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NEWSLETTER OF THE PATRICIA H. LADEW CAT SANCTUARY
Values
our mothers taught us... Sponsor a Single Mom for Mother’s Day We at the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation believe that most cat lovers were inspired to appreciate and advocate for our dear, furry friends by generations of loving mothers. Each May we celebrate our mothers with honor and gifts of love. May is also the month that our sanctuary becomes a temporary home for single kitty moms and their adorable kittens. Sadly, too often, only the kittens find forever homes, and the moms are left behind. YOU can help us take care of our single moms by honoring the moms in your life with a gift sponsorship — a real value — just $25. (See pages 4/5.)
Call us at (516) 922-CATS! Mom will receive a beautiful card with a photo of the single mom and her story — just in time for Mother’s Day! www.facebook.com/theladewcatsanctuary
VOLUME 4 NO. 3
MAY 2014
FREE Adoptions During Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days!
M
addie’s Pet Adoption Days, the biggest free pet adoption event in America, is back this year, and the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is again leading the charge in New York City! The Alliance wants to place hundreds of dogs and cats in qualified forever homes on May 31 & June 1, 2014. Thanks to Maddie’s Fund, free adoptions will be offered throughout the weekend at participating shelters and other adoption locations, and at two large, outdoor adoption events in Union Square, Manhattan.
T
he Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc. is lucky to be included in this awesome event and our cats will be available for adoption from our local PetValu at 169 Pine Hollow Road, Oyster Bay, New York from 12-5 on Saturday, May 31st and Sunday, June 1st, or at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary to pre-approved adopters who have made appointments. If you would like to make an appointment to visit the cats at the shelter, please call 516-922-2287. You can pick out a kitty anytime either at PetValu or the sanctuary from now through June 1st and get pre-approved to be eligible for the FREE Adoption! Visit our blog and select Adopt a Cat or Adopt a Kitten and see who’s looking for a home. Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days is helping rescue organizations in New York City to find homes for more animals, including senior animals and those with treatable medical conditions — all of whom can make wonderful companions. The goal of Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days is to give all healthy, senior, and treatable shelter dogs and cats a second chance. The event also will help rescue organizations financially, thereby allowing them to save even more lives. Visit the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals for further information about this great event! Hope to see you there!
Commendable Values:
ladew mews © May 2014 The Patricia H. Ladew Foundation, Inc.
Executive Editor - Susan V. Whittred, DVM Creative Editor - Elise Klingensmith Sanctuary Photography - Lynn Manno Board of Directors: Elliot L Hoffman, Esq. Bruce E. Trauner, Esq. Steve Blumert, Esq. Director of Veterinary Medicine Susan V. Whittred, DVM Licensed Veterinary Technician Andrea Castro Manager — Lynn Manno Caretaker — JoAnn Studley Volunteers: Tatum Christiansen (and Insperity) Beata Boruta Robin Fishman Jane Totura
petvalu your pet your store l
Opens in Oyster Bay and Partners with Ladew Cat Sanctuary!
PetValu opened about two months ago in Oyster Bay and generously offered their store front window cages to help get our cats adopted! Dr. Susan Whittred, Director of Veterinary Medicine at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary, said, “Pet Valu’s manager, Dave Oberster, and his staff have been a joy to work with, and this pet store is one of the most beautiful (if not the most beautiful) pet stores that we have ever seen!” As we put this issue of ladew mews to bed, five Ladew Rescue Kitties have found forever homes, thanks to PetValu. Dr. Whittred said, “Please come down and support PetValu by shopping at their new store, and stop by and say hello to our kitties!” If you are looking to adopt and don’t see what you’re looking for at the store, we’ve got a whole bunch more at the shelter, so give us a call at 516-922-CATS (2287).
Call us at (516) 922-CATS! Our fax # is (516) 922-5203. Visit us at: theladewcatsanctuary.org
(left to right) Keri Bongiovanni and Manager, Dave Oberster
Send us your mews!
The Ladew Cat Sanctuary family is always on the alert for updates and happy, interesting, or just plain amusing cat tales about our former residents. Please email to:
Dr. Susan Whittred, DVM info@theladewcatsanctuary.org
“Pre-approved adoptions that take part in Maddie’s Adoption Days May 31st/June 1st are FREE and PetValu will have coupons so you can start shopping for your new kitty right in Oyster Bay and see this beautiful store for yourself,” said Whittred.
