Thursday, July 01, 2010

Hairballs and Happy Tails - Rikki's Refuge Newsletter a

RIKKI'S REFUGE - HAIRBALLS AND HAPPY TAILS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4654847890/
The newsletter of thanks from grateful animals to their beloved rescuers
brought to you by Vincent D. Cat

We are the happy animals of Rikki's Refuge who so thank you for giving
us the gift of our lives. 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
I'M PRAYING THAT YOU WILL HELP ME!
SATURDAY, JULY 3rd WORK PARTY
TOUR THIS SUNDAY - JULY 4th
NEXT SATURDAY IS LENA'S FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
EXCERPTS FROM VINCENT'S DIARY
FUNLAND & FRIENDS WITH COLOR PRINTERS!!!
GREAT BIG HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO VOICES FOR ANIMALS
WINCHESTER VIRGINIA USA, LOVELY BARN CAT NEEDS HOME
SUNNYSIDE - for a wonderful musical evening
GOLF TOURNAMENT and FESTIVAL July 16th
OWN YOUR VERY OWN BOAT FOR ONLY $5
EXOTIC TEA !!!!
IS YOUR PET CALENDAR MATERIAL?
THANK YOU
CURRENT NEEDS
NOW YOU DID VOTE, RIGHT?
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
THE FINE PRINT

I'M PRAYING THAT YOU WILL HELP ME!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787593/

The Shelter Challenge is a contest where the shelter with the most votes
during a several month time frame wins money. The shelter with the most
in each state wins. Right now we're number one, but the guys who are
number 2 are catching up really fast, and they won the last two contests
and they got all the money. I think it's time to share !!!!

The top ten in the USA win money for that category too. We're #11. YOU
can move us into top place!! YOU can make us WIN. You've already saved
our lives, now make us winners.

All you have to do is vote for us every day. It's free. Not one penny.
And they don't send you junk email or anything. You can go to our web
page, www.RikkisRefuge.org and click on the $100,000 challenge. Or you
can use this quick little link http://bit.ly/bDLKJY

You'll enter our identifying information as Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA,
USA - note no apostrophe in Rikki's - it will look us up on the list and
then ask you to click VOTE to cast your vote for us. You then must
perform a simply identification of an animal to verify you are hooman.
For example when they show a picture of a White Tiger - you must think
simple and type just TIGER, Siamese Cat is just CAT and so forth.

Please vote as much as the rules allow. that's one per day per person
per device. So you can vote at home, on your phone and at work. Even
at the library is you stop in !!!!! But you can't vote twice on the
same day, same device cuz it remembers your cookies!!!


SATURDAY, JULY 3rd WORK PARTY
Come and help Ron, Director of Serving Cats, hang the tile board in the
new Quarantine Room. 11 am till .......... If you're skilled
that's great. If not he'll teach you all you need to know for a case of
canned cat food !!!!!


TOUR THIS SUNDAY - JULY 4th
Tour on Sunday July 4th at noon - gates open at 11:30. Tours last about
2 hours and dress for the weather - it's all outside !!! YES you'll get
to see the piggies!!!! Admission is two cans of cat food per person -
but it's best to bring a case of Fancy Feast for me !!!!!


NEXT SATURDAY IS LENA'S FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Lena Stocks, Sanctuary Manager and Chief Medical Officer has been here
protecting our animals for five year !!!! She's a really good critter
mommey!! I love Lena. On Saturday July 10th at 3 pm we're going to
have a little celebration for her. Just a little cake, a few gifts and
big congratulations!!!

If you appreciate Lena and all her hard work - you are invited to come.
If it's too far for you to stop in for a few minutes you can send her
a card, a small gift (she loves frogs, dogs and all of us, green and
blue, and has quite a few dogs and cats of her own and three
granddaughters - hooman - from 1 to 5), a tip or a gift card (Petsmart
please cuz she always uses those for us!). Send it to me, so she
doesn't get it early and has lots of presents to open at her party!
Vincent D. Cat (LS)
10910 Barr Ln
Rapidan VA 22733


EXCERPTS FROM VINCENT'S DIARY
Monday 10 am
Working at Rikki's is always filled with fun and excitement and
unexpected events !!!! We never, just never, get bored here !!!!

And the closer mom is to a deadline and trying to work to keep it ......
The more likely it is to be an exciting day!!!!

I could play 20 questions with you all day and you'd never guess what
Valerie discovered on rounds this morning!! Never !!!! Should I tell
you - or make you play ?????

About the size of two, maybe three cans of Fancy Feast and it goes
squeak squeak oink oink squeak squeak ........

WHAT??? Bella has babies????? From WHERE!!!!! The guys are all
fixed and she doesn't even live with any of them. She and Lola hate the
other pigs and they have their own home. Roaming wild boar????

Hmmm how long has she been here ...... When was that last snow storm?
She arrived during that, a pet who kept escaping and getting arrested by
animal control. They took her home that day and her folks said aww just
keep her. So here's poor ACO Trish with a pig on her livestock trailer
and it's COLD and there's tons of snow on the ground AND they already
had another pig waiting to come to Rikki's. He'd been neutered and was
waiting till that "adjustment" time was up for him to come.

Beau a big pink guy with a black head had been a stray. Very friendly.
Neutered and roll. Literally. So she headed back to the shelter,
rounded up a crew of deputies and loaded Beau onto the trailer too.

Mom was busy out side taking care of all the snowy issues and didn't get
the phone call ..... At 4:30 pm all the animals were taken care of and
safely bedded up for the night and mom said the staff could go on and
leave in the hopes they'd get home safely before the roads got too icy.
Just as they were getting in the car ............

........... a couple sheriff cars and animal control truck hauling a
trailer pulls in. Mom's like HUH???? Lucky for everybody we have a
great friendly crew and everybody pitched in to help.

We couldn't even get to our usual pig quarantine pens. So we cleared a
path to Emu Estates. Had to dig out a house - remember it was about 3
feet deep - dig an area around the house cuz 3 feet is way over Bella or
Beau's head. Get bedding and food and water and get them all set up for
the night.

That was about 114 days ago. After seeing the babies this morning, Mom
came screaming into the office, "what is pig gestation?" I'm very smart
you know, I read the dictionary in my spare time, so I said, "gestation
means how long you're pregnant, it's the length of time ..." And she
said, "shut up smarty pants, let me get my chart out of my desk. Hmmmm
112-116 days. Today is ..... Bella arrived ..... Ah ha".

Now the next panic is, of course, was it Beau or was it before? Is that
why Bella went wondering that fateful day? Or Beau ...... So mom
went chasing Beau around for a feelie and found nothing. See mom run
.... See Beau run .... See mom run .... See Beau squeal ..... I think
I should write books, what do you think?

Mom didn't find any "goods" and so she called the shelter and Trish and
they definitely verified seeing him neutered and the "goods" being
removed. Pweeeee God willing the other female pigs ...... Bella must
have been out street walking, picking up guys, when Trish arrested her.

Monday 11 am
Mom and crew are working on fencing and all kinds of things needed now
for itty bitty baby pigs. they are about the size of 12 week old kittens.

