Monday, February 14, 2011

Hairballs, February 14, 2011

RIKKI’S REFUGE 
       HAIRBALLS AND HAPPY TAILS
The newsletter of thanks from grateful animals 
to their beloved rescuers brought to you by

Duke Thomas Peabody            and                   Vincent D. Cat










          
Building a Better Planet 
                    One Rescued Animal at a Time 
             portraits compliments of artist Wayne H. Morris

You can make Duke’s and Vincent’s job easier 




We are the Happy Animals of Rikki’s Refuge
who so thank you for giving us the gift of our lives and the tools to build our Refuge.  We represent all the animals, the world over, whose lives have been saved by kind and loving people just like you.  Thank you for being an animal rescuer. 



Table of Contents 
          easily skip to your favorite parts!

EXTRA SPECIAL NEWS
     Happy Valentine’s Day to All - especially Jan and Larry
     Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs
Shelter Challenge Voting
Bissell MVP Contest
Round the Refuge
     A full complement of cat boxes
     Spring colors at the refuge
Cuz The Animals Matter
     Baby Face’s Family Rehomed Together
     Bitey becomes Betty
     Kenobi’s Dining Habits Solved
     Meet Doggie Baby Girl
     Beauty the Dog - Isn’t She Lovely?
     Meet Walker, Rikki’s Alumni and Doggie Diplomat
Upcoming Events
Sneak Peek at Vincent’s Shopping List, What he NEEDS this week
How to Get FREE Product for Rikki’s
The Fine Print




Extra Special News

Happy Valentine’s Day to All
especially
Jan and Larry
who made it a very special day for the animals!

Together they opened their purse strings to help the animals.  They know how very difficult it is curing the month of February to make ends meet at the refuge.  They’ve seen first had how hard we struggle to fill the bowls.  They’ve watched as we scrimp to find enough bedding.

And so they donated $2,522.22 for a Double your Love Challenge. 

That’s a great big help towards Rikki’s struggle to cary on.

Read all about it
Thank you Jan and Larry!
YOU are Vincent’s HEROES

Though the Valentine’s Day Challenge was successfully completed, the needs of the animals continue.  If you’d like to make a donation to help the animals of Rikki’s Refuge, please click here




Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs
and
Benefit Rikki’s Refuge

Great Books!! Great Benefits!!
From February 14 - February 22 ONLY

Buy a Great Book, Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs and Help Rikki's Refuge, too!  
For one week only, photographer Melissa McDaniel, is having a promotional sale on two of her dog photo books.

Rescued in America

and Deaf Dogs

30% of sales from PHONE ORDERS ONLY will go to Rikki's Refuge. Purchase one - or both! - of these beautiful albums and help Rikki's Refuge at the same time!

Please call your order in to 267-968-9973 today.
The sale starts today, Wednesday, February 14th
and runs through next Tuesday, February 22.
Books are ready to ship!

Click here to view photos from the dog photo books and read more about the projects:  http://www.thephotobooks.com

For more on this special promotion, click here: http://www.thephotobooks.com/rikkisrefuge.html





Shelter Challenge Voting

Click to Vote
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
Let’s do it again for 2011
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote can win $1,000 - $5,000 for Rikki’s Refuge’s Animals!
Please vote daily thru March 20th
Please ask all your friends to vote!
Spread the world!




Bissell MVP Contest
Last day to vote in this contest for Vincent - Please vote now!
VINCENT’s PHOTO CONTEST
ALL VINCENT WANTS FOR VALENTINES IS TO WIN THIS CONTEST
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote could win up to $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge
Click here to Vote for Vincent
and WIN $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge
click VINCENT to vote



Twisty and Scruffy are asking for votes in photo contests also
click on their photos to vote (please vote for both, they are in different contests)




Round the Refuge
Here’s what Rene gave Vincent for Valentines!
Actually she gave them to all the kitties.  She’s now completed a full compliment of warm cozy kitty nesting boxes.  Each cat house has four boxes!  that was a big and long project.  Thank you Rene.

