FieldHaven

Tally Slo – The Leisure Field Debuts at Ridgecrest Joint Meet

2012-01-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Great ideas are sometimes borne out of desperation.

In my case, the desperation was to get back on a horse after a lumbar fracture at the beginning
of the hunt season. Having already sat out much of the season, I just couldn’t see myself not riding at the annual joint meet in Ridgecrest, CA. Hounds and members of Red Rock Hounds, Kingsbury Harriers, Santa Ynez Hounds, Grand Canyon Hounds, Paradise Valley Beagles, as well as members of several eastern hunts all come together for three days of hunting, eating, drinking and mingling with great friends and fantastic animals.

Riding was definitely not on my list of “can do” activities but give me a quiet horse and a promise to only walk then no harm can be done, right?

Normally, I ride in First Field and love nothing more than to gallop fast behind the pack so this idea of walking was a tremendous compromise. But at least I'd be on a horse.

The concept of leading a field of others who may not want to run, gallop or navigate steep ravines and rocky mountains started to formulate. In fact, I have three friends who wanted to try hunting but were apprehensive about riding fast and furious. Two of the three had actually joined Red Rock Hounds for the 2011-12 season but hadn’t yet ventured out to the hunt field. The timing was right for the opportunity to introduce them to the excitement of following the hounds.

The Ridgecrest fixtures are ideal to start out in fox hunting. The country has terrific footing, gentle terrain with wide open spaces and the weather is usually very non-January-like. It couldn’t be better to introduce my friends to the excitement of riding to the hounds. And, maybe some others would want to join us.

Red Rock MFH, Lynn Lloyd gave me her blessing to add a field for people who wanted to join the hunt but at a slower pace. A much slower pace. In fact, at a leisurely pace.

The inaugural outing of the Leisure Field was at the Robbers Roost fixture in Ridgecrest. To minimize the mayhem surrounding the first day of a large joint meet we waited to mount up until the dual packs of Red Rock and Santa Ynez, along with riders from all the hunts, had ridden off in search of the elusive coyote trail.

Our Leisure Field of about ten embarked on our journey at a decidedly un-brisk pace. Best described as an ambling walk, we had only gone several yards when we had our first viewing – a very fast jackrabbit!

Tally-Slo!

Because I knew we’d be traveling long distances over unfamiliar hunt country I brought along my GPS BackTrack D-Tour to track our distance, elevation and, most importantly, to find our way back to the fixture. Our sauntering pace gave us opportunity to discuss hunting protocol, etiquette and principals to help our rookie hunt enthusiasts become knowledgeable about their new activity. We had some great conversations but I did inform everyone that once they graduated to First or Second Fields their chatting ways would be silenced in respect of the hounds and huntsmen.

Our first check occurred when my field mentioned the need for a break. A quick glance at my GPS declared we had gone about 569 yards – yes, perfect timing for check. We were met by the “Whoopie Wagon”, piloted by Ron Crossley, completely stocked with water, power bars and courage-inducing liquids for flask refills. Ron also provided horse holding and mounting assistance for riders who had a need to take a walk behind a bush.

After re-mounting, we continued our journey to the top of Robbers’ Roost – 2.1 miles from the fixture where, of course, we had another check!

Scout Valentine, an apprentice falconer and wildlife expert riding in the Leisure Field, treated the field to an enlightening mini-lecture on the birds and wildlife indigenous to Robbers’ Roost, a nesting ground for birds of prey.

As we descended Robbers' Roost we used our GPS to point us in the right direction for the fixture. Of course, we could see the horse trailers way off in the distance but it was more fun to use the GPS. Frankly, we didn't need our eyesight or techie tools to find our way back. As soon as we turned towards the fixture our field hunters accelerated from their sluggish, dawdling pace to a brisk march. Where does their inner GPS come from?

The Leisure Field arrived back at the fixture after a two hour hunt where we viewed four or more jackrabbits, a burrowing owl and numerous birds. We observed several dens, nests and tracks of the wildlife that call Robbers’ Roost home. We even came back with a partial jawbone from a bobcat. While we didn’t view a coyote that day we surely did see plenty of evidence of the clever animals’ existence.

During the three days of the joint meet the Leisure Field gained popularity. Not limited to riders that were new to hunting, we were joined by others that desired a quiet day or had horses being introduced to hunting or were fractious in First or Second Fields. This enjoyable, non-fearful introduction to fox-hunting proved addictive to my three rookie friends. At the close of the meet one of the new-but-not-yet-hunted members had purchased a new horse, the other is contemplating a new mount or some hunt training for her current one and the non-member is now a member of Red Rock Hounds.

What started out as a lark and in my own self-interest to getting back in the saddle may well have started a new idea for introducing and recruiting new participants to the joys of riding to the hounds. Several members of other hunts mentioned they wanted to take the idea of a Leisure Field to their hunt management to consider the idea.

A Leisure Field, or whatever you chose to label it, is an idea for every hunt in need of new members to consider. We have all been new to fox hunting at some point and could've benefitted from a mentoring program to learn all about our new pursuit. Experienced members may have had a horse that needs a gentle introduction to their job of field hunter or, like myself, have an injury where we’ve been banned from the saddle by our medical providers but in need a “hunting fix”. I truly had a delightful time teaching my rookie field members and encouraging them to join us in following the hounds in the future.

Fox Hunting has so many misconceptions. We’re thought of as crazy, running fast, jumping high and traversing through all sorts of treacherous country on a horse that can jump anything. So maybe the “crazy” and “run fast” part is true for some of us. If you want to jump then, yes, your horse would best have that skill. Yet, following the hounds CAN be for the faint of heart! As evidenced by the debut of the Leisure Field we can engage new membership for a whole faction of horse, nature and hound-loving people by offering an introduction that is not overwhelming (ie, frightening!). The Leisure Field is also a superb way to introduce a green horse to the hounds and the hunt or to re-introduce a seasoned horse who is unfit or returning to work after an injury layup.

It just makes so much sense! Too bad I had to break my back to think of it!

It’ll be several more weeks until I can ride again (yes, Ridgecrest was strictly in violation of doctor’s recommendations) but once I’m back in the saddle for good it’ll be even more weeks until I can move back up to First Field. You can be sure during that time I’ll be leading out the Leisure Field every chance I can.

And, even after I'm back up in First Field I’ll happily be the Leisure Field Master occasionally to introduce newcomers to the fun world of Red Rock Hounds. Besides, I like those frequent checks with the Whoopie Wagon!

Tally-Slo!

Photos and Videos:

Pictures from the Leisure Field: http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/5441275

(photos courtesy of Scout Valentine, Shawn Lloyd and Joy Smith)

Video of our recap of Day 1 at Friday Night's Dinner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLJGR1PDoF4&feature=share

Video by Shawn Lloyd: : http://vimeo.com/35175130

The Blue Dot - A FieldHaven Miracle Story

2011-08-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Blue Dot at 12 o'clock.

Sounds like it should be part of a nursery rhyme.

In the world of shelters and veterinarians the Blue Dot at 12 o'clock means a negative result on the Feline Leukemia blood test. Many a sigh of relief is heard over the Blue Dot at 12 o'clock because it means a sick cat or kitten doesn't have the dread disease and a healthy-looking one does not have Feline Leukemia lurking about, ready to attack the feline immune system.

The Blue Dot at 12 o'clock make all of us happy at FieldHaven.

The Blue Dot at 3 o'clock is a heart breaker.

When we see the Blue Dot at 3 o'clock it means the cat is positive for the Feline Leukemia (FeLV) . Cats and kittens stricken with FeLV have a very high mortality rate. Especially kittens.

There is a slight chance that cats or kittens with a positive FeLV blood test may fight off the virus. It's not common but it does happen. If you remember my beloved Louise. She was FeLV+ when she was a kitten but she was one of the lucky ones who fought off the disease.

Kittens that are positive for FeLV may look and act very healthy but their prognosis for either fighting off the virus or for living a very long life is pretty dismal. It is a common practice for shelters to euthanize cats and kittens that test positive.

Usually when FieldHaven accepts cats or kittens from other shelters they are tested before the transfer takes place.