Monday 11:14 am
Welcome to the world little one !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743715986/

Monday 11:16 am
Hi MOM !!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743716118/

Monday 1:40 pm
Refuge Rule 14,786: When working at Rikki's Refuge, ALWAYS keep a clean
change of clothes in your car !!!!! Valerie was helping Bella move
into her new home. Hint: pigs LOVE to roll in mud. Pigs cannot be
picked up by the scruff of the neck. Pigs don't willingly go where you
tell them to!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079465/

Monday 4:43 pm
Mom isn't taking well to this baby thing, the babies seem a bit thin
too, they needed some extra warmth and bottle feeding.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079617/

Monday 4:46 pm
Snuggy babies!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079823/

Monday 4:48 pm
This is the active little one !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079993/

Monday 7:04 pm
They've all taken to the bottle very well. The runt is getting fed twice
as often. The others are climbing on mom and sucking her shirt. Bella is
sleeping well in the nursery we set up for her, lots of soft bedding,
she seems not to feel too good this evening. Hoping she's just tired and
confused. Convincing her to get in the truck to go to the vet is no easy
task!!! Anybody up for the 12-4 am shift? My heroes Kristy, Beth and
Katarina all volunteered to help with night shift.

Monday 8:16 pm
The last litter of pigs we had was in 2000, the littlest one had
problems and was treated with homeopathy by Dr Pitcairn. Her name was
changed as she grew into an elegant lady, she's now Frieda and still
lives with us!

Do you remember 10 years ago on a snowy Christmas Eve when Charlotte,
the one too young to possibly be pregnant when she arrived, gave birth
to four breach babies!!! The runt of that litter, now known as
Frieda, she started life as Little Tar Baby cuz she was just a speck of
black! She became a world famous pig when Dr. Pitcairn cured her
incurable malformed legs using homeopathy!
http://www.drpitcairn.com/homeopathy/Cases/tarbaby.html

Monday 8:21 pm
Well I have to go now. I have to help mommey bottle the babies. I can be
a good kitten daddy. I'll try to be a good piggy daddy. When we had baby
piggies before I couldn't help cuz I'd just come here too and I was
still really sick. Nighty night - pray we don't get any other excitement
like this tomorrow !!!!!

Tuesday 7:52 am
In Search Of - a new home. Must be QUIET environment - no squealing
babies, especially no piglets. Must have other mature cats for friends.
Must feed large quantities of luxury food, specifically Fancy Feast.
Cozy beds a must. Will purr and nuzzle ears in exchange. Must be willing
to over look ... um .... hmmm ... um... ... well .... little accidents.
call 1-800-SAV-VINCT

Tuesday 9:38 am
First thing on the 'puter every morning I vote in the Shelter Challenge.
I sure hope you do too!! (http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange
VA USA) Ahhh I'm a frog today !!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4696214360/

That sounds peaceful. Think I'll slip out of here and go down to the
creek. Packing my lunch cuz I'm eating Fancy Feast NOT flies today !!!
The piglets want to nurse mommey, their mommey Bella. Bella looks at
them charging for her and head butting her nipples and she runs
screaming. I don't blame her!!! And dang, the little black guy's tusks
are sharp!!!

If Bella has "assistance" staying still they'll nurse, but she starts
breathing hard and it pulls the nipples out of their mouths. We'll try
again a little later - maybe the mother instinct will kick in. Bella
should have thought about the outcome of going street walking back in
February. Not only did it make her a stray and got her arrested and
disowned, now it's got her piggies!!!

Tuesday 11:05 am
We survived the first night nursing the babies!! Mom fed the little
runt - and siblings - every hour - all night long. The GOOD NEWS is
they may only need that 3-10 days!! DAYS not even weeks !!!! Yippee
!!!!! The itty bitty runt is taking a couple licks of milk by himself
now.

Turn the volume up ALL the way to imagine the sounds of the hungry ones.
These were just fed! But LOOK the itty bitty teeny tiny runt takes a
drink on his own !!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V036Ip6E5vM

Bella still isn't very impressed with her babies. She needs
"assistance" lying down to feed them. And it only lasts a minute or so
before she runs away. Valerie will keep trying all day and keep paws
crossed she'll decide she loves her babies so they can move in with her.
Right now it's not safe to leave them in with her.

Tuesday 3:11 pm
Yipp Yipp the baby runt is scarfing down milk with corn meal like crazy
!!!!! Thank you Terri and Mira - the other two can chase mom around and
drink while she stands up. She's ok with that now, but little runty
can't reach!

Tuesday 6:39 pm
Hours and hours of teaching Bella to be a Mom ........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1trmrkP4vgs

Has finally paid off --- the happiest sight we've seen all day !!!!!
Note how the baby kneeds with his hoofs, head butts, roots all over the
place - no wonder this didn't thrill Bella !!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un-_fY24Iyw


Tuesday 9:34 pm
I had to type in my security check word to make the last post on
facebook and it was: "squealer reports" --- how appropriate!!!!

The two bigger ones are sleeping with mom Bella. The little one will be
sleeping with me and my mom. The little one won't stay in the house with
her family and keeps coming out and walking around and then falling
asleep on the ground. Mom doesn't think that's safe overnight. She's
just a baby and will be too cold and lonely. She is gulping at her
bottle and eating cornmeal mush and she's much stronger today. I think
she's gonna be ok !!!!! But still keep your paws crossed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743716118/

Wednesday 9:30 am
Piggy family doing great this morning. The two stayed with mom all night
and are now out laying in the sun with her. Do they ever stop
nursing???? What little PIGS !!!!

Little bit is tucked in between two hot water bottles sleeping. The
hoomans are feeding her. It's cool out this morning. When it warms up
they'll work on getting her on Bella. Mom says she's gonna charge Bella
day care fees if this keeps up!!

Wednesday 7:45 pm
My tails dragging, I'm whooped!!! Gonna try to catch up with my notes a
bit before my whiskers hit the keyboard. All was fine here today, just
fast and fine. Bella's very successfully nursing the two bigger piggies.
The itty bitty one can't get the hang of holding on to a nipple so she's
still on a bottle. Lena just left and took her home for the night.

Yippee Good News Happy Dance Happy Dance Happy Dance Happy Dance !!!!!
Lena just left for the night AND took the itty bitty pig with her !!!!
Two are nursing well with Bella, their mom. But the itty bitty one just
can't figure out how to hold on well. She's gonna play piggy mommey
tonight!!!!

Most employees who arrived at 4:30 in the morning and worked tirelessly
all day long, never sitting down, not taking a lunch break, shoving down
a sandwich with one hand while helping an animal with the other wouldn't
be ready to take work home with them when they were leaving at 7:30 pm.
That's 15 hours of non stop fast and furious live saving love Lena
dispensed all day.

But Lena can't go home with out taking something! 6 of the doggies go
home with her every night. And tonight she's taking baby runty piggie
home too. She's gonna piggysit all night for us. Bye bye baby piggie,
see you in the morning.

Thursday 5:15 am
Lena is late for work this morning. Her hours don't officially begin
till 8 am, but for her, if she isn't here by 5 am, she's late. As she
lets the dogs out of her truck, she shouts come see the baby!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4751856774/

My gosh, she's gained weight over night and she's eating like ... well
like .... like a PIG !!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4751856812/

Thursday 6:15 am
Her nursery already looks like a pig pen !!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlQgod1kjbM

Bella and the other two are doing fine as one happy family unit.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4751216295/
They've got the to suckle and to be suckled thing down just fine. Here
they are snoozing after Bella had a breakfast of 4 bananas, a loaf of
whole wheat raisin bread, an eggplant, 4 yellow squash, a huge zucchini,
6 apples, and two quarts of mixed grain!! Just a light morning snack!


FUNLAND & FRIENDS WITH COLOR PRINTERS!!!
I need 125 copies of the Funland flyer -
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Rikkis/funland%20day.html - for the goodie
bags at the Golf Tournament and Festival. Can you print them out for
me??? Purrrlease.....

