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
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!
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 !!!!
Don’t leave us to take a bath!
Make us winners!
Bissell MVP Contest
Vote daily thru Tuesday February 22nd for Grady
quick, simple, free
Your daily vote could win up to $10,000
for HELP Humane Society in Missouri
Click here to Vote for Grady
"But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart..." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Please Vote for Twisty - our Black Cat favorite
(photo contest)
Please Vote for Scruffy - our Adoption Representative favorite
(different photo contest)
My Favorite Quote, Today
Is your life half full of cats - or half empty of cats ???
Hmmm well either half full or half empty - you have room for one more !!!!! Come on out to Rikki’s and we can help you out!!! And if you really really don’t feel you can take one more into your home, how about sponsoring a kitty t Rikki’s? It costs an average of $47 a month to care for a kitty. Think about making a recurring monthly donation of $47 to care for one of us!!!
Round the Refuge
Rene did some exciting calling around and begging and pleading. First she talked to Lowe’s who said they really wanted to help and with the increase in lumber costs and all that stuff, they could give us a rock bottom price of $6,015.48 and that would include $59 for delivery. Rene said Hmmmm and let her fingers do the walking. She asked Purcell Lumber to beat that price, give her their best offer, and they said, well if we really scrape the bottom of the bucket, ... if we sacrifice our morning coffee ... well we can do $4,909.86 and that includes $20 for delivery.
Getting better. And Rene wanted the best! So she picked up the phone again and called the only lumber yard right here in Orange, and Jim said, oh the poor poor kitties, they really need our help, let me see, if I give up my morning coffee, hmmm no, not good enough, hmmm well if I give up my doughnuts too, Hmmm no, not good enough, let me see, well I can do peanut butter and jelly for lunch, and a can of soup for dinner.
Hey, Jim said, you’re that place with that cute little ***chubby*** SpokesCat aren’t you? YES, said Rene, that’s us!! Rikki’s Refuge, home of Vincent D. Cat, the bestest SpokesCat on the planet. Well, said Jim, think he’ll help out? But of course, Said Rene, Vincent wants his friends to be safe. All 658 of the other kitties. Vincent doesn’t want them living in structures that extreme weather could endanger their lives.
Ok said Jim, here’s what I’ll do, I’ll give up my coffee and my doughnuts, I’ll have peanut butter and jelly for lunch, I’ll have a can of soup for dinner and all the guys who work here in the lumber yard will give up their coffee and doughnuts IF that SpokesCat Vincent D. Cat will ..... give .... up ..... Fancy Feast .... till he gets us paid off. IF that cute little kitty agrees to this, I’ll let you have all the lumber and the nails and the cement you need for only $4,179.27, and I’ll even deliver it all for free IF Vincent will give me a nose kiss!
WOW WEEEE We’re talking two grand off Lowe’s price!!! That’s a lot of Fancy Feast. Or me doing without a lot of Fancy Feast. Hmmmmm should I or shouldn’t I? I mean it’s for my 658 brofurs and sisfurs and for their safety. I have to, I can’t sit by eating my Fancy Feast and watch a horrendous weather event send a joist down and hurt one of them. OK... Gulp ... I agree. Nothing but Kibble and Slop for me till I can pay for the lumber.
My last meal of Fancy Feast was at 1:15 pm YESTERDAY 2/18, Thursday .....
Ohh I don't know how long I can hold out ..oh ..another meal of kibble n slop for breakfast. No Fancy Feast till my sacrifice saves enough money to buy materials for cat runs. Oh, I can do it.. I think I can do it.. Better check my status at donation sites & see who else is giving up Fancy Feast for me.
Here’s where kind and generous people are helping me:
FirstGiving does require credit cards for donation. Some of my friends asked for a good old pay pal way to do it so I made this ChipIn too
They both work, so you can try either one out.
Sneaks over to check those pages .......
Hey you all ARE helping me!!! ((Smiles at the thought he may someday taste Fancy Feast again)) FirstGiving raised $987, and ChipIn $45, hey come over here and help, this is a lot of toes and fingers I need, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, .. next hand 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, toes 11, 12, 13, 14, back to first hand 15, 16...... WOW That's $1,032 so far. WOW and just since yesterday. Gosh I feel loved!
Thank you for feeling my pain of living without Fancy Feast. Wayne is going to have to make me clothes a size smaller pretty soon.
Only $3,147 to go.
Does this mean we can do it in only 3 more days & I can have Fancy Feast back by Monday?
WOW Presidents day with Fancy Feast! Help me spread to word!
This FirstGiving is cool too. You can go to http://www.firstgiving.com/content/home and create your own page to help me. Or you can tie into mine. Just use your charity as Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc, that's Rikki's Refuge's mom. Tell me the name of your page so I can include what you raise in the total!!!
Come on let's do it - QUICK - I'm having trouble thinking about anything but Fancy Feast .....
