PAW PRINT ARTWORK HELPS TO RAISE FUNDS

At the 4th Annual Garden Party Fundraiser at Anita's Gardens in Massapequa, the day was beautiful for those of us trying to help homeless cats.

Our own Lynn Manno was there in full force with special limited edition paintings by Chelsea (who we are happy to say was recently adopted). We have a few of Chelsea's paintings available and they can be yours for a donation of $25.00. Chelsea is not only donating the entire proceeds to the shelter, she and her new mom have offered to paint more if there is enough demand. I'm sure no-one wants to hurt Chelsea's feelings so order your framed paw print painting today!

Click on the button below to purchase your very own paw print painting. Colors, shapes and frames may vary. If you'd like something special, we'll see if Chelsea (or one of her buddies) would be willing to accommodate you. For something special, please send an email to us and we'll do our best. $25 donation per painting.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE . . . FRICK, FRACK AND FRODO
Frodo (top) with Frick and Frack lounging on Lynn's SUV

A few weeks ago, one of our neighbors, Matt, knocked at our door. Matt was worried because one of our outdoor cats (all of which are neutered and spayed) was limping. When I say one of "our" outdoor cats I don't mean ours personally, but taken care of by our entire block. The cats were left behind when one of our neighbors had to move. She had told us about it, so we were all ready, willing and able to help the kitties so they didn't have to change the environment they had for so long. Dubbed Frick, Frack and Frodo, it seemed that Frodo was indeed limping. And to make matters worse, Frodo is feral. That means he didn't have any socializing with humans in the critical period of 2-5 weeks old. Because of this, he's less trusting of humans and prefers to live outside in the company of cats. We respect that and provide him with food, water and outdoor shelter.

Since he won't come up to us and when we approach he runs, how were we going to evaluate his injury? Leave it to our own Lynn Manno and JoAnn Studley whose praises we can't sing enough of. Lynn and Joann lined the rails of our staircase with sheets so Frodo couldn't run through the slats. With Joann at the top of the staircase (and inside the door) Frodo came up to eat and Lynn, who was hiding behind the staircase, gently placed one of our fishing nets on top of him thereby safely enclosing him in the net. Then our veterinarian used a little chemical restraint and sedated Frodo so that we could examine him. It appeared that he had a cut on the bottom of his paw with a piece of glass inside. The glass was removed and Frodo was given a 2 week anbitiotic shot as well as pain medication. He spent one night in the hospital and the next day was let out in his own backyard to be with his buddies. Frodo is now back to his old self, with the whole block looking after his welfare. It really does take a village.

Dr. Erica Morgan Lends her Expertise
Dr. Erica Morgan and Jack

Thanks to our supporters and their donations, we were able to purchase a dentistry machine to perform some dental surgery on our kitties who were in desperate need. Jack (above) is a feral cat who has feline resorptive lesions, a condition in which the teeth erode.

Eenie

Eenie suffered from gingivostomatitis and in the past all we could to relieve her pain was to give her steroid injections which can be harmful given long-term. Eenie's condition was so severe that the only chance at relief for her required full mouth extractions.

Dr. Erica Morgan volunteered to spend a day at the Foundation performing dental surgeries. Eenie was one of her first patients and after an hour long surgery, Eenie's painful teeth were removed. Many of her teeth were already fractured or had fallen out and Dr. Morgan extracted the rest, including the pesky tooth roots that can be left behind. Eenie is now a different cat, giving love bites (or gum bites) coming up to us for pets and eating up a storm (even dry food). Both Jack and Eenie are happy to be rid of those troubled teeth and we thank Dr. Morgan for lending a hand!

(Eenie is still looking for her forever home)

Eenie

Eenie writes . . .

I'm about 8 years old and I was at the Center for Animal Care and Control with my babies -- Meenie, Miney & Mo. I wasn't there that long and somebody from this place came and got us. Which is good because the other place only gives you a certain amount of time if you know what I mean.

I was really skinny when I came here which is why they named me Eenie (but I think the truth is they were just running out of names and Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Mo was a no-brainer). The the food is pretty good and I'm not so Eenie any more. My daughter Meenie and my son Mo both got adopted a long time ago (well Mo came back for chewing on cords, but somebody else adopted him and he stopped chewing on cords), but Miney and I are still here. We don't chew on cords. They don't taste that good. . . . To adopt Eenie (and Miney) please call us at 516-922-CATS. Click on the link below to sponsor ($25.00 minimum) Eenie (and to hear the rest of her story)

Gift sponsorship is also available.

MINEY

I'm about 6 years old and I was at the Center for Animal Care and Control with my mom (Eenie) and my brother and sister (you guessed it, Mo and Meenie!). I guess I didn't get adopted 'cause I was a little shy back then and anyway I just wanted to stay with my mom. It's okay, we like it here and the people here always tell those adopter people that they would have to take both of us because we're so close. My mom says they probably are afraid I eat too much and can't afford it (she's one to talk -- not so eenie anymore if you know what I mean). I think she says stuff like that so I'll go on a diet. But it really just makes me want to eat more. Mothers can be so frustrating! Arghghghghghg.

To adopt Miney (and Eenie), please call us at 516-922-2287. If you can't adopt her and would like to hear the rest of her story, you can help by sponsoring her. $25.00 minimum)
Gift sponsorship is also available.

Rubio

Rubio has a special place in our hearts (as they all do!) as he comes from a very dear friend who asked us to look after him. Rubio is suffering from anemia and a bone marrow biopsy is scheduled to diagnose his condition. Rubio will likely need life-long treatment once the diagnosis is made. You can help us help Rubio by sponsoring him today. ($25.00 minimum)

Gift sponsorship is also available.

ASK DR. SUSAN . . .

Not necessarily! Because cats that show illness might become prey in the wild, it is innate for cats to hide disease. Cats suffer silently from dental disease (unless it's really bad!) and a trip to your veterinarian can help you determine the best course of action. Your veterinarian can look at your cat's mouth during the yearly wellness exam, but in order to do a thorough oral exam your cat will likely need to be sedated. While there are many diseases you're your vet will be able to see on an oral exam (oral masses, fractured teeth, foreign bodies, gingivostomatitis), there are syndromes that require a closer look (varying degrees of periodontal disease and tooth resorption). You would think that if cats were affected by these syndromes you, the owner, would know it. You would if they were human, but cats, as I've said before, are masters of disguise. In fact, last week, we did a routine dentistry on one of our cats at the shelter and found that she had a piece of string adhered to her tongue, which was slicing through her tongue! Thank goodness we do routine examinations or she would have suffered as she showed absolutely no outward signs. (she's fine now!)

According to Dr. Jan Bellows of All Pets Dental Clinic in The Dental Care Series, "more than fifty percent of cats over three years old will be affected by tooth resorption. These tooth defects have also been called cavities, neck lesions or cervical line lesions. Teeth affected by these lesions erode and finally disappear until they are absorbed back into the cat's body." These teeth can cause pain in the cat and because in the wild the cat that shows pain becomes prey, your cat will hide pain well.

Another syndrome that is common in cats is gingivostomatitis, which is thought to be an overreaction of the immune system to bacteria on the teeth which causes varying degrees of inflammation. We're not really sure of the cause, some think it could be viral, but the cause at this time is unknown. Attempts at treating this condition medically (with steroids) is often futile and at best causes a risk to the cat's health from the medication. Extraction can resolve 80% of cases, but there are still about 20% who will need medical management and full mouth extractions to have relief.

Periodontal disease

Periodontal disease generally falls into 4 categories. Stage 1 is where gingivitis is present. This can be seen as a red line at the margin of the gum line where it meets the tooth. This stage can resolve if the teeth are properly cleaned and oral hygiene is maintained afterwards (brushing of the cat's teeth and/or dental diets).

In stage two, there are pockets between the gum and the tooth (where food, debris and other foreign bodies can get trapped and cause infection). In this stage the veterinarian will attempt antiobiotic treatment into the pocket after thorough cleaning of the pocket.

Stages 3 and 4, as you can imagine, are established and advanced periodontal disease and your vet will likely want to take dental radiographs to determine the appropriate course of action.

When it comes to dental disease, being pro-active will help your pet live a longer and pain free life. Smile!

LADEW MEWS MAY 2012 (PDF PRINTABLE VERSION)

CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY BY HELPING SINGLE MOMS

As Mother's Day approaches, kitten season begins and hundreds of stray (cats that are friendly to humans but otherwise homeless) and feral (cats not socialized to humans, wild) cats with newborn kittens are dropped off at shelters across the nation. If those cats are feral, they are most likely euthanized at city shelters because they are unadoptable and untouchable. The strays, because they are so frightened, are often thought to be feral and are also at risk of euthanasia (which is nearly what happened to our Lilly, below). Cats that are not relinquished to shelters are left to fend for themselves, fighting for food, searching for safe shelter and keeping their little ones from harm. Lilly, pictured below, with her litter of four, was rescued from a city shelter and awaits adoption at our shelter, along with her kitten, Chelsea. Lilly is a stray, and is one of the few lucky ones but, unfortunately, Lilly and Chelsea's story is rare.

Most feral cats roam the streets unvaccinated and intact, reproducing and giving birth to kittens, which, if they survive, become feral and continue the cycle.

So, what can we do about it? We can get these cats spayed and neutered to control the population in communities and give these cats a better life. The Foundation's spay/neuter clinic (set to be finished in July/August), open to rescue groups, shelters and those caring for colonies of cats and performing "TNR" (trap/neuter/return), will help reduce the numbers of roaming feral cats, thereby reducing the current overcrowding of cats in city shelters.

To read more about TNR, Alley Cat Allies have done numerous studies and research that shows that Trap/Neuter/Return stabilizes colonies, promotes healthier lives for cats and reduces the amount of litters.

Your donation will not only help us rescue some of the cats that wind up at shelters it will also help us prevent these situations entirely by offering low cost spaying and neutering.

In honor of Mother's Day, why not sponsor Lilly and you will not only help Lilly until she gets a home, but also to help mom's like Lilly have a happy outcome. If you would like to donate in honor of a special mom or any special person, fill out the gift sponsorship section and we'll send a card to the recipient of your choice acknowledging your gift. We must receive requests by May 7th in order to get them out by Mother's Day.

($25.00 minimum)
Gift sponsorship is also available.

REMEMBERING PAT LADEW, A MOM FOR ALL CATS

Now that our renovations are nearly complete, we would like to take this time to remember our founder, Pat Ladew, who made this all possible.

Board member, Elliot Hoffman remembers, "Patricia Happie Ladew was a brilliantly creative painter, sculptor and writer who never met an animal she didn't love. Wherever Pat chose to live and work throughout her life, she managed to surround herself with her adored cats and dogs. For a while even an amazingly affectionate Ocelot named Max was one of Pat's best loved housemates. Her real favorites, however, the ones for whom she always kept a special place in her bottomless heart, were the strays. It was for them that she formed and funded the 'Oyster Bay Cat Foundation, Inc'. in 1975, a non-profit organization expressly created to address the problem of homeless cats on Long Island. For the next 27 years, Pat devoted a generous amount of her time, creative energy and resources to the work of her foundation.

After her death in 2002 the foundation was formally renamed, "The Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc." Now, well into its fourth decade, The Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc., true to Pat's mission, continues to provide Long Island's (and beyond) ownerless cats with love, medical care and housing, and is nearly finished with the installation of a sterilization facility and recovery room."

How it all began . . .

In the summer of 1973, about two dozen cats were left to starve on West Main Street, Oyster Bay, when the owner of a house moved abandoning the cats which had been living outdoors amid piles of debris and a derelict car for years. Left to fend for themselves, the cats were roaming the streets and even worse, reproducing. Kittens were found trapped and injured when motorists started up their cars, the animals having climbed in the engines to keep warm. Pat Ladew heard of the situation and began to come to the aid of the cats. On her first visit she discovered four newborn kittens and dubbed them Eenie, Meenie, Minie and Moe and took them home. They were apparently orphaned.* Pat saw to it that they were spayed and/or neutered, had all their shots and above all, a home.

But, when the soft pitter patter of feline feet grew to 164 (41 cats in all) Pat knew she just couldn't take any more in, but people kept leaving them on her doorstep.** At the risk of becoming "Ester the Cat Lady," (as Pat would say) Pat founded the Oyster Bay Cat House. Pat bought the house in 1975 and renovated it with the main objective being shelter for stray cats, a place where cats could be fixed and hopefully adopted. The cats were cared for by Jesse Sloan & Marge Norris and eventually, Kathy Ledesky who lived in the house. Local veterinarians donated their time assisting the house in any way that they could and the rest would run on donations from a sympathetic public and some of Pat's own money.

Pat left us in 2002 but trusted a few friends with her wishes. The house has been under a much needed renovation and has installed a spay/neuter suite to promoted TNR efforts with the Foundation offering low cost spay/neuter/vaccines for unowned feral/stray cats with the Foundation subsidizing the rest of the normal cost for these surgeries. Lynn Manno and JoAnn Studley see to the day to day care of the cats and myself and our Licensed Veterinary Technician, Andrea Castro take care of the medical end of things.