Behind the scenes.  Sometimes Vincent does get up on the wrong side of the bed. 
"Hisssss leave me alone!  I was sleeping!!!

This wonderful spring weather is feeling great, isn’t it?  Sure hope you can come out to visit over the weekend.  Melissa says the colors re just as lovely around Rikki’s Refuge in Spring as they are in the Fall.  Here’s what she found last weekend!!!




Oh yes!!  Spring is in the air!!  Just ask the birds!!


Come on out this weekend for Volunteer Training - see the schedule further down in Upcoming Events.




Cuz The Animals Matter

Baby Face’s Family Rehomed Together

You may remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a feral kitty who came from a Speuter Clinic that does side spays, and that they shaved almost half the cat just so they could cut an itty bitty one-inch hole.  We were concerned about what to do, because this is like taking away half of your long underwear, and still expecting you to play outside. 

She was supposed to move into one of our Cat Runs, which has a lot of protection, but does not have additional climate control.  You have to have your winter coat live there.  She did, until so much of it was shaved off.  Now what to do?

A feral kitty would be terribly miserable having to live in a cage until spring.  But letting her go out to a cat run with other feral friends, might make her sick with so much for missing.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.

But she solved the problem all by herself. She's not feral after all!.  She was just a poor scared kitty who walked into a trap.  And now she loves to be held and snuggled.  She's a little girl, probably only six or seven months old. 

Anne comes to wash dishes at least one day a week, and she loves to play with the kitties in the quarantine room, which is where dishes get washed.  She started playing with Baby Face, and they both fell in love.  Soon Baby Face’s dad and sister were trapped too. 

Baby Face, her sister and her dad have gone home to live with Anne.  And they are all very very happy!!!




Bitey becomes Betty




Kenobi’s Dining Habits Solved
Kenobi eats so fast that she throws up.  Always.  We’ve found a way to solve that problem!  We now put her food in this special ice cube tray.  It’s got little itty bitty sections, so Kenobi has to work at getting it out.  Now it takes her a long time to eat her breakfast and she has fun trying to get every last drop and she doesn’t throw up!




Meet Doggie Baby Girl




Beauty the Dog - Isn’t She Lovely?
         




Meet Walker, Rikki’s Alumni and Doggie Diplomat



We relied solely on your donations to save these animals. 

Click to give others a chance.  http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php
All donations are fully deductible.  You can make checks to Rikkis Refuge, Po Box 1357, Orange Va 22960
Thank you for your kindness and your generosity.



Upcoming Events
SATURDAYS            DONATION DROP OFF,  noon - 2 pm,  got something to drop off quick?  The gates will be unlocked.  No tour at this time, just drop off.  Donation Drop Off will be available every Saturday from noon - 2 pm in 2011


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.

Once a month,  we’ll have an EXTENDED TOUR where you can visit the animals in their neighborhoods and have the chance to interact and give them treats.  These tours also start promptly at noon, and there’s only one tour for the day, so please be prompt.     2/27, 3/27, 4/17, 5/22, 6/12, 7/4 Monday, 9/4 Monday, 10/31, 11/12 Saturday, 12/25


SATURDAYS ON OR BEFORE THE FULL MOON            FULL MOON WALK, Bon Fire, vegan bbq, pot luck 2/19, 3/19, 4/16, 5/14, 6/11, 7/16, 8/13, 9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10


2nd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH     SINGLES DAY - 10 am - 4 pm
Something for everybody. Come and do a day of service at the refuge and meet like minded souls. The leader who puts together the biggest work party wins.     3/12, 4/9, 5/14, 6/11, 7/9, 8/13, 9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10


NEXT TO LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH                 VOLUNTEER TRAIN BASIC 11 am- 3 pm, Learn the basics about volunteering at Rikki’s Refuge. Help with donation logging, washing dishes and liter boxes, socializing the animals and much more.   2/19, 3/19, 4/23, 5/21, 6/18, 7/23, 8/20, 9/17, 10/22, 11/19, 12/24


LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH            VOLUNTEER TRAIN SELF SERVICE 8 am - 1 pm, Learn to earn your Self Service Volunteer Badge.   2/26, 3/26, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/30, 8/27, 9/24, 10/29, 11/26, 12/31


LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH            SPIRITUAL GROWTH NIGHT, last Saturday of the month, come and join is in a discussion / study of what ever feels right tonight, as we reach for our highest spiritual goal, who knows where these discussions may take us.  Bring something for a Vegan Pot Luck Dinner. Call for time and study plan.
2/26, 3/26, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/30, 8/27, 9/24,  10/29, 11/26, 12/31


SATURDAY    February 19, 11 am - 3 pm   PICK YOU SPECIES -  bring something special for them and help make their neighborhood extra special.

SUNDAY    February 20, 11 am - 3 pm   POPCORN DAY - On February 22 back in 1630, the Indians introduced the Pilgrims to popcorn. Today we honor the natives of Rikki's by offering them popcorn, fruits and nuts. Bring yummies for the wild ones. We'll take a walk and scatter them for the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, raccoons and all the small forest animals.

MONDAY    February 21, 11 am - 3 pm   PRESIDENT'S DAY - make the animals feel like kings!  Bring delicious food, warm bedding and help us make them comfortable for the winter.

MONDAY    February 21, 11 am - 3 pm   BIRDHOUSES AND MORE - Build birdhouses and other habitats for wildlife.

SATURDAY    February 26, 11 am - 3 pm   RABBIT & PIG MUCK OUT DAY - Rake out the old straw and bedding and give them fresh, a chance to socialize and feel their appreciation for a new clean home.

SUNDAY    February 27, 2 pm   WORLD DAY OF PRAYER - Join us at 2 pm for a prayer and meditation for all of the worlds creatures. Speakers welcome. RSVP early.





Sneak Peek at
Vincent’s Shopping List
What he NEEDS this week

Donation Drop off Noon - 2 pm every Saturday !!!

Canned Cat Food - this will almost always be at the top of the list in the winter time.  Stock up when you get a chance or see a sale!

We’re not desperate (i.e. we have about a week’s supply) for dry cat food BUT I hear PetSmart will have Cat Chow on sale for $10 on Feb. 18-21 - so watch out and buy an extra bag or two for Rikki’s.  It’s a great time to use your coupons too. 

We still need canned dog food too.

And lumber - 130 2x4 x 14+ foot pressure treated boards and 130 4x4 x 12 foot pressure treated boards.

Garden hoses for getting water to the animal areas - also straight nozzles - something that will fit thru a 2 inch x 2 inch opening so they slide into the fenced areas easy.

Can Openers.  Manual one, anything but a great commercial one would burn out in just a couple weeks here.  The best ones we’ve had lately “Good Grip” - that’s what it says on the opener.  They lasted several months.  The $1-$3 ones at the dollar stores usually don’t make it thru a case before they aren’t working.  We’re cranking as much as 400 cans a day!!!

We need cash to pay the propane bill.


How to Get FREE Product for Rikki’s
Autumn-Sky brought dishwashing liquid she got for FREE.  You can do that too.  Want to know her secret??  She had a coupon for 50 cents off.  The store was having a Double your Coupons.  She found a little bottle for 99 cents that qualified.  So with the coupon it was free!!!  She had several coupons so was able to get a whole bag full of bottles!!!  That’s a lot of dishes we can wash. 

And it’s not just dishwashing liquid you can get for free.  Save those coupons, watch the sales, wait for double your coupon and WHAM you can get all kinds of things for free.  Cat food, dog food, bleach, dishwashing  liquid, floor cleaners, laundry detergent, trash bags, paper towels, spray bottles (best way to buy them is with product in them).


