RSVP an absolute must so we don't over crowd. On a tour you can meet the Cats of Feline Fields and the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center, the Dogs of Doggy Downs, the Pigs of Piggy Paradise, the Rabbits of Rabbit Rotunda, the Guinea Pigs of Cavy Castle, the Emus of Emu Estates, the Horses of Horsey Haven, the Chickens and Roosters of Chicken City, the Guinea Fowl of Guinea Fowl Grounds, the Peacocks of Peacock Prowls, the Pigeons of Pigeon Palace, the Geese of Goosey Gardens, the Ducks of Ducky Digs, the Sheep of Ramsey Residence, the Goats of Capri Corners, the Cows of Bovine Boulevard, the Turkeys of Turkey Terrace, the Chukars of Chukar Chalet, and who ever else is staying with us at the time.
You will get to interact with the friendly cats and dogs, feed the pigs (bring apples) and sheep and goats and rabbits (bring carrots) and learn the story of why Rikki's is here and where we are going. You will see what day-to-day life is like at the refuge and you will also be invited to join in our volunteer efforts to build new housing for new animals. Tours run about two hours and you should wear waterproof shoes, old clothes, long pants, sun lotion, hats, etc; dress for the weather as it's all outdoors and you will get wet, muddy and slobbered on! Warning - lots of prickles and hooves so sandals and shorts aren't recommended. Visit our gift shop. Buy a T-shirt for all your loved ones. Bring your camera, you'll get great shots of the excited animals thrilled by your attention.
For the safety of our animals we must limit the number of people on a tour. And so we can continue to provide our animals with the care they need we have to schedule tours around their needs, medical appointments, etc. Please remember animals don't run on a schedule and a tour date may be canceled if an animal needs our immediate attention. If you'd like to join us on a tour please call 540-854-0870 or e-mail us at mail@rikkisrefuge.org for a reservation.
Upcoming Tour Dates:Saturday, August 12th and Monday, September 4th.
Reserve your slot today: mail@rikkisrefuge.org
HELPING ANIMALS AT OUR SANCTUARY AND AROUND THE WORLD!
RIKKI’S REFUGE IS A MULTI-SPECIES LIFE-CARE NO-KILL SANCTUARY
FOR THE MEDICALLY AND SOCIALLY CHALLENGED
SUPPORTED BY DONATIONS FROM KIND AND GENEROUS PEOPLE LIKE YOU !
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Animal war refugees in Israel and Lebanon need help
Life at Rikki's sometimes gets complicated. Water lines break, supplies run out, people who offer to help never show up. When it gets hot, dirty and difficult taking care of hundreds of animals we can forget how good we actually have it. Whatever crisis we face each day, we don't have to rescue and care for animals while bombs are dropping over our heads.
Each year, thousands of animals become war refugees. Over the last few weeks, fighting in Israel and Lebanon has left hundreds of pets abandoned and shelters filled to the breaking point. Animal rescue volunteers in Israel and Lebanon have risked their lives from day one to get the abandoned pets, shelter animals, and animals locked in zoos to safer locations, and to set up feeding stations for the animals they can not move.
If you would like more info on the groups that are working to save the animals in this area, check out:
http://www.israelanimalallies.blogspot.com/ -- for updated info on the players involved in Israel (news is posted in English and Hebrew)
and for news from Lebanon:
http://beta.beirut.com/ -- rescuing pets and zoo animals. (This group is not affiliated with peta.)
Each year, thousands of animals become war refugees. Over the last few weeks, fighting in Israel and Lebanon has left hundreds of pets abandoned and shelters filled to the breaking point. Animal rescue volunteers in Israel and Lebanon have risked their lives from day one to get the abandoned pets, shelter animals, and animals locked in zoos to safer locations, and to set up feeding stations for the animals they can not move.
If you would like more info on the groups that are working to save the animals in this area, check out:
http://www.israelanimalallies.blogspot.com/ -- for updated info on the players involved in Israel (news is posted in English and Hebrew)
and for news from Lebanon:
http://beta.beirut.com/ -- rescuing pets and zoo animals. (This group is not affiliated with peta.)
A Problem with the Well
Posted by Kerry through Flickr
On Monday, August 31, you heard my plea for a plumber. A plea that went unanswered. As so many of mine do. It must be God's plan to teach us self-sufficiency here at Rikki's Refuge. The first issue of the day, every day, is to take care of the animals. Water. Food. Cleanup. Of course, the medical crew is working at the same time also. Kevin and Basil were ready to go to work making sure everybody had enough water. Jonathan showed up to volunteer and help. There were only minor groans, when they heard the well was producing no water. They grabbed a truck and went off to retrieve stored water. Soon all the animals were getting fresh water for the morning.
Joe was peering down the well, grumbling all sorts of obscenities, when Kenny showed up to volunteer for the day. Knowing it would take several people to work on the well, Kenny jumped in with the watering, feeding and cleaning so we would get done earlier than usual.
Well before noon, all the animals were happily snoozing in the shade, and Joe, Kenny, Kevin, Basil and Jonathan were ready to get to work on the well.
Joe and Fran pulled up a chair, and took their supervisory positions.
The pressure switch was repaired. But still, there was no water. The well was primed, and the water began to run slowly. The real problem had to be 30 feet below.
On Monday, August 31, you heard my plea for a plumber. A plea that went unanswered. As so many of mine do. It must be God's plan to teach us self-sufficiency here at Rikki's Refuge. The first issue of the day, every day, is to take care of the animals. Water. Food. Cleanup. Of course, the medical crew is working at the same time also. Kevin and Basil were ready to go to work making sure everybody had enough water. Jonathan showed up to volunteer and help. There were only minor groans, when they heard the well was producing no water. They grabbed a truck and went off to retrieve stored water. Soon all the animals were getting fresh water for the morning.