Here's where the first part of the miracle in this story starts. Through a miscommunication, 3 4-week old kittens that we transferred from a nearby shelter in late May did not get tested.

That oversight ended up saving 3 little lives.

When we did our intake we blood tested each kitten. The disheartening result was a Blue Dot at 3 o'clock for each kitten. And, as if to emphasize the result it was a very strong positive.

Our first reaction was that we should euthanize the kittens. After all, they were extremeley young and their outlook for a living even a few more weeks was not good.

Three of us looked at each other and offered to take the kittens to their sad fate. But then we looked at them. The image of those 3 tiny lives tumbling about as they played with each other is frozen in my mind.

In the next moment, as if we were all of one mind, we made the decision to give these beautiful little creatures as much love as we could for as long as they remained happy and well.

We set up a place for them in our Isolation Room filled with fluffy beds, toys and yummy food. An X-pen was set up outside and volunteers were encouraged to take them out to play in the grass and sunshine.

We hoped for a foster home for the triplets but it's understandable that someone wouldn't want to take them home knowing they probably wouldn't live long. It takes a special person to provide "hospice" care for kittens.

A foster home turned up in in the unlikeliest of people. My sister Jann had recently lost her beloved Roontay to liver cancer and she was taking the loss hard. When I heard she wanted to foster the kittens, I admit I was very against it. How could she take on these little heartbreakers when she was already deep in grief?

As Jann setup a kitten's dream room filled with climbers and every toy a kitty has ever wished for, the kittens were showered with love by Jann and other volunteers. As they grew they started playing in the flower gardens by the barn. To them it was deep dark forest and they spent hours playing hide and seek amongst the bushes and flowers. They did gymanastic demonstrations in the grass and tantalized Tamra the hound. Happy, happy kittens!

And healthy too! They grew and grew, never had a so much as a sniffle. Who would know that a killer disease lurked in the blood of each of them.

But we've seen this before. The kittens act healthy and we think this is the time they fight off the disease. And it does happen, but I have never seen it happen with kittens who reacted so strongly to the test. They are the ones that are persistently positive and then one day they become sick.......

We didn't want to do another test because we didn't want to be saddened by the reality of another positive test.

But last week we knew it was time to do it. I was driving on my way to the mountains when I got a call from FieldHaven.

It was a Blue Dot at 12 o'clock!!!!

Miracles like this for Dannigan, Tavic and Zuma are made possible by all of our volunteers, supporters and donors. Because it is with all of your help we are able to share this story of a FieldHaven Miracle. Thanks to all of you ......and to Jann for believing.....

Homer (AKA Jacquo-Baire) Home At Last

2011-07-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

I recently recieved a letter from FieldHaven adopters, Brian and Kimberly Davy. It made my day. No, let me correct that - it made my week! Thank you, Brian and Kimberly for seeing who Jacquo-Baire really was; a wonderful companion who may not be the handsomest dude on the block but a fabulous friend. I really can't add anything more - Brian says it all below......

Homer, AKA: Jacquo-Baire came to us when Field Haven called my wife and advised they had an adult cat that fit the type of lifestyle we had described for our new addition. I had fallen for the large grey boy called Major and I will say my first impressions of Jacquo-Baire were none too positive. His rough exterior was of immediate concern, torn ears, lopped off tail, tufts of hair and hide loose on his backside, and what appeared to be a couple of behavioral ticks that were of concern. One of the most compelling reasons I immediately adopted him was that he appeared to be one of the least likely to be adopted. His fur was full of the tufts of hair he pulled loose by his own claws attempting to twist around and clean the bottom half of his back, his eyes were nearly pure orange and his coat is all black………………….he is a Halloween Cat, thus part of his name…………………as an indoor only cat in our home he would not be victimized by some holiday pranksters or superstitious foolishness. He also exhibited his claws at all times, front and back, like an old grizzle bear………………….thus the second half of his name………………….he became Jacquo-Baire!

Adoptive parents need to understand that an Adult cat will never truly reveal themselves in a store adoption center environment, there are too many noises, smells, new people, sights and sounds that are all unfamiliar and intimidating to all but the most outgoing cat personalities. Jacquo-Baire was no exception, all but the smallest of hints were all he was going to show us but the reasons to bring him home were larger than any concerns I would have about his personality or appearance. So home he came. We began to get acquainted with each other and as the layers of the onion were peeled back, so to speak, what we found was pure kitty love and more of it than we have ever seen in any of the cats we have had over the years.

We have two cats that are a very affectionate pair and we cannot bring other cats into this environment for fear of losing the wonderful nature of this existing relationship. We had attempted to introduce a feral cat that had adopted us into our home after she was run over by a car, hoping that we could give her a better life than dodging cars in the mean streets of Lincoln. The resulting mayhem showed us that it just wouldn’t work. Jacquo-Baire was to have a companion when we moved my office temporarily to Susanville.

After becoming acquainted with Jacquo-Baire, his little loving heart was all I could see. He was quick to abandon his quirks, adopted Betty Boop, his new feral roommate, and is by my side at all times while in Susanville. He is the quintessential cuddle bug, anxiously awaiting my return to Cabin and lavishes me with doting attention and affection while I am there. His little crippled, cropped off tail is his first line of offense. If I come to Cabin and do not immediately saturate him with lovings, I will feel an insistent tap on the leg from Jacquo-Baire. He wants to greet me by loving the brim of my hat and would soak up all the lovings I can give him……………..non stop. His routines revolve around my schedule but the time I can devote to him are never enough. He knows that when I clean his potty box and pack my duffel he is going to be a couple if not several days without seeing me. He does not try to hide his disappointment and leaving him behind always feels a bit cruel but I know he has a much better life with me than without because at all times I yearn to spend just a little more time with him than I can, he is fed the best and healthiest diet and has the best Vet and medical treatment I can give him. He will never want for anything but to see me more and I the same with him.

I could go on and on about the loving relationship Jacquo-Baire and I have developed, but what I really want to share is not just the relationship and bond we have formed but the love that was found in a place where it may have not been expected. I had thought years ago about purchasing a cat for about 800 dollars, a Bengal, but I would not have known from the onset what personality I would have found in that animal. I could not have ever expected to find such a diamond in the rough as what I found with Jacquo-Baire, a rough looking GentleCat that could win over a Feral stray ruffian and me to the point that all I can say is: “Adopt your next pet…………..Give them a chance to become part of your family. Spay and neuter because there are just too many little lives lost to euthanasia (Execution) in shelters across this country………………ADOPT, ADOPT, ADOPT.” As was so eloquently stated in a movie I saw one time, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know just what you’re going to get”. Adopting Jacquo-Baire was the best thing I ever did, and the best thing Field Haven ever did was to rescue him from euthanasia at the Placer County Animal Shelter. What was lost is now found and although we cannot write the ending…………….Jacquo-Baire, AKA Homer, will enjoy the longest life possible, full of love and joy………………….But it is I that have received the gift!

Brian Davy

2 Angels Named Jen

2011-02-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

The horses were fed, the kitties tucked in for the night and FieldHaven volunteers had gone home to dinner on the early September evening when I went to close the back gate before going to my own dinner. In the dusk I saw a flash of a small cat in the bushes by the back gate. Taking a second look I thought I recognized our neighbor's Manx tabby. As I crept closer I realized it really was a kitten and I swore under my breath; some flipping idiot had dumped a kitten in our driveway!

For the next half hour I tried to round up the kitten but he took me on a tour through our arena, the neighbor's yard and the horse turnout then up the bushy tree by the arena. Far up the tree. And, by now it was really dark. I ran to the barn to grab a flashlight and thought what a fine time it was for no one to be around; no Preston, no Jann, no volunteers, not even a stray neighbor driving down Ironwood Lane to help me capture this wayward kitty! And, no cell phone in my back pocket to call anyone. Just me, a flashlight and little tabby barely visable as he teetered in the leaves at the top of the trees.

A big sigh of relief as I saw lights turn down Ironwood then my prayers were answered as the car turned into FieldHaven's driveway. Then out of the car popped our very own FieldHaven angel, Jen Paul! I don't remember why Jen showed up at that moment but I do know she was guided to us.

