Good Morning Good News !!!! December 21, 2010

I’m Vincent D. Cat, and I'm here to make you happy!  You work hard and you deserve to smile every day!  Those of you working to save us animals often hear very sad things.  There’s lots of glad things too and that’s what we talk about here!  All pawsitive all the time!  I want my friends to be happy and smile and know there’s a lot of good - including YOU - in this world!!  Please send me your Good New, happy stories about your animals and Fun Stuff to share, personal or global. Let’s keep it fun and interactive!!  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Anybody watch the eclipse last night?

Any photos??  Send me your photos to share!

Mom and me saw bits and pieces but we couldn't stay wake for all of it. Mom couldn't find her camera. Silly hooman. She found it this morning in the ONE place she didn't look!!! Don't know how well it'd a done, it's not a fancy use at night camera!

From Jennifer’s friend Tom

From Paula

And now the eclipse brought to you in true American microwave style - no waiting and watching in the freezing cold for three hours!!   You, too, can have it all in only 1 minute and 29 seconds !!

 

Oh Anya, I’m so glad you came home

I was really missing my nice soft bed!  Who ever said cats and dogs don’t get along!  At Rikki’s Refuge we’re one big happy family!

Zoe Marie Cuppiecake Peanut Spumoni's

Quote from my friend Zoe: ..."It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"”
Winnie the Pooh

Hey! I’m with you Winnie and Zoe

Yikers, the propane man came today

He patted me on the head and said, “So how ya doing my Little Vin Man?  Staying warm in all this snow and ice?  So good to see you my friend!’

Then he said, “Merry Christmas, hope you’ll be warm and toasty!”  And handed me the bill.

Ahhh gaggggg choke..... $757.09 !!!! I think I better move to a tropical island. Help me convince mom it's IS worth $757.09 to keep my tail warm and dry! 

Now mom's gonna want me to figure out how to pay for it.  Seems I gotta do everything around here these days!

Oh Mary made me an INBOX

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2130720/853754444/name/WhyEmailWasInvented.wmv

all my own and I've got real mail!!! Look a card with CATNIP from Chubs Oakes !! A card from Smoky Joseph ! And from Patty Plante, thank you for the nums! Hi Soxy, thanks for the photo! Zoe Marie CuppiecakePeanut Spumoni You are SO creative !!! What a wonderful card and you made it all by yourself and the poem is great, thanks for the photo too!

Willy W Wilde all the way from Australia, I never have mail from there before!!! Carol Hazlett, thank you for all the nums!!!! Melisa Miller-Piselli and Layla and Sable !!! Cathy Keene, angel, Tiger and Midnight! Beth Hamilton, Luke, Xindia, Beans, MewMew, Teddy, Camilla, Cassius, Zoey & Hannah! Audrey Lea, thank you.

Judy and Jimmy Gallagher, Merry Christmas to you!! Dana Landacre, thanks for the gift card! Brinkley Marek love the photo, thanks! Sarah Vitez Vranic and Martha Vitez and Tatjana Vranic !! Julie McClanahan! Tina at Revival Animal Health!! Charlie Homer and Anthea and Paul!!! I love Winnie the Pooh and especially Tigger too!!

Sam Iam That is the bestest photo ever !!!! Sammy Claws!!

Sirikit Purr ((tries to purse lips to whistle)) shwweee wheee, ok I'll just have to say it then WOW you stunner !!! What a photo!!! Thank you mam!!! Wooo hoo gonna hang that one up!!   PS if you don’t know Sirikit she’s a lovely Siamese and is all dressed up for the holidays in her new convertible!

And I have lots of boxes here to open too - thank you thank you all, I’ll get notes out soon!

  

On the Twenty-first Day of Christmas,

 look what came to Rikki’s,

twenty one chickens a cackling, 

twenty puppies a pooping,

 nineteen rebellious roosters,

eighteen litter challenged kitties,

seventeen emus escaping,

sixteen dangerous ducklings,

fifteen peaceful pigeons,

fourteen peacocks plotting,

thirteen humans helping,

twelve temperamental turkeys,

eleven pouting pussies,

ten crotchety creaking canines,

nine grumpy geese,

eight kicking kittens,

seven guinea fowl freeloading,

six lizards a lazing,

five guinea pigs a gnawing,

four elderly equines,

three burly bossy bovines,

two rabbits a mating,

and a chukar in a cherry tree.

