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Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Playing the Name Game Never Gets Dull
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| The cutest takeover mankind has ever witnessed has begun and....there is no end in sight. |
It seems the most common question one might ask during a cat adoption is: "Who names the cats?". After all, there must be some mad genius writer behind the scenes whose sole purpose is to come up with unique and creative names for every cat and kitten that enters the SF/SPCA, right? Well, almost. Some of the cats come in with names from previous homes while others simply have names invented or reinvented by our intake staff. Usually it's the first person to see the cat and enter the information in a computer.
You can imagine how difficult it can be to find individual titles for over 4,000 cats a year without repeating or confusing two that already exist. It truly boggles the mind, but the challenge is a fun one, when it gets down to it.
In fact, for some of us, it becomes an obsession.
Picture yourself at home, reading a book or watching your favorite tv show. Suddenly... POP... a series of names, themes and categories enters your thought process. The next thing you know, you are writing down names on a scratch pad, searching the Internet or filling your mental Rolodex.
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| The wipe board outside the Non-contagious Kitten Room |
There are methods to our madness. Litters of kittens are named with themes that keep them together. An example would be : Corona, Pacifico and Modelo. Maybe someone was at a BBQ and they thought, " Hmm, I think I'll name some kittens after my favorite beers!" Sometimes we choose to name them by First Initial, like Reggie, Ronald and Ralphie. Moms with kittens get named with themes that tie the kittens to the mom. For instance: A mom named Petrolina will have kittens named Exxon, Texaco, Mobil, Shell & Chevron. Not the most conventional labels but hey....we have SO MANY kittens it gets creatively competitive.
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| "BONES" the cat whose face looks like a skull |
Then, there's the obvious technique of naming a cat based on physical features that stand out. A cat with an amputated tail will be named "Nubbin". An older more dignified mom cat that has had one too many litters is called "Grandma". A cat that was born with some toes missing will be "Little Foot". The sweet tabby with glowing orange eyes is dubbed 'XRAY Specks". The possibilities are endless folks.
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| XRAY SPECKS |
We take our naming seriously. Sometimes we take it so seriously that we get offended when someone doesn't like our choices and changes the name of an overweight cat from Tsunami to Tugboat. Or, we secretly feel proud when we hear the names we created mentioned around the shelter, on the news or from an admiring would be-adopter. Imagine just how far a name can travel.
There are over 260 individual and amazing cats in our shelter. Each with a name that calls to you. Please help put the SF/SPCA this summer and put a name to a face. The name game has no losers, only winners.
Don't forget about our upcoming adopt-a-thon next weekend!!!!
Daniel Quagliozzi
SF/SPCA Feline Care Coordinator
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Adoption is Patriotic! We Want YOU!!!
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I think this picture sums up the way most of us feel when the Kitten Season is upon us. If anything, it keeps us laughing and in generally good spirits, despite what seems to be an onslaught of fuzzy cuteness. Don't forget, no matter how adorable kittens are, 100 + that need to be fed, medically treated and cleaned up after will take their toll on the people that care for them each and everyday.
This is what we signed up for the minute we all stepped into the SF/SPCA and decided that this was where we wanted to devote our lives. However, a little known syndrome called "Compassion Fatigue" can claim many victims this time of year. We are all so very tired, yet...we don't stop. We can't stop. Animal sheltering leaves very little room for arbitrary decision making and it doesn't stop just because you went home for the day. You live, breathe and dream cats 24/7.
Adoptions are what allow shelters to save lives. Without loving homes, cats, kittens, dogs and puppies languish in some shelters and in the very worst of scenarios, are euthanized as a result of the behavior and medical changes that evolve. Our commitment to finding homes for the hard cases sometimes far exceeds our own comfort level. We depend on the Bay Area Community to alleviate the traffic much like a bottle neck on a major highway.
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The total population of cats in our shelter is reaching a crisis level. Our current total number ranges from 243 to 260 cats depending on whats offered from SF Animal Control and the unfortunate circumstances of our fragile economy, often resulting in cats being returned into a system that is already operating at full capacity. As you can imagine, we keep close tabs on our cat population because not only do we want to keep them healthy and happy but we also need to maintain a work force that is physically able to care for them without spreading themselves too thin. This my friends.... is the hardest equation we have to solve each day. How much is too much? .JPG)
We've dropped our fees and extended our low adoption rates through the summer. The choices are limitless and the love will last a lifetime. What's your excuse?
Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator
Friday, June 18, 2010
Kittens, kittens everywhere! SFSPCA’s 1st Ever Adopt-A-Thon
It’s officially kitty season and you know what that means…an abundance of cats that are looking for a loving home and a little TLC. The SFSPCA is filled to capacity with adorable feline friends worthy of a serious heart-melting session and who are also part of the SFSPCA’s first-ever Adopt-A-Thon!
Join us in a history-making event for SFSPCA as we host our Adopt-A-Thon this Saturday, June 19th, from 10 a.m. to midnight. That’s right... we said MIDNIGHT! We’ll be up late in an effort to meet our goal of finding homes for 50 cats and recruiting 50 foster volunteers. Learn more about the available cats here and our kitty foster program here.
So be sure to stop by the SFSPCA to help us achieve some amazing goals for our first-ever Adopt-A-Thon!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Trauma...Episode: Foster Kitten
The TV show Trauma, about paramedics here in San Francisco, may have been cancelled, but here at the San Francisco SPCA, we had our own version of an episode last week and it’s a heartwarming story of what a great group of people we have on staff here at the SFSPCA.