With Jen holding the ladder steady for me (I really don't do ladders well!) and shining the flashlight up the tree I managed to scoop the kitten into a very large carrier along with a few leaves and branches.

We took the carrier to the Cat Trailer. As I donned the leather gloves to reach into the carrier to pick up what we were sure was a feral fighting machine I looked at the scared tabby cowering inthe back corner and just didn't see "feral" in his eyes. Taking a chance I reached in pet his head. I was rewarded with a purr.

As Jen and I gathered the little guy into our arms I started looking him over using the "nose to tail" method. Or in his case, nose to rear since he had no tail. It was all looking good until I got to the rear. Beneath the fur I found an open wound. As I examined the wound I saq creepy crawling creatures. It was totally crawing with maggots! In fact, there were several wounds with the same disgusting infestation. Icccckkkkkk!!

Jen and I worked on those wounds for an hour; flushing, flushing, flushing until the last ghastly worm was dispatched. Our little rescue purred the whole time.

We tucked him into a condo with a soft bed and warm food. I dubbed him "RiceCake" and told Jen I was going up to my house and make some rice for dinner. Blllllecchhh!

Not everyone appreciated my twisted sense of humor but I kind of liked the name RiceCake!

We were soon to discover that RC had Manx Syndrome, a genetic defect in some Manx cats that causes severe bowel and bladder issues. HotRod, FieldHaven's resident Manx also has this syndrome which requires her bladder to be expressed twice each day.

FieldHaven volunteer Jen Rosenbrook met RC and instantly fell head over heels in love. Well, who couldn't love those big brown eyes! At first we made Jen promise that she would only foster RC after he had surgery to relieve some of the symptoms. She assured us it would only be during his recovery. We should've known he'd never be coming back to FieldHaven when she expressed her repulsion at my quirky name of RiceCake and changed it to Darby.

Jen kept us all going with the foster ruse for nearly a year when she firmly announced she was going to adopt Darby. Of course, we were all thrilled! Jen was the second angel named "Jen" that came into Darby's life and, without a doubt, his most important one.

Health problems have been Darby's worst enemy since he first arrived at FieldHaven but with Jen's unrelenting love and the amazing skill of Dr. E and the staff at Banfield Darby thrived. His bright brown eyes captivated Jen as she showered him with her love and attention.

Cats with Darby's condition have a very short life expectancy and Darby, unfortunatley, didn't break any survival records. Earlier this week Darby went to the Rainbow Bridge while Jen cradled him in her arms.

But Darby did break records for the amount of living and love he gave to Jen during his 2 and a half short years with her. No kitty has recieved more love or given more love. What more could we hope for when these beautiful but broken little creatures come to our doorstep? I think God truly sends them to us to give them a very full life overflowing with love. Darby and others like him have a short life but one that is stuffed to the brim with happiness.

Thank you Jen Rosenbrook. One more little angel kitty is at the Rainbow Bridge patiently waiting for the day you meet again. And, Jen Paul, for appearing out of nowhere that September evening. Because surely little Darby would not have survived very long on his own.

Rest Peacefully Little Darby. (You'll always be "RiceCake" to me)

Louise

2010-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

It’s been over 5 weeks since Louise went to the Rainbow Bridge. I still can’t believe she’s really gone.

Everyone that knows me – even if only in passing acquaintance – knows how much that little black cat meant to me. And you know how my heart is broken so I don’t need to tell you how hard this past month has been. But the wonderful memories I have of Louise come bubbling to the surface with each tear cleansing away the grief.

In celebration of Louise’s life I’d like to share some of the stories that make me laugh and smile as I remember them. I hope they bring a smile to you too – or maybe just to shake of your head at how crazy in love I was with that cat!

Louise was just a few weeks old when she came into Preston’s and my lives. She became my “To Go” kitty as I simply packed her up and she went everywhere with me. Camping, business trips, shopping, horse shows, family vacations, dinner at friend’s houses, the grocery store…….

We like to think maybe we started the trend of “pocket pups” where people pack their Chihuahuas and other tiny dogs wherever they go. Years before that trend became popular with the Hollywood set Louise was going everywhere with me.

We earned astonished looks wherever we went – especially at the horse shows where I walked Louise on a leash around the show grounds. I became known as the woman with “that black cat” and Louise had a legion of fans who were amazed at how she’d sit on my shoulder and watch the horse show.

Preston would haul horses to Southern California with Louise as his travel companion, looking out the drive side window smirking at the funny looks people gave. Like they’d never seen a guy driving a 1 ton crew-cab dually hauling a 30 foot horse trailer with a cat on his lap?

Every day brings another memory of Travels With Louise.

A visit to my mom’s in New Jersey found Louise attending church with us on Sunday. A week-long trip to a resort in the mountains of NY State and Louise joined in every activity. Business trips to Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Seattle – I was probably the only business person on the plane with a spare travel-size litter box in my computer bag. Visiting friends in Maine, Virginia and all over California. Las Vegas to visit the big kitties at the Mirage. Several trips to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah along with side-trips to Bryce Canyon and Zion Parks where Louise experienced her first snow storm (she wasn’t amused at that photo opp). Boating trips all over California found Louise joining in at all the parties but she drew the line at going out in the boat. Even Louise had her limit of what adventures she would take part in. And, countless horse shows, horse camping adventures and, in recent years, nearly every weekend at Red Rock in Nevada during fox-hunting season.

Just for Louise, I designed Louiseware. She had a wardrobe of those colorful scarves to rival any teenager’s closet. I started creating them to share with 4-footed friends of all sizes. Then when we started FieldHaven Louiseware became a fundraiser for the shelter and volunteers took over creating the wide variety of designs sized for anything from kitten to large dog. We haven’t done much with Louiseware for the past few years; maybe it’s time to revive the label.

Louise always enjoyed her scarves and wore them proudly. We would tease her about being undressed if she slipped out of one.

She also wore her harness with grace. This was standard wardrobe for extra safety whenever we traveled.

But, like boating, Louise let me know that she drew the line at wearing a kitty size horse blanket. One time at a horse show I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a tiny Baker Blanket sized just perfectly for Louise. I was so excited about putting it on her and showed it off to all my friends. I ran back to the barn area and dressed Louise in it. My enthusiasm was abruptly squelched when Louise looked at me with fire in her eyes, flopped on her side, started whipping her tail around in anger and refused to move until I removed the utterly embarrassing piece of apparel.

That tail was often Louise’s “voice” – it was in perpetual motion. From a slow, rhythmical movement (happy and content) to snapping it like a whip (pretty pissed off), her tail would communicate her mood. I could always tell what she was feeling and thinking.

Louise’s house was her domain and she didn’t tolerate other cats with any patience or even pretend to be happy about sharing her space with another cat. As little as she was she had no inhibitions about ripping into a cat that wandered into her house without asking her permission first. For as much as she became an icon for saving the lives of homeless cats and kittens she was frankly fairy selfish about keeping us and her home to herself.

Louise was always an indoor-only kitty although she would try to sneak out when a door was accidentally left open. Louise liked to go on her walk-abouts. To her it was no big deal. But for me it was an emergency that took on the proportions of an All Points Bulletin – all hands on deck searching for Louise until she was found. Usually munching on some grass that she would later hurl onto the floor once she was safely back inside the house.

Oh…yes, the chewing habit. Louise savored anything she could get her teeth on. Plants, flowers, pens, straws, antennas – yes, antennas. I can’t count the number of antennas I had to replace on the old-style cell phones – and a couple of times, the phone itself. All the pens in the cup on my desk had their tops chewed off and the little microphones on my telephone headsets were unrecognizable. If you left a drink with a straw on the counter Louise chewed off the straw. Flowers couldn’t be placed anywhere in range of Louise – she’d eat the most colorful blossoms then barf up brightly colored slime. More than once Preston’s thoughtful, romantic bouquets of roses for Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries and other special occasions had to placed high out of her reach or they’d become (expensive) regurgitated kitty vomit.