Our adoption program has grown with the advent of Petfinders and we now also have a program for senior citizens where they can adopt an older cat at a reduced rate and rest assured in the comfort that the Foundation will take the cat back if they have to undergo an extended stay in the hospital or nursing home. Many of our cats still cannot be adopted for one reason or another and those find love and any medical attention at the house through the help of our Sponsorship Program.

The Foundation is a member of The Mayor's Alliance of New York City and The Feral Cat Counsel, both of which were formed with the goal of working together with other non-profit rescue groups so that someday, there will be a home for every pet and there will be no more animals euthanized for lack of a home. Pat was an incredibly intuitive person and I'm sure I'll not meet anyone like her again. 30 years ago she could have only dreamed that there would be a coalition of groups working to achieve a goal that once seemed impossible to attain. I know today she's smiling down on us and, knowing Pat, probably orchestrating the whole thing!

Susan Whittred, DVM
Director of Veterinary Medicine
The Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc.

*Taken from The Oyster Bay Guardian, Friday, July 20, 1973
**The Leader, January 23, 1975

ADOPTION FEES ARE 1/2 PRICE FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IN HONOR OF MOMS!
Brittany

Brittany who was rescued from a city shelter talks about a day in the life at the Ladew Foundation . . .

I remember the day I got put in a box and brought out to this shelter. I was in a loud place with dogs barking and clanging cages. It was so scary. But one day a lady came and started putting cats in boxes. I wasn't one of them. Then I heard one of the workers say "this one's time is up, do you have room for one more?" The lady hesitated for a second and before I knew it, I was in a box too!

Every day I wake up to the sound of human footsteps in the room above me. That's how I know that it's almost breakfast time. When the human comes downstairs I start to get really excited, especially when I hear the beautiful sound of the food cans being opened. By this time all of my fellow cats are also getting excited and are waiting with me by the door. When the plates come in its every man (er, cat) for himself. The food is always so yummy! After I eat and groom myself it's time for my first nap of the day (first of many LOL). After my nap I like to sit by the window and watch the birds and squirrels. I also watch the workers going in and out of the clinic building in the backyard. Not sure what they're doing in there, but they seem pretty busy all the time. I'm usually awakened from my second nap by the human coming into the room for playtime. I get a lot of exercise chasing all of the toys she throws around the room. She also seems to have a magical power of projecting a tiny red dot on the floor and making it move around. Boy is that red dot hard to catch! The human also gives me and the other cats lots of loving. I especially like when she brushes my fur. After she leaves it's time for my post-playtime nap. Later, the night-time human appears and playtime starts all over again. It's usually dark outside by this time so after playtime I like to sit and look out the window. All sorts of different animals come out at night. One of them looks awfully suspicious with a black mask over his face. I keep a close eye on him as he wanders around the backyard with his fluffy striped tail. I have to protect my turf so I stand on the ready in case there's trouble. When the masked trespasser goes away, I get comfortable one of the big beds and take my last nap of the day. I often wonder why humans don't nap as much as us cats. They don't know what they're missing. As I drift off to sleep I think about the times when a new human visits us. This human often takes one of my fellow cats to a place called a "forever home". It sounds like a really wonderful place. I can't wait to go there one day. I fall asleep and dream of this forever home and think "Maybe tomorrow will be my lucky day". To make today Brittany's lucky day, please call us at 516/922-2287.

HONEY REMEMBERS LIFE ON THE STREETS . . .

I came here with my babies about a year or so ago. All my babies got adopted. It's not surprising; I made very cute babies back in the day before I had my surgery. Those days were rough though, all my kids had different daddies - and most of them well you know that song - Papa was a Rolling Stone? Need I say more? So most of the time I was a single mother. I finally ended up in a shelter with my last bunch of kids, you know, really down on my luck. No money, no job, nowhere to go, no man in my life. But things really turned around once I came out here. The people were really nice to me. I finally had surgery so that I wouldn't have any more kids - which was fine by me - I have had enough kids to last a lifetime!
Sponsor or adopt Honey to hear the rest of her story!

!($25.00 minimum)
Gift sponsorship is also available.

HAPPY CAT TALES . . . Lenny & Rose Barone
(left to right: Rosie and Lenny)

Our Adoption Testimonial

After the recent loss of our beloved Cairn terrier Struppi of 15 years, we knew we wanted to fill our loss, but weren't sure when and how. Our dog was there for every part of our family's life: From buying our first home to greeting our newborn children as they arrived from the hospital or just keeping us company while working from home. He was a part of our family's soul and we held him in our arms right up to his final moments, when his suffering needed to end.

Cats were the logical choice now, because of changes in family demands and schedules. My wife and I both had hard luck strays as house pets in the past with great success. We made the local trip to your place, with an open mind and no expectations. Our goal was only to see how the cats would interact with the kids, any age and any kind; so hopefully, we could recapture some of the family/pet connections we just lost. The minute we walked through your front door, we instantly felt the love and connection. We knew someone was coming home with us. But who?

(left to right: Peter, Corinne and Ryan)

That was easy too. After spending time in your family room, Lenny was an obvious choice for our kids (who call him "Lenster"). Then Rose, this sweet little cat comes up to our five year-old, doesn't flinch or run away and mushes with him too. So it wasn't surprising to hear that Lenny and Rose are friends, both brave and fearless. But Rose would not stop there, she then went to the rest of the family, and through mushing said, "I'm adopting all of you". That sealed the deal.


(left to right, Rosie, Nick and the Lenster)

Their first days here at the house have shown some interesting personalities.

Rose acts like Lenny's mom as well as playmate. (Probably because Lenny is not that much older than her own kittens). Despite her hard life, she has all the same spunk and curiosity of Lenny (see pics). They are running around the house playing, but when she can't find him, she belts out some really big mama meows and Lenny comes running. She also meows and lets you know she want to be petted and held, yet also comes up quietly and sits next to me on the desk when working on the computer or curls up next to us content on a couch blanket.

Lenny for all his energy, has a really sweet mushy side too and follows us around as well. When he is not tired from playing with Ryan or Rose, he lets out a cute little meow and to our surprise wants to be picked up and held in your arms, kissing and licking your face. At night, he lays next to us or Rose on the couch, purring up a storm and stretching out after a full day of fun.

Together, Lenny and Rose have made our home happy again with their affection and over-the-top personalities. We look forward to sharing our lives with them.

The Barones
Nick, Corinne, Peter & Ryan

Gio and Joey
(left to right Gio, formerly Sergio, and Joey)

When Dr. Susan showed me a picture of Sergio, I automatically knew he was a part of my family. The moment I went to pick him up I knew I would fall in love and I did! Sergio is the best kitten ever! He is very rambunctious, playful and so "romantic." He finally won the heart of our older cat Oreo, and they are inseperable.

My family and I would like to say thank you to Dr. Susan, Lynn and the Ladew Cat Sanctuary. You've put happiness in our lives with little Sergio AKA Gio.

---Joey

SPOTLIGHT ON SPONSORSHIP

Houdini

Houdini came to us when his owner died and he was found in the house to fend for himself. Houdini has asthma as well as a heart murmur and is on medication for both. He is adoptable and sweet, but is a special needs cat and will need monitoring for both conditions. You can help by sponsoring Houdini and part of your donation will go to contributing towards our ultrasound fund so that we may have our own ultrasound machine at the shelter to monitor our special needs kitties like Houdini! ($25.00 minimum)
Gift sponsorship is also available.

ASK DR. SUSAN . . .

Why is my cat coughing?

While coughing itself is uncommon in the cat, there are many reasons why a cat may cough, (heart disease, foreign body, cancer, infection such as pneumonia or bordatella, parasites such as heartworm disease or lungworm) with the most common reason (apart from hairballs) being feline asthma (also known as bronchial asthma and allergic bronchitis).

How can I differentiate feline asthma from a hairball?
Usually your veterinarian can make this determination, but if your cat is coughing and hairballs are NOT coming up, your cat may have asthma and should be examined.

With hairballs and feline asthma, the cat assumes a crouched position with the head and neck extended (as in the photograph) and appears to be trying to get a hairball up. With asthma, the hairball doesn't come up and the signs seem to increase with the cat having more and more similar episodes.

What causes feline asthma?
It is a recurrence of inflammation of the lung's airways. According to Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP from the Pet Health Library, "excess mucus forms, then the airway walls swell with inflammation and can actually ulcerate, and finally the airway muscles go into spasm, which leads to constriction. Airway constriction leads to inability to draw a deep breath, intolerance to exercise, coughing and musical sighing sounds called wheezes, though not all these symptoms may be apparent at the same time." Asthma can be life threatening if left untreated.

Several pollutants (cigarette smoke, sprays, dusty cat litter, food allergy) have been suspected but it is difficult to point the finger at which one could be the reason for it.

How will my vet know if my cat has feline asthma?

Your vet will want to take radiographs and bloodwork (+/- analysis of tracheal fluid) to assist in making the diagnosis. Sometimes it's a clear cut diagnosis, other times it might be a little trickier. Your vet might want to start treatment for asthma and see if there is a clinical response to treatment which will aid in diagnosis.

Is there treatment for feline asthma?
Yes, not to worry there are many treatments. Because it is an immune response to some antigen, your vet may want to start your kitty on steroids which will lower the immune response and the inflammation. These are available in injectable forms as well as oral forms and you can discuss with your veterinarian both of these options.
Bronchodilators can also be used (which open up the bronchioles) and some veterinarians use these in conjunction with steroids or for acute episodes.

Portable inhalers have also been used (in cats that will tolerate the mask) and is another option to discuss with your vet.

The most important thing is if your cat has any of the signs of asthma that he/she be seen by a veterinarian right away as this disease is treatable once a diagnosis has been made and fatal if left untreated.

LADEW MEWS APRIL 2012 (PDF PRINTABLE VERSION)

Spring has sprung! Take time to smell the roses . . . but watch out for thorns (and poisonous plants!)

Springtime brings beautiful flowers and everyone wants to be out in the garden -- be careful of some popular flowers that are toxic to cats!

"Lillies are very popular this time of year, especially around Easter time," says Dr. Susan Whittred, veterinarian of the Ladew Cat Sanctuary. "Please keep these flowers out of reach of your cat, preferably out of your home" Whittred urges. "It doesn't take much of the flower to cause renal failure in cats, which can be fatal! Lillies aren't the only flowers/plants that are poisonous to cats. The ASPCA has a wonderful reference for all plants that are toxic to cats," says Whittred "and is a great go-to source to learn about the plants and flowers that are safe around our cats."

The ASPCA also has a service where you can speak to a veterinarian if you think your pet did ingest something poisonous (plant or otherwise). They have a database of all substances that can cause harm and will tell you (or your vet) exactly the steps to take if your pet ingested any type of toxic substance. There is a $65 fee but worth the peace of mind.

Sprucing up for Spring

Hope sits in one of the new wall boxes

Exercise and entertainment are important to keep shelter cats from getting bored. At our sanctuary, we have TV with movies of birds and mice to keep the kitties entertained, but exercise is also important so that our cats don't become couch potatoes! Until our new outdoor runs are built, one of the ways in which we enrich our kitties is by putting climbing boxes on the wall so our curious kitties can check out the room from above. The cats get exercise climbing up the boxes and can get some private time by having their own box for a nap!

Artistically inclined Janet Bruce created the template for Roland to cut the wood from
The team of Gerwald and Bruce was at it again, with Janet Bruce developing the cut-out template for Roland to cut out the wood and Roland coming up with the final design to make sure the boxes are safe for the kitties.

The final result are cubbies that the cats can climb, as well as sleep in (especially if they want a little privacy).

These boxes can be made (if you're lucky enough to have a creative and crafty team like we do!) but similar ones can be purchased online.

Roland and best cat bud, Fred

Chelsea

Sweet little Chelsea who came to us with her family is ready for adoption. Her brothers, Rollie and Sergio and her sister, Jellybean II have all been adopted and Chelsea waits for her family to come and adopt her. She's snuggly and affectionate as well as playful and fun!

Chelsea has been spayed, microchipped, tested negative for FELV/FIV, dewormed and is vaccinated appropriate for her age. She's 10 weeks old and a bundle of love. Call us at 516-922-CATS if you'd like to meet Chelsea.

See who's looking for new homes!

"We've got some great new arrivals who are now ready for adoption," says Sanctuary Manager, Lynn Manno. "It's so hard for people to see their personalities in a photo and I hope this video makes it a little easier to fall in love with these guys as we have." Check them out in this 2 minute video, shot by Lynn Manno, along with the other cats in our adoption room.

If you'd like to come and visit, please call us at 516-922-CATS for an appointment!

Last November 2011 I had the sad experience of putting my sweet cat Lucky to sleep after a battle with kidney disease. Growing up, I never thought of myself as a cat person, and I actually grew to dislike them after being bitten by one in my childhood, and then developing allergies in my teen years. Fortunately, my best friend was a cat fanatic (as I took to calling her) and she never gave up on me. About 12 years ago, after much persuasion from my friend and daughter, I adopted two kittens, Jinx and Lucky.

In 2010 we had to put Jinx to sleep and then again in November 2011, Lucky passed away from kidney disease. My heart was broken and I decided not to get another cat for quite some time. WELL, that changed 6 weeks later! My daughter and I went to visit the same best friend, who just happens to be Dr. Susan Whittred! They both suggested it would be fun to just go "see" the kittens. I reluctantly went along knowing what their plan was but adamant I would not crumble. I took ONE look at Ariel and Tinkerbell and all resolve melted away. They immediately stole my heart especially when Tink jumped up on my shoulders and rubbed the cutest face I had ever seen in the world against my cheek.

