Before I get into a discussion on whether I support CA SB 250 or mandatory spay/neuter laws in general I must emphasize that any opinion expressed here is solely my own and does not necessarily represent the opinion or position of FieldHaven Feline Rescue in general. While I am the President of the Board of Directors of FieldHaven (and volunteer Executive Director) the Board has not discussed nor positioned themselves on SB 250 or other mandatory spay/neuter legislation.
OK, now having gotten that out of the way. How do I feel about SB 250?? I am definitely sitting on the fence and heavily leaning towards the opposing side. What?, you say. Me, the self-proclaimed spay/neuter “nazi” who never hesitates to ask someone if their cat or dog is fixed and is downright evangelistic about spaying and neutering?!
Yes, you heard right. I am NOT convinced that a law to require everyone to spay and neuter their pets is the best way to get the job done. That job being putting an end to euthanizing of 4.5 million dogs and cats a year for no reasons except there are not enough homes and there are too many irresponsible people letting their animals breed.
We all know it is an American tragedy that these animals are killed each year and I think (hope) we all agree on 2 points; all cats and dogs should by spayed and neutered unless a breeder has a responsible, purposeful breeding program and that puppy mills need to be shut down and done away with.
Beyond that, there seems to be 2 definite factions – those that are for mandatory spay/neuter and those that are opposed. I lean towards the latter and here’s why:
Access to low-cost spay neuter – Not all areas in California are as fortunate as we are in Placer County with our low and no-cost spay/neuter programs. For example, several counties in the Central Valley have very limited or no low cost spay/neuter clinics or programs. Veterinarians will not provide discounted rates to anyone and many will not even accept feral cats for spay/neuter. How can we enact a law when there are no provisions for people who want to comply with the law but cannot afford to? How can we put a law in place that doesn’t even provide a reasonable means for people to comply? Wouldn't that would be like mandating that everyone has to get a driver’s license but putting DMV offices 200 miles apart.
A Law will Discourage Citizens from Helping – In a survey by Alley Cat Allies it is estimated that 82% of owned cats are already spayed/neutered. But only 3% of stray and feral cats are fixed. We have found through our spay/neuter assistance program (SNAP) at FieldHaven that a majority of the cats are strays and ferals that caring citizens have taken on the responsibility for. Sometimes, these people are unable to continue caring for them and we then assist them in trying to find them homes. But, more often they are very willing to continue caring for the cats once possibility of them multiplying has been addressed. My fear is that these caring people will not be so willing to help the cats if a law has now made them legally responsible for them. What happens if a new cat shows up that isn’t fixed? They may now think it much less complicated to call animal control to pick up the stray since they don’t want to risk any legal issues than to get the cat fixed and continue caring for it.
A Law Will Not Reach the Target Audience – I think most educated, intelligent law abiding citizens in America “get it” with respect to having their pets fixed. Do we really think the population of people that have the majority of unfixed pets are of the socio-economic group that are going to go “oh, it’s now a law honey – you better get your pit bull neutered”? Let’s be realistic here….... those are the people that we have hand-hold through the spay/neuter process by making it extremely easy and attractive for them to get the animal fixed. A law is only going to alienate them and make them even more resistant .
What about the couple in rural Lincoln who had 42 adult cats spayed/neutered through FieldHaven’s SNAP this spring, none of which were their own? All cats that had wandered onto their property or people had abandoned in the area. They are happy to continue caring for them now that they are all fixed. They didn’t need a law to do what they feel is morally right – they needed the financial assistance to get the job done.
We need to focus our efforts towards providing access to low-cost spay/neuter. For people like the couple with the 42 cats in rural Lincoln. That’s 42 cats that are not being euthanized at animal control. For people that would like a pet but don’t understand the importance of spaying and neutering, we need to provide education and easy access to low-cost spay neuter. For the busy family that finds a stray female cat in their yard we need to make it very easy for them to get the cat spayed and keep the cat in their family rather than making it complicated so that it becomes easier for them to just drop the cat at the animal shelter.
If all of the money spent by everyone supporting or opposing mandatory spay/neuter were to be put towards providing low-cost spay/neuter with easy access I think we’d be a lot further along in our effort to decrease the euthanasia rate in shelters.
Am I too idealistic in believing we can accomplish our goal without laws? I have a good friend who once told me, tongue in cheek, that my optimism reminded her of Pollyanna. Maybe I am too Pollyanna-ish – what do you think?
Here are some websites from both sides of the fence for you to peruse to form your own opinion:
http://www.yesonsb250.com/sb250-home.php
http://network.bestfriends.org/california/news/33373.html
http://capwiz.com/alleycat/issues/alert/?alertid=12987106&PROCESS=Take+Action&external_id=10519.0
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3802
PS: I am NOT opposed to requiring breeders to pay for an annual breeder’s license fee. But only if that license fee would be put towards accessible, high-volume low-cost spay/neuter programs.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
More Fun and Learning at HSUS (and wearily heading home)
Yesterday's most enlightening session was on one of the most current trends on the internet - Social Networking. I have dipped my toes into the waters of this booming craze with this blog, a facebook page and a LinkedIn page but, no, I have not TWITTERED yet. I found out that I am oh so out-of-date and I better get my tweaking my tweets because I could be missing out on lots of Twitter friends! New friends who could be FieldHaven supporters. Oh NO, I guess I better get twitting, twigging and tweating!