Louise had the most captivating and expressive golden eyes. Their uniqueness became her trademark feature that highlights the many pictures of her. From casual snapshots to staged photo shoots, Louise was a remarkably photogenic cat. Just like the super-model she was, there was an air of arrogance around her especially when capturing her image for a FieldHaven photoshoot. She would patiently pose in any situation I would put her in. In spite of her patience she didn’t necessarily like being a model. She knew it was one of her jobs and would pose, pasting a contented look on her face. But the whole time her tail would flip in ultimate impatience and she’d often grumble under her breath. A true diva who knew her duty but wasn’t in love with the role.

In 2003, when my sister and I founded FieldHaven we embarked on an adventure to help the “Louises” in our community. The FieldHaven logo proudly bears the likeness of Louise. I often spoke of Louise when telling the FieldHaven story; describing her as “very simply the most important cat in the entire universe”. To me she was…..and still is.

I’ve often told the story about how Louise came into my life at a time of personal challenges. She was truly my personal pet therapist and was instrumental in helping me heal during that difficult time. Louise’s healing ways have continued even during the past few weeks as her spirit has sent healing messages to me.

Louise and I had a deep connection – and in spirit still do. She was always waiting for me by the door when I’d come home. She followed my about the house and made herself a part of every activity that took place in our home. Just picking her up and holding her in our special Louise hug and burying my face in her fur beat the hell out of any therapist.

As Louise’s illness progressed late last spring and through the summer, I spoke several times to Linda Schooler, an animal communicator. Linda was able to help me “talk” to Louise and understand what she was feeling. Several days before Louise’s passing Linda told me 2 things. One was that there was a strong link between Louise and horses. Given her history of living with horses her whole life this wasn’t surprising. But what left me a little concerned was Linda’s discussion about the possibility of a horse coming into my life that would have distinct personality traits that I would recognize as very Louise-like. Admittedly, I was a bit bewildered and a little concerned by this. Having an 8 pound cat with an independent, strong personality is one thing but in a 1100+ pound horse? That could be a little troublesome. I remember thinking to myself that Louise’s distinctive traits weren’t something I’d find favorable in a horse!

Linda also mentioned a strong feeling that something significant would be happening on October 18th. At first I thought maybe that would be the day Louise passed to the Rainbow Bridge.

Louise passed away on October 14th and in my grief I thought nothing more of that date for several days.

On the 18th of October 4 tiny black kittens were brought to FieldHaven…………….could it be? Frankly, I was reluctant to accept the gift. It was too soon and my heart was hurting too much. But I could foster 2 of the kittens. That’s not making a commitment, right? Well, not unless you become a Foster Failure and end up adopting one of your foster kittens. Last week Norma Louise Smith officially became a member of our family. She makes me laugh and her soft, shiny fur and rumbling purr dry my tears and warms my heart. I think I'm falling in love.

The horse with the Louise personality? On October 15th I met a wonderful black horse that I instantly fell for. The purchase of Taylor was finalized and he arrived at FieldHaven on October 18th. Our courtship before purchase was short and we had a lot learn about each other. Well into our first week together certain issues about his personality began to emerge; when mounted he will do anything I ask of him, he is a pure delight to ride. However, on the ground he can be more than a little on the temperamental side. When annoyed he very strongly lets anyone around know it. We’ll work on adjusting that attitude but I think I know where it’s coming from.

The spirit of that little black cat surely is with me every day. Thank you, Louise for 11 incredible years together.

Thank you for letting me share with you my story of the “most important cat in the entire universe”. I know you have one in your life too…..please share your stories below so we can all celebrate those treasured relationships. And, I know I’ll have more Louise stories as my memory is jogged to remember a silly story or a special time.

As you may know, we are building a new shelter for FieldHaven. There are a number of opportunities available to sponsor rooms and items in the shelter. I am determined to sponsor a community room in Louise’s name and have made an initial donation towards the $5000 and donations have been made in Louise’s memory but there is still about $3000 to raise. If you are interested in donating click here.

Click here for a photo album of some of my favorite Louise pictures.

Concrete Field of Dreams

2010-11-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

It seems sureal - is it really happening?

After 3+ years of planning, fundraising, planning, fundraising, planning, fundraising the new shelter construction is finally under way!

It actually started back in August with the demolition of our old, decrepit but beloved Cat Trailer. Then the site was prepared, forms built, preliminary plumbing and electrical started. After that it was a long, long waiting game while we worked through the county permitting process. Much paperwork, phone calls, emails, meetings - "i"s to dot, "t"s to cross - entirely too much time wasted in my opinion. Thank goodness for my husband, Preston and Project Manager Leslie Brinskele who both spent countless hours working throught the tedious details of the permit process And a huge thank you to Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt and his team for their support and assistance.

As the permits were issued work began on preparing for the start of the "real" construction. Somehow, it still didn't seem true that we were actually going to be starting the new shelter. I guess my impatience had evolved into a state of skepticism that it was actually going to happen. Sort of like that cliche of "when I win the lottery".

Well, folks, the lottery has hit FieldHaven! Yesterday, the concrete foundation (it is "concrete", not "cement", right Scout?) was poured. It is now reality. The shelter is rising from the fertile ground of FieldHaven, right on the very spot where the Cat Trailer sat for more than 30 years. That old Cat Trailer raised several human families before it became the transitional home for our feline family members. Most of those members moved on to their loving, adoptive homes to live out their lives in feline splendor. Those that were too sick or too old to leave the Cat Trailer spent their last days in the loving arms of the FieldHaven staff and volunteers where we gave them the best possible send off to the Rainbow Bridge. Truly many stories filled with laughter, some with tears but all with a powerful sense of fulfillment, are imbedded in the ground underneath this beautiful pad of concrete.

It is a new beginning and, yes, there will be more bumps along the way. What construction project doesn't have them? But it's all forward from here on out friends! Yes, we have more fundraising to do but what was it that was said in that movie "If we build it, they will come". In this case, we know kitties will come - no doubt about it! But I also believe the funds will come. This seemingly ordinary pad of concrete is FieldHaven's Field of Dreams.

Is this Heaven? No, this is FieldHaven.

I Know It's Not Much.....

2010-08-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

I know it’s not much……

That’s how the note started that we received at FieldHaven last week. It went on to say

“….but our community had a carwash and we’re giving you the donations we
received.”

It was from a member of the community of Rocklin Ranch in Rocklin. It was signed “Nikki”. No last name or any other contact information. The accompanying check was for $58.00.

Nikki, since I don’t know how to reach you by phone or email let me tell you how your “not much” is going to help the cats in our community.

The $58 you and your neighbors so generously raised and donated will have huge and lasting effects. Here’s just a few of the ways $58 can be used:

For $30 each (I’ll pitch in the extra $2!), 2 female adult cats will be spayed. Or, for $15 each 4 female kittens will be spayed. Consider for the 2 adult cats, 11 unwanted, homeless kittens (or 22 for the 4 kittens) will not be born to these cats. Kittens that could likely face a death sentence simply because there’s not enough homes.

About 16 cats or kittens will be vaccinated against feline distemper (panleukopenia) preventing an all too common disease that is usually fatal or, if not, costs 1,000s of dollars to treat.

6 kitties will be tested for the deadly and contagious FeLV virus.

8 kitties will receive a microchip that will help ensure they find their way home if they are ever lost.

48 kitties will receive flea protection.

So, Nikki, you and your neighbors are making a huge difference in a lot of kitties lives. Thank You!

Please don't ever think your donation is "not much". Every dollar you donate, every hour you volunteer, every book you contribute towards our books sales, every person you tell about the good work FieldHaven does, every friend you convince to spay their cat - it all helps in ways you can only imagine.

Click here to make your donation to FieldHaven. Thank you for your support!

FieldHaven – We’re not just about Adoptions and Spay/Neuter

2010-03-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I had a brainstorm. No, not the one that found Jann and I starting FieldHaven Feline Rescue nearly 7 years ago. That was more of a brain-tsunami.

