Spring 2015 - Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue

T im e to “P a ws” and Re f le ct
Happy belated New Year!
The start of January marked
an important time for FOCR
as 2015 is our 15th anniversary year. When we reflect
back, we realize what an impressive milestone this is for
our organization.
First and foremost, I would
like to acknowledge that
FOCR would not exist if not for its founder Debbie
Sauve. Debbie’s concern for the plight of abused and
abandoned cats and kittens led to the creation of Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue. We will be featuring Debbie’s
inspiring story in more detail in a future Mewsletter.
One remarkable achievement for the organization is
that it has been a viable entity for 15 years. According
to Industry Canada, only 85 percent of small or medium-sized businesses that enter the marketplace survive
one year, and only 51 percent survive for five years.
Forbes Magazine states that only 25 percent of businesses make it to 15 years. For a not-for-profit organization to beat all those odds is truly amazing!
F ea t ur e Ad opt ion : S iu M a i
In addition to our impressive longevity, FOCR is notable
for functioning successfully with incredible operational
challenges: we have with no paid staff, our finances have
been solely dependent on fundraising, plus we have
weathered a long and difficult recession. The economic
down-turn was very arduous for us, as it substantially
lowered our adoption rates and donations received.
Most businesses have frequent turnover in personnel and
business partners; that is also the case for Forgotten Ones.
There are many aspects of our organization that have required constant recruiting including pet store partners,
directors, foster families, and veterinary clinics. Finding
key people and business associates has been challenging
at times, but we are proud that we have always managed
to interest like-minded animal enthusiasts to assist us.
It really is a tribute to the Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue
community that, in the face of many obstacles, our desire
to care for abused cats and kittens remains important to all
of us and has been the impetus for our survival. To each
and every person who has contributed in some way to
FOCR, I would like to say thank you for your support and
Happy Anniversary!
~ Laura Wyatt, Director with Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue
Siu Mai (a Chinese dumpling), which is what we decided
to name her.
Siu Mai brings us love and fun. As soon as she settled
down, she was not a shy cat anymore! She is an expert
inspector and she checks every single drawer and bag.
She is also a purr machine—she purrs loudly if you just
look at her. Every morning when I wake up, she will
jump into my lap and give me lots of kisses. She loves to
eat and when she wants treats, her trick is to sit right in
front of Daddy, put up her innocent face, and look at him
firmly. Trust me, this never fails to get his attention!
Three years ago, my husband and I wanted a friend for
our cat. We found a pretty cat on FOCR’s website, and
we fell in love with her from her picture. We still remember the night that we met her. When we held her
in our arms, we could feel her tiny body shaking and
knew she was really scared. That made us want to protect her, so we adopted her and brought her home. She
is small and round and we thought she looked like a
Even our other cat loves her. He used to get sick very
easily but, since we have Siu Mai and he has another cat
to keep him company, his health has improved a lot. We
are so glad to have Siu Mai with us.
We would like to say thank you to FOCR, because we
can’t imagine what would have happened to Siu Mai
without your rescue. We also appreciate that FOCR considers every adopter’s suitability to ensure the quality of
the cat’s life. Finally, we wish all the innocent cats will
find their forever home soon! ~ Priscilla and Family
F ea t ur e F oste r F am ily : Kr is t ie a nd J oh n
Fostering felines has been a rewarding experience for
Kristie and John for more than fourteen years. They
have cared for and nurtured hundreds of rescued cats
and kittens. Previously, the couple had lent their support to two other animal rescue groups; for the last five
years, FOCR has been very fortunate to have them as
part of our team. Kristie and John have done it all:
from being present at the birth of kittens, tending to the
many needs of the animals during their early months,
and assisting in the adoption process.
They also take on the responsibility of providing wonderful, heart-warming photographs used for their foster
pets’ very important website biographies. Appealing
pictures, such as the one above of Michael, Gabriel,
and Fyre, are crucial in catching the interest of prospective adopters. Many people have fallen in love
with FOCR felines just because of these irresistible
photos—how could they not? Kristie and John have
that special touch, not only for capturing the charm
and appeal of felines, but also for fostering young kittens and pregnant moms, and they generously share
with us some of their thoughts, experiences, and their
fabulous photos.
“As soon as a foster comes into our house they become
part of the family. Our own cats are rescues or previous fosters, which may have something to do with
how well they interact and accept their new feline
foster friends. We have learned that kittens, young
females, and pregnant moms are the best fit for our
household dynamic. In addition to providing the kittens a warm, loving, and nurturing environment, we
are able to socialize them with other cats. Our own
cats wait patiently outside the kitten-room door, waiting for their new friends to grow big enough to come
out and play and cuddle with them.