This morning’s session was another brain-burner (ie, giving me lots of good info…..and ideas). It focused on feline behavior and how to rehab cats in shelters with the goal of making them more adoptable presented by Miranda Workman of Purrfect Paws Animal Behavior Center in New York. The Erie County SPCA has a great program called AdvoCats. I think we have some AdvoCats at FieldHaven! Let’s give the FieldHaven team a name – any suggestions for a catchy moniker?
Alrighty then – time to head to the airport. I am READY to come home!!
This morning’s session was another brain-burner (ie, giving me lots of good info…..and ideas). It focused on feline behavior and how to rehab cats in shelters with the goal of making them more adoptable presented by Miranda Workman of Purrfect Paws Animal Behavior Center in New York. The Erie County SPCA has a great program called AdvoCats. I think we have some AdvoCats at FieldHaven! Let’s give the FieldHaven team a name – any suggestions for a catchy moniker?
Alrighty then – time to head to the airport. I am READY to come home!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
HSUS Animal Care Conference in Las Vegas
Since Sunday night I've been in Las Vegas at the Annual Humane Society of the United States annual Animal Care Expo mingling with hundreds shelters, rescue and animal organizations. I've been staying at Bally's on the strip. LV is really isn't my kind of town!
On Monday I was across town at the Rio presenting at a medical record conference with my partner Jan. But, Monday evening I put my shelter hat on and dug into learning as much as I can at HSUS.
Here’s just a few of the interesting things I’ve learned, observed and experienced so far this week:
New Shelter Pet Campaign
HSUS is launching a HUGE adoption campaign in July! There are about 4,000 shelters, rescues, etc in the US today all working hard to end pet overpopulation. Much progress has been made in the past 2 decades but there are still 3.7 million cats and dogs being euthanized each year in shelters. This number has been slowly decreasing but not fast enough for all of us working towards the goal of No More Homeless Pets. Consider this: only 20% of household pets are being adopted from shelters! When people are thinking to add a pet to their family they need to think first of the shelter! HSUS, Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council are joining forces to launch the Shelter Pet Project to basically ingrain it into the American public that a shelter is the best place to get a new pet.
Stay tuned as preparations for the campaign launch unfold – this is going to be exciting!
Pets being surrendered to shelter due to economic hard times
Every shelter is seeing the impact of the economy in more pets being turned in with the most common reason being “we have to move and the new place doesn’t allow pets”. Some solutions offered in one of the round table discussions I attended:
· PetCareInsurance has a policy for renters to cover any damage made by their pets.
· One organization posted inquiries on Craig’s List for pet-friendly rentals then compiled a list.
· HSUS has a brochure called “13 Steps to Finding Rental Housing that Accepts Pets”
Adoption Returns
We are definitely not alone with this problem. No one had any great solutions in spite of a variety of adoption screening practices among the group. A couple of points:
· Don’t alienate people returning animals. No matter how hard it is to “bite our tongues” sometimes we should look at this as another opportunity to educate, educate, educate so hopefully those people will think twice about the commitment before adopting another pet.
· Another reason to not alienate – this person could be a future donor or could say positive things about the organization to their friends.
· Shelters that have done studies on home visits vs no home visits prior to adoption do not report any decrease in returns when they do home visits.
· Same for imposing “waiting periods” before an adopted animal can go home.
I attended a fabulous session in the afternoon presented by Drs Hurley and Newbury of UC Davis on shelter statistics. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the details of that session but, being the stat geek that I am, I came away with some great ideas!
The exhibit hall also had some terrific networking opportunities. This being Las Vegas and the land of the $4 cup of coffee and $8 scoop of ice cream (yes!) I decided I should suck it up and try the food HSUS was offering for lunch and dinner. You know, it actually wasn't so bad. Don't know how they make that "chicken" taste like chicken but it was pretty tasty. But I have to draw the line at the fake shredded cheese. I can really understand being a vegetarian but veganism ......hmmmm....I just don't have that much willpower.
OK that was Day 1. I’ll fill you in on Day 2 (today) later tonight (or tomorrow morning).
On Monday I was across town at the Rio presenting at a medical record conference with my partner Jan. But, Monday evening I put my shelter hat on and dug into learning as much as I can at HSUS.
Here’s just a few of the interesting things I’ve learned, observed and experienced so far this week:
New Shelter Pet Campaign
HSUS is launching a HUGE adoption campaign in July! There are about 4,000 shelters, rescues, etc in the US today all working hard to end pet overpopulation. Much progress has been made in the past 2 decades but there are still 3.7 million cats and dogs being euthanized each year in shelters. This number has been slowly decreasing but not fast enough for all of us working towards the goal of No More Homeless Pets. Consider this: only 20% of household pets are being adopted from shelters! When people are thinking to add a pet to their family they need to think first of the shelter! HSUS, Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council are joining forces to launch the Shelter Pet Project to basically ingrain it into the American public that a shelter is the best place to get a new pet.
Stay tuned as preparations for the campaign launch unfold – this is going to be exciting!