This brainstorm hit me as I was flying across the country on a business trip or to visit my mother – I can’t remember which. I was sitting stuffed in my window seat with an iPod singing in my ear and pounding away on my laptop trying to do some work. No matter how much I tried to concentrate my mind kept drifting to FieldHaven. We were doing a commendable job of adopting cats and kittens into homes and bringing affordable spaying and neutering to our community with SNAP (spay/neuter assistance program). But it seemed the floodgates of people wanting to bring cats to us just never seemed to stop. There must be something else we could do…..

On that plane, from the small, cramped seat of 12A (OK, I don’t remember the exact seat but you get the idea) I came up with the idea of the Community/Cat Assistance Team or C.A.T.

It’s not really a new or unique concept this idea of helping people find solutions to their cat problems and answering their questions. But giving it a moniker and stating our purpose got us beyond the weary, worn-out response of “we have no room for your cat(s) at FieldHaven” that we found ourselves saying so many times each day in response to phone calls, voice mails or emails. Or worse yet, not even responding.

At that point I pledged that we would make an effort to help those people that contacted FieldHaven with a cat issue, no matter what it was. Yes, the majority of the time we would not be able to their cat in but we could provide alternatives or, at the very least, a compassionate ear and advice. We could guide people through challenges that could result in bringing harmony back into their lives with a peaceful co-existence of people and cats. We decided we would help people with anything “cat” – no question or situation is too far out of bounds.

C.A.T. has become widely praised. Our volunteers often hear that we were the only organization who returned their calls. Sometimes, just by merely commiserating with people on the challenges of finding a home for their cat we help them. Most times, however, we can provide real solutions by working together. Beyond the “can we bring a cat to your shelter?” calls here’s a few examples of how FieldHaven’s C.A.T. volunteers reach out to the community to help in some less than ordinary ways:

Home Health Care for Cats
Recently we received a call from the out-of-town daughter of a FieldHaven adopter who lives in Lincoln. Her mother absolutely loved the kitty she adopted from us several years ago but the kitty was now very ill and her mother needed assistance. Her kitty had been diagnosed with diabetes and she wasn’t sure how her elderly, non-driving mother was going to be able to manage her kitty’s medications and veterinary visits. A grandson and family lived nearby and could help but had limited availability.

A plea was sent out to FieldHaven volunteers and a team of 4 kitty-caregivers was assembled, one who lived right down the street and another in the same community. This team, joined by the grandson’s wife, organized themselves around providing the twice daily injections this kitty required.

Unfortunately, the kitty’s kidneys began to fail and she lost her battle but not before a strong bond was formed with the kitty’s mom and her caregivers. She approached us after the death of her kitty stating that she wasn’t ready to adopt but missed her friendly purr partner. We came up with the solution of offering a kitty to foster. We were able to match her with an adult kitty that wasn’t fond of sharing her space with other kitties in the shelter. This kitty needed her own space and person and this person needed a kitty in her space - how's that for a win-win?

Cat Witness Protection Program
You’ve heard of people going into the witness protection program but a cat? You bet! Recently, my husband, Preston, became an honorary member of C.A.T. when he played an integral part in this kitty’s relocation plan.

Frank (not his real name) had gotten himself into some real trouble in his community in another part of California. For obvious reasons we can’t provide details, but just suffice it to say that Frank was in a pickle. Frank had his “day in court”, and it was ordered that he be neutered, and placed on probation for his behavior, and could return to his family. His family never bailed Frank out. Animal Services knew Frank was really a good guy, felt sorry for him, and then set out to find a solution to the situation. Euthanasia was just not an option that Animal Services would consider. It was resolved that Frank would be placed in a rehab home in another state, where he can serve his probation and become a useful member of society. After searching nationwide, a spot was found for Frank.

A posting to a Sacramento area animal welfare email list asked for someone to carry Frank along on a flight. Preston travels nearly every week for work so, of course, I volunteered him for the special mission.

A week later, very early on a Monday morning, Animal Services handed custody of Frank over to Preston at airport security and they boarded a plane for his new home; a first class seat to boot. At their destination, Preston and Frank were met by Animal Control staff who whisked him off to his new home.

Frank is doing wonderful in rehab, and is supervised by two resident animal control officers – wherever that is…

It is reported that he has even made some new friends and is learning proper behavior.

Cat Up A Tree ……for 5 Days!
A distressed cat-owner emailed an urgent plea. She was out of town with a sick relative. Her daughter was watching her kitties and one had slipped out the door. They searched and searched for Sarah without success. In the meantime a neighbor a half mile up the road found a kitty in a tree where she lingered for 5 days without coming down. They assumed someone had abandoned her and were trying to get her down in desperation. They thought she would surely come down especially when, on day 5, it started raining. Somehow, they connected with the daughter who was relieved to find Sarah but how to get her to climb 40 feet down the tree?

Her plea was answered with the suggestion to call a tree service. Within a couple of hours kitty was safely out of the tree and back home with medical supervision. The tree guy had a few scratches to show for his heroics but I’m sure he’s proudly showing them off!

Yes, Cats Can Go on Road Trips
The caller was distraught because they were moving across the country in several days and, so far, he couldn’t find anyone who would give a home to his daughter’s cat. When asked why they weren’t taking the cat with them he said that they were driving and it would take days to drive to New York and, besides, the temporary rental they were going to didn’t allow pets.

We reassured the caller that it was entirely possible to transport kitty across the country in a car. We offered up some tips:

Purchase one of the “tent” pop-up, soft-sided crates that would large enough to hold a bed, a small litter pan and food/water.

Keep kitty in the crate in the car at all times and carry the crate into the hotel room each night, only allowing kitty out when in an enclosed area.

Outfit kitty with a harness and leash which stays on at all times and could be used in case of an emergency escape from the crate.

Microchip and put tags on kitty’s harness.

As for the landlord at the rental, when asked if they were would reconsider the no-pets policy they allowed the family to bring along kitty. Yes, Landlords will negotiate and can often be flexible (see next story).

Therapy Pets Allowed
A friend’s developmentally disabled son and (also disabled) girlfriend were moving into a new apartment which did not allow pets. The girlfriend had a cat which meant the world to her and she was heartbroken about having to give up her personal purr therapist. At our suggestion, the girlfriend’s doctor was contacted and he wrote a letter to the landlord stating that the cat was an important part in the ongoing treatment for her disability. Kitty was allowed to move into the apartment – another almost-homeless kitty saved!

These stories just scratch the surface of how FieldHaven’s amazing C.A.T. volunteers help people every day. Would you like to be part of this valuable team? We are in critical need of volunteers to help with the following:

Answering phone calls and emails

Team Lead to organize schedules and communication flow

Researching information

Documenting and logging calls/emails and responses

Writing a C.A.T. blog to chronicle the adventures of this extraordinary group of volunteers

If you are a current volunteer please email me at Joy if you are interested in getting involved. If you are not a current volunteer and want to help please complete a volunteer survey at Volunteer Application

C.A.T. is a perfect opportunity to help even if you are not near FieldHaven. We don't even care if you're not in California! This is a way to volunteer from anywhere!

Not Just Another Reminder to Microchip

2010-02-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

This one’s for you if your pets are microchipped

You’ve no doubt heard me – either verbally or in print – nag you about microchipping your pet. I know, I can be relentless in my convictions, especially when it comes to animals. Hey, I’ve pretty much devoted my life to our furry feline companions so I’m entitled to a few opinions here and there. And….. I am, after all, a Wagner. Inside joke that only family members and close friends will get.

But, no I’m not going to get on the “microchip your pet” bandwagon again. This time it’s for those of you who have stepped up to the plate and had your pet microchipped. So, you’ve done the good deed. Have you registered that microchip? Or, if you’ve moved have you changed your contact information in the registration database?

Here’s a couple of recent FieldHaven stories that were near misses for owners who thought, because their pets were microchipped, their bases were covered if the pet got lost. Fortunately, these stories have happy endings so please don’t be fearful about reading on.

The first story involves a kitty being found outside Home Depot near where FieldHaven is located. The store employees, after noticing kitty hanging around for several days lookingto share their lunch, contacted FieldHaven. We scanned kitty, as we do all kitties that come from unknown whereabouts. Ta-Da! Jackpot! A microchip was found! We all did the Microchip Happy Dance and, while imagining how happy we were going to make some family who’s worrying about their lost kitty, called the microchip registry for the owner’s contact information.