Ariel and Tink have been with me for 3 months and every day is a new adventure. They are the happiest most curious kittens I have ever seen. Every waking moment is playtime for them. They constantly chase each other all over the house or they bring me toys which they like to leave in the bathtub. After hours of frolicking, they snuggle up together in their tree condo and kiss each other until they pass out. They are the sweetest, most lovable cats in the world and the hole that was once in my heart has been filled thanks to my best friend and her big heart. Thank you so much Susan and Lynn for all you do!!!!

--Christine Bellon

Editor's note: We told you so!

Punkin (aka Elmo)

As a loyal volunteer of PHLF for a few years I am shocked that I am writing my FIRST 'Cat Tales' story. We have two female cats at home (Mooshi -- 6 and Greylee -- 3) and have been very content with our feline family. I had met Punkin (formerly Elmo) several times at the shelter and always thought he was super cute and very affectionate. We had an adoption show in December and for some reason I spent a large portion of the day holding him and sitting with him. He had such a great demeanor, never once tried to wiggle out of my hands or run off my lap. Later that day I was secretly texting my hubby pictures of him telling him what a great kitten he was . . . trying to feel him out. The day was nearly over and Punkin was still sitting there all bright-eyed so I slapped the adoption sign on his cage and told hubby to make room for a boy!

We have had Punkin for about 4 months now. We had forgotten how entertaining kittens can be. Mooshi and Greylee were shocked to see the little one but I think they enjoy his antics too. I occasionally see them enjoying a nap next to him which makes us really happy. My entire life I have always had a cat or two but never a boy (and never THREE)! I always thought my female cats were very affectionate and worried that a boy would not be as friendly -- but BOY was I wrong. He brings affectionate to a whole new level. We love our little boy and Dad is thrilled that he fetches a ball. (Yes, he really does).

Love, The Christiansen's

This handsome boy came to us when his owner suddenly died. He and the rest of his cat family found sanctuary when a neighbor of their owner rescued all of them (all 27!) and found them all homes. Mason is available for adoption (hopefully with his buddy Eric!). If you can't adopt them both, you can help by sponsoring Mason ($25.00 minimum).Gift sponsorship is also available.

Heartworm disease is prevalent in all of the United States, but infection is particularly common in dogs and cats along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts where salt marsh mosquitoes are prevalent. Because this disease and the treatment for it are potentially fatal, prevention is by far the best medical approach.

How is heartworm disease transmitted?

Heartworm larvae (immature worms) are carried by mosquitoes. If a mosquito that is carrying heartworm larvae bites your dog/cat, the larvae are injected under the dog's/cat's skin where the parasite matures for approximately 3 months. The larvae then migrate through the dog's/cat's blood vessels until they get to the blood vessels of the lungs (pulmonary arteries). The larvae mature into adult worms in the pulmonary arteries. Since the pulmonary arteries lead to the heart, these worms can migrate through the arteries to the heart, causing heartworm disease.

Is heartworm disease in cats the same as it is in dogs?

There are some differences between cats and dogs when it comes to heartworm disease. Cats are more resistant to the disease than dogs and they are not infected with as many worms as dogs (usually no more than 6 worms). However, because of their relatively small body size, cats that are infected with even a few worms are said to be severely infected and these few worms can be life threatening. There are two phases of heartworm disease that are potentially fatal in the cat. In the first phase of infection, the cat's immune system mounts a response, which can either prove to be fatal or subside. Following this first phase, many cats can tolerate the presence of worms, until, after about two years, the worms begin to die. The degenerating parasites can cause pulmonary inflammation or clog a blood vessel (thromboembolism) which can also be fatal (sudden death).

The most common clinical signs in cats are similar to dogs, with intermittent coughing and labored breathing being two of the most commonly reported signs. Vomiting (not associated with eating), weight loss and inappetance, among other less common signs, have also been reported.

Is there a test for heartworm disease in cats?

Testing and therefore, diagnosis of heartworm disease in cats can be more difficult as some of the tests (antigen tests) will only be positive if a female worm is present. Other tests (antibody test) may have to be repeated in 60 days if heartworm disease is suspected. If it is suspected that your cat may have heartworm disease, your veterinarian may suggest performing both tests as well as taking x-rays and having an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

Your cat should be tested if 1) your veterinarian suspects heartworm disease based on clinical signs; 2) further monitoring if your cat has already been diagnosed with heartworm disease or 3) if you are going to start heartworm preventative.

Is there treatment for my cat if he/she has heartworm disease?

Since the worms only live about two years in cats, therapy is aimed at keeping the cat stable until the worms die on their own. If you suspect heartworm disease in your cat, you should discuss the options with your veterinarian. The adulticide therapy used in the dog is used only as a last resort in cats.

Is there preventative medicine for cats?
Yes, you can discuss the different heartworm preventatives that are available with your veterinarian to find the one that is best suited for your cat.

In the case of heartworm disease, for both dogs and cats, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

LADEW MEWS MARCH 2012 (PDF) PRINTABLE VERSION

SENIORS FOR SENIORS
Lillian Buyalski and Barney

It is now well known that companion animals, like cats and dogs, can improve our physical and mental health. Scientists have studied this phenomenon and have come to realize that pet ownership (or even handling of animals) may help the elderly (and the rest of us) live longer and have more enjoyable, healthier lives.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May of 1999 demonstrated that "independently living seniors that have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well being than those that don't. They're more active, cope better with stress and have better overall health.

A 1997 study showed that elderly pet owners had significantly lower blood pressure overall than their contemporaries without pets. In fact, an experimental residential home of the elderly called the Eden Alternative, which is filled with over 100 birds, dogs and cats and has an outside environment with rabbits and chickens, has experienced a 15 percent lower mortality rate than traditional nursing homes over the past five years."

Some of the reasons for these health benefits are simple. Pets need taking care of and that alone can get the elderly up and moving. A walk to the pet food store reaps cardiovascular benefits as well as helping to keep the limbs mobile. The simple act of brushing a cat or dog can significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate and the companionship can ward off loneliness and depression.

According to the study done in the Journal for American Geriatrics Society, "people with pets were better able to remain emotionally stable during crises than those without. Pets work as a buffer against social isolation. Often the elderly have trouble leaving home, so they don't have a chance to see many people. Pets give them a chance to interact. The responsibility of caring for an animal may also give the elderly a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. Pets also help seniors stick to regular routines of getting up in the morning, buying groceries and going outside, which help to motivate them to eat and sleep regularly and well."

Sam Manno and Bubbles

Many nursing homes have caught on and now have resident cats. Others have cats and dogs come to visit. In Nebraska, the Stanton Health Center, has dogs in its Alzheime's wing and cats that live in common areas.

"The animals help patients keep their mind off their problems," says Jean S. Uehl, the Center's Director of Nurses. "The love the patients get from the animals is unconditional." One particular stroke patient was withdrawn and rarely smiled, until she began to play with the resident cat. The patient and the cat became closely bonded to each other, and when the cat had kittens, "they became like the patient's babies," according to Uehl. "The kittens played and slept on a tray on the resident's wheelchair and slept in a chair near her bed whenever they could. The kittens brought the resident out of her shell and she began to talk and smile. The kittens in particular get all the residents' attention," says Uehl. "Everyone always wants to know where they're at and what they're doing." When there are kittens in the building, a number of residents stay busy all day, following them, playing with them and keeping an eye on them.

"If you think that someone elderly would benefit from cat ownership, the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation has a program to adopt out senior cats to senior citizens at a reduced rate," said Dr. Susan Whittred, Ladew Resident Veterinarian. "Many seniors are afraid to adopt a cat, worried of what will become of the cat if something happens to them. At the Foundation, every cat we take in has a home for life, so if something should happen the cat can safely return to us and we'll take care of him/her."

Dr. Whittred urged, "For further information on Seniors for Seniors or if you would like to make an appointment to visit our facility and talk with one of our staff, please call the Patricia H. Ladew Cat Sanctuary at 516-922-2287."

LUCKY CATS LAND AT THE PATRICIA H. LADEW FOUNDATION

"Now that our quarantine and adoption rooms are nearly finished with renovations, we're back doing what we do best - help lighten the load from overfilled shelters," Dr. Susan Whittred, Resident Veterinarian reports. "Since we're too small to take in from the public, when we have some room we go to the city shelters and rescue some cats that otherwise may not have a chance."

"At the end of February, we had 4 cages that we could fill so we rescued a cranky mom (Lily) and her 4 kittens: Sergio, Rollie, Chelsea and Jellybean, II," said Whittred.

Sergio, Jellybean II, Rollie & Chelsea

Lily

"We also rescued three other adults: Julia, Joanie

Joanie

Julia

and Sammy, shown below with Manager Lynn Manno."

"Sammy, who is a snowshoe with beautiful blue eyes, is petrified and we think may have been abused. Our Manager Lynn Manno is shown below working her magic to make sure that every cat that walks through our doors feels at home.


Shelter Manager Lynn Manno with Sammy

Sammy was so scared he wasn't eating so Lynn blended up her best savory cat dish, sat on the floor, put Sammy in her lap and proceeded to syringe feed him while petting him and making him feel safe. Little by little Sammy started to lick the syringe and before we knew it, Sammy was eating out of the plate.

Our fabulous Caretaker, JoAnn Studley (shown below) soon got into the act and Sammy is slowly coming out of his shell.

JoAnn and Sammy
Lynn and JoAnn both advised Sammy that he's going to have to eat on his own and that they can't hand feed him in their laps all the time (but between you and me Sammy has nothing to worry about - if that's what he wants, they'll be there for him)," said Dr. Whittred. Check our facebook page for updates about Sammy!

While at the shelter, the adoption associate asked if we could possibly take one more, as she had overextended her stay. We hesitated for a nanosecond (we're a hard sell) while we tried to figure out where we'd put the cat we now love and call Brittany.

Brittany

SAM AND CLEO

I recently adopted an approximately 3 year old cat named Cleo. She's the sweetest, most lovable cat, who's always in the mood to snuggle. For me, she was the best of both worlds- the playfulness of a kitten, with the mellowness that comes with an older cat. A lot of people first think to adopt a kitten, because they think they'll adapt better or be more friendly, but older cats are just as lovable and eager to get to know their new families! Kittens are wonderful, but I'm so glad I picked an older cat (or, that she picked me!). She's right at home already!

--Sam K.

VIVIEN AND JASMINE
Jasmine
"When my first cat, Oreo, passed away last March, I assumed when I was ready for another cat that I would get a kitten. Mostly because they are small and adorable, but I also had some reservations about adopting an older cat; I didn't want to get attached to the cat and then have it get sick or die. So when I went to the Whiskers in Wonderland event, I was looking for a kitten. My mom and I went around the room three or four times, looking at all the cats offered from the different rescue groups, but I didn't find one I had a connection to. Finally, on our last trip around the room, we noticed another group that we hadn't seen before. When we went to check them out, I was immediately drawn to Jasmine's cage. She just looked like such a regal cat, so pretty and elegant. I interacted with her for a little while, and she was so sweet. And after learning a bit about her personality, I thought she was perfect. We brought her home that day, and I know I was right. She is such a sweetheart and a little quirky, and even though she's a little older, she is still playful and curious without being overwhelmingly so. I'm glad I didn't immediately disregard the older cats, because she's the perfect addition to my family, and I can't imagine not having her in my life."

--Vivien O.

Editor's Note . . . Jasmine wasn't even slated to go to Whiskers in Wonderland. Another kitty came down with a cold that day and we thought we'd try Jasmine! How's that for luck!

Cami

Cami is about 3 years old. She's been with us for a few years, just hasn't found her family yet. She's playful and energetic and very inquisitive. She's also quite the talker and we find ourselves having more conversations with her than we really should mention. Cami is the type of cat that will follow you everywhere, she just loves company! (Sponsorship is also available)

Sydney's a great cat who somehow gets overlooked. She's really sweet, loves to drink out of the faucet and loves a good lap. She landed on our doorstep several years back and just hasn't found her forever home. Sydney's about 7 years old (which is our best guess) and would make a wonderful companion for someone.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPONSORSHIP
Alice
Alice came to us after she lost her home. We don't know too much of Alice's history, but what we do know is she prefers to be on her own. She tolerates a pat on the head or two (but never three!). Alice loves her treats and loves to look out the window, so for this old girl, we just let her be and she seems pretty happy about that! You can help us keep Alice in treats by sponsoring her ($25.00 minimum.) Gift sponsorship is also available.

ASK DR. SUSAN . . .

How can I tell if my cat is sick?

Cats are masters of disguise. It is not uncommon for a client to bring in a very sick kitty who seemed absolutely fine yesterday. That's because cats can hide disease even from the best of us. But don't despair, there are things that you can do at home to assess the health of your cat.

1) Monitor Kitty's Eating and Drinking Habits.

Is Fluffy eating more or less than usual? Many of us have multiple cats or feed free choice so it can be difficult to tell who is eating and who isn't. Some things that you can do to make it easier is to measure how much food you put in that never-ending bowl and see how much your cat(s) are actually eating. If you have multiple cats, try observing to make sure that each one is eating (break out the treats or the canned food).