Joe was peering down the well, grumbling all sorts of obscenities, when Kenny showed up to volunteer for the day. Knowing it would take several people to work on the well, Kenny jumped in with the watering, feeding and cleaning so we would get done earlier than usual.
Well before noon, all the animals were happily snoozing in the shade, and Joe, Kenny, Kevin, Basil and Jonathan were ready to get to work on the well.
Joe and Fran pulled up a chair, and took their supervisory positions.
The pressure switch was repaired. But still, there was no water. The well was primed, and the water began to run slowly. The real problem had to be 30 feet below.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Bam Bam, the Fearful Feral
Bam Bam came to Rikki's Refuge in October of 2005.Bam Bam was a very young little boy. Bam Bam was very sick. Bam Bam had a horrible eye infection, and a terrible respiratory infection. Bam Bam was very scared of people.Bam Bam had never known a human to be nice to him. And now he would spend the next six months in a cage, being treated for his illnesses and injuries. This meant having his painful eye touched, getting poked with needles, having wounds scrubbed out, being held down and force-fed when he was too sick to eat. All this treatment, of course, made him feel much more comfortable about the human species.
By the time he was ready to be released to a cat house, he knew for certain, humans were evil. He was all healed, except for scar tissue over his left eye, leaving him partially blind. We thought he would be thrilled to roam in the 2000 square-foot freedom of his very own feral cat house. But instead, he cowered in the corner in terror. Too frightened to even come out and eat. After a few days, we felt too sorry for him, and brought him into the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. He felt much more comfortable back in his usual surroundings.
Finally he began to play. A group of other young ferals moved in, including Cola, a little feral girl, who was dispensed from a Coca-Cola machine one-day. They became good buddies. They romped and played. Soon Cola and her friends were ready to go out to a feral cat run. We thought Bam Bam would be happy to go with them. But again, poor Bam Bam was terrified. He huddled in the corner, refusing to eat. Soon he was back in the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center.
But all the young ones were out playing and having fun, and the old folks didn’t much appreciate Bam Bam. One day Bam Bam decided if he didn't have young cats play with, he would play with humans, and he skittered out from underneath the couch and jumped on human ankles as they walked through his room. Soon you couldn't walk by, without Bam Bam clinging onto your ankles. It didn't take much longer before he let us pet him. And now he's become a very precious, but still frightened, little boy.
Sometimes in his racing about, he'll slide between our feet and into the next room. He stands perfectly still, looking first in one direction and then the next, absolutely terrified of the monsters that may await in the unknown. He is completely petrified, until we pick him up and take him back to his room. Then he goes back to being happy Bam Bam.
We keep trying, and we will keep trying, to acclimate him to a feral cat house, because we think he would be happier with lots of young friends, and 100 foot runway to race and charge, and big climbing toys to reach new heights. But every time he tries out a cat house, he feigns absolute terror, refuses to eat, and gets returned to the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. I'm not sure if he belongs in the Assisted Living for the Mentally Handicapped Section or the Psychiatric Center, but he sure isn’t a feral cat!
He still has some of the usual skittish feral attitudes, like the terror of being lifted off his feet.But he’d make a wonderful pet for somebody willing to give him the patience, love, and understanding that he deserves. Do you have another kitty or two friend for Bam Bam, and the love in your heart to welcome him in?
By the time he was ready to be released to a cat house, he knew for certain, humans were evil. He was all healed, except for scar tissue over his left eye, leaving him partially blind. We thought he would be thrilled to roam in the 2000 square-foot freedom of his very own feral cat house. But instead, he cowered in the corner in terror. Too frightened to even come out and eat. After a few days, we felt too sorry for him, and brought him into the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. He felt much more comfortable back in his usual surroundings.
Finally he began to play. A group of other young ferals moved in, including Cola, a little feral girl, who was dispensed from a Coca-Cola machine one-day. They became good buddies. They romped and played. Soon Cola and her friends were ready to go out to a feral cat run. We thought Bam Bam would be happy to go with them. But again, poor Bam Bam was terrified. He huddled in the corner, refusing to eat. Soon he was back in the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center.
But all the young ones were out playing and having fun, and the old folks didn’t much appreciate Bam Bam. One day Bam Bam decided if he didn't have young cats play with, he would play with humans, and he skittered out from underneath the couch and jumped on human ankles as they walked through his room. Soon you couldn't walk by, without Bam Bam clinging onto your ankles. It didn't take much longer before he let us pet him. And now he's become a very precious, but still frightened, little boy.
Sometimes in his racing about, he'll slide between our feet and into the next room. He stands perfectly still, looking first in one direction and then the next, absolutely terrified of the monsters that may await in the unknown. He is completely petrified, until we pick him up and take him back to his room. Then he goes back to being happy Bam Bam.
We keep trying, and we will keep trying, to acclimate him to a feral cat house, because we think he would be happier with lots of young friends, and 100 foot runway to race and charge, and big climbing toys to reach new heights. But every time he tries out a cat house, he feigns absolute terror, refuses to eat, and gets returned to the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. I'm not sure if he belongs in the Assisted Living for the Mentally Handicapped Section or the Psychiatric Center, but he sure isn’t a feral cat!