Pets being surrendered to shelter due to economic hard times
Every shelter is seeing the impact of the economy in more pets being turned in with the most common reason being “we have to move and the new place doesn’t allow pets”. Some solutions offered in one of the round table discussions I attended:
· PetCareInsurance has a policy for renters to cover any damage made by their pets.
· One organization posted inquiries on Craig’s List for pet-friendly rentals then compiled a list.
· HSUS has a brochure called “13 Steps to Finding Rental Housing that Accepts Pets”
Adoption Returns
We are definitely not alone with this problem. No one had any great solutions in spite of a variety of adoption screening practices among the group. A couple of points:
· Don’t alienate people returning animals. No matter how hard it is to “bite our tongues” sometimes we should look at this as another opportunity to educate, educate, educate so hopefully those people will think twice about the commitment before adopting another pet.
· Another reason to not alienate – this person could be a future donor or could say positive things about the organization to their friends.
· Shelters that have done studies on home visits vs no home visits prior to adoption do not report any decrease in returns when they do home visits.
· Same for imposing “waiting periods” before an adopted animal can go home.
I attended a fabulous session in the afternoon presented by Drs Hurley and Newbury of UC Davis on shelter statistics. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the details of that session but, being the stat geek that I am, I came away with some great ideas!
The exhibit hall also had some terrific networking opportunities. This being Las Vegas and the land of the $4 cup of coffee and $8 scoop of ice cream (yes!) I decided I should suck it up and try the food HSUS was offering for lunch and dinner. You know, it actually wasn't so bad. Don't know how they make that "chicken" taste like chicken but it was pretty tasty. But I have to draw the line at the fake shredded cheese. I can really understand being a vegetarian but veganism ......hmmmm....I just don't have that much willpower.
OK that was Day 1. I’ll fill you in on Day 2 (today) later tonight (or tomorrow morning).
Friday, January 2, 2009
Letter to a Friend
Last June, a dear FieldHaven friend, Susan Gardiner passed away. We were entrusted with the care of her 4 cats. Here is a letter I wrote to Susan today to let her know where her kitties are now.
Dear Susan – We are starting 2009 without your soft smile, your easy laughter and your always positive attitude. Our lives haven’t been the same since you left us and we miss you.
We think of you often and your spirit lives on here at FieldHaven and in your beloved cats. All of us took very seriously the responsibility given to us to care for your furry children until a new human family could be found for each of them. I wanted to let you know where Gretta, Mikey, Paisley and Casey spent their holidays.
Gretta is reigning royalty in the home of Julie Anderson along with her new 4-pawed family. Julie’s home is a peaceful nirvana for each member of her feline family. Everyone there is assured a lifetime of the best care and love. Gretta couldn’t be in a better home.
Mikey is settled into his new home, finding his sleeping position on the bed or snuggled into a corner of the couch to best observe the household action. His 4-footed sibling is a dog and his new dad reports they get along wonderfully.
Paisley spent the holiday in a “hopeful” home. Paisley and her prospective parents are still working out their differences and it looks like it may not work out to be a marriage. But we will work hard to find that very special match for Paisley. It will come. And, in the meantime, Paisley will continue to be showered with love by the many FieldHaven volunteers.
And, then there’s Casey. I know Casey and you had a special bond and I assured you I would look after him and bring him into my home if we couldn’t find that special place for him. I wanted to give Casey an opportunity to have an “exclusive” relationship so I waited several months before making that decision to introduce him to the queen of my household, Louise.
Thank you, Susan, for bringing Casey into your life several years ago and for entrusting him to our care after you left this earth. Casey has been the best Christmas present Preston and I could have!
As I write this Casey is sitting with me in my office. He is a good companion, giving head butts, curious looks and a solo concert of loud purring throughout the workday. He romps through the house chasing imaginary mice, picking his favorite toys out of the toy basket and chattering at birds through the window, imagining himself as a successful hunter. He enjoys giving Preston and I each equal time of his personal vibrating self on the rare times we’re sitting down in the evening. Surprisingly, with a houseful of family for 4 days over the holiday Casey was in the midst of the bustle, enjoying every moment of the attention. My nephew, Evan, was so excited to have Casey sleep with him – a special treat.
We are still working out a few kinks amongst the girls of the household. Like most siblings, they have their bickering but each one has their place in the house to call their own. Casey has Timothy’s old room which has been remodeled since Timothy passed. Colors to complement Casey’s splendid silver grey fur of course.
He imagines himself wanting to go outside but whenever he does you can bet he’ll be back in quickly. A few times he’s been out and has ventured down to the Cat Trailer, maybe to check in with the crew down there. I’ll see him wandering about and call him. He glances at me for a second then leaps into a full run, hastening back to the house just as fast as he can. It’s almost as if he says, “that’s right I have a HOME now!”.
Rest peacefully Susan. Your babies are well loved and cared for. Thank you for sharing them with us. And, for gracing our lives with yourself for all too short of a time.
Fondly,
Joy
Dear Susan – We are starting 2009 without your soft smile, your easy laughter and your always positive attitude. Our lives haven’t been the same since you left us and we miss you.
We think of you often and your spirit lives on here at FieldHaven and in your beloved cats. All of us took very seriously the responsibility given to us to care for your furry children until a new human family could be found for each of them. I wanted to let you know where Gretta, Mikey, Paisley and Casey spent their holidays.