“As a foster family, we chauffeur the kittens to the vet
for their scheduled vaccinations and checkups, as well
as driving them to various locations for FOCR adopta-thons. Another task we sometimes undertake is
completing the adoption process in our home. This is
a special time for us, as it allows us to meet the new
parents and share with them stories about their new
family member.
“Getting photographs of the cats and kittens for their
bios is another function of a foster family. We purchased a high-end digital SLR camera because trying
to take pictures with a point-and-shoot camera was
very challenging—especially with kittens! It was a
After birth, a healthy kitten should gain weight daily and large amounts of nutrients are required to support this spectacular growth. On occasion, when a kitten isn’t getting enough to eat—if part of a large
litter, or if there is no mom, or if there is a medical need—Kristie and John lend a helping hand.
good investment and we have had many positive comments about the quality of our kitten photos. FOCR
has also been incorporating them into their website
promotional pieces.
“A couple of years ago we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary by exchanging orange tabbies. We
had been fostering two very special female orange
tabbies—Amy and Emily. They were two of the most
playful and adorable kittens we had ever met and we
decided that they would be wonderful additions to the
family. We affectionately referred to the girls as
“A&E”—not just their initials, but also short for Arts
and Entertainment—and they definitely live up to that
moniker. Most of our other family cats came to us
with long-term health or social issues, which made
them less than desirable for most families to adopt.
We tend to fall in love with the ‘underkittens’.
“Fostering pregnant moms who have given birth in
our house is an amazing experience. Each and every
time we are filled with anticipation, waiting for that
special moment to happen. There is nothing more rewarding than feeling the kittens moving within their
mom’s bellies and responding to our touches. Every
now and then, we have been lucky enough to actually be present for the birth and have had the pleasure
of helping a few along. We always love celebrating
milestones with the mom and kittens: eyes and ears
opening up, first steps, first use of litter box, and
eating of solid food. As they grow, we record their
weights every day and watch them develop. In most
cases the mom is able to care for the kitten on their
own, but sometimes we offer a helping hand, whether it is supplemental feedings or helping to clean the
kittens. We have taught more than one kitten how to
eat and use the litter box.
“The most unusual story involves our experience
with semi-feral cats Charlie, Dexter, and Charlotte.
One day we walked into the kitten room and found
the register from the floor vent had been pulled up.
Charlotte and Dexter had attempted a great escape
back to the wild! Fortunately, their attempt to tunnel
out of the room was short-lived. It was a bit of an
adventure, but eventually we were able to corral
them out of the HVAC ductwork. We prevented fu-
ture attempts by screwing down the vent and placing a
20-lb weight on top of the register. That was our message to Charlotte, the leader of the escape attempt, that
we were onto her.
“We have had an assortment of experiences with potential adoptive families. We have had people come to the
house intent on adopting a specific cat but walking out
with a different cat they had instantly fallen in love
with. On another occasion, by absolute happenstance, a
potential adoptive family came to our home for an
adoption and the husband turned out to be a retired former co-worker. The couple ended up adopting Eloise
and Penelope, two of our black cats. As we knew the
adoptive parents, we knew that the cats were going to
an excellent home.
“What we absolutely love about fostering is hearing
from the kittens’ forever-home families about how our
kittens have brought them joy. Last Christmas we got
an email, out of the blue, with an update on Cosette. It
had been more than a year since she had found her forever home and it was heart-warming to hear the love
and joy that she has brought to her adoptive family.
“We have had many positive comments about how
social and playful our kittens are. We humans can
take some of the credit, but the rest goes to our fourlegged family members, who play an important part
in the socialization process. Our own amazing cats
are very supportive of our fostering efforts, and their
cooperation allows us the opportunity to foster.”
Kristi and John seem to do fostering by the numbers:
they have cared for numerous rescued cats and kittens; they undertake numerous tasks in their role as a
foster family; and they have had numerous memorable experiences as a result of their volunteer work.
We can certainly count on Kristi and John to bring
compassion, caring, and commitment to their foster
work: three reasons why these two make one big difference to cats and kittens in need.
Being able to help an animal in need can be a wonderful experience. If you are interested in learning
more details about Forgotten Ones’ foster parent program, please contact us at [email protected].
Fostering kittens requires a lot of commitment, love, and work by the whole family. Cuddle time (left) and
many veterinary visits (middle) are just some of the many tasks that Kristie and John undertake. Socializing the
kittens is the responsibility of all family members, and Amy and Emily (right) are super socializing supervisors!