Our Foster Care Program thrives on the love and dedication our foster parents provide. Without these volunteers, thousands of lives would go unsaved. In addition to volunteers like you, from the community, a number of our staff are also foster parents...spending their days caring for animals here at our campus, then returning home to continue the same work.
Laura, a member of our Development Department, has been fostering kittens, giving them much needed TLC and attention to encourage healthy eating and growth. “The male was doing really poorly all day, had not eaten at all, and was fading in and out…I actually was convinced he was dying - he face planted into the water bowl and seemed to stop breathing,” she said. Laura found herself uncertain what to do – it was 1:00 am and she had no car, and her local taxi company was reporting an hour wait.
With a kitten she was concerned was fading quickly in her lap, she got on Facebook and immediately messaged one of our Shelter Medicine Vet Techs, Meagan, who was online. Several messages later, Meagan talked Laura through what was happening – a hypo-glycemic episode – and suggested Laura feed honey to get the kitten’s glucose levels up.
Through quick thinking and fast internet messaging, Laura got in touch with two of our Animal Care Attendants, Sarah and Jennifer, and they raced over to give her a ride into the City. Meanwhile, Meagan contacted Vet Tech Adam, who was manning the overnight shift at our own hospital, and arranged a 3:00 am intake.
Less than an hour later, the once-fading kitten was thriving in our hospital, and on his way to a full recovery.
He and his litter mates are now safely housed in our Shelter Medicine department, healthy again and gaining strength. This is an amazing story of the SFSPCA team coming together to save an animal’s life and it’s a tribute to people going above and beyond the call to help animals.
We hope our staff involved don't mind us calling them out here, but gosh -- we had to let you know how fantastic they are!
Our Foster Care Program thrives on the love and dedication our foster parents provide. Without these volunteers, thousands of lives would go unsaved. In addition to volunteers like you, from the community, a number of our staff are also foster parents...spending their days caring for animals here at our campus, then returning home to continue the same work.
Laura, a member of our Development Department, has been fostering kittens, giving them much needed TLC and attention to encourage healthy eating and growth. “The male was doing really poorly all day, had not eaten at all, and was fading in and out…I actually was convinced he was dying - he face planted into the water bowl and seemed to stop breathing,” she said. Laura found herself uncertain what to do – it was 1:00 am and she had no car, and her local taxi company was reporting an hour wait.
With a kitten she was concerned was fading quickly in her lap, she got on Facebook and immediately messaged one of our Shelter Medicine Vet Techs, Meagan, who was online. Several messages later, Meagan talked Laura through what was happening – a hypo-glycemic episode – and suggested Laura feed honey to get the kitten’s glucose levels up.
Through quick thinking and fast internet messaging, Laura got in touch with two of our Animal Care Attendants, Sarah and Jennifer, and they raced over to give her a ride into the City. Meanwhile, Meagan contacted Vet Tech Adam, who was manning the overnight shift at our own hospital, and arranged a 3:00 am intake.
Less than an hour later, the once-fading kitten was thriving in our hospital, and on his way to a full recovery.
He and his litter mates are now safely housed in our Shelter Medicine department, healthy again and gaining strength. This is an amazing story of the SFSPCA team coming together to save an animal’s life and it’s a tribute to people going above and beyond the call to help animals.
We hope our staff involved don't mind us calling them out here, but gosh -- we had to let you know how fantastic they are!
a bleating moment...
There’s an unfamiliar sound coming from the hallways of the San Francisco SPCA this summer….. We’re used to barking, meowing, hisses and howls. But right now, there’s a definite bleating going on.
We’ve got goats.
As part of our ongoing quest for the coolest Humane Education program on earth, this summer, we’ve teamed up with City Grazing, based here in San Francisco, and introduced 10 goats to our summer camp curriculum. Under ordinary circumstances, City Grazing coordinates their goats to act as the ultimate all natural weed and dry grass clearers. For this lucky group of goats, their summer will be spent teaching campers about compassion for all animals, not just dogs and cats.
Our summer visitors are mostly female, with a few males mixed in, and right around 4 months old (don’t worry – the males are all wethers – neutered in goat speak – so they’ll be no accidental baby goats!) All have names, and each one has a distinct personality. We’re going to have such a great time getting to know each one.
While staying with us, the goats will reside in their own luxurious accommodations, far from the barks and meows of the adoption center. Sunny spots to relax, plenty of nooks and crannies to play hide and seek (they do!).
They’ll dine on the finest of goat friendly meals and be socialized and interacted with on a daily basis by our staff and volunteers. Our campers will have the unique opportunity to help feed and care for these guys and gals, and learn that goats too, can learn their name, a few tricks, and become quite sociable!
This week, being so new to our building (and to us!), our campers are working on slow, quiet introductions, armed with a goat’s favorite treat – corn flakes! Over a few days, the goats will gradually learn to trust the campers more, and interact regularly. From the looks of our first visit, these goats and campers are going to be fast friends!
Stay tuned through the summer for photos and tales from our Humane Education department’s work with these fabulous animals. And if you’ve got an animal loving kid at home – they can join the fun! Space is still available for many of our Summer Animal Camps!
We’ve got goats.
As part of our ongoing quest for the coolest Humane Education program on earth, this summer, we’ve teamed up with City Grazing, based here in San Francisco, and introduced 10 goats to our summer camp curriculum. Under ordinary circumstances, City Grazing coordinates their goats to act as the ultimate all natural weed and dry grass clearers. For this lucky group of goats, their summer will be spent teaching campers about compassion for all animals, not just dogs and cats.