The call was made to the phone number provided by the registry only to find out it had been disconnected. No forwarding, alternate or emergency numbers were recorded in the microchip database. Not even the name of the organization or vet who had implanted the chip. How frustrating!

However, an email address was in the database so a FieldHaven staff member dashed off an email and kept her fingers crossed. The email didn’t bounce back so now all we had to do was wait and see if we got a response.

In the meantime, we checked lost reports in our database and contacted local vets and other area shelters. No kitties matching her description had been reported missing lately.

Our efforts were rewarded with a return email from the kitty’s owner who joyously came to retrieve her. She had recently moved and kitty had gotten out of the house and disappeared. Hopefully, by now she has contacted the microchip registry and updated her information.

The second story happened when a FieldHaven kitty was picked up as a stray by a municipal animal shelter in a neighboring county. There was no owner registered to the microchip when the shelter called the registry but it was on record as having been implanted by FieldHaven so they contacted us. We cross-checked our database and found the person who had adopted the kitty several years ago and lived on the very same road the kitty was picked up from. Contact was made with the owner who redeemed him the next day.

You might be thinking that this situation was all under control because FieldHaven, after all, had the contact information for the owner, right? Well, possibly, but it could’ve turned out much differently.

This kitty came in and was classified as semi-feral because he was very fearful. I was told by the shelter staff that he would not have been moved to adoptable status because of that semi-feral status. All shelters do scan cats before euthanizing, even feral cats. But, if there is no registered owner to the microchip they have no one to contact to redeem the cat. It’s likely the cat would be euthanized. Even though they know it was owned at one time if there is no way to contact an owner the cat will be classified as unowned.

Not every agency that implants a microchip does as we do at FieldHaven by having our name stay in the registry to contact, if all other contacts fail. Think of the first kitty who was found at Home Depot. The registry had no record of what organization, veterinarian or shelter implanted the microchip.

For every microchip we implant we encourage the owner or adopter to register an emergency backup in case they are not available. What if you’re away on vacation when your pet goes missing? Even if all your microchip information is up to date, if no one can reach you then there’s a chance your pet’s life might be at stake.

So, if your pet is microchipped take a few minutes to make sure all the information in the microchip registry is up-to-date. And, if they’re not microchipped – well, what are you waiting for?

If your pet does go missing here’s a few things you can do to alert those around you to be on the lookout:
1) Post flyers in and around your neighborhood
2) Visit your local veterinarians and pet stores and post flyers
3) Don’t call the animal shelters in your area – go visit in person. Often shelters are very busy and receive so many animals each day that they may not have complete information on each one that is coming in. They do post incoming animals to their website as quickly as possible but there may be a delay. And, if a cat arrives in a very fearful state they may not be able to scan it right away. This happened to a relative of mine recently. Her microchipped kitty had been missing for several days when she visited the local animal shelter and found him. Just that day he had calmed down enough for them to put on the schedule to be examined and scanned that afternoon.

Microchips are a wonderful tool to protect your pet from being lost – but
There’s more information on FieldHaven’s website on what to do if your pet goes missing – http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm

The Few, The Hardy – We are Red Rock Hounds

2010-01-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

The members of Red Rock Hounds are a determined group of fox/coyote hunters. Red Rock Hounds go out 140 or more times each season and while many of those hunts are in perfect weather with superb scenting conditions, the rugged Nevada climate of Red Rock territory can offer up some pretty harsh weather. But it takes more than a little cold, sleet, rain or snow to stop the indomitable spirit of MFH Lynn Lloyd from bringing her hounds out.

This spirit was firmly in evidence on December 10th when we set out to make the trip to Belmont, NV for the traditional December trip to this delightful fixture set in an authentic ghost town that boasts a current population of 7. A recent frigid winter storm left Ross Creek Ranch, home base of Red Rock Hounds, covered in several inches of snow that didn’t even come close to melting as the thermometer shivered in the single digits and below zero for several days.

The storm had started on the previous Sunday while we were out enjoying a hunt at Campbell Springs. That hunt was called in after just a couple of hours due to the blinding snowstorm. It left us snowbound in Reno and on Monday morning as the snow continued Preston and I needed to get home for work. Thanks to Angela’s generosity in offering us the use of her 4-wheel drive we left the truck, trailer (with our living quarters) and the horses at Ross Creek. We came back up on Wednesday afternoon to dig out the truck and trailer in preparation for an early Thursday morning departure to Belmont. In spite of every heating device we could turn on in the trailer I don’t think it got above 55 all night long but we stayed warm under an electric blanket.

Underneath the blanket I hammered away on my laptop in an effort to squeeze in as much work as possible before becoming electronically disconnected in the no-cell/no-broad-band territory of Belmont.

Our 2 trailer caravan consisted of Preston and I with Devon and Baxter and Lynn, Angela, Audrey and Mary hauling 44 hounds and 7 horses. At 10 am we were packed and ready for departure – or so we thought.

Preston and I led the 2-truck and trailer parade out the driveway. Well almost. We started spinning halfway up the driveway and, in spite of Preston’s valiant efforts of just “flooring it” we came to a spinning halt almost at the crest of the driveway. He turned to me and said….”ummm, I think if I take my foot off the brake we’ll be sliding backwards fast.” It wasn’t looking pretty.
After a failed attempt to pull the truck and trailer up the driveway with a 4-wheel drive truck (and a lot of nail-biting moments) the tractor was brought into service. That did the trick.

At this point I did mention to Preston that I said I thought we should’ve chained up before heading out. But what do I know?

In the meantime, Lynn figured she had it made with the 4 wheel truck she was hauling -remember, 44 hounds and 7 horses - but to give herself every advantage she backed as far away as she could and took a serious running start. We were all cheering her on as she started losing steam at the same place we did. But by now, the tractor was on standby.

After some chaining up on our part, we were now officially on our way. The temperature just for the record? Minus 1. I just couldn’t wait to get to Belmont and start riding. Yeah, right. I was now starting to plan my weekend centered around reading some good books, doing some writing and keeping wood on the fire.

Fortunately, after we got out of the Red Rock Valley and on the interstate the roads were clear and started making up for lost time since we wanted to get the horses settled into the pasture at the pack station before dark.

So, how fast can a truck hauling 7 horses and 44 hounds go? Several hours later we were cruising down a 2-lane highway with Master Lynn Lloyd leading the way about 10 miles from our turnoff to Belmont. No other cars on the road. Except for that car that just flew by us going the opposite direction with lights twirling on his rooftop. A quick glance in the rearview confirmed it. Yep. Busted!

87 and 83 respectively. Despite some cajoling by Lynn and Angela we weren’t able to talk our way out of this one although Mr. NHP did write us up for a bit less than we were actually going.
We finally made it to the Timberline Pack Station at dusk, giving us just enough time to make sure the horses were snug in their blankets and settled in for the night. Nick, the owner, had everything ready for us including his brand new bunk house which was toasty warm. Several of our group were staying there and we could keep our tack out of the freezing cold. We were delighted to see that is was about 20 degrees warmer in Belmont. That made the temperature a relatively balmy 20.

At the Belmont Inn we got a warm welcome from Henry and Bertie Berg. Also joining us were John Auborn who had driven up from Southern CA with his horses and Jim McNutt, a veterinarian from Moingona Hunt in Iowa whom Red Rock had visited with in October. Jim had been attending the American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention in Las Vegas and was topping off his week by joining us in our Belmont adventure.

Henry and Bertie Berg were prepared for the annual invasion of the Red Rockers by having the fireplaces in the Inn all stoked and cozy, the bar well stocked and a hearty dinner on the stove.
The next morning, Friday, after an equally hearty breakfast, we headed ¼ mile down the road to the pack station. After rounding up our ponies for the day we quickly tacked up, bundled up in our warmest gear, gathered up the hounds and began the day’s adventure. The ground was covered with a few inches of snow that had fallen earlier in the week and the overcast skies suggested that more was on the way. The hounds hit on several lines that day but never seemed to settle on a really hot one but we had superb time keeping up with them as they worked to flush out a good line. The grey skies kept their promise and the snow started to fall but not heavy enough to send us back for several hours.