Gretta is reigning royalty in the home of Julie Anderson along with her new 4-pawed family. Julie’s home is a peaceful nirvana for each member of her feline family. Everyone there is assured a lifetime of the best care and love. Gretta couldn’t be in a better home.
Mikey is settled into his new home, finding his sleeping position on the bed or snuggled into a corner of the couch to best observe the household action. His 4-footed sibling is a dog and his new dad reports they get along wonderfully.
Paisley spent the holiday in a “hopeful” home. Paisley and her prospective parents are still working out their differences and it looks like it may not work out to be a marriage. But we will work hard to find that very special match for Paisley. It will come. And, in the meantime, Paisley will continue to be showered with love by the many FieldHaven volunteers.
And, then there’s Casey. I know Casey and you had a special bond and I assured you I would look after him and bring him into my home if we couldn’t find that special place for him. I wanted to give Casey an opportunity to have an “exclusive” relationship so I waited several months before making that decision to introduce him to the queen of my household, Louise.
Thank you, Susan, for bringing Casey into your life several years ago and for entrusting him to our care after you left this earth. Casey has been the best Christmas present Preston and I could have!
As I write this Casey is sitting with me in my office. He is a good companion, giving head butts, curious looks and a solo concert of loud purring throughout the workday. He romps through the house chasing imaginary mice, picking his favorite toys out of the toy basket and chattering at birds through the window, imagining himself as a successful hunter. He enjoys giving Preston and I each equal time of his personal vibrating self on the rare times we’re sitting down in the evening. Surprisingly, with a houseful of family for 4 days over the holiday Casey was in the midst of the bustle, enjoying every moment of the attention. My nephew, Evan, was so excited to have Casey sleep with him – a special treat.
We are still working out a few kinks amongst the girls of the household. Like most siblings, they have their bickering but each one has their place in the house to call their own. Casey has Timothy’s old room which has been remodeled since Timothy passed. Colors to complement Casey’s splendid silver grey fur of course.
He imagines himself wanting to go outside but whenever he does you can bet he’ll be back in quickly. A few times he’s been out and has ventured down to the Cat Trailer, maybe to check in with the crew down there. I’ll see him wandering about and call him. He glances at me for a second then leaps into a full run, hastening back to the house just as fast as he can. It’s almost as if he says, “that’s right I have a HOME now!”.
Rest peacefully Susan. Your babies are well loved and cared for. Thank you for sharing them with us. And, for gracing our lives with yourself for all too short of a time.
Fondly,
Joy
Friday, December 19, 2008
Red Rock Hounds Triples the Population of Belmont, NV
On December 11 Preston and I and about 15 other members of the Red Rock Hounds from New Jersey to California arrived in Belmont, Nevada. The caravan of 5 horse trailers carrying about 20 horses and more than 40 hounds arrived on Thursday afternoon to warm weather and sunny skies. How the weather can change in just a few short days!
Belmont is a mostly abandoned ghost town right smack in the middle of Nevada. In the late 1800’s Belmont was a booming silver mining with several thousand residents. Today it boasts a whopping population of 7! The town has no phones or electricity. Everything is powered by propane or diesel generator. A satellite phone is available for emergencies. And, I now know firsthand that not even the highest mountain top in the vicinity will produce a cell signal! Talk about getting away from it all.
Amidst the fascinating ruins of stone, brick and wood buildings sits the Belmont Inn and Saloon owned and operated by Henry and Bertie Berg. Henry and Bertie (and everyone else in town for that matter) are wonderful hosts and made us all feel like part of the Belmont Family.
The horses spent the weekend at the Belmont Pack Station. Nick, the owner, has a great lodge and plenty of pasture for the horses. We hunted 2 days right out of the pack station.
The first day we hauled the horses about 10 miles down the dirt roads and hunted our way back to the pack station. The weather was sunny and cool but not cold. We started out by following Master and Huntsman Lynn Lloyd straight up the side of a rocky mountain! Maybe this was Lynn’s way to have everyone “bond” with their horses? After all, we had to put our trust in our mountain goats….er, horses. Grab mane and hang on as we climbed!
The second day we had a Tally Ho just as the hounds were cast. For the better part of the next 2 hours the hounds circled that line around and up and over several mountains. The weather was definitely turning so the game was out and active.
On Saturday evening we had the Red Rock white elephant gift exchange. Lots of great presents with much “swapping” going on but 2 things definitely got the most attention. A wine bottle stopper that featured…..well….legs – let me leave it at that. Then there were those great holiday boxer shorts complete with belled tassels that John Schaefer and Grosvenor Merle-Smith fought over all evening! Grosvenor won out and modeled them quite nicely in the saloon later that night (see the pictures).
Day 3 started at a brisk 7 degrees. But it had warmed up to a relatively balmy 20 by the time we headed out. It was a short hunt that day.
On Monday morning we woke to a beautiful blanket of snow and only 4 degrees. Preston and I were staying in our living quarter trailer which, in spite of running the generator and several heaters non-stop, had ice on some of the inside walls.
After a final hearty breakfast from Bertie we headed out to the pack station to load up the horses and begin the long drive back to Reno. And electricity and cell phones and internet…..oh, yes, back to reality….sigghhh.