Our summer visitors are mostly female, with a few males mixed in, and right around 4 months old (don’t worry – the males are all wethers – neutered in goat speak – so they’ll be no accidental baby goats!) All have names, and each one has a distinct personality. We’re going to have such a great time getting to know each one.
While staying with us, the goats will reside in their own luxurious accommodations, far from the barks and meows of the adoption center. Sunny spots to relax, plenty of nooks and crannies to play hide and seek (they do!).
They’ll dine on the finest of goat friendly meals and be socialized and interacted with on a daily basis by our staff and volunteers. Our campers will have the unique opportunity to help feed and care for these guys and gals, and learn that goats too, can learn their name, a few tricks, and become quite sociable!
This week, being so new to our building (and to us!), our campers are working on slow, quiet introductions, armed with a goat’s favorite treat – corn flakes! Over a few days, the goats will gradually learn to trust the campers more, and interact regularly. From the looks of our first visit, these goats and campers are going to be fast friends!
Stay tuned through the summer for photos and tales from our Humane Education department’s work with these fabulous animals. And if you’ve got an animal loving kid at home – they can join the fun! Space is still available for many of our Summer Animal Camps!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer days are over rated....if you are homeless
Warm San Francisco summer days are a double edged sword. The mild temperatures get people out of their houses and out onto the streets, riding bikes and off to the beach to lie in the sand. Unfortunately, a beautiful sunny day means nothing to a shelter cat. Another weekend goes by while they sit in a kennel waiting for someone special to come around. But….that special someone is off, having fun, kicking back with a brew and soaking up the rays. Sigh.
Every week leading up to the summer has been building and building like the onset of a thunderstorm. You can see the weather pattern slowly becoming something ominous and potentially monumental. Shelter reality is about to rain down on us real hard. Eventually there is nowhere to run for cover.
With kitten season upon us, adoptions for adult cats are down, leaving little space to bring in more, and forcing us to be quite inventive about where and how we are housing them. Not a day goes by that we are not strategizing how to save more lives while still keeping a close watch on the ones we have already committed to. What’s missing is the public help. You are the umbrella that keeps us dry during this perpetual storm of cats.
Not only are adult cats in need of homes, but formerly feral kittens, aka undersocialized kittens, are in great need of loving hands to show them the power of human compassion. If we do not strike while the iron is hot (between 4 to 8 weeks of age) these kittens continue on a path of hissing, growling, swatting and general fear of humans. While normal, happy, go-lucky kittens are being snatched up by the house-full, the shy ones wait for experienced adopters with quiet households.
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To combat this problem, I've begun to teach a class on socializing scared kittens to our foster parents, which debuted this past weekend. Quite simply, the more kittens that we can get into human hands for love and attention, the easier it will be for them to move on to forever homes. Our class covered positive reinforcement around handling and being picked up, proper home set ups and the infamous “burrito” method of wrapping a kitten in a towel with only her head showing to force socialization and acceptance. It is always great to add more shelter soldiers to the ranks.
The rewards we receive from turning shy kittens around come in small doses. One day a kitten is flat eared and hissing, the next day she's purring in your arms and playing with a toy. It takes a degree of patience to make a difference, but ultimately you are left with one feeling: I have changed not one life, but many. The human- animal bond has no limits, no boundaries and keeps us tied together in a necessary way.
You can keep your suntan lotion and cooler full of beer. We saved a six pack of kittens today.
Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator
To learn how you can be involved in our life saving, kitten socialization programs, contact our foster department - we'll be waiting with open arms and adorable kittens....
Every week leading up to the summer has been building and building like the onset of a thunderstorm. You can see the weather pattern slowly becoming something ominous and potentially monumental. Shelter reality is about to rain down on us real hard. Eventually there is nowhere to run for cover.
With kitten season upon us, adoptions for adult cats are down, leaving little space to bring in more, and forcing us to be quite inventive about where and how we are housing them. Not a day goes by that we are not strategizing how to save more lives while still keeping a close watch on the ones we have already committed to. What’s missing is the public help. You are the umbrella that keeps us dry during this perpetual storm of cats.
Not only are adult cats in need of homes, but formerly feral kittens, aka undersocialized kittens, are in great need of loving hands to show them the power of human compassion. If we do not strike while the iron is hot (between 4 to 8 weeks of age) these kittens continue on a path of hissing, growling, swatting and general fear of humans. While normal, happy, go-lucky kittens are being snatched up by the house-full, the shy ones wait for experienced adopters with quiet households.
.JPG)
To combat this problem, I've begun to teach a class on socializing scared kittens to our foster parents, which debuted this past weekend. Quite simply, the more kittens that we can get into human hands for love and attention, the easier it will be for them to move on to forever homes. Our class covered positive reinforcement around handling and being picked up, proper home set ups and the infamous “burrito” method of wrapping a kitten in a towel with only her head showing to force socialization and acceptance. It is always great to add more shelter soldiers to the ranks.
The rewards we receive from turning shy kittens around come in small doses. One day a kitten is flat eared and hissing, the next day she's purring in your arms and playing with a toy. It takes a degree of patience to make a difference, but ultimately you are left with one feeling: I have changed not one life, but many. The human- animal bond has no limits, no boundaries and keeps us tied together in a necessary way.
You can keep your suntan lotion and cooler full of beer. We saved a six pack of kittens today.
Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator
To learn how you can be involved in our life saving, kitten socialization programs, contact our foster department - we'll be waiting with open arms and adorable kittens....
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Welcome to Cougartown
Right now, at the SFSPCA Maddie’s Adoption Center, we’re overflowing with feline faces.