On Saturday we started by going through town and while the hounds did their work we took our annual historical tour of the captivating ruins of buildings from 150 years ago when Belmont was a booming, bustling silver mining town. The hounds took us out onto the flats at the base of the mountains just out of town. Angela, whipping-in south of us, yelled a Tally-ho times 3! A pack of 3 coyotes was just off in the distance and the hounds were on it in no time. The run looped around the flats and back towards the rocky mountaintops and lasted for several miles. It would’ve gone on longer but suddenly to our right we saw a herd of probably 100 pronghorn antelope (thanks Jim, for the correction!) running parallel to us and then in front of the hounds, fouling the line.

After we, the hounds and the horses caught our breath we climbed through the rocky outcropping in search of the lost line. But it began to snow again and very heavily with dark, dark skies in distance. We decided to call it a day, packed up the hounds and headed back to the pack station. By the time we tucked the horses in and got back to the Inn the snow was coming down in earnest. The fires seemed especially cozy that night.

After another hungry hunter dinner we indulged in the annual Red Rock Belmont Yankee Swap gift exchange and we followed that by a hilarious game of charades in the saloon. This is the stuff great memories are made of.

Sunday dawned bright and clear with a fabulous new snowfall of about 8 inches. We had a tiny group that set out; Preston, Mary and Audrey opted to “car follow”. But they missed out. The coyotes were screaming that day and the hounds were running hot lines all over the place. After about 2 hours I hacked back in because Devon, having hunted for 3 days, was getting tired. I joined the car crew and we tried to pinpoint where everyone was. The hounds had split just before I came in and we knew Angela had gone south. We did catch up with her about 4 miles south of town when she radioed that she had about 5 or 6 hounds with a coyote bayed up in a tree! Oh, now I was sorry that I’d hacked back in! Shortly afterwards she radioed again that the coyote had jumped from the tree, ran off and the few hounds lost him after a short chase. But now she was being joined by about 25 more hounds and she needed help getting them packed up. We headed back into towards Belmont where we found Lynn, Jim and John. They all hacked down to Angela to gather hounds.

By that time daylight was getting short and horses and hound were tired so Preston took the truck and trailer to pick them up. Getting back was one last adventure on the snow-covered roads. Even with 4-wheel drive they lost traction about a ¼ mile from the pack station and back slid into a snow bank. The horses were unloaded and walked back to the pack station while they creatively tried to get the truck back onto firm footing. It eventually took one of the Belmont 7 to bring his backhoe down and pull the truck out of the snow bank and up the hill to where the road was cleared. But at least this time the temperate was in the low 30’s. Practically a heat wave.

The next morning we sadly packed up the gear, tired hounds and horses and gave our hosts a warm thank you hug. After chaining up for the 30 minute trip back to civilization, the ride home was deliciously boring. No snowstorms, slippery roads, blowouts (that was last year’s adventure), speeding tickets and god-forbid, no horse mishaps!

I just can’t wait until next year!

See pictures at http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4485268#imageID=88671394

Serenity Goes Home 4 the Holidays

2009-12-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Serenity was not looking forward to her first Christmas as an orphan after her mom and dad both passed away this year. She was all alone in the cold, empty house with her only company being the person who came to make sure she had fresh food and water. At least she had that but even that was going to end soon when the house would be closed up for good and Serenity would have to leave.

Serenity had a place to go – but no way to get there. Aunt Susie in Glacier Park, Montana would welcome Serenity into her home. But Montana is a long way from Sacramento. Aunt Susie wasn’t able to drive to California until after the spring thaw (the roads there are treacherous in winter). She would've liked to fly her but couldn’t afford the entire cost of shipping Serenity. And, trying to coordinate the logistics of everything, especially with the wintry weather, was mystifying to Aunt Susie.

Aunt Susie knew Serenity had been adopted from FieldHaven several years ago and her sister had always told her of the wonderful things FieldHaven does. So, she called us to see if we could help.

C.A.T. (Community/Cat Assistance Team) volunteer, Jackie, got the call and sprang into action. Within a week Serenity was snug and warm in her new home with Aunt Susie and her 3 kitty cousins.

It took a team of people to make it happen. Jackie coordinated everything here. The great staff at Banfield Pet Hospital in Lincoln made sure Serenity had a clean bill of health and all the necessary paperwork in place. Wendy Lemons, FieldHaven Volunteer Coordinator, delivered Serenity to Alaska Airlines at Sacramento Airport at 4:30 am and saw her safely onto the plane. Even Aunt Susie’s neighbors helped in the mission by plowing out her driveway so she could drive to the airport!

All of us at FieldHaven gave a cheer when Aunt Susie sent us a message from the airport with the picture of their reunion.

Thanks to all the supporters of FieldHaven for being part of the "team" – it is because of you with your generous support of donations and volunteering of your time that Serenity is happy at Home 4 the Holidays!

FieldHaven's VERY Brave Volunteers

2009-11-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

The volunteers at FieldHaven never cease to amaze me with their compassion, dedication, energy and, last but not least, ingenuity!

The latest gig they have going was dreamt up by FieldHaven Foster Coordinator, Penny Dougherty. 7 chain-smoking volunteers have pledged to quit smoking if you will support them by donating $10 per month until they "fall off the wagon" or 1 year; whichever comes first. They call themselves the Chain Gang.

They've been planning Q(uit)-Day for over a week now; looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Each step is a milestone. The last pack or carton of cigarettes purchased. The last cup of morning coffee shared with a smoke. The last wind-down-the-day beer with a cigarette. The last phone chat with a girlfriend while having a few puffs. The last quiet time on the deck reading the paper with a cigarette.

So, Chain-Gangers - what are you going to do with those free fingers now? Knitting? Texting? Dusting? Hey - how about petting a kitty? Yes, turn to your personal Purr Therapists to get you through these tough times!

The official kick-off began yesterday with a team breakfast accompanied by several rock-solid supporters.

And, this morning, they all assembled at FieldHaven at 6 am. Yes, 6 am! They took their challenge truly public on the Fox Morning News! And, they were actually in a good mood. Well, there was that 10 minutes between 6:00 and 6:10 when the news team wasn't there yet and they began wondering if I had totally scammed them. But the Fox 40 camera van showed up just in time. Oh, my, if they'd been much later the news lead-in could've been a whole lot different:

Volunteers at Local Animal Rescue Lynch Founder

But we had a great time showing off our kitties and the Chain Gang declaring their commitment to remaining smoke-free in order to raise much-needed funds for FieldHaven's new shelter. And, potentially saving their own lives in the process!

God Bless them in this journey.

Please support their efforts by sponsoring one, two or all of the volunteers.

For more information on the Chain Gang and to sponsor them go to

http://www.fieldhaven.com/campaigns/chain_gang/

To read and post to their blog go to http://stopsmokingchain.blogspot.com/

The Day That Changed My Life

2009-09-23T20:19:00.001-07:00

It really was just meant to be a fun weekend in September 2007 with my sister Jann, good friend, Bev and our horses. We hauled our horses up to Red Rock Hounds north of Reno, NV to participate in a hunter pace – basically a timed trail ride with some fences to jump enroute.

I had no idea how Preston's and my life would change after that weekend. Actually, Preston had no idea his life was changing until about 4 months later......

Jann and I had recently re-connected with a childhood friend from back east. Lynn Lloyd had been in the Reno area for close to 30 years where she had started the “world-famous” Red Rock Hounds in 1980.

We weren’t sure about the actual hunt part, especially me. I didn’t know how my show hunter would take to the exuberance of the hunt field. But what harm could come from a hunter pace?

Well, none actually, unless you consider the radical 180-degree turn my life took at the end of that 8 mile loop up and over the sandy hills and sage brush and through the meadows and streams of the breathtaking Ross Creek Ranch in the Red Rock valley north of Reno. As we galloped across the finish line we could’ve been winning the Triple Crown for all the smiles we had on our faces and the thrill we felt. No, we didn’t win anything in the hunter pace. But we won something much more important that day; the renewing of an old friendship and the introduction to a stunningly exhilarting sport and a group of people that truly feed my soul and heart.