He still has some of the usual skittish feral attitudes, like the terror of being lifted off his feet.But he’d make a wonderful pet for somebody willing to give him the patience, love, and understanding that he deserves. Do you have another kitty or two friend for Bam Bam, and the love in your heart to welcome him in?
Friday, August 04, 2006
Please save somebody today
Posted by Kerry through Flickr
Robin at the Shenandoah County Animal Shelter in Shenandoah, Virginia is in need of desperate help. She writes, “We have 32 dog runs in our shelter and we have a total of three open today. With more dogs coming in today. If I don' find some help soon we are going to have to put several down tomorrow. All are good dogs, most are altered with rabies shots. If you know anyone who can help me please call me at 540-984-8955. As always I appreciate everything you do for us and the animals.”
Robin does an outstanding job of trying to save the animals. But the general public keeps dumping them. By law, she has no choice, when they are full they must move them out. The law doesn’t care how they are moved - dead or alive. Robin does everything possible to avoid killing them to move them, but if somebody doesn’t take them home, she is given no choice.
Please help a dog and Robin today.
Thanks, Kerry
Robin at the Shenandoah County Animal Shelter in Shenandoah, Virginia is in need of desperate help. She writes, “We have 32 dog runs in our shelter and we have a total of three open today. With more dogs coming in today. If I don' find some help soon we are going to have to put several down tomorrow. All are good dogs, most are altered with rabies shots. If you know anyone who can help me please call me at 540-984-8955. As always I appreciate everything you do for us and the animals.”
Robin does an outstanding job of trying to save the animals. But the general public keeps dumping them. By law, she has no choice, when they are full they must move them out. The law doesn’t care how they are moved - dead or alive. Robin does everything possible to avoid killing them to move them, but if somebody doesn’t take them home, she is given no choice.
Please help a dog and Robin today.
Thanks, Kerry
As I walked through the LD Chicken Center I heard the file drawer snap shut
Only one thing makes that sound. Meg, evil office kitty, shutting herself inside a file cabinet. Yes, you read that right. Not only can Meg open a file drawer, she can close it behind herself. For years, we wondered how it was that we would frequently find her inside a shut file drawer, dresser drawer, kitchen drawer, or any other type of drawer. Then one day I saw it. Meg is a climber. She came to us in 1999, healing from a broken hip. She wasn’t able to jump for the next couple of years. So she learned to climb any surface. Right up the front of the kitchen cabinets, desks, file cabinets, and walls. Nothing stops Meg.
Meg climbs up the front of a file cabinet, hangs on to the handle of the drawer just below the one she wants to get into, reaches up and pulls the handle on the drawer over her head, and as the drawer begins to slide open, she heaves herself up and into the opening. Now this is pretty clever for a cat. Of course, I frequently wonder who is the smarter species around here! But the next step is what absolutely amazes me. She reaches out, and pulls the drawer shut, sealing herself inside. Never once is she stuck, because when it's time to get out, she knows how to push the drawer open from the inside.
Meg, the amazing office cat. Meg, who has a voracious appetite for paper. Bad, bad combination in your file drawer.
Of course there are supposed to be no cats in the LD Chicken Center, only my developmentally slow chickens. I do hope Meg has not learned how to open the door to their room too. I suppose if she has, she can sell the tickets for quite a large sum. There's always a long line of hungry kitties outside the LD Chicken Center. Meg, you better remember the rules about not eating other residents of the Refuge !Thursday, August 03, 2006
Chickens . . . the continuation . . .
Posted by Kerry through Flickr
A few posts back we began telling you about our "Great Chicken Rescue of the Summer of '06". With the baby chickens in various degrees of stress, we were about to lose the battle. And if these little babies got wet, they would die. The emergency solution would be to shut down one room of the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center", and declare it as the baby chicken day care area. Chickens, or whatever they are. They all look alike when they are little. Basil is hoping we end up with 300 and some odd ostriches. I am not!
We grabbed six huge dog carriers, and began to load the babies up. We were working as fast as we could, and covered them with a tarp as a temporary measure. It would not do to put baby birds into the same room as cats in the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center". The cats had to be removed from one room first. The room selected, for ease of keeping cats out, was the room where Clementine, Witchy Poo, and Shyla hang out. Three of the most dangerous psycho cats. They were not pleased and were quick to use their claws to let us know it. Cleaning the human blood off the floor only delayed moving the baby birds in a little bit longer.
By the time we began carrying in the crates of baby birds it was pouring and the wind was blowing hard, with some gusts blowing into the crates. As soon as we had the birds inside, we had to dry anyone who was wet, and warm them up with the hair dryer. By 9 p.m. that night we had all the baby birds stable. And then we could get back to work finishing our regular jobs.
Most of the baby birds continued to grow rapidly. The few who didn't, were set aside in what came to be known as the "LD Chicken Section". Half a dozen still reside there today. Hopefully we will be able to mainstream them soon. The rest of the babies have a small enclosure in one of the day runs behind the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center".
Rose, Spoke Chicken for the Head Injured, has always wanted to be a mother, or so she thought. She loves to sit on her eggs, and keeps checking them to see if they hatch (a forbidden activity at Rikki's). So we thought perhaps she would make an ideal mother for several hundred little babies! She was horrified, and wanted to go home to Rabbit Rotunda immediately. We are hoping a volunteer mother will step forward soon.
A few posts back we began telling you about our "Great Chicken Rescue of the Summer of '06". With the baby chickens in various degrees of stress, we were about to lose the battle. And if these little babies got wet, they would die. The emergency solution would be to shut down one room of the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center", and declare it as the baby chicken day care area. Chickens, or whatever they are. They all look alike when they are little. Basil is hoping we end up with 300 and some odd ostriches. I am not!