Many people think that if they're eating well that this is a sign of good health. While it's true that I'd rather see a cat eating than one that is not, sometimes a voracious appetite can be indicative of diseases such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism. If your cat seems to have a voracious appetite, make sure his/her weight correlates. If your cat is eating well but losing weight then something is wrong. If your cat is approaching the food bowl wanting to eat, but doesn't take a bite or has trouble chewing, maybe there's a problem in their oral cavity (anyone who has ever had a toothache knows what that feels like!) Many cats suffer from chronic stomatitis which is an overreaction by the immune system to the bacteria on the teeth - this condition makes it very painful to eat or groom themselves.

Cats don't drink as much as dogs and if they are getting canned food, some of their moisture comes from diet. Cats drink about 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight - less if they're eating wet food and maybe more if they're eating only dry. If you are always filling up the water bowl I would worry about diabetes, kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. If your cat isn't getting enough hydration, try the circulating water fountains to entice your cat to drink. (You can check your cat's hydration status by lifting the skin over the scapula (shoulders) and see if it stays up. If the skin doesn't immediately return to the body, your cat may be dehydrated.)

2) Monitor Kitty's Urination and Defecation.

Have you noticed more urine in the litter box, or not enough? Normal cats probably urinate between two and four times per day and the clumps should be small to moderate depending upon the size of the cat. If you're finding unusually large clumps in your litter box,your cat could be diabetic or have renal (kidney) disease. If you're finding lots of little tiny clumps (sometimes blood tinged) it could be indicative of a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, idiopathic cystitis or worse, partial blockage. If you're finding no urine, then either your cat has chosen another place to go (which can signal illness) or your cat may be blocked (which is an emergency!).

Are you finding normal stool in the litter box? Most cats defecate once or twice daily. Is the stool of normal consistency? If you're finding diarrhea then your cat may be ill. Many diseases can result in diarrhea including but not limited to parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus. If your cat is not going frequently enough, your cat may be constipated which can be a sign of renal disease or megacolon among other diseases.

3) Monitor Kitty's Behavior.

Apart from eating, drinking, urinating and defecating, any change in behavior should be an alert that there may be a problem. In our February Issue we concentrated on problems with inappropriate urination and defecation which by themselves can be indicative of an illness. But other types of behavior changes can also indicate disease. Is your cat hiding more? Because cats are masters of disguise, they would rather hide illness from you. When it gets to the point that they can't function normally in front of you, they may retreat under the bed. This is because in the wild, if they show weakness, they may become prey. This instinct is still intact even in our domesticated cats. If your cat is hiding, something may be wrong. On the other hand, if your kitty has become more vocal or more active, that can also be a symptom of hyperthyroidism and other illnesses.

4) Inspect Kitty's Coat.

Is your kitty's coat shiny and smooth? Are there any bald spots? Is he/she itchy? Any changes in your cat's coat may indicate changes in your cat's health. Bald spots can be a sign of parasites, fungal infection or allergies. Itchiness (pruritis) can be indicative of fleas, food allergies or environmental allergies (atopy). Is your cat's coat clumpy with dandruff? This could mean your cat isn't cleaning him/herself and could point to systemic illness or a problem with a painful oral cavity.

Brushing your cat is a great way to check your cat yourself for any lumps or bumps that weren't there before. If your cat doesn't like to be brushed, then petting them everywhere is another way that you can feel if everything is in order.

5) Inspect Kitty's Eyes.

Are your cat's eyes bright and shiny and free of discharge? Squinting, discoloration, or discharge can signify many diseases from a primary ocular problem to systemic illness.

These are just a few of the ways that you can be proactive in your cat's health. Along with your veterinarian, you are an integral part in your cat's health and finding things sooner rather than later will help your kitty live a longer, healthier and happy life.

LADEW MEWS FEBRUARY 2012 (PDF Printable Version)

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.

Tatum Christiansen gets the supplies ready

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.

Lynn Manno assisting Igor in his creative process

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!

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!

Charlie

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

CHECKERS CHECKS IN
Checkers

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

ASK DR. SUSAN

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.

MEDICAL REASONS
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.

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.

LADEW MEWS JANUARY 2012 (PDF Printable Version)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

The year 2012 begins in new forever homes for six of our Ladew Rescue Kitties who were adopted on Sunday, December 18th at the 2011 Whiskers in Wonderland adoption event organized by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.

Ladew Director of Veterinary Medicine, Susan Whittred said, "It was a great day, and we are grateful to those familes that opened up their homes and their hearts for our cats. Welcome to all of you to the Ladew family."

After seeing the facebook photos from the new adoptive families only hours after bringing their new kitties home, Dr. Whittred, who wears another hat as Executive Editor of the ladew mews, added, "Keep thos pictures coming in -- we love to hear about our cats and kittens as they grow up. Thank you so much for adopting!"

KIDS WHO KNOW THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS . . . Samantha Hallock

Samantha Hallock

Samantha Hallock is the niece of our own Dr. Susan. Without Dr. Susan's knowledge, Samantha created this presentation board to give a talk to her Girl Scout troop of the importance of giving back to the shelter. Samantha's board highlights the cause of the Foundation, with our mission statement as well as things that even kids can do to help.

Samantha has been volunteering at the shelter since she was about 8 years old. Dr. Susan was overwhelmed with pride when Samantha showed her what she had created. Dr. Susan said it was the "best Christmas gift I have ever received."

KIDS WHO KNOW THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS . . . Sidney and Toby Weiss

(left to right Toby and Sidney Weiss)
And in the spirit of the holidays and celebrating nieces and nephews, our own Lynn Manno's nephew and niece, Toby and Sidney, also paid the shelter a visit and brought the cats toys.

Dr. Susan said, "In today's society, so many kids are just focused on what they are going to get for Christmas. It's nice to see kids caring about those less fortunate. Every year when Sidney and Toby come for Christmas, they always make sure that they have presents for the kitties and even more important, they spend precious time with them. It's just amazing and heart-warming to see kids so young think of others. Thank you Sidney and Toby! And with an aunt as special as Lynn, we're really not all that surprised!"

IT TAKES A VILLAGE . . . Steve Christiansen and Roland Gerwald
(from left to right Steve Christiansen and Roland Gerwald)
These two are no strangers to giving and on the day after Christmas when so many are relaxing if they are lucky enough to have the day off, Steve and Roland were busy putting together our shed! Steve is the husband of long-time volunteer Tatum Christiansen. Apart from putting together our shed, Steve, who is an architect, is responsible for the layout of our cat runs (which are still being built). Roland, as most of you already know, is our contractor who we can't say enough great things about.

It's really nice to see these two working together since they are now related in the feline world. Both Steve and Roland have adopted siblings Dory and Punkin (AKA Elmo). Glad to know that these kitties have in-laws that get along!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE . . . Linda and Louie Howe

Linda and Louie Howe stopped by on Christmas Eve to bring the kitties scratching posts, toys and food. It never ceases to amaze us just how nice people can be. Taking time out of their own holiday schedules which, if they are like the rest of us, is a game of beat the clock, Linda and Louie stopped by to spend some time with the cats and brought along some presents with them. We really can't do it alone, and depend upon people just like Linda and Louie. Their kindness is not only appreciated by the kitties, but also by those who care for them. It really does take a village.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPONSORSHIP . . . ROSIE
Rose
Rosie has had a tough life for someone who is probably barely 2 years old. She came to us nursing a litter of kittens as well as a terrible upper respiratory infection. Rosie weighed about 5 pounds. Through the nursing care of our staff, Rosie is finally gaining some weight and enjoying some rest and relaxation. She's a really sweet cat who has had a hard life. We've made a promise to Rosie to turn that around! Until she finds that special someone or family, you can help Rosie by sponsoring her ($25.00 minimum). Gift sponsorship is also available.
Rosie was adopted!

1) Let cats be cats!

Cats aren't small dogs. They're not small people either! They're cats. So we need to let them be cats. Cats like to scratch. It's part of their marking behavior and it also allows them to remove the outer sheathe of their nails. It is necessary for you to provide something for the cat to scratch on. Some cats like horizontal surfaces and others prefer vertical. You'll have to figure out which is best for your cat.

2012 is a great time to learn how to clip your cats nails, if you don't already know how to. Clipping the nails is also a great time for you to examine your cat's paws and make sure all is well. If you start when they're young, most cats don't mind this.

We all know that cats like to use a litter box which is fantastic for us because we only have one spot to clean up (and we don't have to walk them in the pouring rain!). But, just as you wouldn't use a dirty bathroom (how many times do you go from stall to stall in a public bathroom until you find a clean one) your cat doesn't want to use a dirty litter box. Scoop it out once (or twice) a day and make sure you have enough boxes -- behaviorists recommend one for each cat that you have, plus one. Sifting litter liners are a great way to keep the box fresh.

Entertainment -- in the December issue of ladew mews, we provided lots of toys that cats love - many that involve you. Interactive toys are a great way for you to spend time with your cat.

Snuggle time -- Some cats like a little snuggling from time to time - make sure to take some time with your kitty. For those that aren't lap cats, just being nearby is another way you can spend some quality time.

2) Take your cat to the veterinarian yearly for check-ups.

Cats are masters at hiding disease. They do this because in the wild they might otherwise become prey. I can't tell you how often clients come in with a very sick cat who was "just fine yesterday." The cat will pretend it's just fine for as long as he/she can. It's important to see your veterinarian once a year for check-ups just to make sure everything is status quo.

3) Keep their water fresh.

Cats are prone to bladder and kidney problems, so it's important to find a way to get them to drink more. Many cats like to drink out of the faucet. Since it's not always practical to keep it running, why not try one of the automated water fountains made for cats. Drinkwell has one that has a pretty large reservoir, but there are plenty other ones that are just as good.

4) Feed a diet that works for your cat and don't overfeed.
We're all so busy, it's easy to just plunk down a big bowl of dry food and let your cat chow down. While this can work for some cats, others tend to over-eat and really pack on the pounds. Be careful if you have one of these cats. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes mellitus, joint problems and others. Feed your cat a premium diet (or one that your veterinarian recommends specific to your kitty's needs). I usually recommend feeding dry food (which is good for the teeth) along with some canned food (which helps get moisture into those cats that don't drink much water.

5) Keep your home feline friendly.
Make sure that you keep your home free of things that can cause harm. String, ribbon, rubberbands are very interesting to kitty and potentially deadly. Be careful of what type of plants and flowers that you bring into your home. One ingestion of a lilly leaf is enough to cause kidney failure. Medicines, that we commonly take, such as Tylenol, can cause death in a cat. Use common sense and when in doubt, call your vet or Ask Dr. Susan . If your pet has ingested something that you're not sure of you can also call the ASPCA Poisoin Control Hotline at 888/426-4435. (The ASPCA also has a comprehensive list of substances that are potentially harmful at www.aspca.org.

6) Help us work even harder to reach out to potential adoptive parents to increase our adoption rate and find forever homes for our wonderful cats.
Sometimes it really takes a village and we could use your help. Forwarding our emails with kittens and cats for adoption to those who may be looking to add to their family would be a huge help to us to increase our adoption rates. Remember, the more we adopt out allows us to rescue more from kill shelters. You can make a difference!

7) We will finish our spay/neuter clinic so we can reduce the overpopulation rate.
So many cats and kittens are abandoned each year or are forced to fend for themselves outside. Our spay/neuter clinic will help to keep those numbers down in an effort to find a home for every cat that comes our way. Our clinic should be up and running in the spring and will offer low cost spay/neuter to rescue groups and other shelters.

8) We will continue to care for and seek sponsorship for our special needs kitties who are more difficult to adopt because the require medical attention.
Each mewsletter that we send out will feature a kitty that needs sponsorship, you can help by sending it out to fellow cat lovers to help us with those kitties that need expensive medicine and/or ongoing treatment.

9) You can . . . Volunteer at your local shelter.
There is no replacement for the feeling that you get volunteering. Even if it is one or two hours a week, you can really make a difference. We're always looking for volunteers -- call us at 516-922-CATS. If you can't volunteer with us, call your local shelter - they'll appreciate it and you'll feel good helping.

10) We all can . . . Educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering.
Millions of cats and kittens are euthanized each year due to lack of homes. Spaying and neutering can help reduce those numbers. In 2012 we hope to step up efforts to educate the public that spaying and neutering their cats will help achieve the goal of no cat being euthanized for lack of a home.

LADEW MEWS DECEMBER 2011 (PDF PRINTABLE VERSION)

WHISKERS IN WONDERLAND

Please come and join us for the annual Whiskers in Wonderland on Sunday, December 18th from 12-6 at the Metropolitan Pavillion located at 125 West 18th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). What better gift, than a forever home for these healthy, beautiful little fluffy souls -- full of fun, with so much love to give in return! This holiday season, you can give one or more of these Ladew rescue kitties the home they hope for! Hope to see you there!

GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING . . . Sponsor a Cat for Christmas or Hanukkah
Buddy

Sponsor a cat that has special needs or one that just hasn't found their forever home yet. The recipient of your gift will receive a personalized letter from the cat and a 4 x 6 photo of the sponsee (and a warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with helping others!). A Gift sponsorship -- Just $25 for one year -- is purrrfect for those cat lovers who already have enough cats at home. For children, your gift will be a lesosn in giving with heartfelt purpose to precious felines who depend on us for quality care and loving support. Your donation will help us continue to provide housing and medical care for those kitties in need. Please visit our sponsorship page on our website and see who's looking for sponsorship!

