cats use litterboxes because they prefer a place to bury their excrement, not because they think that's what we want. We're just lucky that it works out that we both prefer that they use the litter box. When a cat stops using the litterbox, there is a reason that makes sense TO THE CAT. So, let's stop projecting human beliefs onto our cats and try to think of it from the cat's point of view, instead of ours.
For inappropriate urination: Your cat may have a urinary tract infection which makes he/she feel like they have to urinate all the time, even when there is no urine or little urine in the bladder. Often times, they feel like they can't even make it into the litterbox and you may see very small spots or drops of urine (sometimes with blood) in inappropriate places. Reasons for this could be bladder stones, bacterial tract infection or sterile cystitis (among others) Male cats might also be trying to tell you that something is occluding their urinary tract and making it difficult or (and this is an emergency!) impossible to urinate.