Sure, we have the requisite young kittens, but down these halls there’s another group of cats – our Cougars. These guys and gals have been around a little longer, been waiting a little more patiently. They've seen a little more life, experienced a few more sunrises and sunsets than our younger residents.
Day after day, they see their younger, bouncier counterparts make a love connection and head out the door to their new life. We’d like to introduce you to a few of these on the prowl for love guys and gals, and ask that you take some time to get to know them. Each of these gorgeous cats has years left to love, and is over the brim with purrs and affection.
Take a look… You may just find the love you’ve been looking for all along.
And remember...this month...all month long...is our Cat-A-Palooza! That means, if you come into our adoption center, find a kitty (6 months and older) you would like to take home all for keeps-like, we'll let you name your own adoption fee! Does it get better than that?
Faithful readers...have you adopted an adult cat? Tell us what sparked that love, and why you chose your companion.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tales from a Foster Parent.....Goodbye and Hello...
Onion and BBQ weighed in at a little over two pounds last week so I emailed Alison and set up a time to take them in and get them ready for the adoption center. We all said our goodbyes and packed them in their little carrier and I drove them to the SFSPCA. Before going in I filled out an information sheet on each of the kittens, information for the adoptive parents that outlined any special needs the kittens had. These two ate well, both wet and dry food and were healthy and friendly so I knew they would be adopted quickly. And they were, Monday morning I heard back that Onion and BBQ had been adopted out over the weekend. I’m so happy because I know they will make really good pets.
The first day the kittens were shy, just as Onion and BBQ had been. They hid in their box and ate hesitantly. We gave them space, but frequently dropped by their room to pick them up and pet them a little. The next morning they hid in the box when I came in, but by the end of that same day they were running out to meet us and crying a little for our attention.
Samson is the smallest of the three and we have to keep our eye on him. He cries more and this distresses our resident cat a little. When I put the food out, Selena and Stewart tend to push him out of the way so I have to feed Samson first and apart from the others sometimes. And since the kittens are so young, they still want to suckle and they have chosen Samson’s stomach as the place to suckle. I wrote to Alison about it and she gave me some good advice, but that behavior seems to be dropping off on its own.
By now we have adjusted to each other. Its still entertaining to us to see the slightly uncoordinated kittens play and fall over each other. When we visit them, they all tilt their heads to look at us. They sleep in one little lump and meow together at me when they see me preparing the food. I’m getting a routine down with the kittens but I hope their cuteness never loses its charm on me.
I feel so fortunate to get to do this.
-Brenda
Do you have room in your home to foster this summer? You just need a few weeks, an extra room and a whole lot of love. Learn how you can become part of this life saving program!
While I was dropping the kittens off, my husband was at home disinfecting the kittens room so that we couldreceive new ones. So right after Alison received Onion and BBQ, she brought me out three new foster kittens to take home. Stewart, Samson and Selena came home with me that day. The sad moment of giving two kittens over was replaced by excitement at having three new tiny kitties.
The first day the kittens were shy, just as Onion and BBQ had been. They hid in their box and ate hesitantly. We gave them space, but frequently dropped by their room to pick them up and pet them a little. The next morning they hid in the box when I came in, but by the end of that same day they were running out to meet us and crying a little for our attention.
Samson is the smallest of the three and we have to keep our eye on him. He cries more and this distresses our resident cat a little. When I put the food out, Selena and Stewart tend to push him out of the way so I have to feed Samson first and apart from the others sometimes. And since the kittens are so young, they still want to suckle and they have chosen Samson’s stomach as the place to suckle. I wrote to Alison about it and she gave me some good advice, but that behavior seems to be dropping off on its own.
By now we have adjusted to each other. Its still entertaining to us to see the slightly uncoordinated kittens play and fall over each other. When we visit them, they all tilt their heads to look at us. They sleep in one little lump and meow together at me when they see me preparing the food. I’m getting a routine down with the kittens but I hope their cuteness never loses its charm on me.
I feel so fortunate to get to do this.
-Brenda
Do you have room in your home to foster this summer? You just need a few weeks, an extra room and a whole lot of love. Learn how you can become part of this life saving program!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cat-a-Palooza!
June is Adopt-a-Cat Month, and here at the San Francisco SPCA, we've got all sorts of fun in store all month long! If you've been thinking about bringing a new feline friend into your life - now is the time!
For all the details, and directions to our adoption center, please visit our website
Monday, June 7, 2010
Stories from the front line...
And So....The Troops Move On.
I swear, cats are better than coffee. At least, that’s the way I choose to wake myself up in the morning. Another day, another cart load of cats found their way to the SF/SPCA.
The Feline Care Coordinator has to face the same challenge every day. Who will be the best candidates for adoption and where am I going to house them in a shelter already filled to capacity with cats and kittens? Combining the science of shelter medicine, cat behavior and the logistics of housing them appropriately, cats are taken from San Francisco Animal Care and Control (ACC) each day and moved into the San Francisco SPCA for adoption or medical recovery.
The flow never stops. There is no rhyme, no reason, no timing or predictability. Cats just keep coming in and you have to do the best you can to keep them healthy, happy and headed towards homes, no matter how tired you are, no matter what’s happening in the world around you. Animal welfare stops for no one and quite frankly, this is the life we chose. I am thankful for my place in this collective effort, every morning I hear those cries for help.
This weekend was especially heavy for intake. We took seven adult cats from ACC in just one morning, including four black cats and an injured cat that fell out of a window and suffered an apparent stab wound or impalement to the stomach. “Geez, this is going to be a long morning”, I told myself. With the onset of kitten season and the economy literally dumping cats into our shelter, the challenge is to be prepared for anything and I do mean anything!