Here are links to 2 photo albums from the weekend. The first one is the “full” album of nearly 500 pictures. The second one is a shortened version with pictures mostly of Preston, myself and our wonderful horses, Baxter and Devon. Many of the pictures were taken by Gretchen Pelham, Red Rock member from Knoxville, TN and part-time professional photographer. Please visit Gretchen’s website, Pelham Ponies, for more pictures from the Belmont weekend and other hunting days.
Large album
Smaller album (Preston and Joy)
Belmont is a mostly abandoned ghost town right smack in the middle of Nevada. In the late 1800’s Belmont was a booming silver mining with several thousand residents. Today it boasts a whopping population of 7! The town has no phones or electricity. Everything is powered by propane or diesel generator. A satellite phone is available for emergencies. And, I now know firsthand that not even the highest mountain top in the vicinity will produce a cell signal! Talk about getting away from it all.
Amidst the fascinating ruins of stone, brick and wood buildings sits the Belmont Inn and Saloon owned and operated by Henry and Bertie Berg. Henry and Bertie (and everyone else in town for that matter) are wonderful hosts and made us all feel like part of the Belmont Family.
The horses spent the weekend at the Belmont Pack Station. Nick, the owner, has a great lodge and plenty of pasture for the horses. We hunted 2 days right out of the pack station.
The first day we hauled the horses about 10 miles down the dirt roads and hunted our way back to the pack station. The weather was sunny and cool but not cold. We started out by following Master and Huntsman Lynn Lloyd straight up the side of a rocky mountain! Maybe this was Lynn’s way to have everyone “bond” with their horses? After all, we had to put our trust in our mountain goats….er, horses. Grab mane and hang on as we climbed!
The second day we had a Tally Ho just as the hounds were cast. For the better part of the next 2 hours the hounds circled that line around and up and over several mountains. The weather was definitely turning so the game was out and active.
On Saturday evening we had the Red Rock white elephant gift exchange. Lots of great presents with much “swapping” going on but 2 things definitely got the most attention. A wine bottle stopper that featured…..well….legs – let me leave it at that. Then there were those great holiday boxer shorts complete with belled tassels that John Schaefer and Grosvenor Merle-Smith fought over all evening! Grosvenor won out and modeled them quite nicely in the saloon later that night (see the pictures).
Day 3 started at a brisk 7 degrees. But it had warmed up to a relatively balmy 20 by the time we headed out. It was a short hunt that day.
On Monday morning we woke to a beautiful blanket of snow and only 4 degrees. Preston and I were staying in our living quarter trailer which, in spite of running the generator and several heaters non-stop, had ice on some of the inside walls.
After a final hearty breakfast from Bertie we headed out to the pack station to load up the horses and begin the long drive back to Reno. And electricity and cell phones and internet…..oh, yes, back to reality….sigghhh.
Here are links to 2 photo albums from the weekend. The first one is the “full” album of nearly 500 pictures. The second one is a shortened version with pictures mostly of Preston, myself and our wonderful horses, Baxter and Devon. Many of the pictures were taken by Gretchen Pelham, Red Rock member from Knoxville, TN and part-time professional photographer. Please visit Gretchen’s website, Pelham Ponies, for more pictures from the Belmont weekend and other hunting days.
Large album
Smaller album (Preston and Joy)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Suburban Perils to Our Pets
Tonight someone forwarded this Craig's List post to me. The poster is from Lincoln:
I am completely heartbroken & shaken...i dont understand why everyone's cats around here are just disappearing overnight. We all live around Joiner Park in Lincoln in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
In May we lost our son's sweet cat, so when we went searching for him for months ( & tried everything you can even think of, believe me) -- we adopted 2 white-gray blue eyes twin sister kittens.They are 8-9 mos old now, but Within two weeks, someone has let a cat out & the first dissapeared 2 weeks ago this past wednesday. The second disappeared last night!
We are overwrought with grief!!
we have three little kids who don't know where their kitties are. I have been told about Coyotes & Owls, ( never had coyotes come this close, owls, yes) so i have taken great care to never let them out especially at night, but somehow, they got out. I'll never get over that pain, trust me, so please, no flaming. Anyone have any information?
SEVERAL of my neighbors cats have gone missing since May. This totals around 8 cats, 3 mine. We have looked all over the park & beyond & there's never a slight trace.
What the hell is taking out beloved cats!?? All the missing cats were from homes on the streets of Schellbach dr, 6th street, & R street & countryside. Is there anything i can do??
What is my opinion of what is happening to these cats?
Probably coyotes.....
Just a few years ago the area of Lincoln where the poster lives was rural and may have been a cow pasture. Rural land with wildlife to along with domestic livestock. Among the wildlife are coyotes, bobcats, maybe even a mountain lion.
Then come the houses and the people. And their small pets. The cows and other livestock were moved to another home by the ranchers. But the wildlife didn't have anyone to load them into a truck and move them. Their dens and homes were bulldozed over with roads, houses, yards, pools and swingsets taking their place.
In move the residents who think they are in suburbia. Well, not quite. It no longer looks like a cow pasture and maybe some of the past residents no longer live there. But the wildlife is still living there. Yes, a bit displaced, but definitely there. Over time they loose their fear of humans and it's not unusual to see a coyote during the daytime.