July 24th from 2 pm - 10 pm don't miss this special deal for Friends of
Rikki's Refuge
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Rikkis/funland%20day.html

GREAT BIG HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO VOICES FOR ANIMALS
clinic who speutered 122 cats Saturday. Mary Ellen, president of Voices
is fabulous and has worked non stop for kitties for years and years and
years. She's one of those wonderful people who doesn't yell and get mad
and doesn't tell others what to do, but gets out there and does it!!!
My wonderful friend Barbara volunteered at yesterday's clinic too.
She's another one who works endlessly for the animals. Just adopting a
kitty a couple years back she heard about the homeless problem amongst
my kind, so she got involved!! And wow did she ever get involved!!!
She now lives to serve our species and saves lives every day!!! Mary
Ellen and Barbara - you're my HEROES !!!!!
http://www.nbc29.com/global/Category.asp?C=175568&clipId=4899972&autostart=true

The best movie ever - broadcast it EVERYWHERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzW3LIkNLA&feature=player_embedded


WINCHESTER VIRGINIA USA, LOVELY BARN CAT NEEDS HOME
A friend of mine is trying to place her neighbors barn kitty. The
neighbor has died and Velvet has no home. He is 'fixed' , male, very
good guy. He is a great mouser too. If you've got the barn in the area
let me know and I'll put you in touch with Mary.


SUNNYSIDE - for a wonderful musical evening
Jim Lilly - Guitar, Betty Calvert - Bass, Carol Phillips - Autoharp
www.sunnysidemusic.webs.com

Old Time Mountain, Classic Country and Gospel Music
2nd Friday every month: The Recreation Center, 8:00 to 11:00 pm
With Special Guest: Spoonman Dan Willoughby & VA State Fiddle Champion
Jimmy Delozier
(213 William St., Fredericksburg) 540-371-6498

July 8th Grottoes Community Building, 7:00 pm, 109 6th St., Grottoes, VA
July 9th The Recreation Center, see address above, 8:00 to 11:00 pm


GOLF TOURNAMENT and FESTIVAL July 16th
Come play golf with ME !!!! Grab your slot before they're all sold
out! Contact me to sign up to play right now. As an individual or a
foursome!!!!

Tons of entertainment, special admission prices for non-golfers!!! Door
prizes, raffles, live auction and more!! Read all about it:
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Rikkis/Golf2010.html


OWN YOUR VERY OWN BOAT FOR ONLY $5
Yeah!! You heard me right!! At Rikki's Refuge $5 could buy you a
boat!!!

The boat is a 14 foot aluminum hull Somkercraft 1998. The trailer is a
one axel 1997 Sealion.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4699078005/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4699708218/

For $5 you could be driving this boat away after the Open House on
August 15th !!! This could be the luckiest $5 you spend all summer !!!

$5 buys you one ticket. $100 buys you 25 tickets!!!! Splurge - it's
all to feed the animals !!!

http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php
Be sure to comment that's it's for the boat raffle until it gets up on
our web page proper!

Can you help me sell tickets or post flyers? Let me know:
Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org


EXOTIC TEA !!!!
Yummy exotic teas !!! Mommey loves these!! www.prismtea.com
Order anything from now until the end of the July 2010, and 15% of the
profits will be donated to Rikki's Refuge. My facebook friend Rainbow
Diamond arranged this for us!!! Thank you Rainbow.

It is NOT too early to stock up for Christmas !!!!!

Tell everybody you know about this lovely delicious deal!!!!

Lovely encyclopedia of exotic teas: http://www.prismtea.com/tea-gifts.html


IS YOUR PET CALENDAR MATERIAL?
Do you have the most beautiful, the funniest or the cutest pet ever???
Is he or she deserving of a page on the 2011 Rikki's Refuge Calendar?

We're having a photo contest to pick the 12 animals that will be!!!
Here's the low down.
Entry fee is: $10 per photo.
Enter as often as you like, as many photos as you like, as many animals
as you like.
Animals - of any species, any number, but no humans - may be in the
photo.
Animals must be the central focus of the picture.
It can be your pets, wildlife or what ever.
Give us your best shot!

You can enter via e-mail by submitting your entry fee here
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php and then submitting your photo to
mail@RikkisRefuge.org - use your same e-mail address on both so we can
link them up. Please limit photos to 5 x 7 inches and 72 dpi.

OR You can mail your photo or a disk to us along with your entry fee:
Rikki's Refuge Photo Contest, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960.

All entries must be in by August 3rd at midnight. Our judges will
select their favorite 12 photos. These will go on display at the August
15th Open House and the public will pick the final winner. All photos
submitted will be displayed on the web site. The winner will be
displayed in full size in Reflections. The runner ups will be there,
just smaller. Sorry, only so much space!!!

These 12 photos will then be turned into Rikki's Refuge 2011
downloadable calendar just for YOU - our very special hoomans who make
our lives possible!!!

So get out there and start snapping away.

You know how the fine print goes. You must have to have rights to the
photo!!! Once submitted Rikki's has rights to use the photos. Photos
don't get returned. Decisions are final, blah blah blah.....


THANK YOU
to those of you who helped me start making a dent in the bills. Neither
the cat food store nor the feed store will let us back in till we're
paid off - or at least way down. You saved the electricity and you let
us get flea preventative for the month!!

If you're like me and don't have a job and are doing all you can to take
care of your family, just send us your love and prayers!

If you have a job and you're able to eat and feed your family and your
critters and you still have a dollar left over, would you consider
giving it to me? I promise to put it to good use taking care of al my
sisfurs, brofurs, sisfeathers, brofeathers, sisscales and broscales.
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

I keep trying to find a job I can do, yet I get rejected over and over
at interviews. It always goes well on the phone, they're impressed with
my resume. Yet when I get there and sit down for the interview, they
take one look at me and start laughing. "You're just an old three
legged cat!"

"Yes sir. I have a very large family to support. I'll take on any
task. I'm purrsonable, charming, reliable ..." And before you know it
they've booted me out the door.

We'll I better be closing here. I have an interview in 4 hours at Food
Lion. In the cat food section. I sure hope it comes with good
benefits. Gotta get Nanny fed and the goat cart hooked up so we can get
to town in time. I hope to see you at the tour Sunday!!!


CURRENT NEEDS
Funding is number one!!!
Canned Cat Food
Dry Cat Food
Canned High Protein Puppy Dog Food
Bleach
Trash Bags
Paper Towels
Laundry Detergent


NOW YOU DID VOTE, RIGHT?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY
Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
and until them I send you all my love for letting me live at Rikki's!!!!
Hope to see you Sunday for the noon tour!!!!

Love,
Vincent
7/1/10


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.

If you know others who'd enjoy reading about the exciting adventures at
Rikki's Refuge let me know and I'll be happy to include them. If you
are one of those strange humans who does not wish to laugh and cry with
us, simply reply with "REMOVE" and nothing but "REMOVE" in the subject
line.


--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 30, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!!

Don't laugh!! I'm ONLY 12 hours late !!!!

Yippee Good News Happy Dance Happy Dance Happy Dance Happy Dance !!!!!
Lena just left for the night AND took the itty bitty pig with her !!!!
Two are nursing well with Bella, their mom. But the itty bitty one just
can't figure out how to hold on well. She's gonna play piggy mommey
tonight!!!!


http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
One vote a day per computer, phone or what ever per person thru Aug 22.
The shelter with the most over all votes will win money to save lives!!!


Just a little bit of fun for today !!!!!

From Bali Cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng7fl_fKCRQ
and for the dog lovers from Straw Beary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ELJN4PPDDY
and the duck lovers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nHJPK4Wz_4


Working on getting a Hairballs out to you tomorrow with more updates,
pictures and videos of the itty bitty piggies !!!!

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!

--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 29, 2010

Is everyone in your family voting?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787161/
Please round up at least one more person to vote. If each of you did
that we'd be the winners for sure. Those cocker spaniels are catching
up, they're even closer. Please don't let me get overrun by a pack of
dogs !!!!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
One vote a day per computer, phone or what ever per person thru Aug 22.
The shelter with the most over all votes will win money to save lives!!!