Gonna go have a bowl of warm catnip tea to wash down the horrid taste of kibble and slop, then I'll do my voting for the day, I can remember that between the hunger pangs !!!!
Easy one click for all your voting, Vincent, Grady, Twisty, Scruffy ... I just don't have the energy to type them all out ... without my Fancy Feast ....
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
DAISY MAKING A SNOW CAT
Live from Vincent Video
Meet India the Cow
Fun and Inspiring
Surfer dog
(Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
A dog competes during the 5th annual Loews Coronado bay resort surf dog competition in Imperial Beach, south of San Diego, California.
Tails of Trivia
A greenfly born on a Tuesday can be a grandparent by Friday. --see the importance of Speutering!!!
The Queen termite can live up to 50 years and have 30,000 children every day
I’m telling ya, SPEUTER, SPEUTER, SPEUTER everything and everybody !!!!!
Music and Motion
Now this cat has it all wrong!
Why isn’t he’s stealing Fancy Feast?
I wanna go HOME !!!
How many of you knew Kasha?
Mom and Dad’s Vicious Beast long before they had me?
This reminds mom of her!
Let’s Get Fixed !!!!
Laugh a Little ... or a Lot
Creature Feature - At Rikki’s, Size Doesn’t Matter
From Guinea Pigs to Cows
Waiting patiently outside the Hospital for Clinic Hours to open.
Patience is not in the porcine vocabulary before breakfast
or before lunch
or before dinner ...
So glad to have the sun back and the grass growing!
Guinea Pigs line up at Mess Hall
One guinea pig is cheap to keep - our herd eats 75 - 100 pounds of feed a day! PLUS all the fresh fruits and veggies they can get. They need extra vitamin C, so they get oranges and citrus fruits at least three times a week. When you come to visit bring a huge bag of oranges quartered and watch the num num fun!
Yes, I’m going to eat it all by myself!
I found it, I get to eat it!
It’s rare that a lone guinea pig gets to claim such a large prize!
Good Times in the News
So what’s with these hoomans wanting to impersonate us pussy cats?
Fashion designer Anna Sui trotted warm headed models down the catwalk in cozy feline caps for her Fall 2011 runway show, while colorful NY Mag fashion commentator, ManRepeller, begged critics to question: "Why wear your own face when you can wear a cat's face?"
Great Purrchases / Donations
It’s Friday and it’s Free Food Friday num num num
send an email to Giveaway@freekibble.com with the subject "Shelter Giveaway" on Fridays to enter PetCo’s drawing for a $50 PetCo Gift Card every weekend. A winner will be chosen at random every Saturday. It may as well be YOU! http://www.freekibblekat.com/giveaway.asp
On your way in to Rikki’s this Weekend
Please show your support of Village Farm Feed and Garden Center. They’re right down the road, a great place to stop off and pick up some cat or dog food to bring out to Rikki’s. Best prices to stock up on your wild bird seed too. Please tell them Vincent sent you! Let them know we appreciate their generous donations. Pay it forward!!!
Between Route 3 and 522 when you’re coming to visit us and headed out of Fredericksburg. They’re about 10 miles away at 28284 Constitution Highway, Rhoadesville, VA 22542. If you get a chance, stop in and say, “Thank you for feeding Vincent’s Friends!” and pick up something for your critters or bird food for our wild friends, or grab a few cases of canned cat or dog food or some Fancy Feast!!! They did send two cases of Fancy Feast out yesterday too that somebody had stopped in and bought for me!!! http://www.villagefarmfeedandgardencenter.com/ (540)854-8888
PetSmart Sale
Remember TODAY for Cat Chow only $10. Melissa and Ron are out shopping right now - if you can’t make it to PetSmart before they’ll sell out, or it’s too far for you to bring a bag down tomorrow, let them do the shopping for you!! Quick and easy, just click here http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php and they’ll turn your click into cat food!!
Lena’s Laundry List
Keeping up with inventory is crazy around here. Get in a load of nums and thousands of animals are eating it all up!! This is what we need this weekend.
canned cat food
canned dog food
dry cat food
oranges for the guinea pigs
laundry detergent
paper towels
bleach
trash bags, black 30 gallons, min 0.7 ml thick
garden hoses
nozzles
a couple good hammers
couple 10 foot step ladders
Hope to see you all tomorrow !!! I’ve got lots of volunteer work ready for you!! Come on out and wash dishes, pooper scoop, and help me keep the animals clean and healthy! Volunteer training Tomorrow Saturday 11-3 !!! Be there with your boots on!
The 24th Species
Rikki’s Refuge’s Human Habitat
Compassion Education
Cindy talks about teaching the value of giving back; Jan talks about Our Backyard; Cindy talks about the importance of elder care
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.
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
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
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.
I Love You,
even while I’m starving for Fancy Feast
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