We grabbed six huge dog carriers, and began to load the babies up. We were working as fast as we could, and covered them with a tarp as a temporary measure. It would not do to put baby birds into the same room as cats in the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center". The cats had to be removed from one room first. The room selected, for ease of keeping cats out, was the room where Clementine, Witchy Poo, and Shyla hang out. Three of the most dangerous psycho cats. They were not pleased and were quick to use their claws to let us know it. Cleaning the human blood off the floor only delayed moving the baby birds in a little bit longer.
By the time we began carrying in the crates of baby birds it was pouring and the wind was blowing hard, with some gusts blowing into the crates. As soon as we had the birds inside, we had to dry anyone who was wet, and warm them up with the hair dryer. By 9 p.m. that night we had all the baby birds stable. And then we could get back to work finishing our regular jobs.
Most of the baby birds continued to grow rapidly. The few who didn't, were set aside in what came to be known as the "LD Chicken Section". Half a dozen still reside there today. Hopefully we will be able to mainstream them soon. The rest of the babies have a small enclosure in one of the day runs behind the "9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center".
Rose, Spoke Chicken for the Head Injured, has always wanted to be a mother, or so she thought. She loves to sit on her eggs, and keeps checking them to see if they hatch (a forbidden activity at Rikki's). So we thought perhaps she would make an ideal mother for several hundred little babies! She was horrified, and wanted to go home to Rabbit Rotunda immediately. We are hoping a volunteer mother will step forward soon.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Why do we care if you have a fenced yard, a job or a plan on caring for your pet?
Lots of people who want to adopt a pet believe they should be able to walk up to whatever animal they find appealing and take him home. When they have to fill out an adoption application, or they are told that a particular animal would not be a good fit for their lifestyle, they get annoyed.
If you are one of these people, take a few minutes to read this powerful (but short) article by Sally Hull called "Interview at a Dog Pound". It will help you understand -- it might even make you change your perspective.
If you are a rescuer, don't read this article at work.
If you are one of these people, take a few minutes to read this powerful (but short) article by Sally Hull called "Interview at a Dog Pound". It will help you understand -- it might even make you change your perspective.
If you are a rescuer, don't read this article at work.
The day started at 4:45 a.m. with Francesca in a diabetic coma
Lena scooped her up and started a sub-q fluid drip. I drew blood, and had a glucose level reading of LO, this means less than 30, this means very serious. I mixed the powdered glucose, and began to drip it into her mouth. Mary arrived, grabbed a thermometer, Francesca's temperature was only 92°. Very serious.
Mary loaded the heating disks into the microwave (thank you Jan for having donated several, they have been lifesavers over and over again), grabbed the hair dryer, and began to warm Francesca's belly. Soon Francesca began to thrash and kick. By 6:30 a.m. she was fully responsive, with a blood glucose level of 100, and body temperature of 97°. Still low on the body temp, and the blood glucose level now a bit high, but we were out of the critical phase.
What happened to Francesca? Diabetics are so very fragile, it can take something very small to upset the blood glucose level. The central air-conditioning wasn't working yesterday evening, the coils had frozen up from too much use. After trying off and on to defrost it, watching the temperature rise in the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center, I finally turned it off, and began to run window units in each room. Perhaps Francesca had gotten a little too hot.
Perhaps she’d felt a little too warm to eat a full evening meal. I only had celery and crackers for dinner, a cool meal, but probably not a good one to keep your blood glucose level regulated. Of course Francesca had refused to share my dinner, and nibbled on her Purina canned diabetic diet, which thankfully she loves. Usually animals who are supposed to be on a special diet, hate that special diet.
Francesca also has a number of health issues in addition to her diabetes. Any of which could have flared up, causing the low blood sugar incident. For now it looks like she'll be fine. Annoyed. But OK. Her blood glucose level will be checked every hour throughout the day. Which means getting stuck with needles, a lot of times, an ordeal which no cat enjoys, but one for which Francesca is always very good.
Her temperature will be taken every 30 minutes, until we know she's holding normal. The amount of insulin she receives will be based on her hourly glucose readings. Thankfully, Dr. Vargas of Culpepper Animal Hospital, has taught us all we need to know to take care of Francesca, right here in Rikki's Refuge’s own hospital. The emergency incident this morning that took Lena, Mary, and me and hour and a half to get under control, would have cost over $600, in the emergency hospital, if we could've gotten there in time even to save her life. Thank God for small favors.
Mary loaded the heating disks into the microwave (thank you Jan for having donated several, they have been lifesavers over and over again), grabbed the hair dryer, and began to warm Francesca's belly. Soon Francesca began to thrash and kick. By 6:30 a.m. she was fully responsive, with a blood glucose level of 100, and body temperature of 97°. Still low on the body temp, and the blood glucose level now a bit high, but we were out of the critical phase.
What happened to Francesca? Diabetics are so very fragile, it can take something very small to upset the blood glucose level. The central air-conditioning wasn't working yesterday evening, the coils had frozen up from too much use. After trying off and on to defrost it, watching the temperature rise in the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center, I finally turned it off, and began to run window units in each room. Perhaps Francesca had gotten a little too hot.
Perhaps she’d felt a little too warm to eat a full evening meal. I only had celery and crackers for dinner, a cool meal, but probably not a good one to keep your blood glucose level regulated. Of course Francesca had refused to share my dinner, and nibbled on her Purina canned diabetic diet, which thankfully she loves. Usually animals who are supposed to be on a special diet, hate that special diet.