So, then why are people so surprised that their pets disappear? It may look like suburbia but for the wildlife this is still their home. They don't know where else to go. And, not to be graphic, but the food source is good. Domestic pets make easy prey.
We counsel people on being aware of where they live and provide the appropriate protection for their small pets but many still think it's "safe" to let their cats outside without being in a confined area.
That's not to say I don't believe that all cats must be indoor only. Quite the contrary - most of my cats are indoor/outdoor or completely outdoor. I also have indoor-only cats. I'm aware of the dangers of where I live and provide for my cats accordingly. In our case, our entire 10 acre property is fenced in non-climb. Makes it very tough for a coyote to get onto the property. Not impossible but hard.
Suburban pet owners can provide for their pets similarly. If at possible, your cats should be indoor only. If you have cats that need to be outdoors then either fence your back yard in such a way that they can't get out and predators can't get in. If fencing the entire yard is not practical then create a fenced habitat for them to be outside.
There are a lot of options and ideas for fencing. Here are a couple:
http://cats.about.com/od/outdoorenclosures/
http://www.cdpets.com/index.html
There is also some good articles in the library on our website - http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm
I realize we can't provide a 100% safe life for our pets. Just like our kids, we can't protect them from everything. Yes, tragedies do happen and a child gets hit by a car while riding their bike in a safe area. Such is the same for our pets. We protect them reasonably and leave the rest up to fate.
So, please provide reasonable protection for your pets by not letting them go into an obviously dangerous situation. This Craig's List poster indicates that they have been trying to keep their cats indoors so they are definitely on the right track - just need to be more diligent about it.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost their beloved pets. I feel your pain and, indeed, have been in your situation. It's very easy to feel secure that your neighborhood is safe for your pets outside.
Lastly, on the chance that these kitties were picked up by someone who thought they were homeless a microchip is the best protection you can provide. Did you all see the news article this week about the cat that was returned to his owners after 13 years?!
I am completely heartbroken & shaken...i dont understand why everyone's cats around here are just disappearing overnight. We all live around Joiner Park in Lincoln in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
In May we lost our son's sweet cat, so when we went searching for him for months ( & tried everything you can even think of, believe me) -- we adopted 2 white-gray blue eyes twin sister kittens.They are 8-9 mos old now, but Within two weeks, someone has let a cat out & the first dissapeared 2 weeks ago this past wednesday. The second disappeared last night!
We are overwrought with grief!!
we have three little kids who don't know where their kitties are. I have been told about Coyotes & Owls, ( never had coyotes come this close, owls, yes) so i have taken great care to never let them out especially at night, but somehow, they got out. I'll never get over that pain, trust me, so please, no flaming. Anyone have any information?
SEVERAL of my neighbors cats have gone missing since May. This totals around 8 cats, 3 mine. We have looked all over the park & beyond & there's never a slight trace.
What the hell is taking out beloved cats!?? All the missing cats were from homes on the streets of Schellbach dr, 6th street, & R street & countryside. Is there anything i can do??
What is my opinion of what is happening to these cats?
Probably coyotes.....
Just a few years ago the area of Lincoln where the poster lives was rural and may have been a cow pasture. Rural land with wildlife to along with domestic livestock. Among the wildlife are coyotes, bobcats, maybe even a mountain lion.
Then come the houses and the people. And their small pets. The cows and other livestock were moved to another home by the ranchers. But the wildlife didn't have anyone to load them into a truck and move them. Their dens and homes were bulldozed over with roads, houses, yards, pools and swingsets taking their place.
In move the residents who think they are in suburbia. Well, not quite. It no longer looks like a cow pasture and maybe some of the past residents no longer live there. But the wildlife is still living there. Yes, a bit displaced, but definitely there. Over time they loose their fear of humans and it's not unusual to see a coyote during the daytime.
So, then why are people so surprised that their pets disappear? It may look like suburbia but for the wildlife this is still their home. They don't know where else to go. And, not to be graphic, but the food source is good. Domestic pets make easy prey.
We counsel people on being aware of where they live and provide the appropriate protection for their small pets but many still think it's "safe" to let their cats outside without being in a confined area.
That's not to say I don't believe that all cats must be indoor only. Quite the contrary - most of my cats are indoor/outdoor or completely outdoor. I also have indoor-only cats. I'm aware of the dangers of where I live and provide for my cats accordingly. In our case, our entire 10 acre property is fenced in non-climb. Makes it very tough for a coyote to get onto the property. Not impossible but hard.
Suburban pet owners can provide for their pets similarly. If at possible, your cats should be indoor only. If you have cats that need to be outdoors then either fence your back yard in such a way that they can't get out and predators can't get in. If fencing the entire yard is not practical then create a fenced habitat for them to be outside.
There are a lot of options and ideas for fencing. Here are a couple:
http://cats.about.com/od/outdoorenclosures/
http://www.cdpets.com/index.html
There is also some good articles in the library on our website - http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm
I realize we can't provide a 100% safe life for our pets. Just like our kids, we can't protect them from everything. Yes, tragedies do happen and a child gets hit by a car while riding their bike in a safe area. Such is the same for our pets. We protect them reasonably and leave the rest up to fate.