Mary was here working all day. She was here when we found out about the
baby pigs and helped get the family moved safely.

Joy can out to scrub up Mount Dishmore !!!!


Welcome to the world little one !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743715986/
Hi MOM !!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743716118/
Refuge Rule 14,786: When working at Rikki's Refuge, ALWAYS keep a clean
change of clothes in your car !!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079465/
Mom isn't taking well to this baby thing, the babies seem a bit thin
too, they needed some extra warmth and bottle feeding.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079617/
Snuggy babies!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079823/
This is the active little one !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743079993/


From Debra, once again proving the superiority of cat over hooman !!!
A man absolutely hated his wife's cat and decided to get rid of him one
day by driving him 20 blocks from his home and leaving him at the park.
As he arrived home, the cat was walking up the driveway.

The next day he decided to drive the cat 40 blocks away. He put the
beast out and headed home. Driving back up his driveway, there was the cat!

He kept taking the cat further and further, and the cat would always
beat him home. At last he decided to drive a few miles away, turn right,
then left, past the bridge, then right again and another right until he
reached what he thought was a safe distance from his home and left the
cat there.

Hours later the man calls home to his wife: "Jen, is the cat there?"
"Yes", the wife answers, "why do you ask?"
Frustrated, the man answered, "Put the little @#$#@ on the phone, I'm
lost and need directions."


I'm a frog today !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4696214360/
I'm so happy to spend the day floating down the creek on a lilly pad
instead of in that house listening to squealing baby pigs!!!!!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


We survived the first night nursing the babies!! Mom fed the little
runt - and siblings - every hour - all night long. The GOOD NEWS is
they may only need that 3-10 days!! DAYS not even weeks !!!! Yippee
!!!!! The itty bitty runt is taking a couple licks of milk by himself
now.

Here's the piggies just barely more than 24 hours old!!!! AFTER being
fed so their squeals are very soft here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V036Ip6E5vM


Bella still isn't very impressed with her babies. She needs
"assistance" lying down to feed them. And it only lasts a minute or so
before she runs away. Valerie will keep trying all day and keep paws
crossed she'll decide she loves her babies so they can move in with her.
Right now it's not safe to leave them in with her.


Do you remember 10 years ago on a snowy Christmas Eve when Charlotte,
the one too young to possibly be pregnant when she arrived, gave birth
to four breach babies!!! The runt of that litter, now known as
Frieda, she started life as Little Tar Baby cuz she was just a speck of
black! She became a world famous pig when Dr. Pitcairn cured her
incurable malformed legs using homeopathy!
http://www.drpitcairn.com/homeopathy/Cases/tarbaby.html


From Walker: They crossed a Collie and a Lhasa Apso. The new breed is a
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport.

You did VOTE didn't you?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Be my hero - feed the piglets all night!!! Actually Kristy and daughter
Beth have offered to take a night and Katarina has offered to take a
night. Stand by - I'll let you know if they're eating enough on their
own or still need frequent feedings throughout the night.

I wonder if I squealed like that if I'd get more frequent feedings ????

I love you all, no matter what species you are, as long as you don't
squeal all night !!!!

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!

--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Monday, June 28, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 28, 201

Sirikit shares the best way to start the day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsSr6rP6c3Y


HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED !!!
Happy Birthday to YOU, Happy Birthday to YOU, You're welcome to come
live in my ZOO, Happy Birthday dear Fred, Happy Birthday to YOU, may it
be great and filled with Fancy Feast !!! Love, Vincent

Fred's my dad! Here's our family portrait
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787941/
He got a big unexpected surprise at the refuge today - come visit Dad
and get your presents!!!!


Laurie, a little birdie told me you had a birthday earlier this week!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU - you're always welcome to come live in my zoo
too !!!!


No matter what species you are you can vote !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787161/
you can be voting to help us win big bucks!!!
Ask your friends everywhere to join in !!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
One vote a day per computer, phone or what ever per person thru Aug 22.
The Shelter with the most over all votes will win money to save lives!!!

We're praying that you'll vote for us every day !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787593/


Working at Rikki's is always filled with fun and excitement and
unexpected events !!!! We never, just never, get bored here !!!!

And the closer mom is to a deadline and trying to work to keep it ......
The more likely it is to be an exciting day!!!!

I could play 20 questions with you all day and you'd never guess what
Valerie discovered on rounds this morning!! Never !!!! Should I tell
you - or make you play ?????

About the size of two, maybe three cans of Fancy Feast and it goes
squeak squeak oink oink squeak squeak ........

WHAT??? Bella has babies????? From WHERE!!!!! The guys are all
fixed and she doesn't even live with any of them. She and Lola hate the
other pigs and they have their own home. Roaming wild boar????

Hmmm how long has she been here ...... When was that last snow storm?
She arrived during that, a pet who kept escaping and getting arrested by
animal control. They took her home that day and her folks said aww just
keep her. So here's poor ACO Trish with a pig on her livestock trailer
and it's COLD and there's tons of snow on the ground AND they already
had another pig waiting to come to Rikki's.

Beau a big pink guy with a black head had been a stray. Very friendly.
They'd already neutered him and he was ready to roll. Literally. So
she headed back to the shelter, rounded up a crew of deputies and loaded
Beau onto the trailer too.

Mom was busy out taking care of all the snowy issues and didn't get the
phone call ..... At 4:30 pm all the animals were taken care of and
safely bedded up for the night and mom said the staff could go on and
leave in the hopes they'd get home safely before the roads got to icy.
Just as they were getting in the car ............

........... a couple sheriff cars and animal control truck hauling a
trailer pulls in. Mom's like HUH???? Lucky for everybody we have a
great friendly crew and everybody pitched in to help.

We couldn't even get to our usual pig quarantine pens. So we cleared a
path to Emu Estates. Had to dig out a house - remember it was about 3
feet deep - dig an area around the house cuz 3 feet is way over Bella or
Beau's head. Get bedding and food and water and get them all set up for
the night.

That was about 114 days ago. After seeing the babies this morning, Mom
can screaming into the office, "what is pig gestation?" I'm very smart
you know, I read the dictionary in my spare time, so I said, "gestation
means how long you're pregnant, it's the length of time ..." And she
said, "shut up smarty pants, let me get my chart out of my desk. Hmmmm
112-116 days. Today is ..... Bella arrived ..... Ah ha".

Now the next panic is, of course, was it Beau or was it before? Is that
why Bella went wondering that fateful day? Or Beau ...... So mom
went chasing Beau around for a feelie and found nothing. See mom run
.... See Beau run .... See mom run .... See Beau squeal ..... I think
I should write books, what do you think?

Mom didn't find any "goods" and so she called the shelter and Trish and
they definitely verified seeing him neutered and the "goods" being
removed. Pweeeee God willing the other female pigs ......

Mom and crew are working on fencing and all kinds of things needed now
for itty bitty baby pigs. they are about the size of 12 week old kittens.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743423966/


Barb tells me - I lost count, but there were about 130 bats that flew
out of my shutters tonight, including a lot of wobbly baby flyers with
their little wings beating as hard as they could, with mommas circling
and encouraging them! ..really quite a sight to behold!!! Look Mom,
I'm a bat and I can fly!!!!!!!!!! Wheeeee!!!!!

At Pet Smart tonight a 3rd new person showed up who wanted to be trained
as a volunteer ...may have enough people now to cover morning shift too,
which will give Nita a break...yea!!!!!