Francesca also has a number of health issues in addition to her diabetes. Any of which could have flared up, causing the low blood sugar incident. For now it looks like she'll be fine. Annoyed. But OK. Her blood glucose level will be checked every hour throughout the day. Which means getting stuck with needles, a lot of times, an ordeal which no cat enjoys, but one for which Francesca is always very good.
Her temperature will be taken every 30 minutes, until we know she's holding normal. The amount of insulin she receives will be based on her hourly glucose readings. Thankfully, Dr. Vargas of Culpepper Animal Hospital, has taught us all we need to know to take care of Francesca, right here in Rikki's Refuge’s own hospital. The emergency incident this morning that took Lena, Mary, and me and hour and a half to get under control, would have cost over $600, in the emergency hospital, if we could've gotten there in time even to save her life. Thank God for small favors.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Let's play dress up!
This beautiful cat is modeling on the the Flickr Cats in Clothes group.
Rikki's doesn't have any photos for that group yet -- or the "Cats in Costumes" or "Dogs in Costumes" groups, but we would love to. We're planning a dress up photo day at the refuge for all the animals! Save your hats, old t-shirts, plastic beads -- the works. We will schedule "dress up photo day" when it gets cooler (It's over 100 degrees at the refuge today -- but we have lots of shade).
Everyone will be invited. Of course any of the animals at the refuge who do not want to play will have that option.
Rikki's doesn't have any photos for that group yet -- or the "Cats in Costumes" or "Dogs in Costumes" groups, but we would love to. We're planning a dress up photo day at the refuge for all the animals! Save your hats, old t-shirts, plastic beads -- the works. We will schedule "dress up photo day" when it gets cooler (It's over 100 degrees at the refuge today -- but we have lots of shade).
Everyone will be invited. Of course any of the animals at the refuge who do not want to play will have that option.
Baby birds . . . coming out of my ears!
So, you heard about the baby birds, who arrived on July 21. In just 10 short days, they have already eaten over 100 pounds of baby chicken food. They are growing, and growing feathers.
A few days ago I started to tell their tale. After getting a phone call that went, “Hi there. I've got several boxes of baby birds here, they're half dead, do you want them?”, Lena and I ran off to the rescue and brought several boxes of birds back to Rikki's.
The next several hours at the refuge were spent with everyone available, eyedroppering water into tiny little beaks. Six people, trying to save several hundred birds, is a very difficult job. We separated them into batches, based on their strength and health. Some were ready to start eating, all we had on hand was adult bird mash, but it would do in a pinch.
Others needed their little bodies warmed with a hair dryer, and water dripped into their little beaks. Obviously, there was nothing we could do about the ones that were already dead, except give them a home at our Rainbow Bridge Cemetery.
Thankfully, we lost very few throughout the day. After several hours, when they were all stabilized, we had to figure out where they were going to live. Vincent, Slinky, Timmy, Boss Man, and several of the other naughty kitties had some pretty good ideas. However, we humans, had a major difference of opinion.
We began to build an area in one of the day runs off the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. (If you need an explanation on the name, just come out and visit.) It would have to be protected from the weather, and have heat lamps, so the little babies would stay about 100° for the first few days. While Basil and Jonathan began to build, I went to the store for baby chicken supplies. Normally, you could walk into any farm store, and walk out with all the baby chicken food, chicken waterers, and everything you needed. Everybody in all the 4-H clubs had bought up all the supplies, to show off the baby animals they had been raising. I had to go to three stores, and still did not have everything I needed.
The baby bird area was almost built, when the sky turned black, and the wind began to blow. Was there a chance in heck that we could get the job done, before we got soaked? Drip, drip, drip, . . . . Sorry, this will have to be continued . . . . I get yelled at when I blog to long . . . .
A few days ago I started to tell their tale. After getting a phone call that went, “Hi there. I've got several boxes of baby birds here, they're half dead, do you want them?”, Lena and I ran off to the rescue and brought several boxes of birds back to Rikki's.
The next several hours at the refuge were spent with everyone available, eyedroppering water into tiny little beaks. Six people, trying to save several hundred birds, is a very difficult job. We separated them into batches, based on their strength and health. Some were ready to start eating, all we had on hand was adult bird mash, but it would do in a pinch.
Others needed their little bodies warmed with a hair dryer, and water dripped into their little beaks. Obviously, there was nothing we could do about the ones that were already dead, except give them a home at our Rainbow Bridge Cemetery.
Thankfully, we lost very few throughout the day. After several hours, when they were all stabilized, we had to figure out where they were going to live. Vincent, Slinky, Timmy, Boss Man, and several of the other naughty kitties had some pretty good ideas. However, we humans, had a major difference of opinion.
We began to build an area in one of the day runs off the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. (If you need an explanation on the name, just come out and visit.) It would have to be protected from the weather, and have heat lamps, so the little babies would stay about 100° for the first few days. While Basil and Jonathan began to build, I went to the store for baby chicken supplies. Normally, you could walk into any farm store, and walk out with all the baby chicken food, chicken waterers, and everything you needed. Everybody in all the 4-H clubs had bought up all the supplies, to show off the baby animals they had been raising. I had to go to three stores, and still did not have everything I needed.
The baby bird area was almost built, when the sky turned black, and the wind began to blow. Was there a chance in heck that we could get the job done, before we got soaked? Drip, drip, drip, . . . . Sorry, this will have to be continued . . . . I get yelled at when I blog to long . . . .
