Greetings Volunteers,
Tomorrow is “Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day!” I’m sure all of you feline aficionados know exactly what your cat is saying or asking and you’ve got just the right response. But training can definitely help you communicate clearly with your cat and deepen your relationship. Our Behavior & Training department offers workshops that span basic cat care for young and old to best practices for dealing with kitty behavior issues, including how to: *Improve your cat’s quality of life with environmental enrichment *Alleviate problem behaviors like jumping up on the counter and scratching furniture *Teach him practical skills like targeting to allow you to move him around easily *Teach your cat to come when called and do fun tricks. Check out our upcoming cat workshops here!
Shelter update: We currently have 190 animals in our collective care. 108 are at our Novato campus, including 19 dogs, 8 puppies, 55 cats, 3 kittens, 5 rabbits, 7 guinea pigs, 3 rodents, 3 reptiles, 2 birds and 2 fowl. Six animals are in our Oakland office; 11 are at Kitty Corner and the Woodlands stores; and 65 are in foster homes!
Adoption update: From first meet-and-greets to forever homes, these moments are pure joy! Watching animals find their families is the best part of our day and it always makes us smile. Here’s the adoption slideshow and Adoption Report for your viewing and reading pleasure!
Hopalong happenings! Congratulations to Evian for getting adopted last week! Evian came to us with his siblings from Oakland Animal Services and was incredibly shut down. He hissed and was not interested in human attention, hiding at every opportunity. We eventually separated the siblings and put them in foster homes to give them a chance to warm to human affection. Evian then spent some time in our office and the cat care volunteers gave him extra love to coax him out of his shell and continue the progress. By the time he went up for adoption, he was seeking pets and purring when visitors approached. It was quite the transformation. We’re so happy that he was able to make such good progress and find his forever home!
Project Coyote info: From our friends at Project Coyote: “It’s coyote mating season! 🐾Coyote mating season typically occurs in January and February. During this time, increased sightings often lead to a surge of misinformation online. Many viral posts about coyote mating season are misleading. Click-bait content is frequently reshared year after year by well-intentioned people, but it can spread unnecessary fear and misrepresent coyote behavior. The reality is most coyote conflicts are preventable. Proactive steps, changes in human behavior, and responsible companion animal guardianship go a long way. Coyotes are sentient, family-oriented animals who play important roles in the landscapes we share. Our goal is to ease concerns, share accurate information, and show how humans and coyotes can safely coexist. Understanding true coyote behavior helps prevent conflict.” Click here for some excellent resources on coexistence from Project Coyote.
Tails of Marin: This week’s Tails of Marin also address coexistence with coyotes. Since January is the start of coyote mating season, we’ll likely see more of our wild neighbors out and about as they search for a mate. Read “What to be mindful of during coyote mating season“ for some useful tips.
New community clinic date! We’ve had to reschedule our next drop-in Community Clinic to Saturday, February 28. This clinic is for low-income pet parents of Marin County. Bring your canine companion or feline friend to our mobile clinic at 500 Redwood Blvd., Novato, from 11:00am- 12:30pm to get: ➡Free vaccinations (DA2PP, FVRCP, rabies)! ➡Free microchipping! ➡Free pet food and supplies! This is a FREE event to help low-income Marin County families struggling to meet their pet’s needs.
Volunteer Blog: Did you know that you can read any and all past volunteer blog posts? Yes, you can! If you missed a post, you can click here to see all the past posts! Now, you can always be in the know :).
Hope you’re having a wonderful week,
Candace