After spending my morning at ACC evaluating cats and kittens for adoption candidacy, I push the cart full of cats across the street and back to our Shelter Medicine intake room for their first physical exam. We rule out any immediate concerns on the first day, thus paving the way for appropriate housing and care. Our Animal Care Attendants scramble to provide kennels complete with the enrichment they will need. It’s triage at its truest definition.
Today, the room is full. The techs are stretched thin, working on treatments for our maxed out cat & dog population and still…we charge forward with seven more. Tomorrow will likely be no different then today. Bring it on.
After these cats are examined, housed and fed, its time to keep a close watch on their behavior. Sometimes cats stress out in shelter environments. Let’s face it, they were probably very comfortable in their prior home before they ended up “in the system”. Understandably, cats will stop eating, tense up and react harshly to attention in an unfamiliar setting. Sometimes you find out the hard way that cats don’t like other cats. Hmmm, now where do we house you?
As each day grows closer to adoption, we hope and pray that all our hard work pays off. Each cat deserves an army of animal lovers to help them find their way. I am proud to be a soldier in that army. The war calls to us. Every day we open our eyes in the morning. They need us. They need you.
Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator
The San Francisco SPCA
You can sponsor a cat in the care of Daniel and the Feline Care team, and assist the SFSPCA in our work to place more animals, and save more lives. Visit our website for more information.
I swear, cats are better than coffee. At least, that’s the way I choose to wake myself up in the morning. Another day, another cart load of cats found their way to the SF/SPCA.
The Feline Care Coordinator has to face the same challenge every day. Who will be the best candidates for adoption and where am I going to house them in a shelter already filled to capacity with cats and kittens? Combining the science of shelter medicine, cat behavior and the logistics of housing them appropriately, cats are taken from San Francisco Animal Care and Control (ACC) each day and moved into the San Francisco SPCA for adoption or medical recovery.
The flow never stops. There is no rhyme, no reason, no timing or predictability. Cats just keep coming in and you have to do the best you can to keep them healthy, happy and headed towards homes, no matter how tired you are, no matter what’s happening in the world around you. Animal welfare stops for no one and quite frankly, this is the life we chose. I am thankful for my place in this collective effort, every morning I hear those cries for help.
This weekend was especially heavy for intake. We took seven adult cats from ACC in just one morning, including four black cats and an injured cat that fell out of a window and suffered an apparent stab wound or impalement to the stomach. “Geez, this is going to be a long morning”, I told myself. With the onset of kitten season and the economy literally dumping cats into our shelter, the challenge is to be prepared for anything and I do mean anything!
After spending my morning at ACC evaluating cats and kittens for adoption candidacy, I push the cart full of cats across the street and back to our Shelter Medicine intake room for their first physical exam. We rule out any immediate concerns on the first day, thus paving the way for appropriate housing and care. Our Animal Care Attendants scramble to provide kennels complete with the enrichment they will need. It’s triage at its truest definition.
Today, the room is full. The techs are stretched thin, working on treatments for our maxed out cat & dog population and still…we charge forward with seven more. Tomorrow will likely be no different then today. Bring it on.
After these cats are examined, housed and fed, its time to keep a close watch on their behavior. Sometimes cats stress out in shelter environments. Let’s face it, they were probably very comfortable in their prior home before they ended up “in the system”. Understandably, cats will stop eating, tense up and react harshly to attention in an unfamiliar setting. Sometimes you find out the hard way that cats don’t like other cats. Hmmm, now where do we house you?
As each day grows closer to adoption, we hope and pray that all our hard work pays off. Each cat deserves an army of animal lovers to help them find their way. I am proud to be a soldier in that army. The war calls to us. Every day we open our eyes in the morning. They need us. They need you.
Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator
The San Francisco SPCA
You can sponsor a cat in the care of Daniel and the Feline Care team, and assist the SFSPCA in our work to place more animals, and save more lives. Visit our website for more information.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tales from a kitten foster mom...the resident cat....
Lugo is our resident cat. We got him a year ago at an animal shelter and he lives with us all the time. Cats can be very territorial, but Lugo has been quite tolerant of Onion and BBQ, watching them from a distance but mostly just ignoring them. The SPCA asks us to keep the foster kittens separate from the resident cat and we have not had any trouble with this until the day the kittens got vaccinated.
Part of my responsibility as a foster parent is to make sure the kittens get vaccinated on time and I had my appointments all lined up. I braved the rain and took the kittens in, looking forward to seeing their weight on a good scale. Onion weighed .83 grams and BBQ weighed .97 grams. BBQ weighed enough to stay for adoption, but they like to keep the kittens together as long as possible, so he will stay with us until Onion weight is up more. Both kittens have gained well and are healthy, but Onion needs to get closer to a kilo before he can be adopted.
Returning home after the vaccination, I spent a little extra time with the kittens, keeping an eye on them and comforting them like I would a child after a shot. Resident cat Lugo kept an eye on me from a distance. The day got busy after that and the kittens were doing well, so I did the things I needed to accomplish that day.
In the middle of the night, I noticed Lugo was not sleeping in his normal spot at the foot of my bed. I went to look for him and found him sleeping outside the kittens room. He was there in the morning as well. Lugo continued to act a little strange, fussing and meowing a little more than usual. It seemed like our resident cat just needed a little more attention, so we spent more time with him, sitting close, petting and playing with him, then brought out some new toys for Lugo to bat around.