Buddy is one of our "feral" kitties. We use the term loosely because Buddy does let us pet him occasionally and he follows our caretaker around talking to her! He's a sweetie who we never thought would be adoptable (but he wouldn't be the first cat to prove us wrong!) You can help us help Buddy by sponsoring him for $25.00. Gift sponsorship is also available.

'TIS THE SEASON
CATFLIX THEATRE PRESENTS . . .
Sydney (left) and Callie

We put our toughest critics to the test of reviewing movies for cats from 2011. Sydney and Callie score with the following paw system:

Paws up - Good to excellent
Paw (neither up nor down)Take it or leave it
Paws down - Bad to horrible

Cat Sitter Video (Volume 1)

This is a paws up from us. This was one of the first videos we ever reviewed on our new TV and from all the cats in the house this gets a paws up. Has a nice mix of things to watch. We especially like the mice and gerbil episodes.

Cat DVD

Absolute paws up on this one. You can shuffle the scenes around and it has great music to go with it (in case you just want to get your groove on). Has a very good sampling of different episodes to entice kitties of all ages - butterflies, mice, squirrels, birds, etc. This one also has a laser light segment and some of the cats here go crazy for it. Even Dr. Susan admits it's a little fun to watch them going crazy!

Puss 'n' Boots

In theatres. All paws up on this one --
Puss, Kitty and Humpty Dumpty team up to steal the goose that lays the golden egg. Great family movie. Your cat would probably prefer to watch it on pay-per-view (when available) than go to the movies. Catch the 3D version if you can!

Kitty Show "Bugs"

Oh my, very realistic . . . I thought the renovation created a bug infestation problem! Our friend Cami could not keep her paws off the screen. The bi-peds in the house were bored, but my feline friends couldn't stay in their seats! We give this a four paws up!

Kitty Show "Birds"

We found this to be far too predictable and repetitive. In other words, it was "for the birds." The film noir black and white effect was refreshing, but it just dragged on and on! We give this a paws down!!!!!

Freddie Fish

--Sydney and Callie both give this yawner no paws. Callie says it's good if you're having trouble getting to sleep. Paws down on this one, a real snoozer. And it doesn't look like it's available anymore. Wonder why?

Video Catnip
-- One paw. Has a good selection, but is only 25 minutes long. Callie and Sydney both give this one a half paw each. Not bad to watch if nothing else is on. May not be available anymore.

If you would like Sydney and Callie fo review a movie (and they'd love the Cat Sitter Videos Volumes 2 and 3, hint, hint) please send to the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation c/o 25 West Broadway #309, Long Beach, New York 11561.

The Ladew Cat Sanctuary Cats' Top Picks for the Holiday Season
(This list is only available on-line. It is not on the PDF version of the newsletter).

We asked the cats to give us a list of their favorite toys. Their lists are pretty long so we had to edit it down a little -- here are some of their all-time favorites (and some new favorites).

Ipad

We can't even check our email on our ipads anymore without the cats insisting that we put their game on. Apple's hit product even transcends to the feline world!

Bergan Turbo Scratcher
This is a favorite toy at our sanctuary and lasts a long time. The center is replaceable and the ball will give hours of fun. (Take the ball out at night. Trust us).

Catpod Speedbump Scratcher
Another favorite scratcher from catpods. These seem to last a little longer than the turbo scratchers and some cats really love them. They come in all sizes and shapes to choose from!

Yeowww Catnip
Primo catnip from Yeowww! We've never met a cat who loved catnip who didn't go nuts for these. it's a good thing that cats don't work in the post office, or these would never reach their destinations!

Dr. Daniels Catnip

Another excellent source of catnip is Dr. Daniels. Comes in different varieties for the catnip afficionado.

Dr.'s Foster & Smith Loose Catnip
Another favorite -- we keep toys marinating year round for our kitties at the shelter! The cats ask for this every Christmas!

Zanie's Toy Mice

This is a really good buy and excellent for those cats that don't like catnip (and they're great to marinate in catnip for those that do!). They're a win-win!

Laser Mouse Laser lights are fun for cats and great entertainment for adults! Please make sure not to shine it in anyone's eyes, feline or human or anyone else!

Feline Flyer
Cats go nuts for this! We keep a few on hand -- great for kids who want to play with the kitties. Great entertainment for humans too -- see how high your cat can jump! They sell replacement feathers for this too - we recommend getting a couple to keep on hand! (Put these toys away when not in use -- any kind of string can be dangerous for cats if ingested or if the cat gets tangled in the string).

Cat Dancer

Another interactive toy that is great for exercise! Cats LOVE it!

READY FOR NEW HOMES . . . Tinkerbell & Ariel

These two sisters are about 9 weeks old, have been spayed, tested negative for FELV/FIV, are microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated appropriate for their age. They are sweet, loving and cuddly and will be at Whiskers in Wonderland (125 West 18th Street), December 18th looking for their new home! Ariel and Tink found their new home and were adopted!

Dory, Elmo & Nemo
Dory (left) has been adopted, but her brothers Elmo and Nemo are looking for homes and will be available at Whiskers in Wonderland on 12/18. They love to be held and cuddled. They are about 12 weeks old, are spayed/neutered, tested negative for FELV/FIV, microchipped and vaccinated appropriate for their age. All they need now is you! Dory, Nemo and Elmo found their forever homes at Whiskers in Wonderland!

O CHRISTMAS TREE, O CHRISTMAS TREE . . .
We love our Christmas trees and decorations and so do our kitties so keep in mind the following potential dangers to keep your cats safe:

NO TINSEL!!
Invariably every year we hospitalize a kitty that needs surgery because they've ingested tinsel. Tinsel can cause terrible damage (even fatalities) and should never be used in a household with cats.

LIGHTS
Some cats will chew on the wires or even the lights themselves. Keep your wires tucked away safely and your lights up a little higher so they are out of reach. Keep your cat away from your tree when you're not home and monitor your kitty when you are.

WATER
Be careful if you use preservatives in the water for your tree - some cats will drink out of the bowl. Hide your tree stand well with a tree skirt.

SECURE THE TREE
A tree is very interesting to the curious cat who may try to climb it and wind up knocking it over!

ORNAMENTS
Remember to keep the breakable ones off the bottom! Nothing is more fun for a cat than batting an ornament and watching it swing. Nothing is sadder to humans than watching a favorite ornament break!

ANGEL HAIR
Do not use it as it is made of spun glass and can cause irritation just on contact.

ELECTRICAL CORDS
Use common sense and keep away from cats. Chewing on wires can cause burns or even worse it can cause pulmonary edema which may be fatal.

ORNAMENT HOOKS
These are sharp and can snag a tail or an ear.

GIFTS UNDER THE TREE
Ribbon is very enticing to cats. It you put presents under your tree early, you may want to save putting on the ribbon until the last minute. Otherwise at the very best, your gifts will have chewed ribbon and at the worst you could end up at the veterinarian's office with an intestinal blockage requiring surgery or worse.

CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE . . .

Be wary of some of the foods that are associated with the holidays:

Chocolate, which contains theobromine, is toxic to cats, with dark chocolate containing the most theobromine.

If you're having turkey, be careful of the bones which can be a choking hazard in cats.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW . . .

Some of the chemicals that we use in the wintertime can be harmful to our pets. Limit the use of rock salt outdoors if your cats go outside. The salt can irritate the foot pads. Ask your hardware store for the type that is safe around pets.

Antifreeze is TOXIC to cats. One small lick can cause kidney fialure and death. Make sure that it is nowhere in reach of your cat.

AND THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL . . .

Watch those candles! A swooshing tail can not only catch fire itself, but can cause a candle to fall over and cause a fire in your home. If you have cats, you are probably better off with battery candles (which look just as nice).

Be careful of space heaters and fireplaces. Cats are heat seekers in general -- just make sure that your kitty is far enough away from them so they don't cause any harm.

The 2012 Ladew Cat Calendar is here!

LADEW MEWS NOVEMBER 2011 (PDF Printable Version)

R2D2 still looking for his forever home

In this issue of ladew mews, we honor the caring, dedication, generosity of monetary donations and generosity of spirit, of our "Village" -- the donors, volunteers, staff and contractors that helped us get through the time consuming and always challenging renovation process.

We honor and give our thanks to the adoptive parents who gave permanent homes to our precious kitties, and the sponsors who helped us to give medical care and provide the best possible quality of life for our Special Needs Kitties and give shelter and refuge to Pat's Cats.

Sweet little R2D2 is thankful to the supporters of the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation for making it possible for him to be rescued from the dangers of Hurricane Irene.

He knows first-hand what your caring generosity has done in the past for his friends at the shelter and the many needy cats who came before them.

As his first Thanksgiving approaches, we are still looking for a loving lifetime home for R2D2 and so many of his friends. R2D2 is approximately seven months old and as sweet as can be. He is healthy, has been neutered, microchipped and had his required vaccinations. All that he is missing is you!

Wouldn't you like to give R2D2 his lifetime home and his first real turkey dinner? You can start the process to adopt R2D2 by logging in with this link to adoptions or by calling us at 516-922-CATS (2287).

INSPERITY: Inspiring businesses and communities of all kinds

(left to right) Tatum Christiansen, Dennis McCormick, Rob Giuffrida, Barbara Palombo, Matt Goodman, Jackie Reed and Lisa Henkel

Insperity, an organization that provides an array of business solutions designed to help improve business performance, also provides a program to assist charitable organizations.

Eileen Jordan (far right above) donated her expertise in planning out the landscaping at the sanctuary. Eileen came back to supervise on planting day!

Through their employee, Tatum Christiansen who has accumulated the most frequent volunteer miles from our kitties, they have donated not only thousands of dollars to the sanctuary, but have also provided labor by donating the time of their staff. This year, Insperity came back to help us plant trees around the property.

Last year, Insperity came by to help build an enclosure on the porch so that the kitties are protected when the front door is opened.

They also donated our "tv wall" which consists of our logo and our TV. Our contractor, Roland Gerwald, generously donated his labor by putting it in!

Thank you Insperity!!!!!

You are OUR INSPURRRRRRATION . . . . .

CORNELL UNIVERSITY SHELTER MEDICINE TEAM
(left to right) watching Dr. Susan's back: Jennifer Bailey, visiting extern from Western University; Dr. Mike Greenberg, Clinical Fellow (Shelter Medicine); Dr. Kate Gollon, Shelter Medicine Intern; Dr. Jan Scarlett, Director of the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program; Dr. Nicole Putney, Shelter Medicine Intern and Dr. Elizabeth Berliner, Director of Clinical Programs.

On their NorthEastern tour of shelters, Cornell University's Shelter Medicine Team stopped by the sanctuary to see all the new improvements. The staff, consisting of 5 veterinarians and one senior veterinary medical student, toured our new facility and give it a thumbs up.

The cats were delighted to show off their new TV and allowed the team to watch their favorite movie with them. We're thankful that Cornell's team stopped by and the kitties are happy to share their beds anytime they come down, only they get to hold the remote.

Giving Thanks to our Supporters:
JANET BRUCE
Artist in residence and ready, willing and able to take on any project we give her
ROLAND GERWALD
Our hero/contractor who loves a challenge
JIMMY MORGAN
a stone mason with a heart of gold

Sometimes it takes a creative village! Janet Bruce is our volunteer artist in residence. Dr. Susan said, "It seems like Janet has dedicated more than a million precision brush strokes for our kitties. The effects of her talent show throughout the shelter. Janet and Roland make a home improvement team that can't be equalled."

Janet constructed a pawprint out of cardboard to use as a template for contractor Roland Gerwald to cut wood to make the mold for the pawprints in our Happy Feet path to our kitty wellness clinic.

Up to her wrists in wet cement, Dr. Susan said, "We wanted to put pawprints from the sanctuary to the clinic but didn't have a clue as to how to actually do it. Janet, once again, used her creative genious, which we paired with Roland and Jimmy's know-how, to make our idea come to life."

The result was a stamp that produced paw prints good enough to be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Paws up to you, Janet & Roland & Jimmy!

LISA HERMAN & JACK HAUSMAN
Donate Jungle Gym for Ladew Cat Runs!
(left to right Britt and Lisa Herman)
Lisa Herman, who volunteers with her daughter, Britt, and Jack Hausman of the Hug rescue organization, have collectively donated funds which will be allocated for building a jungle gym in our outdoor enclosed runs, which provide much needed environmental enrichment for shelter kitties.

The mom and daughter team snuggle with Igor, Summer, Sydney, Gladys & Petey.

Lisa Herman is a long-time supporter of PHLF and has no problem getting eye-to-eye with our kitties for some necessary cuddling.

JACK HAUSMAN

A Hug from Jack works wonders for our kitties!

Jack Hausman, who runs Hug, a non-profit rescue organization, not only works round the clock saving kitties at his organization, somehow he manages to find time to come over to our place and paint or help with construction.

Jack's generous donation, along with Lisa's made the possibility of our runs being a mini-Disneyland for kitties a reality! Thank you and hugs for Lisa and Jack!