Momma cat is SO VERY sweet...I cradle her in my arms and she makes bread
on my arm and stares at me with such trust in her eyes...the vet did an
amazing job...I could hardly believe how small he made her
incision...I'm thinking to go ahead and let her join her babies at Polly
and Mike's house tomorrow...I'm really going to miss her...I really
really like her...I'll bet if I could go to bed with her she would be a
real snuggler...it's such a good feeling when everything flows and comes
together for the good of all...:-)


Lisa says: Had an awesome day today, wish I could bottle it and repeat
it again tomorrow!


I'm a zebra !!!! Let's have a fundraiser!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4695579481/
I can do a car wash !!!!!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

Gees I wonder if I'm getting paid back for all the fun I was having as a
pig !!!!


It happened yesterday!!!

Jan brought food and supplies

Melissa trained Katarina in the skill of dog training so she can teach
the volunteers in Youth Camp

Randy and Steve worked on dog fencing

A community service guy helped out

Rene stopped in Saturday to help out (oops, I'm a day late!)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743424048/


Tara: Lots of people think that the most dangerous thing about a pit
bull is its jaws. I disagree. The most dangerous thing about a pit bull
is its tail. It has a mind of its own. You can teach a pit bite
inhabitation but you will never teach a pit bull to stop wagging its
tail.---Emily Ward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Z5oZhqA7g


Please Please let us win so we can spend the money saving animals!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743424218/

You did VOTE didn't you?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4743424144/


Send me your fun, good and wacky news !!!

Be my hero and help stock our empty pantry with canned cat food!!!

I love you all, no matter what species you are, how long your ears are
or how many legs you have!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4742787361/
Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!

--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 27, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON !!! Director of serving cats!!!! We wish you a
great big hairy kitty filled birthday !!!! Stop in and pick up your
Birthday Present!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4738554952/


No matter where in the world YOU are
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4738554980/
you can be voting to help us win big bucks!!!
Ask your friends everywhere to join in !!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
One vote a day per computer, phone or what ever per person thru Aug 22.
The Shelter with the most over all votes will win money to save lives!!!


This is THE night to come out to the refuge for a moon walk and camp
out. It was spectacular last night. Really makes you appreciate the
wonderful planet we get to live on. Best I've ever visited! About 9:15
there was a deep orange glow coming from behind the tree line at Doggy
Downs. Mom said, Oh NO what now! And when she got there to investigate
she was awed. It was the moon. More spectacular than most harvest
moons! So deep orange and the night was so clear.

We watched the moonrise while we listened to the spring peepers and the
whippoorwills. The doggys were quiet until the moon was well up in the
sky. I guess they were awed and just watching too. Mommey took
pictures but we'll have to see how that works out. Her camera isn't
really made for night time.

Moonrise is 9:39 tonight. Will probably be visible over the tree line
about 10 pm, and if like last night, really nice till about 11:30 or
midnight!! Great night to camp out!!! And the weather is purrfect
too!!! Scared of bear? Sleep in my day room with my and my friends!!!


Wendy, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4738554854/


Great big huge congratulations to Voices for Animals clinic who
speutered 122 cats yesterday.
Mary Ellen, president of Voices is fabulous and has worked non stop for
kitties for years and years and years. She's one of those wonderful
people who doesn't yell and get mad and doesn't tell others what to do,
but gets out there and does it!!! My wonderful friend Barbara
volunteered at yesterday's clinic too. She's another one who works
endlessly for the animals. Just adopting a kitty a couple years back
she heard about the homeless problem amongst my kind, so she got
involved!! And wow did she ever get involved!!! She now lives to serve
our species and saves lives every day!!! Mary Ellen and Barbara -
you're my HEROES !!!!!
http://www.nbc29.com/global/Category.asp?C=175568&clipId=4899972&autostart=true

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzW3LIkNLA


Animal Heroes!!!!
Ryan for driving a 24 hour transport, (12 each way) and arriving happy
and cheerful, even after getting a two hour late start thanks to one of
his passengers. She'd been staying with him as a foster. A long hair
gray lovely lady with partial vision. She's sweet and lovely and had
grown accustomed to him and his home. When he said, time to go, she
bolted. Up inside the freezer's motor compartment.

Here kitty, here kitty kitty - didn't work. Treats didn't work. Tuna
didn't work. He's hoping the freezer still works after he spent 2.5
hours dismantling things to get kitty safely out!!!! PS Ron, there
is a great huge lh white one who's owner had passed away.


Katarina worked a "full day" at Rikki's. Arriving at 8 am and working
during the day with youth and a community service person, and filling in
anywhere Lena needed her till 7 pm. Then she did rounds with Lena about
various repairs and projects that her youth group could do. At 8 pm
Ryan arrived with his transport and she helped us get 7 kitties settled
in. It was her first opportunity to watch them run for a potty break
and then chow down after that long trip. After putting in a 13 hour
day of hard physical labor she headed home for a cooling shower


Zoey, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4738554890/


Cindy spent all day working like a dog! I mean with the dogs! Well she
worked like a dog with the dogs. I'll never get why you hoomans call
hard work, working like a dog. Seems to me the dogs laze around a
lot!!! But Cindy doesn't! She did all the daily chores at Doggy
Downs, feeding and scrubbing out water bowls and pooper scooping. Then
she cleaned out all the doggy houses, at the downs and for the mascots
too. And she got some grooming in too! And then with the little energy
left, she unloaded all the goodies and supplies she'd brought for the
critters!!!


David and his brother trenched around the perimeter (see I know big
words for a cat, don't I?) of the Rabbit Rotunda II so the fencing can
be set down. Different needs for different species. Us kitties, we
don't dig out. Dem wabbits dem do !!! And if they dig out, somebody
might eat them. I wouldn't have a clue who might be waiting out here to
get them but ..... ((( Psssstttt Hey David ... could you leave just a
little gap .....????? ))))) And the started installing the fencing
going around. It's gonna be really cool when it's all finished !!!!!


I'm an elephant today !!!! Let's have a fundraiser!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4706051218/
I can do a car wash !!!!!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

Now here's a great idea for investing in Rikki's future. Let's pick up
a couple islands while the economy is down and when this pick up we can
sell them at a huge profit. Or better yet build and move the refuge to
an island !!!
http://www.newser.com/story/93775/bankrupt-greece-selling-islands.html


From Heather, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4738554924/
Speaking of islands, Petunia wants a vacation here!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/5844059/The-bay-of-pigs-swine-swimming-in-crystal-clear-water-in-the-Bahamas.html
Did you know that humans rank pigs up there in intelligence with
dolphins!!!!
http://www.gadling.com/2009/07/20/swim-with-wild-pigs-on-big-major-spot-island-bahamas/
My purrsonal policy is to never, never trust the intelligence ranking of
one species by another !!!! I mean, why ask me, who's the smartest of
them all? You won't get hooman or pig or dolphin as the answer !!!!


Mom says this reminds her of the endless hours of playing with her
brother in airports across the world when she was kid. Back then in the
dark ages, like before computers were even invented, they didn't have
video arcades or anything, so the kids had to make up their own games.
That was back in the day before anybody thought of putting safety
warnings all over the place and you were allowed to have fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDDILztf6vE


Mom's looking for a volunteer to take on this project. You'll need to
get 659 of these donated and then train the kitties, and work out a
proposal for putting electricity back in the grid ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWyrOuH-x7k


Blue, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4737920951/


You did VOTE didn't you?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Send me your good news, happy stories, successful rescues, cute photos
and videos, make me laugh, smile and happy to be alive!!!

Who's hero will you be today?

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!

--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 26, 2010

Yippee it's Caturday !!!! The funnest day of the week cuz the mostest
of my friends come to visit !!!

And adoptions are going on everywhere -
be responsible
recycle
adopt TODAY !!!!!!!