Resident cat Lugo recovered and has gone back to ignoring the foster kittens and sleeps at the foot of our bed again. Over the long weekend we had a lot of visitors, all of them enjoyed Onion and BBQ at this fun stage. A couple expressed interest in adopting one or the other and that would be possible when the kittens are big enough and the paperwork is done for the SPCA.
San Francisco is a city that loves animals. At the laundromat today I met a dog adopted after the fall out from hurricane Katrina. This dog is now being trained by the SFSPCA to help special needs children. The dog that was rescued now serves to help children. Something just feels right about.
I can’t wait to see what happens with Onion and BBQ.
-Brenda
And of course -- gratuitous photos of the kittens!
Caught the foster kitten bug? Learn how to get involved!
Part of my responsibility as a foster parent is to make sure the kittens get vaccinated on time and I had my appointments all lined up. I braved the rain and took the kittens in, looking forward to seeing their weight on a good scale. Onion weighed .83 grams and BBQ weighed .97 grams. BBQ weighed enough to stay for adoption, but they like to keep the kittens together as long as possible, so he will stay with us until Onion weight is up more. Both kittens have gained well and are healthy, but Onion needs to get closer to a kilo before he can be adopted.
Returning home after the vaccination, I spent a little extra time with the kittens, keeping an eye on them and comforting them like I would a child after a shot. Resident cat Lugo kept an eye on me from a distance. The day got busy after that and the kittens were doing well, so I did the things I needed to accomplish that day.
In the middle of the night, I noticed Lugo was not sleeping in his normal spot at the foot of my bed. I went to look for him and found him sleeping outside the kittens room. He was there in the morning as well. Lugo continued to act a little strange, fussing and meowing a little more than usual. It seemed like our resident cat just needed a little more attention, so we spent more time with him, sitting close, petting and playing with him, then brought out some new toys for Lugo to bat around.
Resident cat Lugo recovered and has gone back to ignoring the foster kittens and sleeps at the foot of our bed again. Over the long weekend we had a lot of visitors, all of them enjoyed Onion and BBQ at this fun stage. A couple expressed interest in adopting one or the other and that would be possible when the kittens are big enough and the paperwork is done for the SPCA.
San Francisco is a city that loves animals. At the laundromat today I met a dog adopted after the fall out from hurricane Katrina. This dog is now being trained by the SFSPCA to help special needs children. The dog that was rescued now serves to help children. Something just feels right about.
I can’t wait to see what happens with Onion and BBQ.
-Brenda
And of course -- gratuitous photos of the kittens!
Caught the foster kitten bug? Learn how to get involved!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Dogs, sunshine, San Francisco Bay....!
Ahoy Matey!
Have you signed up for this year's Dog Day on the Bay?
On Sunday, June 6th, dogs, their best human pals, Mutt Lynch Winery and Hornblower Cruises will converge on the San Francisco Belle for the greatest off-shore adventure all year - a two hour cruise around the San Francisco Bay, complete with champagne brunch, music, dancing and plenty of doggone good times!
And you - our special blog readers, our dear friends, our favorite internet community -- you get to experience this at a deep discount! That's right -- just announced, Hornblower Cruises has released a promo code just for our internet friends...giving you access to the funnest cruise of all time for just $95! (normally $140...what a bargain!)
Have you signed up for this year's Dog Day on the Bay?
On Sunday, June 6th, dogs, their best human pals, Mutt Lynch Winery and Hornblower Cruises will converge on the San Francisco Belle for the greatest off-shore adventure all year - a two hour cruise around the San Francisco Bay, complete with champagne brunch, music, dancing and plenty of doggone good times!
And you - our special blog readers, our dear friends, our favorite internet community -- you get to experience this at a deep discount! That's right -- just announced, Hornblower Cruises has released a promo code just for our internet friends...giving you access to the funnest cruise of all time for just $95! (normally $140...what a bargain!)
Don't delay! Tickets are selling FAST! Get yours today and we'll see you on board the Belle!
All abooooooard! click here for more details
Thursday, May 27, 2010
tales from a foster mother....BBQ + Onion, week 2
Onion started purring this week.
Every time we pick her up, a little motor starts up and her whole body seems to vibrate. I have read that a cats purr will heal aching joints and bones. While I cannot prove that, I do know that holding a tiny kitten while she purrs is immensely satisfying. Seeing them grow, develop some coordination and independence are all great, but feeling them purr, that's just delightful.
Onion and BBQ spent the week lolling in the sun, sleeping, kitten wrestling and exploring their little space. Every nook and cranny. But the highlight of their day is the food. If I can manage to sneak in to their room before they wake up and shake the dry food container, I am rewarded by two kitties that come shooting out of their little box. As though shot from a cannon, they race out of the box, tumbling over each other in the process, directly to the food dish where eating becomes serious business.
They make us laugh like that all the time, but we are ever mindful of the fact that we are also preparing them for adoption. BBQ started climbing up our pant legs one day. And while that behavior is adorable from a tiny kitten, imagine how obnoxious it would be when he gets older. So we put a stop to that. We don't let the kittens play with our hands, instead we use ping pong balls or other cat toys to interact with them. The day we return them to the adoption center, we want a potential family to find a well behaved, adorable little kitten to take home.
They are growing fast, BBQ is now over two pounds and Onion is close behind. So we don't know how much longer we will have them. So very soon we'll be returning these kitties for adoption. We are probably in the optimal phase of kitten fostering. Having nursed them to health, they are strong and growing. . . and adorable every moment of the day.
- Brenda
Does Brenda's blog have you thinking about becoming a foster parent? To find out more, and sign up for an upcoming foster information session, contact us!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
That kid is going to have my job one day...