MEET LUCAS:

Lucas' Forever Mom Andrea Castro writes:

It is so hard to choose one when you see over 60 furry creatures every day, but somehow Lucas made his way straight into my heart.

I am not sure what it was, maybe the white freckle on his lip, perhaps his crazy fuzzy kitten hair, possibly his mischievous gaze, or all of the above. Whatever it was, I knew Lucas would become Simon's best bud and own my heart.

Simon was 3 years old when he met Lucas. He approved of him almost right away, impressive coming from someone who rejected at least 10 foster siblings! Simon saw in Lucas the same peculiarity I saw.

Here we are now, 7 years after Lucas came into our lives. The bond is even stronger and he does not cease to amuse us with us unique nature.

You can bring the special joy that Andrea describes into your own home. To adopt one of our very special kitties, visit our sanctuary blog and click on adopt a cat or kitten.

ASK DR. SUSAN

The Association of Feline Practitioners is a wonderful resource for both new and experienced cat parents. I want to share their good advice with you, along with some illustrative photos of our own to give you a better idea of how their plan could work for you and your kitties.

Getting Your Cat to the Veterinarian

Providing good health care, especially preventive health care, can allow your cats to have longer, more comfortable lives. However, this cannot happen unless they see the veterinarian for needed care. Many cats dislike going to the veterinarian, and that starts with the difficulty of getting the cat into the carrier. If we can make this step easier, the entire veterinary visit is usually less stressful.

The best carriers are inexpensive hard-sided carriers that open from the top and the front, and can also be taken apart in the middle. An easily removable top allows a cat which is fearful, anxious or in pain to stay in the bottom half othe carrier for exams. Your veterinarian can often do the exam in the bottom of a well-designed carrier. Avoid carriers that require a cat to be pulled from or dumped out for an exam. You are an important member of your cat's healthcare team. You can be instrumental in helping your cat have more relaxed veterinary visits and improved healthcare. These tips will help make veterinary visits easier for you and your cat.

Understanding your Cat's Behavior

Cats are most comfortable with the familiar, and need time to adjust to the unfamiliar. The visit to the veterinarian is often difficult because the carrier, car and the veterinary hospital are usually unfamiliar. Respect your cat's need for time to become familiar with new situations, people and places.

Stay calm. Cats can sense our anxiety or frustrations, which may cause them to become fearful or anxious

Cats do not learn from punishment or force. Give rewards to encourage positive behavior. For example, if your cat is sitting calmly in or near a carrier, give a treat. Likewise, rewards can be given to help your cat become familiar with the type of handling that may be encountered at the veterinarian (e.g., handling paws, ears and mouth). A treat is what is highly desirable to your cat, which may be in the form of food, play or affection. Be persistent and reward every time.

Helping Your Cat Become Comfortable with the Carrier

The goal is for your cat to learn to associate the carrier with positive experiences and routinely enter voluntarily.

--Make the carrier a familiar place at home by leaving it in a room where your cat spends a lot of time.

--Place familiar soft bedding inside the carrier. Bedding or clothing with your scent can make them feel more secure.

--Place treats, catnip or toys inside the carrier to encourage the cat to enter at home. Often, you will first see that treats are removed from the carrier during the night.

--It may take days or weeks before your cat starts to trust the carrier. Remain calm, patient and reward desired behaviors.

--If you still have trouble, you may need to assess the carrier itself.

Getting an unwilling Cat into the Carrier

If your cat needs to go to the veterinarian right away, and is not yet accustomed to the carrier, the following may help:

--Start by putting the carrier in a small room with few hiding places. Bring the cat into the room and close the door. Move slowly and calmly.

--Do not chase the cat to get it into the carrier. Encourage the cat with treats or toys to walk into the carrier.

--If your cat will not walk into the carrier and your carrier has an opening on top, gently cradle your cat and lower it into the carrier. Another option is to remove the top half of your carrier while getting the cat to go into the bottom half, and then calmly replace the top as pictured above.

--Use familiar bedding inside the carrier. Consider use of synthetic feline facial pheromone (Feliway) analog spray in the carrier at least 30 minutes prior to transport to help calm the cat.

Coming Home -- Keeping the Peace in a Multi-cat Household

Cats are very sensitive to smells and unfamiliar smells can result in one cat no longer recognizing another. Aggressive behavior can occur when one cat senses another as a stranger. These suggestions can help avoid problems between cats following a veterinary visit:

--Leave the returning cat in the carrier for a few minutes to see how all of your cats react.

--If all cats appear calm and peaceful, let the returning cat out of the carrier.

--If you sense tension between the cats, or if previous home-comings have resulted in conflict, keep the cat in the carrier and take it to a separate room to avoid potential injury from an upset cat. Provide food, water and litter box for a minimum of 24 hours while he/she regains the more familiar smell of home.

--If there is still stress after this time, contact your veterinarian for more advice on slower introduction or medication to help the process.

--A synthetic feline pheromone (Feliway) can help provide the sense of familiarity.

--For future visits:
Use familiar bedding or clothing with your scent as it retains the smell of home and helps with reintroduction.
Use a synthetic feline pheromone (Feliway).
Bring both cats to the veterinarian together. This can prevent future conflict as both cats will carry the scent of the clinic.

LADEW MEWS OCTOBER 2011 (PDF Printable Version)

THIS HALLOWEEN TREAT A LADEW SPECIAL NEEDS KITTY WITH A ONE-YEAR SPONSORSHIP!
Help take good care of Fitty Cent(above) by sponsoring him for one year - just $25.00!

Gift sponsorship is also available.

Black cats evoke terror in the minds of some misguided and misinformed individuals, especially around Halloween. The very sight of one of our beautiful ebony felines sends chills up the spine of these "cat phobics." Some believe black cats are the embodiment of evil spirits, come to do them in. At the very least, most cat phobics believe that black cats surely bring bad luck. On the contrary, those of us who have had the very good fortune to have known or lived with a black cat, know that these fears and superstitions could not be further from the truth.

The breed of black cat that best exemplifies these mysterious, sleek felines, is the Bombay, a breed developed in 1953 by Nikki Horner, who crossed a black American Shorthair with a sable Burmese. Bombays are identifiable by their copper or yellow eyes and patent leather-like coats, jet black to the root, which cover a sensuous muscular physique. Named for the black panthers of India, many refer to the Bombay as a "parlor panther." These black beauties are highly affectionate, heat-seeking lap cats, who greet visitors with a friendly meow and a thorough inspection of any package or purse. Some enjoy sporting a little bling.

SPONSOR FITTY CENT!

Fitty exhibits the best traits of these fine Bombay ancestors. Dr. Susan Whittred said, "He first came to us with urinary tract problems. His owners didn't think they could take care of him and brought him to the vet's office to be euthanized. The vet instead arranged for Fitty to come to the sanctuary. We love the big guy, and he seems happy with us." You can help us take care of Fitty (and keep him in the bling he insists on wearing) until he finds his forever home.

Gift sponsorship is also available.

MEET TUNA

Tuna's mother writes in . . .

Gianni and I were talking for awhile about adding a kitty to our household and luckily someone told us about the Patricia H. Ladew Cat Sanctuary.

Dr. Susan asked us what we were looking for and sent us a photo of Pookie. We wanted to call our new kitty Tuna and agreed that when we met Pookie, if is wasn't TUNA we wouldn't take her home! She nestled into my neck and that was it for me!

The care that everyone takes to make sure that the adults and kittens are well fed and happy at the Sanctuary is really remarkable. We adopted her on July 19th, 2005 (the day before my birthday). She has been a sweetie beyond our dreams.

We live a few houses off the beach and Tuna loves to walk with her harness/leash with Gianni in the early hours of the morning to explore the beach and run, run, run! (we have a long lead!)

Tuna has also called our vegetable garden hers! She nestles among the plants at every stage in the garden. She is now so calm and much less mischievous than when she was a kitten. One of her antics: she stole a whole fresh mozzarella and waddled down the hall with it hanging from her mouth. At that time it was almost bigger than she was!

Tuna cuddles with both Gianni and myself and it's the best feeling in the world! We won the lottery!

To express her fond appreciation, Tuna donated a brand new scratching post and kitty beds from PETCO for her friends at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary. And we are grateful for her continued support!

MEET WILLIE
Our cat Rocky lost his sibling to cancer and of course we were all very upset. He used to cry out at night and we knew that he missed her terribly, as we did. We decided to get Rocky a companion.

We went to the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation and told them our story. They really knew what we were looking for -- they picked out an adorable red kitten for us, who we named Willie.

When Willie first came into our house, he was a ball of energy, perking us all up and helping our older cat Rocky become more active and healthier. We love having Willie in the family.

We highly recommend adopting from the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation -- the cats are healthy, receive all of their shots, are spayed/neutered and well adjusted.

We are thinking of bringing another of their charges into our home now!

-------Anita, Jim and Rocky

LADEW DAMSELS IN DISTRESS

In the rainy weeks after Hurricane Irene, finally our brand new, state-of-the-art cages arrived only to find out that we had curbside delivery.

Our contractor, Roland, was stuck on the George Washington Bridge and only JoAnn and I were at the shelter with 9 skids of cages, weighing 3000 pounds. The driver wanted to leave the cages on the curb in the pouring rain?

WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO?

We called Roland, and resourceful as ever, Roland called our plumber, Varricchio Plumbing, who has gotten us out of many jams in the past, but mostly plumbing related!

Alex of Varricchio Plumbing
VARRICCHIO PLUMBING TO THE RESCUE!

Minutes later, two Varricchio vans pull up and out jumped Alex, Julio and Leo to the rescue!

(from left to right, Julio, Leo and Alex)

The guys donned garbage bags as raincoats, cleared out some room in the clinic and moved the cages safely inside. Varricchio Plumbing to the rescue! (They're excellent plumbers too! -- 516-922-4141).
What a village!

DR. MICHAL HESS DONATES HER SERVICES TO HELP EYERENE

(left to right) Maude, and Eyerene before and after

In the September issue of Ladew Mews, we told you of the plight of two elderly kitties, Eyerene and Maude, evacuees from Hurricane Irene that had been taken in by Dr.'s Rogoff and Simon of Animal Hospital of the Rockaways and are now residents of the shelter. Eyerene suffered from glaucoma which was formerly untreated and turned into uveitis.

Dr. Michal Hess of Animal Hospital of the Rockaways

The day Dr. Susan was leaving for vacation, Eyerene's bad eye got worse. Dr. Michal Hess, of Animal Hospital of the Rockaways offered her services to relieve Eyerene's pain.

Travelling with her kitty companion, Maude, Eyerene went to the Animal Hospital of the Rockaways, where Dr. Hess performed the necessary enucleation. A biopsy was performed of the eye and it turned out to be cancerous so it's a good thing Dr. Hess removed it.

Eyerene is safely back at the shelter, pain free and with her buddy Maude. Dr. Susan said "Thank you Dr. Hess for stepping in when we needed you!"

Sponsorship is available for Eyerene and Maude ($25.00 minimum)
Gift sponsorship is also available.

R2D2: Saved from Hurricane Irene

R2D2 is ready to go to a new home! He is about 5 months old, tested negative for FELV/FIV, is up-to-date on shots, neutered, microchipped, de-wormed and just as cute as can be! He's all by himself and looking for somebody to snuggle with. Adopt R2D2 today!
R2D2 was adopted!

Halloween is a time which may unfortunately bring out the worst in celebrants. False superstitions are often used as excuses for mistreatment and/or abuse of neighborhood animals, especially cats, and particularly black cats. It is up to those of us who care deeply about our felines to make a special effort to look out for them on Halloween.

For safety's sake, try to observe the following:

--Keep your cats indoors.

--Make sure your indoor kitties don't slip out when trick or treaters are at the door. If you are opening your door for trick or treaters, it might be wise to keep your cat(s) in a closed room so they can't get out through the open door.

--Keep candies, especially chocolates out of reach. Even foil and plastic wrappers pose a threat to our curious kitties who could ingest them by carrying them in their mouths while batting them around the house.

--Be vigilant! If you see something, say something. Our cats depend on us!

LADEW MEWS SEPTEMBER 2011

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE FOR LADEW MEWS SEPTEMBER 2011

HURRICANE HEROICS
Pet parents, vets and staff keep precious felines out of harm's way

Sanctuary Manager, Lynn Manno, calms Jellybean, the youngest Rockaway evacuee.

Hurricane Irene took New York by storm, making the last weekend in August 2011 a day the protectors of our precious pets will long remember.
Those of us who live and work along the shores of Long Island and the Rockaways fully appreciate the power of nature during hurricane season. The warnings of Irene's enormous size and wind velocity prompted a mandatory evacuation order -- a sobering call for the staff of the Ladew Cat Sanctuary.

Sanctuary Manager Lynn Manno spent hours taping windows.

Friday afternoon, Susan Whittred, our veterinarian, put her evacuation plan in action. Residing in Long Beach which also had a mandatory evacuation order, she knew she had to move her own cats but also worried about the cats at Animal Hospital of the Rockaways, where she is an associate veterinarian. Many families were unable to evacuate the animals so Dr. Susan and Dr. Allan Simon loaded both their cars with carriers filled with frightened Rockaway kitties(all the dogs went back with their owners). Since felines are sensitive to barometric shifts, which may well result in behavior changes, kitty evacuation is no small task! But, off to safe haven at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary went the Rockaway and Long Beach Feline evacuees. Oyster Bay is further inland and was not evacuated.