Planting a Warning about
Poisonous Plants
During the long winter months, nothing brightens up a home
more than a colourful bouquet of flowers or some lush green
plants. This is also the time of year when we often give or receive flowers and plants to celebrate special occasions such as
Valentine’s Day, Passover, and Easter. For those of us who
have a feline family member, it is very important to learn
which flowers and plants are safe to bring into our homes and
which are toxic for them.
Cats will chew on plants and, because they love to climb and
explore, it is often difficult to keep plants out of their reach.
Eating house plants is a common behavior in cats that do not
get vegetable matter in their diet. By providing a small flower
pot with grass or catnip, an owner often can eliminate the problem.
For the cat who has developed a habit or preference for plants,
finding a location that is inaccessible to them or using aversive
taste–smell conditioning with pepper sauce or vinegar usually
works. You can also use a fine–mist water sprayer directed at
the cat when it is caught in the act, or you can try scare tactics,
such as making a loud noise to startle it.
If a cat does ingest a plant that is poisonous, assume all parts of the plant are poisonous—even though some parts
of the plant may have higher concentrations of the toxic element than others. Many toxic plants are irritants: they
cause inflammation of the skin, mouth, stomach, etc. The toxic element in other plants might affect only a particular organ like the kidney or heart. The following is a list of plants that are toxic to cats:
 Amaryllis
 Autumn Crocus
 Azaleas and
Rhododendrons
 Castor Bean
 Chrysanthemum
 Cyclamen






English Ivy
Kalanchoe
Lilies
Marijuana
Oleander
Peace Lily





Pothos
Sago Palm
Spanish Thyme
Tulip and Narcissus
bulbs
Yew
Some plants are fatal for cats when ingested, regardless of how quickly and excellent the response. This is usually
true of lilies. Other plants may cause enough damage that prolonged aftercare in the form of medication or special diet is needed. Be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions.
If you are going to keep plants, you need to be able to accurately identify the plants to which your
cat will be exposed. When in doubt, it is best to remove the plant from your home.
Cats use body postures, facial expressions, and vocalizations to convey their messages of affection, alert
us of their needs, and to avoid unwelcome confrontations.
One of the most accurate barometers of a cat’s mood is its tail. This appendage is an amazing communication device that can relay a very clear message as to how the cat is feeling. Can you match up the
emotion with the position of the tail? Answers on the next page.
A) amicable, not fearful
or aggressive
B) friendly but unsure
C) angry
D) excited, angry or
irritable
E) alert, interested
F) Defensive/aggressive
G) unsure, nonthreatening
H) potentially aggressive
I) submissive
J) very happy to see
you
K) derisive, cocky
L) friendly & content
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Your cat’s tail does much more than help you understand how
she’s feeling. Below are a few more de-tails and cool facts
about the tail:
The cat’s tail has 19 to 23 vertebrae, about 10
percent of the total number of bones in the cat’s
body. An extensive group of muscles, ligaments,
and tendons hold the tail together and provide its
amazing mobility.
The tail acts as a counterweight when the cat
walks along narrow surfaces like fence tops or
chair backs. It also helps a running cat to stay
standing as he makes sharp turns in pursuit of prey
or a favourite toy.
The average tail length for a male cat is 11 inches, and for a female it’s 9.9 inches.
The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a naturally occurring
mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a
small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known
as being entirely tailless.
Cats’ tails also occasionally come with kinks.
Some kinks are the result of accidents, other cats
have tails that are naturally kinked. Some Siamese
cats have this trait and there is an interesting legend
(below) that describes the origins of these kinks.
Once upon a time, there was a princess of Siam
who loved to swim. She would go to her favourite
bathing pool accompanied by her faithful feline
companion. Each day, she would take off her rings,
and place them over her cat’s tail for safekeeping.
The cat would bend its tail to stop the rings from
falling off, and gradually, over many years, the tail
developed a permanent kink.
Answers
1
5
9
L) friendly &
content
A) amicable, not
fearful or aggressive
F) defensive/
aggressive
2
6
10
G) unsure, nonthreatening
I) submissive
J) very happy to
see you
3
7
K) derisive,
cocky
C) angry
11 D) excited, angry
or irritable
4
8
12
B) friendly but
unsure
H) potentially
aggressive
E) alert,
interested
F or gott en On es C om m un ity
PICTURES? STORIES? TIPS?
