Good Morning Good News !!!! February 5, 2011

I’m Vincent D. Cat and here to make you happy!  You are HEROES!  You work hard every day and you deserve to smile every day!  Those of you working to save us animals hear so very many very sad things.  And there’s lots of very 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!!  Be kind and pass it on!  Please send me your Good New and Fun Stuff to share, personal or global. Let’s keep it fun and interactive!!  After all, if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane!  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

VOTE TODAY

HEY move up to 7.5% ahead in Virginia - you’re doing good

help me RUN for a GOAL

we can do it - Vote for a touchdown!!!!

http://bit.ly/VoteVincent   Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

The Animal Rescue Site - Shelter Challenge

YOU voted Rikki’s Refuge #1 in Virginia in 2010

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No matter what species YOU are

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Vote daily thru Tuesday February 8^th for Guido Cat

Animal Assisted Therapy Meowster

Running on behalf of Rikki’s Refuge

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Read the Guido Gazzette http://theguidogazette.blogspot.com/ it’s a great way to start your day!!!

Between Guido and Vincent, we’ve got you covered!!!!

My Favorite Quote, Today

Trust Yourself

If you don’t, nobody else will !!!!

Refuge News

Good morning!!!  Hey it’s above freezing.  It’s a light drizzle NOT ice!!!  Lots to be thankful for, today!!!   My friends are coming to see me.  I get lots of friends on Saturday and Sunday.  Yahhhh..  I got Fancy Feast in the mail yesterday.  And I sold my first item off eBay - my first ever went to Stacey!!  Yahhh Stacey.

Check out my Valentine Card  http://shop.ebay.com/rikkisthings/m.html

And take a look at some of these lovely cards being sold to benefit Rikki’s !!!!

http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=31347&name=&id=31347&status=102&type=NONPROFIT&itemId=&pageSize=10&pageIndex=1&sortOrder=11#buynp

The Cats of Cod

Artwork by Wayne Morris

Yesterday I took you for a walk down Calico Street.  Today we stroll Tabby Place .......  where soon we will visit Chino’s Grill, Cat County General Hospital, Cod Church, Tabby Air, Dr Katz, KatCity .... and more

Live from Vincent Video

Meet Doggie Amelia

         

On this Day

February 5, 1870 First Motion Picture shown to an audience

---- Hmmmmm when will I get in the pictures ?????

Music and Motion

Volunteers make the world go round!

Dear Vincent

tell me about Feral Winter Coats

Lots of you have questions about Rikki’s Refuge.  I’ll pick one or two a day to answer here.  Ask your questions in the blog comments or sent to me at Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

QUESTION: Here is my question for you concerning cats' winter fur coats.  Suppose I have to take one of my outdoor feral cats to the vet for a dental in the winter and then the vet wants me to keep the cat inside to give it antibiotics for 2 weeks.  Will the cat lose his winter fur coat in that time?  What is the longest time he can be inside without losing the winter fur coat?  Also, what is the latest date in the fall you can put a inside cat outside in time for him to grow a winter fur coat?  Love you, Vincent.  You're the best.   -Jean, cat mom to 24 in NJ

ANSWER: Dear Jean and 24 very lucky kitties, Purrsonally our belief on winter coats is that two weeks is fine.  Three to four weeks starts to become questionable.  After four weeks ....  And six is an absolute NO NO.  One of my docs agrees with this, another says if there's not much good choice let the kitty be outside as long as there is warm nesting areas (box with straw or something, he's not talking added heat) the fur will grow in rapidly.

We feel the kitty needs to be outside continuously from late September on to be in really good shape for the winter.  it's not just the temperature change but the light change too that makes a difference.

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Jean, but us kitties are so much better equipped for nature and we still have the call of the wild in us and we understand instinctually that when days get shorter it means it's gonna get colder too.

Sometimes in years when it's been warm into all we've let kitties come for the outdoors as late as October.

We don't start again in the spring until it's consistently over 40 degrees, night time too.

Many years ago when we were told it'd be ok to let one go from inside to outside anytime, we'd tried during what's now our block out time.  It wasn't successful.  Though nobody died or were seriously ill, we had colds and skinny ones that had to come back into the hospital for the winter.  So that's how we came up with our plan.