Thank you for your love and support. 
Together we’re making a marvelous difference!!!

LOVE,
VINCENT
February 14, 2011

PS: Please help me, I’ll try anything to keep the Refuge Running. I need your continued support.

The Fine Print
Rikki's Refuge in Orange County, Virginia, is a 367-acre, no-kill, all species, peaceful sanctuary supported solely by donations from kind and loving individuals just like you!   We help farm animals, domestic animals, and wildlife.  Over 1200 individuals of 22 different species now reside at Rikki's Refuge.  Please continue to help us help the animals.  To learn more about Rikki's Refuge go to http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/, http://www.rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/, and http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge . 

We survive on donations from kind and loving people, just like you.  We live on a shoestring and make it on less than one dollar per day, per animal.  So if you can spare a couple of bucks to buy a few meals, please go to http://www.paypal.com/ and use our email address of mail@rikkisrefuge.org .  We do accept checks, money orders, cash and stuff, too!  Thanks for your support.  Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960

Your donations directly support the Critters of Rikki’s Refuge.  Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation. Federal Tax-ID 54-1911042. We hold membership in all Combined Federal Campaigns in Virginia #77674, Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign #3163, PetsMart Charities #1377, iGive, Benevolink, paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org), your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.

Rescued and Deaf Dogs


Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs
and
Benefit Rikki’s Refuge

Great Books!! Great Benefits!!
From February 14 - February 22 ONLY

Buy a Great Book, Help Rescued and Deaf Dogs and Help Rikki's Refuge, too!   
For one week only, photographer Melissa McDaniel, is having a promotional sale on two of her dog photo books.

Rescued in America

and Deaf Dogs
 

30% of sales from PHONE ORDERS ONLY will go to Rikki's Refuge. Purchase one - or both! - of these beautiful albums and help Rikki's Refuge at the same time!

Please call your order in to 267-968-9973 today.
The sale starts today, Wednesday, February 14th
and runs through next Tuesday, February 22.
Books are ready to ship!

Click here to view photos from the dog photo books and read more about the projects:  http://www.thephotobooks.com

For more on this special promotion, click here: http://www.thephotobooks.com/rikkisrefuge.html

Good Morning Good News !!!! February 14, 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


HAPPY  Valentine’s Day
I’m in my Valentine House!
Thank you Rene!!

I LOVE YOU TODAY
VALENTINE’S DAY
AND ALWAYS
!!!!



Rikki’s Sweethearts!!
Jan and Larry
!!!!
I Love YOU
!!!
My beloved friends, Jan and Larry,
know how hard it is to keep everybody
fed and warm in February. 
So they opened their purse strings and
put up the $2,222.22
Double Your Love for Valentine’s Day Challenge. 
Candy and Paul,
who celebrate their anniversary on Valentine’s Day,
added $55 to that challenge. 
When the $2,277.22 was met two days ago .....
Jan and Larry upped the ante!!! 
They reached deep into their purse and
pulled out another $300 for the Challenge. 
Until midnight tonight,
and tonight only,
the total challenge we can match is $2,577.22.

YOU kind and generous donors
have pooled together and met all
but $100 of the final Challenge!

Can we do it?
Can we find that missing $100 before midnight?

Let's round up the pennies and
make Jan and Larry put their money where their mouth is,
open up those purse strings and FEED ME!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day - I Love You !!!!
Vincent YOUR Valentine's Kitty
!!!





VOTE TODAY
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
Let’s do it again for 2011
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote can win $1,000 - $5,000 for Rikki’s Refuge’s Animals!

We have just a little over a month to go
don’t get board ...
get voting
we have time to make it to the top

There’s lots of ways you can vote
as long as you remember to enter
Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
click on any of these and take it from there !!!!



I’ll never forget how much I love you!
And all you mean to me!