Receiving photos and updates about Forgotten Ones adopted cats and kittens is very rewarding for our volunteers. We would love to hear from you so we can include your photo and story in our Mewsletter. Please contact
us at [email protected] and include the word Mewsletter in the subject line.
THE DANGERS OF BATHTUB RESIDUE
My brother’s cat used to love to go into the bathtub and lick the residue left behind after someone took a shower
or bath. Unfortunately, the cat developed terminal kidney issues and its veterinarian believed it was as a result of
years of ingesting toxins from the bathtub walls. There are toxic chemicals found not only in cleaning products
but also shampoos, conditioners, bath salts, etc. I try to warn everyone about the dangers of letting a cat lick the
surfaces of sinks and bathtubs, as many of us are unaware of the dangers they can pose.
~ Wayne.
UNIQUE CAT LADDER
Last year FOCR had a raffle for a beautiful hand-crafted pet bed
at one of their adopt-a-thons. The bed had been donated by Wendy and her husband, who had adopted their cat Graydon from the
rescue. I had been looking everywhere for a wooden cat ladder
that would fit my décor and thought maybe the person who made
the bed could also make the ladder. I contacted the couple and
after several discussions regarding measurements, the weight of
my cats, and space requirements, they built the fabulous wooden
cat ladder seen here.
It is perfect for my cats and they constantly use it. They sit on the
various shelves to look out the window at birds and squirrels or
falling snow. If it is in front of the patio door, they have the option of three perches from which to check out the neighbourhood. Or they like to curl up on the soft, quilted blankets and
enjoy a wonderful nap in the sunshine.
If you would like to inquire about cat ladders or pet beds, please
contact Wendy at [email protected]
~ Kathrine
Spring Events Calendar
 Heather’s Pet Valu
 Pet Smart Elgin Mills
720 Centre Street, Unit D2
Thornhill, Tel 905-881-0396
1700 Elgin Mills Road East, Unit 1
Richmond Hill Tel 905 787-8740
Adopt-a-thon Weekends: February 13,14 & 15
and May 15, 16 & 17
Visit the FOCR adoption
centre during the months of
March and May
April Adopt-a-thon/Bake Sale—Date TBC
Check website for future details
 Pet Valu Brooklin
5949 Baldwin St. South,
Whitby, Tel 905 665-1704
Visit our foster kittens
CAT-IVATING PHOTOS They’re simply the best!
Molly: A Ray of Sunshine.
After the loss of Roz, our beloved 15-year-old tuxedo cat (from the
Toronto Humane Society), I decided to search on PetFinder for another cat to adopt. I was blessed to find a beautiful young calico, by the
name of Felicia, available from FOCR. I did not know about FOCR at
that time and have come to learn that it is a truly special cat rescue.
Felicia was renamed Molly, and we adopted her in November 2006
when she was two-and-a-half years old. She remains a constant ray of
sunshine—a loyal, sweet-natured, cherished gem. We all are forever
indebted to Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue! ~ Lois
Winslow: A Great Guard Cat
We adopted Winslow from FOCR in 2006 at the fall adoption event
you held at a Yonge Street pet store. I had contacted FOCR with my
criteria for a dog-loving cat and was told to go to the adopt-a-thon as
you had just the cat for me—and you certainly did!
What a character! He owns the house, our two golden retrievers, and
now he’s a bodyguard for our two-year-old little boy (when the dogs are
not available). Winslow is the centre of attention when we have guests,
strutting into every room announcing his arrival with a loud and intimidating (to some) meow and then rolling on his back as if saying “check
me out!” We love him to pieces and thank you for connecting us!
~ Tara and Family
Ella and Scout: A Perfect Family Fit
A friend saw two grey kittens, Ella and Scout, in the Pet Smart Elgin
Mills. She knew I was looking for a Russian Blue, so she called me.
When we adopted Ella, we decided to foster Scout so that Ella had a
smoother, less anxious transition into our home. Of course, we weren’t
kidding ourselves, as we knew that we’d love Scout too, and that it
would be impossible to give Scout back—so the rest is history.
Upon command, Ella and Scout will leap into my arms and they also
love to play fetch and bring toys back to me. Nora, our three-year-old
cat, loves to sleep and play with them, and it turned out great. Many
thanks to FOCR for helping us enrich our lives. ~ Debra and Family
To make a donation, please go to the “You Can Help” tab on our website
www.forgottenones.ca and the link “Donate Now through CanadaHelps.org”. Or mail
cheque to: FORGOTTEN ONES CAT RESCUE, P.O. Box 32203, Harding Postal Station,
250 Harding Blvd West, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9S3. Tax receipts will be issued.