Somebody out there is just waiting to make your life a little bit warmer
and a little bit happier !!!

Every size and shape, color and pattern available - ADOPT !!!

Joan is having adoptions from 11 am - 3 pm at the Booth Feeds in
Fredericksburg on route 3 - kats and kittens -- get one quick before
the supply runs out !!!

Every PetSmart and PetCo on the planet are having adoption days too,
every shelter and pound is open for adoptions!!!!

Make somebody's summer, make somebody's life !!!! ADOPT TODAY !!!!!


Teach everybody to vote !!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4735365505/
Day care, camp, Sunday school, scouts !!! Vote Vote Vote !!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Candy brought Blue Dog (a big pick up) filled with produce and yummies
yesterday!!!


Melissa and Ann came out with a vehicle stuffed with cat food and other
goodies and spent several hours helping to clean ears (over 2500 of them
here) and clip claws (over 14,000 here, just counting mammals) - a
daunting job !!!!


Dog and Cat Romance !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytedC1heY_8


Bionic cat has 9 lives, 2 faux paws - Oscar fitted with prosthetic limbs
in world-first operation
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37922163/ns/health-pet_health
LONDON — Oscar the cat may have lost one of his nine lives, but his new
prosthetic paws make him one of the world's few bionic cats. After
losing his two rear paws in a nasty encounter with a combine harvester
last October, the black cat with green eyes was outfitted with metallic
pegs that link the ankles to new prosthetic feet and mimic the way deer
antlers grow through skin. Oscar is now back on his feet and hopping
over hurdles like tissue paper rolls.

After Oscar's farming accident, which happened when the 2
1/2-year-old-cat was lazing in the sun in the British Channel Isles, his
owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, took him to their local veterinarian. In
turn, the vet referred Oscar to Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic
surgeon in Eashing, 35 miles southwest of London.

Together with biomedical engineering experts, Fitzpatrick gave Oscar two
metal prosthetic implants, or pegs. Those were attached to custom-built
faux paws that are a bit wobbly, to imitate a cat's natural walk.

After rehabilitation training that taught Oscar how to walk again, the
cat was on all four feet in less than four months. "This is a pretty
lucky cat," said Dr. Mark Johnston, "Giving a cat artificial limbs is a
very novel solution." Johnston said that while there are many "perfectly
happy" three-legged cats and dogs, animals that lose two legs do not
usually fare as well.

Dogs might cope better with some sort of animal-wheelchair for their
back legs, but cats don't usually adapt to that because of their freer
lifestyle, he said. "If a cat has two legs that are damaged beyond
repair, it's very hard to keep him going," he said.

He doubted the technique would be widely available due to the cost and
said it was still relatively rare for animals to lose two legs at once.
Gordon Blunn, who led the effort to make Oscar's fake paws, said they
cost about 2,000 pounds ($2,996) to make, not including the cost for the
operation itself.

In 2008, Fitzpatrick made an artificial knee for a cat named Missy who
was struck by a hit and run driver. In the U.S., several animals have
received artificial limbs directly attached to their bones at North
Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.


I'm a cat today !!!! Pweeeh it's been tough being all those other animals.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733172168/
And there's nothing better than a cat! Is there?
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Ok, sorry, I gave you a bogus link yesterday, here's the RIGHT one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4fsHLWi_xI&feature=PlayList&p=EA90594BCAB8ADA5&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=55

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4724078407/

Yoga Gathering in Central Park Breaks World Record
http://www.gnn.com/article/yoga-gathering-in-central-park-breaks/1129753
Despite an early end due to rain, lots of limber folk -- about 10,000 --
helped organizers set a new world record for the largest ever registered
yoga class Tuesday night in New York City's Central Park. "To sense
firsthand the enthusiasm and attention rising up from that sea of people
is an experience I'll never forget," said Brower in a statement.
Ominous (or were they om-inous?) thunderstorms cut short the event.
Nothing, however, could dampen the crowd's enthusiasm.


Man Returns Lost $3,600
Brennan Breene returned an envelope stuffed with $3,600 to David and
Ashley Marasco of Bridgeville, Pa., who had driven off Sunday with the
envelope on the trunk of their car. Breene said, that he saw an
envelope lying in the middle of the road on Washington Pike, a busy
highway southwest of Pittsburgh. It had cash hanging out of it. He
pulled over and cautiously went into the road to pick up the envelope.
"If nobody claimed it, I guess I would've kept it," he told the
Post-Gazette. "I figured, in a couple of days, I'd go to the police with
it."

The next morning, however, he looked for news reports about lost money.
He found a report on a local TV station's website about a couple who
lost $3,600 of their wedding money. Within minutes of realizing he had
the Marascos' money, Breene went to Bridgeville police to turn it in.

The Marascos had driven away Sunday with their wedding photo album on
top of the trunk of their car -- and the envelope with the money was
inside. Another driver alerted them to the wedding album on the car, but
when the Marascos pulled over, the envelope with the cash was already
missing. "To be quite honest with you, I would have loved to have had
$3,600," said Breene, whose business has suffered a downturn. "But my
better conscience said it wasn't mine."

WWVD - stop at WalMart first for just a FEW cans of Fancy Feast ???


You did VOTE already, Right?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

Be somebody's hero today!

And write in and tell me who was your hero for the day!

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!


--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Friday, June 25, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 25, 2010

Hey NO SNOW in the forecast here today !!!!!

Judith is my HERO of the day !!!! She keeps our web page updated and
pretty!!
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/
She's got it all set up so you can enter your animal photos for our
contest! And Funland, and the Tour next Sunday, July 4th !!!!! Check
it out frequently, it's always changing!


The Teens C.A.R.E Program had a hot opening yesterday !!!! It was
awesome! We had 14 teens and 2 parents turn out for our first day. They
all learned how to do the cat runs, change liter from pellets to
sawdust, helped open dog and cat treats, and they painted the new
quarantine building!! All in 100 degree weather! These teens were
seriously the most helpful teens I have ever met. We are looking forward
to a really fun summer being heroes to all our animal friends at
Rikki's. --- Katarina

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732934956/
Sam appreciates the Teen program too, Katarina's got a really cool lunch
bag, and Sam like to share!


I'm turning up every where !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733077758/
Please please don't let that doggy group catch up to us. I know it's
hot and you're getting tired of voting every day - but just think of the
lives that money we win is gonna save !!!! Vote vote vote !!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


And speaking of art auctions, look as some of the great stuff coming up
for the auction at the Golf Tournament and Festival !!!

These great items will be up for silent auction and the top price will
set the reserve for the live auction. Interested in bidding? Until
tell me which item you like, your bid and I'll enter it in the
descriptions on the flickr site!!! If you can't pick up your winnings
at the Golf Tournament or at Rikki's - you'll need to add shipping.

Most of these items have more than one picture on flickr - I'm just
going to list the main photo here, so go forward and backwards to see
all the photos !!!!

Cat Print, Kae Taylor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732280631/
Cat Print, Gini Adamson:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732932132/
Cat Print, Debra Lee Hellwig:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732333931/
Cat Scarf: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733043540/
Cat Sweater: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733025470/
Paris Cat Shirt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733029882/
Peacock Plate: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733001134/
Horse print set #1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733058544/
Horse print set #2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4733059600/
Ladies watch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732364173/


Got something beautiful you'd like to see us auction? All proceeds go
to feed the animals! A VERY VERY important cause !!!!


You've gotta give it to the animal heroes who braved that heat yesterday
to make life batter for the animals. Everywhere. And here's some more
Rikki's heroes from yesterday!