Time and again, we hear those words from our staff.
Through our Humane Education program, children from all over the San Francisco area are able to have real time, hands on expreiences with our shelter animals, and learn compassion and kindness for all living creatures. We're truly building tomorrow's animal ambassadors today.
Does your child love animals? We have the summer program for him/her!
This summer, the San Francisco SPCA offers a whole line-up of Summer Animal Camps for kids interested in learning more about animals and the animal welfare community. Our camps promote kindness and compassion for all creatures. Curricula combine enriching activities and experiential learning to foster children’s love and understanding of animals. Oh, and did we mention cuddles with kitties and puppies? What better way to spend the summer than making new friends, learning together, playing outrageous games, and hanging out with amazing animals who need your help? Kids aren’t the only one who will have fun . . . our shelter animals receive tons of attention and TLC.
This summer, we have several camp sessions to choose from, and space is STILL AVAILABLE!
Three parallel, fun-filled camp sessions are offered weekly. Sessions are available for children entering grades one through eight in the Fall of 2010.
Camp sessions run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The tuition fee for each camp session is $400 with financial aid opportunities available.
Extended care is available from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a weekly rate of $50 per child
All campers receive a t-shirt and an afternoon snack.
The camp environment and curriculum emphasizes collaboration and exchange of ideas with fellow campers.
The interactive, activity-based learning process helps students make connections and associations between animals and their own life experiences.
For more infromation and to apply for summer camp, please visit our website today!
Through our Humane Education program, children from all over the San Francisco area are able to have real time, hands on expreiences with our shelter animals, and learn compassion and kindness for all living creatures. We're truly building tomorrow's animal ambassadors today.
Does your child love animals? We have the summer program for him/her!
This summer, the San Francisco SPCA offers a whole line-up of Summer Animal Camps for kids interested in learning more about animals and the animal welfare community. Our camps promote kindness and compassion for all creatures. Curricula combine enriching activities and experiential learning to foster children’s love and understanding of animals. Oh, and did we mention cuddles with kitties and puppies? What better way to spend the summer than making new friends, learning together, playing outrageous games, and hanging out with amazing animals who need your help? Kids aren’t the only one who will have fun . . . our shelter animals receive tons of attention and TLC.
This summer, we have several camp sessions to choose from, and space is STILL AVAILABLE!
Three parallel, fun-filled camp sessions are offered weekly. Sessions are available for children entering grades one through eight in the Fall of 2010.
Camp sessions run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The tuition fee for each camp session is $400 with financial aid opportunities available.
Extended care is available from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a weekly rate of $50 per child
All campers receive a t-shirt and an afternoon snack.
The camp environment and curriculum emphasizes collaboration and exchange of ideas with fellow campers.
The interactive, activity-based learning process helps students make connections and associations between animals and their own life experiences.
For more infromation and to apply for summer camp, please visit our website today!
Friday, May 21, 2010
the Office Dog Chronicles...episode Piglet
This morning, Piglet decided to spend some time with one such SFSPCA staff member.
Piglet's an active teenager, who just can't get enough of his long runs and training sessions with volunteers. His zest for life and energetic personality are a fabulous match for an active lifestyle, but unfortunatly, don't make for the most peaceful stay in the shelter. Spending time in an office helps to break the daily routine, while giving us a peek into how a dog like this will do once settled into a home of his own.
Office time has been good for this guy...he got to snooze on the dog bed with all four feet in the air, followed by a delicious Kong snack.
He's hoping to learn to use the fax machine.
As much as we love having him in the office, though, we'd rather him apply for a job as your best friend...
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
an onion, a bbq and a vegetable scale....
I had been hovering over my email inbox for days, hoping that Alison would contact me and tell me she had kittens ready to foster. Last Thursday the email finally came. After calling Alison to say I was on the way, we jumped in the car so we could get to the SPCA before Alison went home for the evening.
The SFSPCA names hundreds of kittens each year so they get a little creative (or it was close to lunch time) and we got kittens named after chip flavors. Onion is a sweet little girl kitty and BBQ is a fiery black and white boy with a cute black mark on his nose. When they handed me the kittens, each weighing just over a pound, I couldn’t get over how small they were.
We took them home to the space we had disinfected and prepared especially for them. Old towels were handy to line the box with and everything was prepared just as they had taught us in the orientation class the Saturday before. At first the kittens tentatively explored their little space, but soon they were running around chasing each other and making us laugh.
Each morning I weigh them in a vegetable scale provided by the SPCA. Three times a day I feed them special kitty food provided for us. On Friday Onion seemed not to be eating well and when I weighed her on Saturday morning, she had not gained. So I called the veterinary tech and they gave me some suggestions for getting her to eat.
By Monday Onion had lost weight so I emailed the foster office and they set me up with a veterinary appointment. I took both kittens in and the tech weighed them to confirm Onions weight and be sure that BBQ was OK. Then they brought out several different types of food, offering each to Onion until we hit on one that she liked. I was impressed when the doctor came in and, rather than just pick Onion up and start examining her, she let Onion continue to eat and just watched her from a distance. Everyone was compassionate and tender toward the kittens.
Onion was given some subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea medications. They sent me home with a bag of special foods to try her on, including several containers of the type she had eaten. While I was at the office, I met another foster mom, and we had a nice chat sharing our experiences with kittens.
Its fun to wake up every morning and check in with adorable little kittens. They know me now and come running out of their box when they hear me in the kitchen. I love kittens, but I never imagined how rewarding it would be to take in these little guys.
Just watching them makes me smile.
smile away while you watch them play in this video....