We also believe that once the winter coat is lost the body has gone into the spring cycle and will not easily be able to go back to a fall routine to grow a thicker undercoat as easily.  Have you ever noticed how one day your cat has a sleek summer coat and the next it seems like a lush bunny?  When that undercoat starts in, it really grows.

If you have to shave kitty, as long as you're not adding much heat, the winter coat will grow back in just the same.

Also remember that it's not just the coat.  We grow a nice layer of fat for the winter too and that helps to keep us warm.  Mom says we have 30% animal by weight in the winter.  You see, and again please don't take offense as a hooman, you couldn't help what you were born as, you hoomans have the natural instinct to put on a layer of fat to protect you in the winter.  The only problem with hoomans is they don't like to live with nature, so they artificially heat themselves in the winter and then cool themselves in the summer.  If you didn't do that, you'd be a bit chubby every winter and svelte every summer!!!   Just like me !!! Well if I didn't get that Fancy Feast for a midnight snack and if mom didn't let me sleep under the lectic bankie.

So if you're gonna keep a feral in for a bit here's some guidelines:

- make it as short a time as is needed for their health

- try to keep cool.  If you have a bathroom or laundry room or something you can keep a window partly open, or a garage that isn't fully heated.  Of course you don't want somebody in a cage in freezing weather.  They need to be able to move about and have good nesting.  Like a box with a entry size hole only and lots and lots of straw.  Remember straw is a better insulator than a bankie.  Cept I really love my lectic bankie and mom hates sleeping in straw, she says with no fur it's itchy.  I like straw and I'd put that under the lectic bankie if mom would let me.

- feed all they can eat, lots of canned too.  You want to maintain that layer of fat and maybe even build it up a bit to compensate for any possible undercoat loss.

- if surgery is needed, shave as little as possible.  Explain to your doc that kitty lives outside.

I hope that helps a little bit at least!!  Love, Vincent

HUMAN HEALTH AND WELFARE PROGRAMS

BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIKKI’S REFUGE

Today we bring Section 4 to you - Helping people keep their pets (yes, I know, these last few sections have been small, but you just hang on, more is coming, they get longer and more complex as the days wear on).

http://rikkisrefuge.org/Vincent/CFC2011/Services-005.pdf

Upcoming Events

SUNDAYS            TOUR THE REFUGE - NOON, mini tour, take a walk around and see the animal neighborhoods.  Every week on Sunday you can join a mini tour where you can walk around from animal neighborhood to neighborhood, from Piggy Paradise to Horsey Haven and see the animals.   One tour only, starts at noon.  Please be prompt.

SUNDAY    February 6, 11 am - 3 pm   PICK A PET DAY - If you aren't ready to adopt another one yet, then pick one and help them get adopted and into their own new home.  Become the adoption sponsor of a cat or dog, make posters, tell every one about this one special animal. There's a home for everyone, we just need to find them. Come and meet the wonderful animals waiting to meet you.

SUNDAY    February 6, 11 am - 3 pm   SUPER BOWL SUNDAY - please come and fill our bowls and help with our chores.

Love,

Vincent

PS You tell me what you want!  Email me at Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org with instructions to change your subscription: additions, deletions or modifications!  Subscriptions:    Vincent’s VIPs - up to the second alerts about issues at Rikki’s Refuge for those who care and want to be intimately involved.  Scheduled as needed.  Good Morning Good News - a little something to get you going in the mornings, for those of you who want to keep smiling with us!  Scheduled daily.  Hairballs - so you know what’s coming up at Rikki’s!  Scheduled weekly.

Rikki's Refuge, supported solely by private donations, houses over 1200 animals of 22 species. On line at http://bit.ly/Give-a-gift-to-Rikkis Checks, money orders, cash, items at Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960

Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation, tax-id 54-1911042. Combined Federal Campaigns #77674, Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign #3163, PetsMart Charities #1377.  A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.

Learn more www.RikkisRefuge.org and help spread the good word, tell everyone you know about Rikki’s Refuge