At Rikki's the show must go on - no matter what - heat or cold - snow or
rain - no matter what - we need to be taken care of every day !!! And
our dedicated hooman heroes do it !!!!!

Donna picked up the items for the Golf Tournament and Festival Auction.

Anita and Dana drove over the mountains and thru the woods to bring in a
haul of dawg food !!! Woof Woof Woof AND ice cold lemonade for the
staff!!!! Yahhhhh.

Dennis picked up broken bags from Target and had to hitch up his trailer
to hold it all !!!!! He also during the school year he brings produce
and cafeteria scraps for the pigs and friends just about every day!!
Who can scrounge up goodies this summer? Left overs at farmer markets
are a good place to start!!! Just ask - as they say - you shall receive
- and they you can help the animals!!!

Mary Ellen had to borrow a great big huge truck to bring in the
donations from Village Feed Store !! Yippee!! Happy chickens and goats
and .....


Cute video: http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=fl_106113076080129
Notice how we're turning up in advertising more and more. That's all
cuz of YOU. They know you like us. And the more of you liking us the
better our world gets to be. YOU are successful at raising awareness of
the animals in the world. Yeah, I know, this is just a cutsey wootsey.
But seeing advertising putting their money on us is a good sign!!!!!


John reports: Man Returns From 3-Year Sea Voyage
A sailor who had been cruising around the world finally returned to dry
land more than three years after leaving it. Reid Stowe, 58, had a huge
grin on his face as he docked his 70-foot, two-masted schooner "Anne" at
a pier near West 42nd Street on Thursday afternoon. Family and friends
applauded and cheered. Stowe had been sailing nonstop for 1,152 days.

Restaurants donated food, including rice, beans, tomato sauce, pasta,
chocolate and spices. Other companies contributed as well, donating
money, a GPS system and even the costs and maintenance of his website.
Stowe's parents also assisted. To keep himself busy for the last two
years, Stowe repaired torn sails, painted, practiced yoga and wrote a
book that he hopes to get published. He was able to send e-mails and
make satellite phone calls.

Stowe said his trip breaks a record from the 1890s when a Norwegian ship
traveled for 1,067 days. Stowe said he didn't get the record verified
with Guinness World Records beforehand because he couldn't afford the
entrance fee. A spokeswoman from Guinness confirmed that a claim has
since been registered and it is being researched.

Stowe's trip wasn't always smooth sailing, though; 15 days after setting
sail, he collided with a freighter, and his boat briefly capsized last
February.

He said he planned to repair his boat -- which he and his family built
more than 30 years ago -- and he hopes to tour around the country's
waterways with his family. "This is my life," Stowe said. "This is what
I do."


I'm a pig again today !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4696214230/
I love to pig out!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

Here's Bill trying on the fly masks he bought for the horses!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935148/

David http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935638/
is in charge of the construction of Rabbit Rotunda II. He donated all
the materials.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935424/
The fence poles are in and next the fence goes up!!!

Ken and Gina who adopted Mr. Turtle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935098/


Trav discovered Snicker's loft! Uh Oh what's going to happen when
Snickers discovers that Trav discovered her loft?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935058/

Snickers sees Lena coming with claw clippers and heads for the safety of
her loft.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935022/

Only to find Trav! Hssssss. That stopped her long enough for Lena to
catch her.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732934990/
Snip Snip there goes the tips of those sharp claws. Trav's been
promoted to medical assistant !!!!!


Look !! Miss Maike donated another milty!!! These are special really
feel good bankies!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732291177/
Hmm my other one is stretch out and share size .... this one's a
sitting ....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732291319/
.... or sharing with itty bits !!!!!

Kittens will be ready for adoption next week! Who wants a kitten?? One
orange tabby, one grey and white, two black and white. Must go in pairs!!


I had to go to the post office to pick up a package there. The
postmaster loves me so he makes me sign personally for all my packages.
Mom will go and he'll say - uuuu ahhhhh it's for VIncent - go get
him!!!

It was from my facebook friend Sam Iam
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935790/
Lots of cool toys and best of all delicious Party Mix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732935750/
Num Num Num
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732291207/
thanks Sam! That was delicious!!!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732934894/
Tabitha snoozing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4732290437/
ME chilling out !!!!!


You did VOTE already, Right?
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA

Be somebody's hero today!

And write in and tell me who was your hero for the day!

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!


--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 24, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!!

It's above freezing today !!! NO ice to break out of water bowls !!!
No hard packed snow to shovel before gates can be opened !!! No
sweeping snow off the roofs of cat runs !!!! No propane bill to pay
!!!! No dangerous ice on the roads !!!

Our planet is covered in trees that are making shade !!!! We have a
wonderful deep well that gives us beautiful delicious clean cool water !!!


Look who's voting for Vincent and Rikki's Refuge in the Shelter
Challenge $100,000 contest NOW !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4729753821/
Hurry Hurry number 2 is catching up - vote - vote on your computer -
vote on your phone - vote at home - vote at work - ask your friends,
family, co workers to vote - post it every where you can think!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Jennifer voted on a plane yesterday!!!


Mary is my HERO of the day !!!! She typed in some much needed documents
Mom was behind on. And she took some special photos of me. And for the
upcoming card!!! Thank you Mary for your big help. Mary works at
Rikki's two days a week, volunteering to do lots of needed things,
organizing, office work, feeding cats (that's the best!!), and anything
the hoomans need help with! She's a really big help to mom!


Carl brought out a truck of produce for the vegivores. He does that
alternate Wednesdays!!


Two more chickens will be safe and happy forever!!! They were living in
a not safe place, but joined us yesterday. They're in the hospital now
and should be healed up and ready to meet their new friends in Chicken
City in a few weeks.


Jeanette: Have you ever looked into your cats eyes, and felt that
incredible connection, like he was trying to tell you something? Felt
the love pour out of your heart and connect with his eyes. It's the
most incredible feeling ... I believe cats are from heaven, sent by God
as little 4 legged angles, to love and guard us. I believe my cats
guard me all the times. Especially at food time!


Winky Lobe Mom is all excited to go back to "kitty heaven" (aka Rikki's
Refuge) this weekend...


http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=110928565622329
I sure hope you can see this!!! Ken, you got the turtle. We'll have
kittens ready to go in a week!!!


I'm a frog today !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4696214360/
I'll keep cool hopping from lilly pad to lilly pad !!!!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Frankie: One year ago today, my sister Lucy came to live with us. Never
a dull moment since. I complain about her a lot, but she's the best
partner in crime a dog could have. Happy Lucy Day!!!


Teagan - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4729744863/


Lesley: Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so
love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones that don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take
it, if it changes your life, let it!!. No body said that it'd be easy,
they just promised that it would be worth it!!"


Rita: My dog is happy to see me when I get home from work BEFORE asking
for dinner and happily eats whatever I feed her. Why can't husbands be
that way?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4730390342/
You just can't tell me the world isn't getting better and better every
day!!! More and more of you are out there saving the animals and
making planet earth a more compassionate place.

Ontario Feral Cats Benefit Auction, June 30, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Ontario
Golf Club, Great Stuff, including a sailboat, a rifle, power tools,
antiques and more. Good food. Fun people. Call 541-889-6711 or
541-823-2427 for tickets


We're having an auction at the golf tournament and festival
got any good things you'd like to see us auction off ..... let me
know, we need more donations of neat things!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4313928885/


Friends with color printers!!! Donna needs 125 copies of the Funland
flyer - http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Rikkis/funland%20day.html - for the
goodie bags at the Golf Tournament and Festival. Can you print them
out for me??? Purrrlease.....


Emma: Was worth waiting since December for this boy to find the perfect
home! Cracker went trotting off to his new life today.