So, please provide reasonable protection for your pets by not letting them go into an obviously dangerous situation. This Craig's List poster indicates that they have been trying to keep their cats indoors so they are definitely on the right track - just need to be more diligent about it.
My heart goes out to the families who have lost their beloved pets. I feel your pain and, indeed, have been in your situation. It's very easy to feel secure that your neighborhood is safe for your pets outside.
Lastly, on the chance that these kitties were picked up by someone who thought they were homeless a microchip is the best protection you can provide. Did you all see the news article this week about the cat that was returned to his owners after 13 years?!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Red Rock (NV) Hunts and Parties with Oak Ridge (VA)
Last week I packed up my saddle, boots, helmet and hunt attire and headed to Virginia with 6 other members of Red Rock Hounds. For 5 days we were hosted in grand style by the Oak Ridge Hunt Club in Afton which sits in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
On Wednesday 5 of us met up in Chicago for the last leg of the trip; I came from Sacramento, Lynn, Angela and Pat came from Reno and Liz came from LA. Thanks to Preston we had a pile of Southwest complimentary cocktail coupons which we put right to use as soon as the plane lifted off.
At Dulles we found a nice young man with a luggage cart that took on the challenge of getting our mountain of luggage to the rental car lot. We tossed everything into a mini-van and off to the mountains we headed…..until we got to the airport exit and realized we had no directions and the map we picked up with the rental car did not have a big red star next to Afton. Actually, Afton wasn’t even on the map. A quick call to Preston and a search on Mapquest got us out of the airport. Then Page Turner who was going to be Liz’s and my hostess for the next several days provided us with more detailed instructions.
Many hours and several more calls to Page later we arrived in Afton…in the dark. As we climbed the mountain up a dirt road in the late night thoughts of “Deliverance” came to mind. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. What was to follow was a wonderful 4 days of southern hospitality in the most classical sense starting with our accommodations at Page’s lovely house nestled in the trees at her Creekside Stable.
Thursday was a casual day at Tea Time Farm, Rita Mae Brown’s stunningly beautiful farm and where the Oak Ridge Hounds are housed. And the Oak Ridge Bassett Pack. We had an energetic walk about with the Bassetts. Those pups are just the cutest!! After that we met Rita Mae’s “house hounds” and feline family. Of course, with the latter I was in heaven and got to fulfill my “kitty fix” for several hours. I kept my camera busy taking pictures of the variety of kitties, including Rita Mae’s famous co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown. You’d think I’d be happy enough taking pictures of FieldHaven kitties!
After a Thursday evening dinner with a number of the other folks coming into town from other hunts we went to bed early. An early start to our first hunt was planned for Friday.
Liz and I rode with Page to Friday’s fixture. Along the 45 minute drive we got a fabulous tour and narration from Page, a lifelong resident of the area. The day was overcast with warning of the rain predicted for Saturday. Upon arriving at the hunt we got our assigned horses from Lynne Beegle. Also, joining us there after arriving Thursday evening was Jane and Cathy – more Red Rockers! I was mounted on a pretty little mare named Belle.
The field was huge – about 60 horses in total with well over half in first field led by Sue Satterfield as Field Master. MFHs Rita Mae Brown and Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds as huntsmen led us on a 2 hour hunt through the 1,000 acre farm, Cherry Hill owned by Anne Fortune Henderson. The foxes were quiet that day but we did get a few short runs and the footing, terrain and jumps were great. A huge pot luck hunt breakfast rounded out the morning.
On to the afternoon’s adventures. We all piled into the mini-van and headed to Warrenton for the Horse Country reception for hunt photographer Jim Meads. A short stop at Saddlery Liquidators in Haymarket netted all of us some more luggage for the return trip.
The Horse Country party was fabulous! We met so many incredible people, including the delightful Jim Meads who had been signing books since 9 am that morning. He later told me he didn’t wrap it up until after 10 pm that night. My best friend, Sarah Boudreau, who lives in Norfolk joined us there and for the rest of the weekend.
We didn’t arrive back in Afton until 2:30 am – Sarah and I in her car and Liz and the rest of the Red Rockers in the mini-van. We woke up Saturday morning to a steady rain – the day’s planned activity of a Bassett hunt on foot was definitely not going to happen.
Just so we didn’t have to leave Virginia saying we hadn’t seen a fox, one of the Oak Ridge regulars showed himself to us as we were driving up the driveway at Tea Time on Saturday morning. He posed so beautifully in the middle of the pasture then hopped up on some hay bales to pose again for my camera. Tally ho!
A lazy day hanging out in the Oak Ridge clubhouse then a fun trip to a couple of wineries and a brewery set us in the mood for the catered dinner and silent auction that evening. Without a doubt, Jane netted the most unusual, if not the highest selling, silent auction item – an aged mounted deerhead. What she wanted with that we’ll never understand but maybe she just wanted to rescue him from the rubbish can which is where he may have been destined had not anyone else been brave enough to bid. Then came the discussion of how she would get him back to California. Certainly not in carry-on baggage with those antlers! The decision was made to have him mailed.
Sunday dawned spectacularly. Bright blue skies, crisp fall air and the leaves very near their peak. We hunted from Tea Time Farm with Rita Mae and Lynn once again our huntsmen (or should I say huntswomen). If I liked my Friday horse, Belle, I loved my Sunday horse, Bourbon. Lynne Beegle of Brookhill Farm gets my vote for Best Livery!