Bissell MVP Contest
Vote daily thru Tuesday February 15th for Vincent
YOUR official Valentine Varmint !
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote could win up to $10,000 for Rikki’s Refuge
Click here to Vote for Vincent



Please Vote for Twisty - our Black Cat favorite
(photo contest)

Please Vote for Scruffy - our Adoption Representative favorite
(different photo contest)
the NO COST way to help save animals everywhere.  Because every animal matters!  Thank you.


My Favorite Quote, Today
Together We’re a Team




Round the Refuge
Thank you Ken for bringing special nums for Iggy.  He’s one picky iguana!  Someone donated Gourmet Iguana Food.  But oh no, Iggy wasn’t touching that.  He eats only one kind of Iguana food.  We were out of his personal favorite and he turned his nose up at gourmet stuff.  Ken came to the rescue and picked some up on his way in !!!

Grace and Ken were on hand to give a tour yesterday and OH NO for the first time this year, nobody came for a tour!!  It’s such lovely weather!!  Where are you?  Thank you to the folks who stopped by to drop off nums.  One family said they wanted a tour but it was a bit windy so they’d try another day. 

But Ken and Grace didn’t waste their time - they got to work helping with all the chores.  When you have 1259 critters .. the chores never end!!!  As fast as you can clean it up .. they mess it up again !!!!

Melissa got some great photos - which my lazy mom hasn’t gotten up on flickr for me yet so I can’t include here.  I’m waiting, waiting ...  come on mom where’s all the photos and videos you keep promising to down load for me???  Gosh, just can’t count on these hoomans ya know!!!   Dear sweet little kitty me, never does anything wrong, and this here hooman is just unreliable.  What is she spending her time doing anyway?

And it looks like another beautiful spring day for Valentine’s Day today !!  Yippee !!!!  Hope you’re gonna have a great day.


((((  Hi, Kerry here.  Just uploaded a pic for you.  "Hisssss leave me alone!  I was sleeping!!! .....Here’s your sweet Valentine’s Boy!))))
....  Mom I see that, no fair, you said you wouldn’t tell ......  You're not so smiley when I wake you up either !!!!




The Cats of Cod
Artwork by Wayne H. Morris of New York
photography and art
visit to see more of his spectacular work

Wayne loves to study an animal and capture their essence which he then turns into a whimsical work of art depicting them at work or play.  Your pet’s whimsical custom portrait available for only $300 (donated to Rikki’s Refuge). Contact me and I’ll put you in touch Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org  Prints available, 8” x 10”, on heavy stock, suitable for framing, $25 each, resolution may vary so you may want to ask first.  Specify which print you want and shipping address.   http://bit.ly/WayneMorrisPrint
   

Vincent Valentine
Cupid and town match maker A
Wanting nothing more than
to make every one happy and
loving one another!!!
And a few cans of Fancy Feast!!!



Live from Vincent Video
Geoffrey the Cat
         


Fun and Inspiring


Office chair race
(FRANK RUMPENHORST/AFP/Getty Images)
A competitor races down a street on his office chair during Hesse's Office Chair Race in Wetzlar, western Germany. Fastest competitors need 30 seconds to cover a 200 meters distance.



On this Day
Happy Valentine’s Day
Say It With Kitties

February 14 is National Have a Heart Day  -- well I think it’s good to have a heart - literally and figuratively - everyday, always!

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week - you know it’s not very hard and it makes you a HERO in someone’s eyes.  Just a simple gesture, hold the door for someone in a wheelchair, reach the can on the top shelf for a short person, grab the can on the bottom shelf for someone having trouble stooping, buy a meal for a homeless animal.  Did you know at Rikki’s we spend about 25 cents on each meal fed?  http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php  But without you, we can’t feed ANY meals!



Music and Motion
Volunteers!!!


Animals Don't Litter


Nobody gets hurt - it’s just funny!



The 24th Species
Rikki’s Refuge’s Human Habitat
Home Improvement Training




Because I Love YOU


Love,
and wishing you a very, 
very happy Valentine’s Day
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