Julie writes in that her life has gone to the dogs!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4730390326/


Humphrey: next time you go to a restaurant and ask for a Coke, and they
say "is Pepsi OK?", you should reply "is Monopoly money OK?"


The cat's point of view: I can't decide whether to stay in or go out....
Better get the human to keep opening the door so I can check both sides.


Elizabeth: Hope is a comet on which dreams ride like the little prince.
The more you can hope the brighter it is and the more dreams ride.


Marilyn: is SO grateful for my life. Lord, thank you for my blessings
and thank you for my struggles. Blessings provide strength while my
struggles keep me humble.


Jeanette: Good news! Babette found a home, thank you Mandy and Vera, you
gave her a second chance, no money can ever buy what you did today!!


HELP me get SPEUTERED !!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzW3LIkNLA&feature=player_embedded
Only $300 to go !!!!
http://rikkisrefuge.chipin.com/doubling-your-donations-speuter-for-fathers-day
The computer did it !!!! Some how this chip in got closed out at 8:33
am yesterday - it was supposed to run thru midnight today. Thank you
for telling me about this when you tried to donate!! Jan's given us an
extension since we lost a day - we now have till midnight on the 25th -
tomorrow - to reach the goal and she'll double it with a $1,000 gift!!!


Keep Cool !!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoesPOnRbSo
who can do animation like this for Rikki's???


Will YOU be my HERO today? http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

VOTE EVERYDAY !!!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


I love you all very very much!! You are my LIFE !!!! Tour next Sunday
July 4th, noon, please come visit me!!!
Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!


--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

JOIN THE RIKKI'S FAMILY
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

Not a Rikki's Family Member? For only $45 you can join for a year and
receive your electronic subscription to HAIRBALLS and paper subscription
to REFLECTIONS

DONATE NOW save a life today
http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php

RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
to this material must be donated to Rikki's.

Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
CFC 77674, CVC 3163, PetsMart Charities #1377
Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Good Morning Good News !!!! June 23, 2010

If you find yourself stuck in the jungle .... you can still vote !!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4726493051/
Everybody is working to help us win!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Good Samaritan is helping traveling cat make trip home
The tabby's trek took him from Albuquerque to Chicago during the eight
months he was missing.

Chicago — No one knows how a tabby cat named Charles traveled the
1,100-plus miles from his New Mexico home to Chicago, but he's set for a
complimentary flight home on American Airlines in a carrier donated by
an Albuquerque business. Charles disappeared about eight months ago
while his owner was out of town and a friend was caring for him. "Oh, I
was crushed. And I found out while I was away volunteering with Habitat
for Humanity, and I was so upset because I was in New Orleans so there
was nothing I could do," said Robin Alex of Albuquerque.

Then last week, Alex received a call telling her Chicago Animal Care and
Control had picked up her wandering cat as a stray. Staffers reached out
to Alex after finding that Charles had a tracking microchip embedded
between his shoulder blades, said the agency's executive director,
Cherie Travis. But Alex said she could not afford the round-trip ticket
to Chicago to bring Charles home, so she was afraid he might be euthanized.

Enter fellow Albuquerque resident Lucien Sims. Sims said he has a tabby
cat who strongly resembles Charles, and was moved when his mother sent
him an online story about Alex and her pet. Sims was on his way to
Chicago on Thursday for a wedding, so he said he would go to the
shelter, pick up Charles and bring him back to New Mexico. Sims has
made all the arrangements for Charles' return, including getting a
company to donate a cat carrier and American Airlines to waive the cat's
travel fee. Travis said Charles was ready for his next adventure.


You are signed up for the golf tournament and festival, aren't you!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4313928837/


They crossed a Malamute and a Pointer. The new breed is a Moot Point,
owned by....oh, well, it doesn't really matter. (from Walker)


I'm a pig again today !!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4696214230/
Mom's snickering and making oink noises at me!
VOTE now - and today - tell three friends to vote.
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


A woman is walking in the park when she sees a man playing chess with
his cat. She says to the man "I can't believe what I m seeing, a cat
that plays chess, what a clever animal!!" The man replied "Nah lady this
cats not clever at all I m beating it 6 games to 1? (by Suzzie)

Only $300 to go !!!!
http://rikkisrefuge.chipin.com/fathers-day
If we can raise just $300 more before midnight tomorrow - we'll get the
bonus $1,000 !!!! Help us if you can !!!!


Jaguars Are Lured By the Smell of Calvin Klein Cologne
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters Life!) – Biologists tracking jaguars in the
Guatemalan jungle might smell nice but it's all in the name of science,
with researchers finding the Calvin Klein cologne Obsession for Men
attracts big cats.

Biologists Rony Garcia and Jose Moreira from the Wildlife Conservation
Society's (WCS) Jaguar Conservation Program say they use hidden cameras
as a primary source for observing and tracking jaguars in Guatemala's
Maya Biosphere Reserve.

But they also rely on Obsession for Men, a cologne known for its complex
scent, to help lure then research and hopefully ultimately preserve
jaguars in the Central American country.

"The method we are using to study the jaguars here in Guatemala is a
non-invasive method which is based on photographing the individuals by
using camera traps," Moreira told Reuters Television.

"It has been very useful using Obsession (for Men) to get the jaguars in
front of these camera traps ... and that allows us to estimate with
greater confidence the genders and the numbers that live in each studied
site."

The discovery that Obsession for Men acted as a magnet for jaguars was
the result of an experiment by the WCS's Bronx Zoo in New York.

The WCS was looking for ways to get cheetahs in front of camera traps,
and, after several years of testing with different fragrances, found
spraying the musky Obsession For Men near the heat-and-motion-sensitive
cameras drew the cats for longer than other scents.

They also tried out about 23 other fragrances but Obsession for Men kept
the cats' attention for longest with Nina Ricci's L'Air du Temps coming
second.

The practice made its way down to Guatemala, where Garcia and Moreira
said they have been recording similar success in the wild since 2007,
allowing them to track jaguars and even record their mating rituals.

Garcia said the results will be invaluable to conservation efforts.

"These camera traps help us to identify how many jaguars are living in
this area ... (and) helps us to have control over the population and
lets us say to the government, to the public, that Laguna del Tigre
still deserves conservation," he said.

The WCS said it tentatively plans to expand the use of the cologne in
programs in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador in coming years.


Be my HERO !!!!!! VOTE EVERYDAY !!!!!
http://bit.ly/bDLKJY Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA


Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what
we get, but we make a life by what we give. ---Norman MacEwan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikkis_refuge/4727225574/


Who's HERO are YOU going to be today?

Love, Vincent

PS If you don't want your Daily Good New, just let me know! A couple of
you have said you only want Hairballs with out the Good News!! That's
ok! Just tell me. I'm here to make you happy, just tell me how! If
Good New don't make you happy - I could always start Bad News, but, as
you hoomans say, why reinvent the wheel - that's what you've got tv and
newspapers for !!!!!


--
Have you Voted for Rikki's Today?

Vote Right Now! We can win $s if we have the most votes by August 22,
2010 - you can vote everyday - it's FREE - get everybody you know voting!!!

Rikkis Refuge, Orange, VA, USA
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs

Vincent D. Cat, Official Spokes Cat of Rikki's Refuge

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RIKKI'S REFUGE a 367 acre, no-kill, all species peaceful sanctuary
supported solely by donations of kind and loving individuals, just like
you.

Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer
Affairs. All material in this e-mail is copyrighted and cannot be used
for any purpose other than to bring awareness of Rikki's Refuge and the
plight of unwanted animals to the public. Any monetary gain attributed
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Phone: 540-854-0870
Address: PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
Member: paypal.com (mail@rikkisrefuge.org),
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Web page: http://www.rikkisrefuge.org
E-mail: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org