After another lavish hunt breakfast we settled in for some downtime in the afternoon and that evening before making an early start to airport in the morning. Back to reality…..
Click here for a link to my photo album from the weekend. And here for a great NPR podcast on hunting with Rita Mae. (click on the little blue arrow in the upper left corner of podcast screen)
On Wednesday 5 of us met up in Chicago for the last leg of the trip; I came from Sacramento, Lynn, Angela and Pat came from Reno and Liz came from LA. Thanks to Preston we had a pile of Southwest complimentary cocktail coupons which we put right to use as soon as the plane lifted off.
At Dulles we found a nice young man with a luggage cart that took on the challenge of getting our mountain of luggage to the rental car lot. We tossed everything into a mini-van and off to the mountains we headed…..until we got to the airport exit and realized we had no directions and the map we picked up with the rental car did not have a big red star next to Afton. Actually, Afton wasn’t even on the map. A quick call to Preston and a search on Mapquest got us out of the airport. Then Page Turner who was going to be Liz’s and my hostess for the next several days provided us with more detailed instructions.
Many hours and several more calls to Page later we arrived in Afton…in the dark. As we climbed the mountain up a dirt road in the late night thoughts of “Deliverance” came to mind. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. What was to follow was a wonderful 4 days of southern hospitality in the most classical sense starting with our accommodations at Page’s lovely house nestled in the trees at her Creekside Stable.
Thursday was a casual day at Tea Time Farm, Rita Mae Brown’s stunningly beautiful farm and where the Oak Ridge Hounds are housed. And the Oak Ridge Bassett Pack. We had an energetic walk about with the Bassetts. Those pups are just the cutest!! After that we met Rita Mae’s “house hounds” and feline family. Of course, with the latter I was in heaven and got to fulfill my “kitty fix” for several hours. I kept my camera busy taking pictures of the variety of kitties, including Rita Mae’s famous co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown. You’d think I’d be happy enough taking pictures of FieldHaven kitties!
After a Thursday evening dinner with a number of the other folks coming into town from other hunts we went to bed early. An early start to our first hunt was planned for Friday.
Liz and I rode with Page to Friday’s fixture. Along the 45 minute drive we got a fabulous tour and narration from Page, a lifelong resident of the area. The day was overcast with warning of the rain predicted for Saturday. Upon arriving at the hunt we got our assigned horses from Lynne Beegle. Also, joining us there after arriving Thursday evening was Jane and Cathy – more Red Rockers! I was mounted on a pretty little mare named Belle.
The field was huge – about 60 horses in total with well over half in first field led by Sue Satterfield as Field Master. MFHs Rita Mae Brown and Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds as huntsmen led us on a 2 hour hunt through the 1,000 acre farm, Cherry Hill owned by Anne Fortune Henderson. The foxes were quiet that day but we did get a few short runs and the footing, terrain and jumps were great. A huge pot luck hunt breakfast rounded out the morning.
On to the afternoon’s adventures. We all piled into the mini-van and headed to Warrenton for the Horse Country reception for hunt photographer Jim Meads. A short stop at Saddlery Liquidators in Haymarket netted all of us some more luggage for the return trip.
The Horse Country party was fabulous! We met so many incredible people, including the delightful Jim Meads who had been signing books since 9 am that morning. He later told me he didn’t wrap it up until after 10 pm that night. My best friend, Sarah Boudreau, who lives in Norfolk joined us there and for the rest of the weekend.
We didn’t arrive back in Afton until 2:30 am – Sarah and I in her car and Liz and the rest of the Red Rockers in the mini-van. We woke up Saturday morning to a steady rain – the day’s planned activity of a Bassett hunt on foot was definitely not going to happen.
Just so we didn’t have to leave Virginia saying we hadn’t seen a fox, one of the Oak Ridge regulars showed himself to us as we were driving up the driveway at Tea Time on Saturday morning. He posed so beautifully in the middle of the pasture then hopped up on some hay bales to pose again for my camera. Tally ho!
A lazy day hanging out in the Oak Ridge clubhouse then a fun trip to a couple of wineries and a brewery set us in the mood for the catered dinner and silent auction that evening. Without a doubt, Jane netted the most unusual, if not the highest selling, silent auction item – an aged mounted deerhead. What she wanted with that we’ll never understand but maybe she just wanted to rescue him from the rubbish can which is where he may have been destined had not anyone else been brave enough to bid. Then came the discussion of how she would get him back to California. Certainly not in carry-on baggage with those antlers! The decision was made to have him mailed.
Sunday dawned spectacularly. Bright blue skies, crisp fall air and the leaves very near their peak. We hunted from Tea Time Farm with Rita Mae and Lynn once again our huntsmen (or should I say huntswomen). If I liked my Friday horse, Belle, I loved my Sunday horse, Bourbon. Lynne Beegle of Brookhill Farm gets my vote for Best Livery!
After another lavish hunt breakfast we settled in for some downtime in the afternoon and that evening before making an early start to airport in the morning. Back to reality…..
Click here for a link to my photo album from the weekend. And here for a great NPR podcast on hunting with Rita Mae. (click on the little blue arrow in the upper left corner of podcast screen)
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