---Brenda
...to keep posted on all the adventures and tales from Brenda, our guest-blogging-kitten-foster-mom-extraordinaire, suscribe to our blog!
Interested in becoming a foster parent? Get all the information here - I WANT TO FOSTER!
The SFSPCA names hundreds of kittens each year so they get a little creative (or it was close to lunch time) and we got kittens named after chip flavors. Onion is a sweet little girl kitty and BBQ is a fiery black and white boy with a cute black mark on his nose. When they handed me the kittens, each weighing just over a pound, I couldn’t get over how small they were.
We took them home to the space we had disinfected and prepared especially for them. Old towels were handy to line the box with and everything was prepared just as they had taught us in the orientation class the Saturday before. At first the kittens tentatively explored their little space, but soon they were running around chasing each other and making us laugh.
Each morning I weigh them in a vegetable scale provided by the SPCA. Three times a day I feed them special kitty food provided for us. On Friday Onion seemed not to be eating well and when I weighed her on Saturday morning, she had not gained. So I called the veterinary tech and they gave me some suggestions for getting her to eat.
By Monday Onion had lost weight so I emailed the foster office and they set me up with a veterinary appointment. I took both kittens in and the tech weighed them to confirm Onions weight and be sure that BBQ was OK. Then they brought out several different types of food, offering each to Onion until we hit on one that she liked. I was impressed when the doctor came in and, rather than just pick Onion up and start examining her, she let Onion continue to eat and just watched her from a distance. Everyone was compassionate and tender toward the kittens.
Onion was given some subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea medications. They sent me home with a bag of special foods to try her on, including several containers of the type she had eaten. While I was at the office, I met another foster mom, and we had a nice chat sharing our experiences with kittens.
Its fun to wake up every morning and check in with adorable little kittens. They know me now and come running out of their box when they hear me in the kitchen. I love kittens, but I never imagined how rewarding it would be to take in these little guys.
Just watching them makes me smile.
smile away while you watch them play in this video....
---Brenda
...to keep posted on all the adventures and tales from Brenda, our guest-blogging-kitten-foster-mom-extraordinaire, suscribe to our blog!
Interested in becoming a foster parent? Get all the information here - I WANT TO FOSTER!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Following the life of a kitten foster family...
Spring is upon the Bay Area, and with those sunny skies, longer days and milder weather comes the inevitable pitter patter of little feet…kitten season.
As the warm weather coincides with female cats' heat cycles, female cats go into heat and male cats come running from near and far. By April, newborn kittens are brought to the shelter too young to be adopted — under eight weeks old — and shelter staff must find a way to provide them with the extra care and socialization they need during their first few weeks of life. That’s where you can step in and lend a huge helping hand.
The Foster Care Program is designed as a lifeline for animals who have a chance at survival, but are simply too young for adoption, or may be recovering from an injury or illness, and cannot yet enter the general population of the adoption center. With the love and care of devoted foster parents, these helpless animals are given a second chance for life.
We're thrilled to introduce you to a new member of our family - Brenda. Brenda is a new member of our Foster Parent ranks, and she'll soon be welcoming her first foster kittens into her home! Brenda will be posting with us on a regular basis, keeping the world aprised of the kittens' progress, growth and adorable photos.
Welcome Brenda! We're looking forward to your musings....
As the warm weather coincides with female cats' heat cycles, female cats go into heat and male cats come running from near and far. By April, newborn kittens are brought to the shelter too young to be adopted — under eight weeks old — and shelter staff must find a way to provide them with the extra care and socialization they need during their first few weeks of life. That’s where you can step in and lend a huge helping hand.
The Foster Care Program is designed as a lifeline for animals who have a chance at survival, but are simply too young for adoption, or may be recovering from an injury or illness, and cannot yet enter the general population of the adoption center. With the love and care of devoted foster parents, these helpless animals are given a second chance for life.
We're thrilled to introduce you to a new member of our family - Brenda. Brenda is a new member of our Foster Parent ranks, and she'll soon be welcoming her first foster kittens into her home! Brenda will be posting with us on a regular basis, keeping the world aprised of the kittens' progress, growth and adorable photos.
Welcome Brenda! We're looking forward to your musings....
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
We're back!
And a hearty hello to you. And you. And you and you and even you! And especially to YOU - since here you are, still checking our blog for updates....we cannot apologize enough for the lack of attention we've shown you these last months.
All we can say is - we promise to never leave you blogless for such a spell you again. We're back - we're pumped - and we're geared up to share more kitty, cat, kitten and kitteh information with you daily. Along with some doggie stuff too, since, frankly, the canines were getting a little jealous. So let's move forward into this new era of LDYK with the intent of showering ALL the San Francisco SPCA residents with some love....
....and because we know our apologies aren't quite enough --- we give you the internet debut of the one, the only, the world famous.....Lady Meow Meow!
enjoy.
dance.
All we can say is - we promise to never leave you blogless for such a spell you again. We're back - we're pumped - and we're geared up to share more kitty, cat, kitten and kitteh information with you daily. Along with some doggie stuff too, since, frankly, the canines were getting a little jealous. So let's move forward into this new era of LDYK with the intent of showering ALL the San Francisco SPCA residents with some love....
....and because we know our apologies aren't quite enough --- we give you the internet debut of the one, the only, the world famous.....Lady Meow Meow!
enjoy.
dance.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
2009 Macy's Holiday Windows: How do they do it?
Every wonder how the SF/SPCA & Macy's team up every year to create such amazing displays and get so many cats & dogs into loving homes? Here is a video that shows an inside view of the process.
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