See all the pictures

http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2010/12/28-days-of-christmas-at-rikkis-to-date.html

Panda cub doing well at Atlanta zoo

Great news for those who were wondering about the newborn baby giant panda at the Atlanta zoo. The cub, a male, appears to be thriving after its birth. 

"He looks great and is progressing well for this stage in his one month long life," Dr. Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services for Zoo Atlanta, told CNN.com.

It was just a month ago that the baby cub, the only giant panda to be born in the U.S. this year, made its entrance into the world. He is the third offspring of pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang, all of whom were conceived by artificial insemination.

The Atlanta zoo is waiting 100 days to announce the name of the cub, which will follow in Chinese tradition. In the meantime, his mom appears to be doing a standup parenting job.

"His mother is taking great care of him and has great maternal instincts," Murphy told the news outlet.

You know one of our prohibitions is owning panda bears.

When we first came to Orange County we were called down to the county attorney’s office and questioned about several events. After discussing them, he made mom promise to several rules.

- no Asiatic bears, including pandas, could be housed

This came the day after some volunteers planted bamboo on the refuge property.  Hmmm was it in preparation for the rescue of pandas?  The only logical conclusion is that somebody saw the bamboo and reported it to the county and they assumed .....     The connection was vehemently denied but .......

- we are forbidden to breed white tigers

Apparently there was some misconception that we were a secret extension of a project to breed endangered animals.  I guess it just seemed so strange that all we wanted to do was help homeless animals, that people kept dreaming up fantasies of what our “secret purpose” really was!  So it’s fine to breed bengals, just no white tigers!

- we are forbidden from reintroducing wolves into the wild

This idea came about because we lent our support to a midwest organization working on this project.  We also allowed them to speak at one of our events where they brought two wolf cubs.  Mom got called down to the office the next day.  I know 367 acres seems like a lot - but I think wolves need even more space!  And though we may support programs of other organizations - we don’t breed ANYTHING!!!

- we are forbidden from introducing iguanas into the wild

HUH???  They’d all die by mid September at the latest!!  Now for the sake of the lizards I can certainly understand, but to “protect the citizens of Orange?”  Way too much late night Creature Feature!

Gee we don’t get no fun!!!!

Vincent's 25 Days of Giving 

with Love at Christmas

On the Twenty-First Day of Christmas

the hoomans and doggies alike

were thrilled to chase off the windy bite

twenty-one warm and fuzzy uni-species balaclavas

Want to support the workers who take care of all the creatures in 30 degrees and BELOW weather? Some Balaclava’s will really help keep them warm. And since these are fleece with a hole cut in them, we can always think outside the box and wrap sick or senior pets in them for added warmth.  They would actually be perfect for that since they wouldn’t fall off like a blanket would.  At only $6.50 each, these are a terrific buy.

Click here to help Lena feed the dogs ......  or over here to keep her warm!

Yikes, sheep down!

And where do you put a sick sheep?  Hmmm she’s too big for our biggest cage.  We set her up in the “doggy bathroom” that’s where we have an elevated tub for bathing doggies.

After Dr. Kellum walked us thru what to do, she’s been eating a little and is sitting up well.  Get well quick Ivory!!

Baby Elliot and Osirus moved into the Manger

With Ivory to keep her company!  Some of the other kitties and house doggies were tip toe ing around checking her out trying to figure exactly what she is!!  The kitties and doggies that go outdoors already know all the sheep and goats.

Un-Authorized Credit Card Usage

Who ME?  NO!  I have NO idea what you could be talking about, do you Marella?  Nope, Utah, no idea.  Must be a billing error.  Coincidence?  Must be. $400 of Fancy Feast? Hmm, how odd!

What we need this week

If you’re coming out to visit and wondering what we need.  Our supply of meat baby food is finally depleted.  Remember the whole truck load mom got months ago?  We need more now for the sick and the old guys who can’t eat anything else.

Paper towels - the hoomans just keep throwing them in the trash, and laundry detergent, just goes down the drain -- after good use of course !!!!

And as always canned and dry cat food and canned and cry dog food and produce!

Have you have been recruited to WORK Friday night?

Looks like Batman

and Sam Iam

have the lead jobs.

Best Friends announced today

"Members have already raised $1,160,922 toward the $2.1 million match." And I'm having trouble getting over $5,000 on our $15,000 double your donation challenge. Sure makes me feel like a pretty inadequate little kitty. I'm working to feed 1259 of us every day!!!

http://rikkisrefuge.chipin.com/double-your-donations-christmas-for-the-animals

Have a Jolly Jolly Christmas

I love you

Love,

Vincent