The Cat Connection - North Toronto Cat Rescue

The Cat Connection
North Toronto Cat Rescue
Winter 2014
|
Volume 19
Sweet Kelly, our beautiful calico, scurried into our trap this year —
one July day, tempted by food and obviously driven by hunger. Her
condition was abysmal — her long hair dirty and matted, her body
thin beyond imaginable. Her frame was very boney and she weighed
a mere 4 pounds. Her appearance was extremely shocking and we
prayed that, with help, she would live.
Once in the shelter, the volunteers fussed over her, making sure she
knew food was always available and the choices were “hers.”
Within days, Kelly had her first vet visit and blood tests revealed she
had a hyperthyroid condition. We wondered if perhaps that was a
reason she now had no “home”!
Then came the decision on a treatment course that was certainly going to be expensive so we were grateful that the Liberal newspaper
printed her story with the hope of raising the funds required to actually cure this condition. As luck would have it, a Thornhill vet responded to our plea and within a week Kelly was taken to their clinic and
re-assessed. Yes, she did need surgery and rather quickly. Thanks to all
who answered our plea and responded to this article. You helped save
Kelly. She is now back in the shelter, able to lead a happy, “normal”
life, warm, safe, gaining back her lost weight and waiting to go home
with someone who would return her love! She is truly delightful and
as with Kelly, all funds donated to our organization go entirely to sav-
Canadian Registered Charity
No. 83607 9673 RR0001
www.northtorontocatrescue.com
(905)940-CATS(2287)
ing one more precious life. Throughout the
year, this is only one story of many who
need our help and we thank you, the public, for your support in order to make these
stories happy ones.
Homemade cat toys
Whether you’re looking to create a custom holiday gift for the cat in your life or you just want to keep your family busy
on a cold winter day, crafting cat toys out of household items can be a fun activity. Play is vital for cats, so your feline
friend will no doubt enjoy these three homemade toys:
Stuffed Sock: Stuff a sock with shredded newspaper and a bit of catnip. Tie the ends together and toss it!
Unorthodox Box: We all know cats love to play in cardboard boxes. If you want to make your box even more fun for your
cat, cut holes into it and place toys on either sides. Then, watch your cat try to catch the toys through the holes.
Treat Toy: Place a treat inside an uncapped bottle and watch your cat toss it around trying to get the treat out.
Volunteer Corner
Mary Matthews joined the other
volunteers at North Toronto Cat Rescue 4 years ago — she was looking for
a place to volunteer but didn’t want
to work in a shelter where the animals
were caged. She has dedicated many
hours of her time to make our cats
feel happy and loved.
Mary comes in four times a week and
always arrives at the shelter before
most of us are out of bed. She is one
of our designated “wet feeders” —
this is a person assigned to give each
cat a portion of wet food. The cats
wait at the door and give Mary a most
enthusiastic welcome when she appears with their plates of food. Mary
checks that every cat is fed. Some will
eat from a platter but some need their
own bowls and many of them only like
one particular food. Mary knows all
their likes and dislikes and does her
A call for
volunteers
very best to ensure that each
cat is satisfied. Each bowl of
food is served along with a kiss
or head rub. Mary knows each
cat and is always on the lookout
for one that may not be eating
and is perhaps sick.
a while finds a forever home. As she leaves
the shelter after her shift — often after eight
hours of hard work — Mary shuts the door
knowing she has contributed her very best efforts to the welfare of each and every cat.
Mary is a whirlwind cleaner —
she is here, there and everywhere, washing or vacuuming
up any dirt. She changes the
bedding, cleans the windows
and the walls, and even chases
the dirt that tracks under the
cages. When she can’t clean it,
she paints it!
Mary’s rewards come when she
sees the cats going out to loving
homes. She says some of her
best moments are when a cat
who has been at the shelter for
Volunteers are essential if we are to rescue the many cats and kittens who
need us. NTCR needs many helping hands, hearts, and talents to help our
organization thrive and survive. We appreciate everyone for their efforts,
great and small. Please contact Donna at (905)940-CATS(2287) or through
the email link in the Volunteer section of our website.
Deloitte impact day
Every year, employees from Deloitte’s offices all over the world give
back to their local communities by
volunteering their time to support
not-for-profit organizations on Impact Day. On October 3rd, 2014, 19
volunteers from Deloitte’s Toronto
and North York offices handmade
over 400 elegantly designed greeting
cards with ink-stamped cat patterns
to fundraise for NTCR at the
North York Center. It was a great
success and a total of $444.30
was raised. All funds go directly
to supporting cats that are in the
shelter or saving those that are
stranded outside and desperately
need help. In addition, Deloitte
also designed and donated two
retractable banners that NTCR
will be able to put into good use at future
fundraising events. The volunteers also had
the opportunity to tour NTCR to get a better understanding of its daily operations and
meet some of the cats that will benefit from
the donations.
Cat facts
We don’t have to know much about
cats to know they’re among the best
companions we can have. But the
more we know the more we enjoy
their company. They are masters
when it comes to deciphering body
language and the tone of our voices.
And they pay attention because they
want to know us better. The key to a
closer and more enjoyable relationship with our felines is to return the
favour — to understand them better.
If we humans could do some of the
things our frisky friends can do — see
in near-total darkness, give a racehorse a run for its money, or right
ourselves in midair for a perfect fourpoint landing— we’d be superheroes.
So, how well do you know your cat? In
Kitty Facts Corner we’ll cover questions that are so important to caring
for our kitties, but we’ll also find the
answers to questions that tickle our
curiosity.
Have you ever wondered “What’s a
cat’s top speed?” The average domestic cat can run at a speed of about
30 miles per hour. Egyptian Maus
are reportedly the fastest breed of
domestic cat, capable of reaching 36
mph. To put things in perspective, the
Thoroughbred is the fastest breed of
horse and can maintain a speed of 45
mph for over a mile. But it’s the cat
of a different colour that is the fastest
animal on land; the cheetah can run in
bursts of 70 mph.
Which is the most popular pet in
North America: the dog or cat? That
would be the feline. Cats supplanted
dogs as everyone’s best friend in the
mid 1980’s and the gap has grown
steadily ever since. There are 90.5
million pet cats in the U.S. and Canada
and 73.9 million pet dogs. (In fairness to dogs, though, cat lovers tend
to have more than one cat, so more
households — 43.5 million — have
dogs, while 37.7 million households
have cats.)
Who hears better: cats, dogs, or humans? No contest, the winner is CATS!
Cats can hear nearly three times more
frequencies than humans can. A cat’s
hearing stops at 80 kilohertz, dogs at
45 kHz, and humans at a pathetic 20
kHz. Because they can rotate their
ears and focus each ear independently, they also hear well from all directions. If you figure this means your cat
can hear you perfectly well when you
call her, you’re absolutely right ... she’s
probably just ignoring you.
You can see our fabulous felines at
www.northtorontocatrescue.com
If you have room in your home and your heart, please contact us at
www.northtorontocatrescue.com or search for us on Facebook
Please send this form with your cheque to:
NORTH TORONTO CAT RESCUE
28 John Stiver Crescent
Markham, Ontario L3R 9A8
$ ______ For food, litter, and veterinary care
$ ______ Towards the shelter
$ ______ I’d like to be a financial sponsor-parent
$ ______ I just want to help
Please send a tax receipt:
YES
NO
Name: _____________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________
Email address: _______________________________________________________
I’d like to become a volunteer, please call me at: ____________________________