Monday, July 31, 2006
Rikki’s Refuge needs a plumber who knows how to work on well equipment
Being in the middle of 367 acres, Rikki's Refuge obviously does not use city water. We have a well. A big hole in the ground from which an unlimited supply of water pours forth. Usually everything runs smoothly and there are no problems. Turn on a faucet and water appears. But now we have a big problem.
Late yesterday evening I went to wash my hands, . . . nothing. Not even a drip. I went to investigate and discovered that the pressure switch has been disassembled. Now I don't know a whole lot about this, but there's the well pump, lines that go down the well, the jet pump at the bottom of the well, and the pressure tank.
About a month ago we had to replace the pressure tank because it was leaking. That was the last piece in the well house that was still there when we came to Rikki’s. Over the years we had replaced all the rest. Well obviously, someone had decided something was going on yesterday afternoon, disassembled parts, and just left it there. So if you know how to work on well equipment, please, please, please come out and help us today.
Nobody's going to die from lack of water. We keep a two-day supply of water on hand. That's why I ask you to give me all your leftover 2 1/2 gallon jugs from clumping cat litter. Each one holds 2 1/2 gallons of water! So it will only take 160 of those to fill water up for all the animals today! And we keep over 300 on hand. And when we run out, it means loading them up in the truck, driving down the road, and filling up at Rags and Relics or the Retreat. A lot more hot work for the humans, but the animals will still have plenty of cool water to drink.
The animals at Rikki's Refuge drink 400 gallons of water a day! That averages out to only about half a gallon each. But some take more than their fair share, like the cows, who slurp up 10 gallons in a sitting. But others make up for it. There's not a guinea pig on the planet that could even hold half a gallon! Share and share alike, it all works out in the end.
Late yesterday evening I went to wash my hands, . . . nothing. Not even a drip. I went to investigate and discovered that the pressure switch has been disassembled. Now I don't know a whole lot about this, but there's the well pump, lines that go down the well, the jet pump at the bottom of the well, and the pressure tank.
About a month ago we had to replace the pressure tank because it was leaking. That was the last piece in the well house that was still there when we came to Rikki’s. Over the years we had replaced all the rest. Well obviously, someone had decided something was going on yesterday afternoon, disassembled parts, and just left it there. So if you know how to work on well equipment, please, please, please come out and help us today.
Nobody's going to die from lack of water. We keep a two-day supply of water on hand. That's why I ask you to give me all your leftover 2 1/2 gallon jugs from clumping cat litter. Each one holds 2 1/2 gallons of water! So it will only take 160 of those to fill water up for all the animals today! And we keep over 300 on hand. And when we run out, it means loading them up in the truck, driving down the road, and filling up at Rags and Relics or the Retreat. A lot more hot work for the humans, but the animals will still have plenty of cool water to drink.
The animals at Rikki's Refuge drink 400 gallons of water a day! That averages out to only about half a gallon each. But some take more than their fair share, like the cows, who slurp up 10 gallons in a sitting. But others make up for it. There's not a guinea pig on the planet that could even hold half a gallon! Share and share alike, it all works out in the end.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Rikki’s Refuge is one of the largest multi-species, no-kill sanctuaries
With 367 acres of land, over 3,700 animals of over 50 species rescued to date, with over 800 daily residents of 19 species of domestic and farm animals, and over 1,500 rehabilitated wildlife critters roaming about, Rikki’s Refuge is the largest multi-species, no-kill sanctuary on the East Coast. And with over 500 felines, we are one of the largest cat sanctuaries on Earth.
WOW. And we've done it in just seven years! I'm preparing the mailing list for our tabloid-sized paper newsletter. It will be going out to 4,213 members, to 4 countries and 6 US military bases overseas, to 1,177 zip codes in 852 cities, and to every state except North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.
What happened to North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah? Are there no animal lovers out there? Help us complete our membership so that we have a Rikki's Family Member in every state.
Sign up yourself, or a friend, for a one year subscription to our quarterly paper newsletter by making a $45 donation. You can send in a check, or make a donation online with your credit card through out Paypal account. Just go to www.paypal.com and sign in. Our ID is mail@rikkisrefuge.org. (If you don't have a Paypal account, you can set one up for free).
You'll love the exciting pictures of all the animals, and being kept up-to-date on all the news at Rikki's Refuge. The 20-page newsletter hitting the streets tomorrow is jam-packed full of exciting photos. Don't miss your copy!
Want another way to stay in touch? Subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter, "Hairballs" (that's what's coming up at Rikki's!) Send an e-mail to mail@rikkisrefuge.org and tell us you'd like to subscribe to "Hairballs", be sure to give us your e-mail address. It's free to animal lovers!
WOW. And we've done it in just seven years! I'm preparing the mailing list for our tabloid-sized paper newsletter. It will be going out to 4,213 members, to 4 countries and 6 US military bases overseas, to 1,177 zip codes in 852 cities, and to every state except North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.
What happened to North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah? Are there no animal lovers out there? Help us complete our membership so that we have a Rikki's Family Member in every state.
Sign up yourself, or a friend, for a one year subscription to our quarterly paper newsletter by making a $45 donation. You can send in a check, or make a donation online with your credit card through out Paypal account. Just go to www.paypal.com and sign in. Our ID is mail@rikkisrefuge.org. (If you don't have a Paypal account, you can set one up for free).
You'll love the exciting pictures of all the animals, and being kept up-to-date on all the news at Rikki's Refuge. The 20-page newsletter hitting the streets tomorrow is jam-packed full of exciting photos. Don't miss your copy!