Tiger, evacuee from Animal Hospital of the Rockaways

All of the cats got along great at the Sanctuary. Dr. Susan said, "My Ruby and Emma acted as if they were at Camp Irene. They had so much fun."

By Sunday, Irene's fury had not flooded the Sanctuary basement, but the power was out in Oyster Bay. That, of course, didn't bother our kitties, who see just fine in the dark.

THE DAY AFTER . . .

Sunday afternoon seemed like any other day, except for the lack of electrical power for much of Long Island, Oyster Bay and Long Beach included. The Rockaways were spared the power outage. So, Dr. Jay Rogoff and his wife, Phillis, of Animal Hospital of the Rockaways came out to bring home the patients taking refuge at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary.

Of the stray cat evacuees from the hospital, 7 remain as residents of the sanctuary. Eyerene, one of two elderly strays Dr. Rogoff had taken in, has glaucoma which was formerly untreated and turned into uveitis. She will need the eye removed. Dr. Michal Hess of Animal Hospital of the Rockaways did bloodwork which revealed that Eyerene is also hyperthyroid. Once her thyroid condition is under control, she'll have her surgery to remove the painful eye. Eyerene will remain at the sanctuary to live out her days unless someone wants to adopt her, but she comes with her best bud Maude!

Click below if you'd like to help Eyerene.
Gift sponsorship is also available.

SCHOOL'S OPEN! LEARN A LESSON IN LOVE:
Sponsor a Ladew Special Needs Cat for a Year!

Back to school time is hectic for families and adoptions are slower, so we try to keep our kitties busy learning new things, but the longer they stay in the shelter, the greater their needs become, including medical needs.

Cami (above) is inquisitive and boy can she talk! She would make an amusing addition to any household. Until the right family comes along, you can help by sponsoring her. (Minimum $25.00)

Gift sponsorship is also available.

HAPPY CAT TALES
Buzzy's Tale

"Buzzy came into our lives when he was just a baby in October 2007, when I asopted him from the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation. Even though I live on the other side of the river, it was worth the trip!

Buzzy is not only a very sweet and beautiful cat, but also a kitty with his own personality -- the perfect example of an "Aristocat."

At the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, the staff team work together to make sure th epet will go their new home with someone who is qualitifed to take care of them. Buzzy is now 4 years old and has become part of our family. We love him to death and make sure that he has a quality of life for as long as God wants him to be in our lives."

---Soraya Chacon

Soraya brought Buzzy to visit us a year after she adopted him.

MACARONI'S NEW FAMILY

(left to right, Macaroni, Lindsay & Gale)

Macaroni has found a loving forever home:
Mac, as we have come to call her, came to us as a kitten with ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that can pass along to humans. Many shelters will euthanize for this disease because it takes months to clear it up.

Macaroni and her brothers were treated at the Foundation and cured. By the time the disease was cleared, Mac and her brothers were not little kittens anymore and a little harder to adopt.

Archie & Jughead, Macaroni's brothers, were adopted in December at Whiskers in Wonderland. Dr. Whittred said, "Mac didn't do well at adoption events, she preferred to hide under her bed, so we stopped taking her. We now know that Mac was hiding because she was waiting to Gale and Lindsay to come along."

Gale and Lindsay turned a blind eye to all of the construction at the sanctuary and saw Macaroni in her own setting, observing how she interacted with other cats. They thought she would be a perfect fit for their own kitty, George. Keep in touch Macaroni, we will surely miss having you around!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Volunteers of the Month: Danielle and Adin Rimland
"We couldn't have asked for two more willing and capable volunteers!" said Dr. Susan Whittred.

"While most young people their age are at the beach or finding other ways to spend their summer (not that there's anything wrong with that), Danielle and Adin volunteered their services at the shelter painting!"

Dr. Whittred said, "Not only is this brother/sister team fun to be around, they turned out to be pretty good painters and scrapers, not to mention that they take a pretty good picture!" The kitties say thanks to Danielle and Adin and we hope to see you again soon!"

LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF JELLY

Ladew Contractor Roland Gerwald with his new kitty, Jellybean
The old song goes, "Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't be so serious. Life's so mysterious . . ."

It is a mystery of life that brought one of the clients of the Animal Hospital of the Rockaways to the front desk on the Friday before Hurricane Irene with a six-week-old kitten he had trapped to rescue. With the evacuation underway, he had no choice but to bring the kitten to the hospital for safe haven. So, Dr.'s Whittred and Simon packed up the kitten along with the rest of the evacuees.

When all were settled in at the Sanctuary, Lynn Manno said "I read somewhere that black cats are adopted more readily if they are named Jellybean." And so it was Jellybean.

Well, on Monday morning, our heroic contractor, Roland Gerwald took one look at Jellybean and said, "That's my kitten!" So, for Roland, life is now a bowl of Jelly!

IT'S YOUR VILLAGE TOO . . . Adopt Toby

This sweet little guy is about one year old. His ear is tipped because he was part of a trap/neuter/return project where organizations trap feral cats, spay and neuter them and then return them to their colony which is managed by some good samaritan who feeds them.

Only our sweet Toby didn't want to go back and it turns out he wasn't feral after all! Toby is looking for someone who has as much love to give as he does in return! If you think you are qualified to adopt Toby, call us at 516-922-2287 (or email us at info@theladewcatsanctuary.org for more information.
If you can't adopt Toby, you can sponsor him($25.00 minimum).
Gift sponsorship is also available.

ASK DR. SUSAN . . .
"I would like to get another cat to keep my current cat company. How should I go about this?"

In one word, slowly. The first priority is to make sure that both kitties, your current cat(s) and the new one, are up-to-date on vaccines and have a clean bill of health from your veterinarian. Once everyone has passed the health test, then you're ready for the introduction.

I usually recommend that my clients keep the new kitty separate from the current cat(s) of the house. Let the resident cat(s) sniff a towel or box that the new cat has been in and vice versa well before they see each other. Spend lots of time giving your resident cats attention, then sneak away and get to know your new kitty.

After a couple of days when your original cat(s) are getting used to the idea, you can feed your cats on either side of the door, or give a treat on either side of the door so that they start to associate the smells of each other with good things. After about a week or so, you can try a viewing. It is perfectly normal for both cats (the new and original) to hiss - that's a cat's way of saying "who the heck are you?" Imagine if someone brought home a new human to live in your house! It usually takes about a week and then most of the time, even if they don't become best friends, they learn to live with each other without too much trouble.

LADEW MEWS AUGUST 2011

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE FOR LADEW MEWS AUGUST 2011

Dr. Susan Whittred writes:

We put our toughest critic on the task for finding good ipad/smartphone apps.

I now fight my cats, especially Ruby, for ipad time everytime I take it out. No longer can I just quickly check email. Ruby runs over and stares at the ipad (and me) until I put her game on. Game for Cats (by Hiccup) has two levels - one level is a red dot that moves around on a black screen, and is free. The second level (the one Ruby prefers) is a mouse that moves across a yellow screen and costs $1.00. When a cat hits the mouse or the dot, it emits a noise and the cat scores. Sometimes other cats join in, but they'll just add points to the same score (in other words they can't play against each other!). Friskies has also released some free games. Ruby's top picks are Tasty Treasures Hunt and Cat Fishing. Ruby was bored by Party Mix-up and the Wonderland series are a little above her level - most likely deisgned for humans. All in all, Ruby's top pick remained Game for Cats. Just another expensive toy you can get for your cat! Ruby has so far not damaged my ipad - I mean her ipad (but a nail trim would be recommended).

The cats in our research department have been surfing the web looking for new cool cat toys. Looks like there's a paws up for Moderncat. According to our kitties this website has really unique and innovative new toys as well as modern furniture that piques a cat's interest. And our human research department likes it because it has pretty cool things for humans that love cats too! Enjoy!

Chance, formerly Elton
Hi Guys,

I just wanted to say hi to the BEST cat sanctuary in the whole world. My name is Chance (formerly Elton) and I live with one brother and 2 sisters.

My cousin Fiona, came from the sanctuary too and she has one brother at home
We all have great forever homes for the last 4 years and are living the good life!

Thanks so much guys!

.
Tannisha, daughter of Genie, who adopted Chance spends quality time with him.

(left to right) Erika and Eliyah hold on tight to cousin Fiona.

Meet Penny:

Penny, who was adopted in December by two loving new parents, Lillian and Michael Chiaramonte is doing well and enjoying her forever home.

Even though we miss her, it is assuring to know that Penny keeps in touch with her friends at the Patricia H. Ladew Cat Sanctuary. Penny took time out of her busy new schedule to write us this note:

Hi there!

Just taking a break from my favorite things, chasing my mouse, surfing the web and hanging out in the window! We've been having so much fun -- my family is quite skilled with the laser pointer and I love chasing it around in hot pursuit! Plus I've got my own play tunnel now which keeps me quite entertained.

Once we're all tuckered out, we love snuggling up together and taking a nap. :)

As you can tell, life's been really great and I hope that others can come visit my friends in Oyster Bay!

Many thanks to the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation for taking such great care of me and making sure that I got a forever home!

All the Best,
Penny

Sam and Carter are learning how to crochet beds for cats. It's easy, fun and cats seem to be drawn to them like magnets. To get started, pick up some bulky yarn and a size 9 crochet hook. If you don't know of anyone who can teach you, just follow along on YouTube with some basic steps.

Once you've got that mastered, you can move on to circular beds which we use a lot of at the shelter.

Crazy is just nuts about her new crocheted cat bed

If you're interested in volunteering at the sanctuary, please call 516-922-CATS!

Crocheters are purrrrrrrrrrrrrrfectly welcome!

Roland is a hands-on boss who's willing to pitch in with the hard jobs

We really can't say enough good things about our contractor, Roland Gerwald, and neither can our cats. Everyone hears stories of awful contractors - we're lucky enough to have found one who is the complete opposite.

Swooping in like a superhero after we suffered one of the aforementioned contractors, Roland has been a lifesaver. He is meticulous in his work and really makes sure things are done correctly. If he's not happy with the work, he starts over. He belabors over the budget, making sure that subcontractors are offering fair prices. He translates that same care to our cats. He knows nearly every one of them by name. He alerts us if he thinks one might not be feeling well, and considers them in every thing he does.

For Roland's birthday, his friends at Ladew named him "Top Cat\"

If you are looking for a contractor that you can trust completely and is fantastic with animals (dogs too!), consider Roland Gerwald of Gerwald Construction, LLC /we are committed to preserving his breed of contractor. He gets a paws up from all of us.

Roland and Bubba discussing plans

Roland shares is break time with his feline associates

No insult intended for our fine canine friends, the "Dog Days of Summer" were named by Ancient Romans, and earlier by the Greeks, who associated the hot days in July and August with the star Sirius, the brightest start in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius, also the brightst star of all in the night sky, is at its best during the "Dog Day" nights.

In times of extreme weather, it is even more evident that our precious pets are more dependant upon us. Our Ladew Special Needs Kitties are wishing upon a star for sponsors to assist us in providing extra care and medicines to improve their much deserved quality of life. Fern is a sweet kitty who suffers from Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She is on medicine which controls her condition and is doing well. You can help us help Fern until she finds someone willing to take care of her by sponsoring her for $25.00 (minimum)

Temperatures that humans can handle can be deadly for cats. Humans sweat to reduce body temperature. Cats do not have this ability. As a result, their only method to reduce temperature is by rapid breathing (panting) or licking their fur in an effort to keep cool. Temperatures over cat's internal body temperature (102.2) can cause a cat to develop heatstroke, which can be deadly.

Poorly ventilated cars, restriction to concrete runs without shade, or confinement to carriers in hot weather can all be problematic for the cat. Persians, asthmatics and overweight cats are most susceptible to heatstroke. Long-haired cats with matted coats are also more susceptible, and these cats can benefit from clipping the coats down in the summer months. If your cat begins rapid breathing, panting, salivating or vomiting, these may be signs of heatstroke, and early intervention is necessary.

Mild heatstroke can be treated by wrapping the cat in cool wet towels to slowly reduce the body temperature. Do not try and rapidly reduce the temperature by immersing the cat in cold water. This will only cause blood vessels to constrict and make matters worse. If the cat seems weak or shows any of the above signs, a visit to your veterinarian is in order.

As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Always provide adequate ventiilation for your kitty, don't leave your cat in a parked car and always provide plenty of fresh drinking water.

LADEW MEWS JULY 2011

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE FOR LADEW MEWS JULY ISSUE!

Cats have, throughout time, been thought of as independent and aloof -- not in need of companionship and loving care.

In ancient Egypt, cats were kept as mousers and much later as companions, but always depicted with reverence in drawings and sculpture in tombs and monuments.

In the middle ages, when the fear of cats as being associated with witchcraft overtook the masses, the European cat population was greatly diminished. By no coincidence, plagues and rodent-born diseases spread across the continent. With this lesson in mind, the settlers, who boarded the Mayflower, set out for the New World with cats in hand, determined not to let history repeat itself. Those Mayflower cats may well have been ancestors of our girl, Gladys, the Domestic Shorthair pictured above in her patriotic kerchief.