Thank you PetValu for opening up your store to help cats from shelters! ladew mews — May 2014 — page two
Ask Dr. Susan... “How do I care for an orphaned kitten?” It’s kitten season again — you hear the little meow. You start to search and there it is, an orphaned kitten. Now what do you do? Here are some tips on the care and feeding of orphaned kittens. Initially (the first couple of weeks) you’ll find that kittens are either sleeping or eating. One of the most important things that you can do for them during this period is to make sure they are warm. It is recommended that external temperature in the first week of life is around 85-90 degrees. For each week thereafter, decrease by 5 degrees. At age one month, they should be in temperatures about 70 degrees. Bedding should be easy to clean and somewhere that they can’t escape. Cleaning should consist of soap and warm water, avoiding harmful chemicals. Plastic boxes work well and are easy to clean. Heating pads can be put on low under a portion of the box. Make sure the box doesn’t become too hot. Environmental noise should be kept to a minimum and only the caregiver should handle the kitten, making sure to wash hands before and after. Kittens of this age are very susceptible to illness, so keeping stress to a minimum is paramount in their care. Kittens need to be fed Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) through a bottle which can be purchased at any pet store. You may have to poke a hole (or make an X) through the nipple if there is no premade opening.
tend to walk through it, so you may have to clean them up a little. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly so they don’t get cold. The critical socialization period for kittens is 2-7 weeks of age. Kittens not introduced to people in this period are usually feral and those not introduced to other kittens can become fearful or aggressive to other cats. The New York Feral Cat Initiative has an in-depth guide for further information. All References: Peterson, Mark E., & Kutzler, Michelle Anne,(2011). Small Animal Pediatrics: The First 12 Months of Life. Missouri: Saunders, pp. 67-72.
Feeding position is very important and the neonate should be in sternal recumbency (on all four feet as shown in the picture) and be able to push the bottle away when finished. The position of the nipple is important because the kitten forms a seal around the nipple with its tongue. If this cannot be achieved, the kitten will ingest air and develop colic. The amount of feeding for the first 2 weeks of life is 6 calories/oz/per day, split into multiple feedings, usually dictated by your kitten’s signals of crying. KMR has a feeding guide on the package, which will tell you exactly how much to feed per day according to the kittens weight. You can weigh the kitten on a baby scale or food scale. Kittens in the first 3 weeks of life need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate. This can be achieved by rubbing a warm moist cotton ball on their genitals. It is recommended that you do this prior to each feeding. Kittens can be weaned at about 4 weeks of age. Baby food (avoid any garlic or onions) or kitten food mixed with KMR can be used. You might have to smear it on their lips so that they get the taste of it and get used to it. We usually put the food on flat plates. It can get messy since the kittens
ladew mews — May 2014 — page three
Adopt a Senior Mother/Daughter Pair for Mother’s Day!
Eenie and Miney have been with us for too long. They were both rescued from Animal Care and Control 7 years ago and still haven’t found their forever home. Meenie and Moe both found their forever homes, but this sweet pair still waits for theirs. They are extremely bonded and would be a great addition to any home. Both are very gentle and loving. During Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days, you can adopt this pair FOR FREE with Maddie’s Fund generously covering their adoption fee. There is no greater feeling than adopting an older animal. The gratitude is ten-fold. The personalities are already established so there’s no surprise. Please open your hearts and homes to these two and make this Mother’s Day a great one for both.
Spotlight on SPONSORSHIP Remember the love your mother showed you, and pay it forward... Give the moms in your life a Mother’s Day Card that reflects the values they taught you. Our Mother’s Day Gift Sponsorships are a value — just $25 each — and will help us support our Single Moms for 1 year.
ladew mews — May 2014 — page four
Call us at (516) 922-CATS! CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AT OUR WEBSITE
Mom will receive a beautiful card with a photo of the Single Mom and her story, just in time for Mother’s Day!
ladew mews — May 2014 — page five
Open your hearts to give these kitties their forever homes.
EGYPT
HOLLIS
ROCKAWAY
BABY
JAPPER NATASHA
Read their stories on our website. For further information on any of our kitties, please call 516-922-CATS.
ladew mews — May 2014 — page six