Want another way to stay in touch? Subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter, "Hairballs" (that's what's coming up at Rikki's!) Send an e-mail to mail@rikkisrefuge.org and tell us you'd like to subscribe to "Hairballs", be sure to give us your e-mail address. It's free to animal lovers!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
At Rikki’s Refuge, it’s Goats in the Mist
As I wake up in the morning, the first thing I feel is Cat performing acupuncture on my back. She is an outstanding massage therapist and acupuncturist. I roll over and look out towards the East. The sun is barely up, the mist is just beginning to rise. Through the veil of the mist I can see the outline of dozens of goats, standing tall on their hind legs, their front legs tucked back against their chests, stretching and straining their heads up as far as possible, tongues pointed toward the sky, grasping leaves off tall branches. I turned and looked towards the West. There sits beautiful Angel, high on her perch, grooming, her beautiful plume of a tale. Domino races up and down the ladder trying to displace Angel and claim the top position.
The ducks and geese are strolling about, squawking and quacking their morning news. The dogs are still sound asleep. The pigs haven't yet started to roll and grunt. This must've been how our great ancestors felt, before the world got so hectic, paved over with asphalt, and covered with little human habitats. If nothing else, this feeling of freedom, of living with nature as it was meant to be, is more than enough to make it all worthwhile, living here at Rikki's Refuge, caring for over 800 critters of 17 species.
Or perhaps this is simply a rosy view of the past. Perhaps Cat would've been a saber tooth tiger ready to have me for breakfast. The goats would've been Tyrannosauruses just waiting for a fresh meal. And instead of Angel simply being a psychotic feline, she would have been a pterodactyl. Instead of feeling like a part of nature, I might have been a part of the food chain.
The ducks and geese are strolling about, squawking and quacking their morning news. The dogs are still sound asleep. The pigs haven't yet started to roll and grunt. This must've been how our great ancestors felt, before the world got so hectic, paved over with asphalt, and covered with little human habitats. If nothing else, this feeling of freedom, of living with nature as it was meant to be, is more than enough to make it all worthwhile, living here at Rikki's Refuge, caring for over 800 critters of 17 species.
Or perhaps this is simply a rosy view of the past. Perhaps Cat would've been a saber tooth tiger ready to have me for breakfast. The goats would've been Tyrannosauruses just waiting for a fresh meal. And instead of Angel simply being a psychotic feline, she would have been a pterodactyl. Instead of feeling like a part of nature, I might have been a part of the food chain.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Rescuing a duck from the chimney at seven a.m. must be an omen of birds to come
Because that turned out to be the best event of the day. As soon as the duck was happily splashing about in a ducky pond, contained in a pen, with a roof (no more accidents ‘till those chimneys get covered), I checked phone messages, “Hi there. I've got several boxes of baby birds here, they're half dead, do you want them?” This wasn't the first time Rikki's Refuge has gotten such a call, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Many things are left behind at shipping docks, and sometimes they are alive. Lena and I rushed off on the great bird rescue ....
Check back soon...to be continued...
Check back soon...to be continued...
Friday, July 21, 2006
It began as an uneventful day
Lena and I had finished medical rounds, treated the critical patients, and examined everyone else for updates for the day. I was sitting quietly at my desk, updating the medical log for the day. no serious emergencies, all the pigs were in their pen, everyone was behaving. Behind me, I heard the strangest sound. Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch. Then silence. Wait a minute? Did I really hear something? Maybe it was just a cat scratching its ears and bumping something?
I recalled hearing the sound two nights ago, and not being able to figure out where it came from. I'd searched and searched, and finally given up. And here it was again, it sounded like an animal stuck in the fireplace. The fireplace in the office is boarded over, because bad and evil cats like to climb up the chimney. This is an unapproved activity.
We'd recently had to replace the covering on the fireplace, could we possibly have locked something inside? We done a head count, and tried to pear up the chimney as far as we could, before screwing the new board in the place.
I tapped on the board. Silence. Now if somebody was in there trying to get out, don't you think they would scratch, meow, or do something to let me know they needed help?
I was probably wasting my time, but I found a screwdriver, and I began to remove the fireplace cover. Soon as I had it opened a crack, I could see something black flapping about. Oh great! A vampire bat at seven o'clock in the morning! Just what I needed for the day.
I took a closer look, and low and behold, it was the flying duck. If you recall, several months ago, someone in a little red car dumped a cardboard box full of ducks. One of my ducks adopted them, raised them, and now they roam about the farm. We never have figured out what kind of ducks they are, they look like they must be a mix between something domestic and something wild. And some of them can fly.
One bad black guy in particular, loves to fly to the top of the electric poles, to the top of the chimneys, to the top of trees. Why just a few days ago, we noticed him sitting on the top of the chimney, sticking his head down, and we had commented, "need to add that to the to-do list, cover the chimneys before the duck goes down". And at that time I had all kinds of visions of how one would remove a duck stuck halfway down the chimney. Dear god, please don't let it happen until I have time to get the chimney covered.
Well, I guess our boy shoved his head down, slipped and went all the way down the chimney. We brushed him clean of soot, and plopped him into a ducky swimming pool, where he drank down gallons of water, and then proceeded to bathe and preen. No worse for wear.
But he is staying in a pen, until the chimneys are covered!
Want to play handyman today?
Seriously, if you can come out and help us with this problem today, give me a holler at 540-854-0870. Thanks, Kerry
I recalled hearing the sound two nights ago, and not being able to figure out where it came from. I'd searched and searched, and finally given up. And here it was again, it sounded like an animal stuck in the fireplace. The fireplace in the office is boarded over, because bad and evil cats like to climb up the chimney. This is an unapproved activity.