Although Gladys inherited the strong boned and weather-hearty physique of her early American ancestors, she has unique health issues which prevent her from being independent. She needs ongoing care and costly medication which make her less likely to be adopted. Gladys, like many of her fellow Ladew Cat Sanctuary residents, needs a sponsor. You can click on the link below to sponsor Gladys.

Our kitty inspectors from the Ladew Department of the Interior gave the new improvements to the first floor reception areas high marks.

Meanwhile, above are our Ladew Special Ops cats returning from their safe houses after a classified mission. They must maintain their top secret clearance, but can't resist the comforts of their new "crib."

"I just wanted to tell you all how happy I am that I was lucky enough to find myself in the best cat shelter on earth as a kitten. Yes, I'm talking about the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation!

They were able to find me a wonderful forever family and even a brother, Joey, and sister, Jesse -- all from the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation to share my days with me.

While living at the shelter was nifty, because they care so much for us all, it was my best day ever when my human Mommy came there and picked me from all the other kittens. OK I admit I made it impossible for her to pass me up. After all, just look at how adorable I am!

My brother Joey, (cuddling with me above) was an adult cat living at the shelter and he left such an impression on Mommy that she had to go back and adopt him too! As you can see, I was all for that. Joey was such a great big brother and showed me all the tricks of the kitty trade. And besides we could reminisce about our days in the shelter.

Our sister Jessie (above) joined our family later, and I try to be as good to her as Joey was to me, but baby sisters can be pushy as you can see from the photo where she's monopolizing my Mom!

Anyway I just wanted to tell everyone life is great at Castle Breuers and if you ever want to find some amazing feline friends, young or old, you should hustle on out to Oyster Bay and take a bundle of fluff home with you! You won't be sorry and neither will your new addition. After all, everyone wants a forever home!

"I adopted Harvey (renamed him Gabriel) about 4 years ago. I recall asking if you if you had a black and white male, as I had to put my cat Clancey to sleep at age 19."

"You sent me a picture, and there he was! He looked just like my Clancey. I came out to the sanctuary and took my new little buddy home. I mentioned to you that I had another cat at home named Savannah. You told me that was Harvey's Mom's name, and that the kitten I picked out was meant for me!"

"You weren't kidding! Gabriel is doing well, and he is like my shadow! We have such a bond -- he waits for me at the door when I return home from work. I just love him so much!" "Thanks for all the great work you do and for caring as you do for all those precious little faces! People who don't love animals, don't know what they're missing!"

All the best,
Kathy

Ladew Volunteer of the Month

Janet Bruce
Janet Bruce has been coming to the shelter for about a year now, showing up early in the morning and ready, willing and able to do just about anything we ask of her!

Janet is a very talented artist who doesn't mind picking up a larger brush to paint our sanctuary walls. She has painted the house inside and out and is particularly good at doing the trim (and we've got a lot of it!)

Susan Whittred, DVM said, "The rest of us have to put up endless amounts of blue tape -- not Janet -- straight line every time!"

"Janet works for hours on end for us, and we don't know what we'd do without her," said Dr. Whittred. "With all the work we're doing -- it looks like we're going to need those painting services for some time to come!"

If you're interested in volunteering at the sanctuary, please call 516-922-CATS!

Painters are purrrrrrrrfectly welcome!

PAUL LONGO
Our next-door neighbor, Paul Longo, of Longo Construction, was kind enough to donate 80 feet of fencing, which we can use on our property to give our felines a little privacy!

Not only did Paul donate the fencing, but he also installed it!

With neighbors like that, we don't need a fence to keep him out! Thank you Longo Construction!

Many of my clients have asked me this very question, absolutely startled when I find a flea on their indoor-only, apartment dwelling feline! My theories are one or more of the following -- contact with other pets in the building, through windows if on the first floor or one or two hitched a ride on a friend or a friend's pet!

Since a female flea lays 40 eggs per day, you can see how this could grow into an infestation in no time! Fleas are difficult to see because they are small and stay very close to the surface of the skin, under the fur. Fleas come out in the warmer months (60 to 90 degrees Farenheit) and prefer humidity (65-85%). Their life cycle consists of larva hatching from eggs, which can move into carpets, cracks in wood, in soil or other organic debris. A cocoon is produced at the end of the larval stage and adult fleas emerge from the cocoon when appropriate stimuli is present, such as temperature and humidity. Fleas can remain in cocoons for as long as 140 days. Their life cycle from egg to adult flea is approximately 3-4 weeks, and adult fleas live for about 100 days.

In some cats, fleas can cause hypersensitivity reactions (allergies). Cats that have these reactions show varying degrees of erythematous (reddish) pruritic (itchy), papulocrustous (crusty, bumpy) miliary dermatitis (skin infection). Fleas can also transmit disease, such as tapeworms and bartonella (commonly known as cat scratch fever). Severe flea infestations can also cause anemia in our cats since fleas feast on blood!

Fleas generally prefer to stay on our cats, but in a flea infestation, they will bite humans too! Some of my patient's owners have complained of bites on their ankles (because fleas can't jump that high!).

Prevention is the bet course to ward off a flea infestation. There are many different products that are offered in the marketplace. It is really best to speak with your veterinarian about which one might be right for your cat to avoid this problem. Some products, even those available at pet stores and supermarkets, can be harmful to cats. Your veterinarian can select which product might be best for your situation. Most are once a month treatments and are a lot easier to deal with than clearing up a flea infestation. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

LADEW MEWS JUNE 2011

ADOPT CAMI
and get an able-bodied assistant, who doubles as a supervisor.

(No cats were harmed putting in our sockets)
Most electricians, like Jimmy (shown here with Cami), employ humans as assistants. But we know that's because they don't know any better.
At first Cami thought that Jimmy should move the outlet a little to the left. When Jimmy didn't get it, she got more involved.
Only cat parents and some more fortunate contractors can appreciate the helping paw a cat can give.
Cami is really a paws-on-kitty and would make a helpful addition to a loving household. If you can't adopt her, you can help us pay her union dues by sponsoring her.

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS!
A foundation for the Foundation

The backyard of the Cat Sanctuary (above) looked like this last month.
After exhaustive planning with consideration of our feline residents' specific needs, we broke ground for the new TNR/Spay/Neuter Clinic (below).

TOBY: STILL WAITING FOR A LOVING HOME

Toby, brother to Billy (now called Roscoe), whose adoption was featured in our Happy Cat Tales in the April issue of Ladew Mews, sadly is still waiting for a loving home.
Toby is a sweetheart who is playful, inquisitive and loves to climb the catwalk in the Sanctuary as shown in this picture.
You can sponsor Toby until he does get adopted by clicking on the sponsor button below.

Roscoe (aka Billy) is shown below in his new home.

MEET SPIKE AND COSMO. . .

Spike and Cosmo were rescued from the Center for Animal Care and Control and brought to the Ladew Cat Sanctuary a few years back. When they first arrived, Cosmo (formerly Astro) was with his sister, Angel, a very shy kitty who is still at the Sanctuary.

Spike was in a cage, all by himself, huddled in the back of the cage. Susan Whittred, DVM, said "Spike looked awful. He was soaked in what we presumed to be human urine."

After tender loving care and medical attention, Spike and Cosmo were ready for adoption. Cat lover Jodi fell for their charms and adopted these two sweet kitties.

. . . AND ADOPTIVE MOTHER, JODI

Jodi writes in . . ."Four years ago, we lost our first babies. King and Queenie were brother and sister born to a stray mom. We were a family from the time they were 8 weeks old until we lost them (3 months apart) at 13 years of age. We nursed Queenie through seven years of fluids to combat her kidney disease. In the end, it was King who passed first from cancer, and we believe it was a broken heart that took Queenie from us. They could not live without each other, and we were having an extremely difficult time living without them. Our home was empty.

It tooks months and months before we even considered adopting and when we were ready, we asked our vet, Dr. Landefeld for advice on who to adopt from. She highly recommended The Patricia H. Ladew Foundation. She's a very smart doctor.

I visited the kittens a few times and Spike and Cosmo (formerly Astro) adopted me. It was an immediate lovefest. The bonding continued with my husband. They are our reading buddies, our tv buddies, our breakfast, lunch and dinner buddies and our sleeping buddies.

They make us smile and laugh and fill our hearts with such joy. We feel so lucky that they picked us. We are lucky that we found Susan and the gang at the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation."

Jodi stopped by for a little quality cat lady training. We offered to teach Jodi how to crochet to complete the look (perhaps we'll even throw in a few appliques!). Jodi and the cats had a great time!

Rabies Vaccine
Whether your cat lives a pampered lifestyle indoors or goes outside where there is more risk, rabies vaccines are required by law for all cats and dogs over the age of six months in New York state.

Rabies is a fatal disease for people and animals. It is transmitted through the saliva of a rabid animal, usually by a bite or scratch. While it seems unlikely that this could ever happen, there are many stories of bats getting into homes or even raccoons. Even kitties that seem safe in apartment complexes have been known to get out or break through a screen and if confronted with a rabid animal, the consequences can be severe. In some states, euthanasia might be recommended. Even if the consequences are not quite that dire, the state could require you to quarantine your animal which can become very expensive. A lot more expensive than a rabies vaccine! If your kitty came into contact with a rabid animal and was up-to-date on rabies vaccine, you would only need a booster and to quarantine the cat at home for 10-45 days. Another reason to stay up-to-date is if your cat bites someone. If the person had to go to the doctor for antibiotics, the doctor is required to report it to the health department and the health department will then be in contact to make sure that your animal has a current a rabies vaccine. Quarantining would again be warranted and without proof of a rabies vaccination, the person in question may be advised to undergo preventative (and expensive!) shots.
Kittens are given their first rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age and then a booster is required at one year of age. If your veterinarian uses a feline rabies vaccine, it is required every year. A 3 year vaccine (which will last for three years) can also be used. You can discuss the differences and which one is best for your cat with your veterinarian.

FVRCP
FVRCP stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calici Virus and Panleukopenia virus. This vaccine is recommended for kittens from 8 weeks old every 3-4 weeks until they are 4 months of age (or just over 4 months of age), a booster and one year and then every three years after that. FVR and Calici are viruses that cause colds in cats which can be quite severe and even affect the eyes, causing ulcers. Panleukopenia is a deadly and often fatal disease that unprotected cats can succumb to. The vaccine protects against this disease 100% so FVRCP is a core vaccine that should not be skipped!

Feline Leukemia
Feline Leukemia is a virus. This vaccine is recommended by the Association of Feline Practitioners to be given as kittens (a series of two shots). If your kitty is an indoor kitty only and you do not bring in any strays, the kitten series should be sufficient for life. If your cat goes outside then it is recommended that he/she receive the vaccine every year.

Ask Dr. Susan . . . Send your questions regarding your cat's specific or general health issues, preventative measures or behavioral concerns to:
info@theladewcatsanctuary.org

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Ryan, Carter and Samantha Hallock, the niece and nephews of Susan Whittred, DVM, know how important it is to provide community service to those less fortunate. And these three are no strangers to the shelter. This threesome have been coming to the shelter and spending time playing with the cats for a long time!

Carter is donating 10 hours to the shelter for his community service requirement for the National Junior Honors Society. Besides painting, Carter never tires of playing with the cats. He especially loves the laser light, and is careful never to shine it in anyone's eyes.

Ryan has been performing community service for the shelter since he was 12 years old, starting with portraits of the cats. He got so good at photography, that we thought we'd see how he he would do with the bios. Now he writes all the bios sent to donors who sponsor a cat. Each bio tells the cat's story (or as much as we know) so that sponsors will get to know the cat for whom they are providing vital support.
http://www.theladewcatsanctuary.org/blog/archives/20sponsor_a_cat/index.html

Samantha already knows what she's going to do for the shelter. She's going to learn how to crochet and make the kitties some hand-made beds! Hurry up Sam, we could use some now!

After all their hard work, the trio of volunteers came upstairs and had some play time with the kitties. Ryan bonded with Dusty, Sam went head to head with Jasmine, while Carter couldn't sit down without Sydney in his lap!

MORE LADEW VOLUNTEERS

Tatum Christiansen, our top volunteer and seamstress, has been bringing her sewing machine to the shelter to make new slipcovers for the couches and covers for the pillows.

Tatum wanted to make sure that she got the size just right and found it easier to bring everything to the shelter!

Well, the cats had a ball helping Tatum with her sewing project! Tatum was careful to keep track of all the thread and needles which can be very dangerous for kitties.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN TO LOVE AND RESPECT OUR FELINES

Sidney and Toby Weiss, niece and nephew of Lynn Manno, our resident caretaker, are regular visitors at the shelter . . . all the way from Albany.

Sidney is 5 years old and her favorite cat at the shelter is Mason. She loves it when Mason rubs up against her legs and giggles hysterically whenever his tail tickles her.

Toby is 3 years old, and he loves being around all of the cats. He especially loves to give them exercise with one of their many toys.

This past Christmas, Sidney and Toby each picked out new beds for the cats. They were so excited when they saw the cats jump right into each bed and get comfortable.

Sidney and Toby can't wait until their next visit to the shelter. The cats are eagerly awaiting their return as well.

LADEW MEWS APRIL 2011