Greetings Volunteers,
Community. As defined by Merriam-Webster, community is a unified body of individuals such as people with common interests living in a particular area. That’s us! Marin Humane volunteers are a community that I often say are “birds of a feather that flock together.”
I think one of the by-products of this pandemic is that we miss our community; we miss our sense of belonging, friendships we’ve made, and contributing to something as important as the shelter, the animals and people we serve. Well, we certainly miss you, too! We continue to hope you all are healthy, staying active, and finding new ways to bring a smile to your face. Shoot us an email with what’s keeping you healthy and engaged!
Shelter update: We currently have 98 animals in our care with 60 in foster homes and 38 at the shelter. The shelter population includes: 2 dogs, 1 puppy, 22 cats, 11 kittens, 1 rabbit and 1 iguana
Adoptions update: Since March 16th, we have done 606 adoptions. This is an increase of 2% from this time last year with shelter adoptions; if you factor Kitty Corner adoptions, we are down by 13%. For this week’s adoption slideshow, click here.
A fosters tale of baby guinea pigs! “When Suzanne Gollin called me to ask if I could foster a pregnant guinea pig on short notice, I couldn’t believe my luck — it’s truly one of the most exciting and adorable foster experiences! This was the third time I’d turned my place into a piggie maternity ward. The expectant mom was a very young and rather petite guinea pig who grew rounder and rounder by the day.
One evening I returned from a bike ride and there they were: three tiny little babies, still wet and just about 15 minutes old. Baby guinea pigs are called pups, and they are born with open eyes, a full fur coat, and ready to walk (or at least waddle) within minutes. They started 
nursing while mom finished the “clean-up” — she removes as much of the afterbirth scent as possible to protect them against potential predators. Within a day or two, guinea pig pups will follow mom’s lead and nibble on solid food like pellets and hay, but it’s important they still get the special nutrients in mom’s milk. Today, they are just over a week old and look like little miniature versions of mom. Together, they are foraging, chasing, and exploring. Guinea pig pups are weaned at three weeks of age already, and surely they’ll find homes in no time — who could resist?” – Carina DeVera, Digital Marketing Specialist
Kitty cat classes and advice! Do you really understand how – or even why – your cat communicates with you? Cats are often misunderstood, largely because so few of us know how to properly read their body language. But our cat behaviorists can help! Marin Humane’s cat behavior workshops will continue to be available via Zoom. With the online format, we are able to offer workshops more frequently. If you know folks who need cat behavior advice to help them keep their cats in their home and not give them up, or if have friends who are just crazy about their cats, consider suggesting one of our workshops. We’ve had participants from as far away as Los Angeles and Alabama! The workshops are 1-2 hours long and cost $10 – $20. Coming up are Kittens 101 on July 23rd; How to Train Your Cat on July 26th; Why Does My Cat Do That? on August 5th; and Feline Environment Enrichment on August 16th. You can register here.
“Crate training isn’t just for dogs“ Marin Humane’s Animal Care Manager, Sam Winegarner, shared her harrowing story of finding her escaped cat, Talon in in this week’s Tails of Marin article from the Marin IJ. We’re all so glad Talon is home safe and sound!
Be well,
Anne and Candace