We'd recently had to replace the covering on the fireplace, could we possibly have locked something inside? We done a head count, and tried to pear up the chimney as far as we could, before screwing the new board in the place.
I tapped on the board. Silence. Now if somebody was in there trying to get out, don't you think they would scratch, meow, or do something to let me know they needed help?
I was probably wasting my time, but I found a screwdriver, and I began to remove the fireplace cover. Soon as I had it opened a crack, I could see something black flapping about. Oh great! A vampire bat at seven o'clock in the morning! Just what I needed for the day.
I took a closer look, and low and behold, it was the flying duck. If you recall, several months ago, someone in a little red car dumped a cardboard box full of ducks. One of my ducks adopted them, raised them, and now they roam about the farm. We never have figured out what kind of ducks they are, they look like they must be a mix between something domestic and something wild. And some of them can fly.
One bad black guy in particular, loves to fly to the top of the electric poles, to the top of the chimneys, to the top of trees. Why just a few days ago, we noticed him sitting on the top of the chimney, sticking his head down, and we had commented, "need to add that to the to-do list, cover the chimneys before the duck goes down". And at that time I had all kinds of visions of how one would remove a duck stuck halfway down the chimney. Dear god, please don't let it happen until I have time to get the chimney covered.
Well, I guess our boy shoved his head down, slipped and went all the way down the chimney. We brushed him clean of soot, and plopped him into a ducky swimming pool, where he drank down gallons of water, and then proceeded to bathe and preen. No worse for wear.
But he is staying in a pen, until the chimneys are covered!
Want to play handyman today?
Seriously, if you can come out and help us with this problem today, give me a holler at 540-854-0870. Thanks, Kerry
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Still tinkering . . .
Those of you viewing our blog with the free Firefox browser are seeing our blog layed out just fine -- no matter what font size you're using. (For those of you Firefox users who don't know what I'm talking about, go to your menu under VIEW > TEXT SIZE > INCREASE).
It's the darned Internet Explorer that refuses to cooperate!
We're still tinkering. We'll get it right soon.
Want to download the lovely Firefox browser? Get info and download here. Get it! You really want it!
It's the darned Internet Explorer that refuses to cooperate!
We're still tinkering. We'll get it right soon.
Want to download the lovely Firefox browser? Get info and download here. Get it! You really want it!
Tinkering with our style
If you visited our blog before, you'll notice we changed our template. We think the "Minima" Blogger template more suits us, and we are tinkering with it to come up with a look we like.
We have also added a link to the Orange County Animal Shelter adoptable pets in the LINKS column to the right. (If you don't see a column to the right, scroll down -- it will be at the bottom of the posts. That's part of the tinkering we are working on.)
If you have comments on things we should change or add, please let us know.
We have also added a link to the Orange County Animal Shelter adoptable pets in the LINKS column to the right. (If you don't see a column to the right, scroll down -- it will be at the bottom of the posts. That's part of the tinkering we are working on.)
If you have comments on things we should change or add, please let us know.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Animal cellphone ringtones
Recently, a woman on a commuter train left her bag in a seat and walked away. Almost immediately, a cat started crying. Startled passengers looked everywhere for the cat, only to find that the woman had a cat ringtone on her phone.
What would Rikki's Refuge ringtones sound like? Wouldn't it be fun and hilarious to find out?
A little searching brought up a step-by-step guide to making ringtones with free "Audacity" software. The instructions can be found at this site: http://www.mrbass.org/ringtones/
The free, open source, cross-platform, "Audacity" sound editing software can be downloaded at this site: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (You gotta love the wonderful people who make free, open source software available to the world!).
We need to find a volunteer to walk around the sanctuary recording the animals to create the initial sound files, but this is a very cool project and surely someone will step up soon.
Any votes on which animals we should start with first?
If anybody has actually created their own ringtones before and knows of a better way, we would love to hear about it.
What would Rikki's Refuge ringtones sound like? Wouldn't it be fun and hilarious to find out?
A little searching brought up a step-by-step guide to making ringtones with free "Audacity" software. The instructions can be found at this site: http://www.mrbass.org/ringtones/
The free, open source, cross-platform, "Audacity" sound editing software can be downloaded at this site: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (You gotta love the wonderful people who make free, open source software available to the world!).
We need to find a volunteer to walk around the sanctuary recording the animals to create the initial sound files, but this is a very cool project and surely someone will step up soon.
Any votes on which animals we should start with first?
If anybody has actually created their own ringtones before and knows of a better way, we would love to hear about it.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Cats want fresh treats too, so here's a recipe
It's always "monkey see, monkey do" at Rikki's. What one group has, the other group wants. Wait . . . it's that way with people, too.
The cats outnumber all other animal groups at Rikki's Refuge sanctuary, so they usually claw their way to the top of every "wish list" we create. If the horses are getting fresh-baked treats, the cats want them too.
We found one recipe for homemade cat treats at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. These treats don't sound as yummy as the horse treats, but the cats might like them. Does anybody want to make a batch so the Rikki cats can try them out?
Does anybody have favorite links to pet treat recipes -- recipes that you have actually tested?
The cats outnumber all other animal groups at Rikki's Refuge sanctuary, so they usually claw their way to the top of every "wish list" we create. If the horses are getting fresh-baked treats, the cats want them too.
We found one recipe for homemade cat treats at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. These treats don't sound as yummy as the horse treats, but the cats might like them. Does anybody want to make a batch so the Rikki cats can try them out?
Does anybody have favorite links to pet treat recipes -- recipes that you have actually tested?
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