We did join the hunt the next day and, no, my show hunter didn’t grasp the concept very well – or, to be honest, not at all. But in spite of the whirling dervish of a ride Nathan gave me, I knew I had found something I wanted to pursue.

Imagine the indescribable feeling of being one with your horse as you gallop across the landscape (non-horsepeople, you have no idea what you're missing!) that is wide open and virtually free of human habitation. You mingle with wildlife as you go up and down the hills and valleys. The hounds that accompany you are amazing to watch as they work together to cover every inch of ground with their noses looking for that special scent. There’s the sound of horn that is used by huntsman to communicate to the hounds – one person in complete unison with dozens of hounds. Then there’s the coyote that flirts with the hounds – daring them to spot him or catch his scent. And, if they do – the merry chase is on! The hounds break into full bay in pursuit of the clever coyote until he gets bored with the chase and ducks into a hole or leaps to a high perch to lose his scent to the hounds. The “field” of people and horses follow as closely as possible to the hounds. All the while you are sharing this invigorating experience in the company of your closest friends and family.

At the end of the run we all stop to take a breath. The hounds happily gather around the huntsman with big grinning smiles and lolling tongues. The horses catch their breath and take a cool drink. The humans refresh from the flasks we all carry. The camaraderie between the people, horses, hounds, the wildlife and the beauty of the open space is unsurpassed. We love this sport, the wildlife, the hounds and horses and the land that is so special. We are all conscious of the sensitivity to the balance of nature – always careful to minimize our impact where we hunt. Always respectful to the wildlife whose home we are passing through for the day.

Let me clarify something about the term “hunt”. I often receive quizzical and sometimes disapproving looks when I mention that I am an active fox/coyote hunter. Let me be very clear. The term “hunt” is not to be mistaken for “kill”. Perhaps we should modify the terminology to be “chasing” rather than “hunting” as that is much more descriptive and typical of what the sport entails. We are hunting for a scent and the actual physical presence of a coyote (or fox if in other geographical regions) – not with the intention to kill. So, please do not judge my sport by what your assumptions are. Keep an open mind and I think you will find that fox hunters are a group of people whose goals are very much in unison with environmentalists and animal welfare advocates.

Llynn Lloyd, Master of Red Rock Hounds addresses the Fox Hunting naysayers quite eloquently in a recent interview published in The Chronical of the Horse. When asked "If you could sit down with an anti-hunting representative, what's the one thing about your sport you'd want to try and make them understand?" Lynn replied, "That hunting is actually a huge part of our soul as a human being. In general, no matter how deeply it's buried in the mind, we are hunters. And that the fun thing about mounted hunting is that we have all the fun of the chase without necessarily ending the life of the quarry."

This sport that grabbed me has also drawn in my sister Jann, my husband, Preston and several other friends. We are now a family of fox/coyote hunters.

Preston became "hooked" several months later when we went with Red Rock to a joint meet in Ridgecrest, CA. He went along for the ride without a horse. As we were driving home after a fun-filled 4 days he told me that he didn't want to be standing on the ground any longer. It didn't take me long to find him a great mount in Baxter. Less than 6 weeks later he joined his first hunt.

During the past 2 years we have had the priveledge of hunting on some of the most beautiful land in Nevada and California as well as a memorable trip to the traditional hunting territory of Virginia last year.

We are just starting our 3rd year as members of Red Rock Hounds. At the commencement of our 3rd season I found myself on the ground due to a riding injury several days before Opening Day. It's been a long 6 weeks but next week I should be back in the saddle. I can already feel the wind on my face as we take off in pursuit of the hounds......

Tally Ho!!

Horse and Rider Separation Syndrome – I Hate When That Happens

2009-09-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Ahhh…..28 years of exciting marriage for Preston and I. Definitely not boring, not normal (what is “normal”?), not always blissful. But definitely exciting most of the time.

What better way to celebrate the beginning of our 29th year of marriage than to continue the tradition that we started on our 25th – horse camping in this secret little place called Euer Valley just north of Truckee. Extreme quiet. None of the trappings of civilization – no lights, no electricity, barely any running water and certainly no cell phone or email coverage. Just what we were looking forward to after the hectic craziness of the past few weeks.

It was a true Smith-style vacation; Preston, me, 2 horses (Baxter and Smarty), 2 dogs (Bracken and Abby) and 1 cat (Louise). We set up camp in our usual spot in South Meadow Friday evening then went for a quick ride before relaxing around the fire.

Saturday morning we went out for a ride – just a leisurely one because Smarty is still recovering from the injury she had in March. We were cantering slowly along the valley floor when Smarty stumbled to her knees and I catapulted off and landed hard head first on the road. Now, you gotta know, falling off is nothing new to me. You can’t ride horses and not separate company once in awhile. Usually, it’s a jump up, dust off, quick assessment of the body – nope, no broken bones, just some dust and bruises. Hop back on and back to the business of riding.

But, ouch, this one wasn’t a bounce-back kind of fall. First thing I noticed was that I couldn’t breathe – got the wind knocked out of me – but after a few gasps the air gets back in. I still wasn’t inclined to get up after I could breathe again. The meadow was spinning around my head and I had some serious ouches in places I wasn’t sure of yet.

Once I got up I told Preston I think I needed to go to the ER – not usual for me to say that. He wouldn’t let me get back on Smarty to get back to camp so we walked – me in circles some of the time – I was a little directionally challenged. By the time we got back to camp I had a good inclination my collarbone wasn’t quite intact. I couldn’t shut my mouth and my lower jaw was a little shifted to the right. And, I felt a tooth that was a bit jagged – don’t know where the top half went.

Preston put the horses up and got the truck unhooked from the trailer. I couldn’t move my arm without some serious discomfort. Preston asked me if I wanted to take off my helmet. I told him no cause I thought my brains might fall out.

We headed out of the valley….bump, bump, bump, ouch, ouch, ouch up the rutted dirt road. At the ER at Tahoe Forest they got me right in and took xrays of my jaw and clavicle. The best part was the warmed blankets they covered me with – I was so cold!

Yep, a fractured clavicle (collarbone) and slightly dislocated jaw. The jaw would work itself back in place over the next day or so. But the clavicle…..6 weeks in a sling. And, nope, no riding. That really hurts!

After a stop at the drug store for good pain meds we headed back to camp. Preston suggested we might want to break camp and head home but why waste a perfectly good camping trip because of a few bruises and broken bones? We stayed the night.

We had a modified 28th anniversary celebration with cocktails and pain medications. I asked Preston if he thought I was more beautiful at this moment than on our wedding day. He still hasn’t answered that question. Sweet guy, he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.

Since I couldn’t climb the little ladder to our gooseneck bed I slept on the table-converted-into-a-bed with the dogs and Louise. Thanks to the pain meds and wine I slept surprisingly well. Until I tried to move the next morning! Who took my 49 year old body and replaced it with a 90 year old one that had just been hit by a train?

I’m now on Day 4 of this latest adventure and you know what? A fractured collarbone $%^&ing hurts! I’ve found it does help to scream “OUCH” at the top of my lungs when a stab of pain hits. If the pain is particularly severe add an expletive of choice – that helps even more. For an even better relief effect let out a good laugh after screaming and yelling.

I can barely move my right arm and can hardly lift anything even with the left. The collarbone is a pretty amazing piece of engineering. It is completely connected to all upper body movements. For example, if I lift something with my left hand the lifting is balanced out by the entire collarbone – yes, including the broken right side. I can brush my teeth, eat, wash my hair and type with my left hand but not much more.

Preston has been a great nurse. He has even been cleaning litter pans – what a guy! He’s even helping me get dressed. I did find that’s he much more experienced at taking bras off then putting them on – today when taking my bra off I found that it was on inside out!

As much as this hurts and as lousy as I feel I know it could've been worse. I'm just grateful that in a few (short?) weeks I'll be back in the saddle!

A $34k Boost in Funds for the New Shelter

2009-09-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Now that I’ve had a little over a week to recover I wanted to take a few moments to reflect back on FieldHaven’s fundraiser.

The first annual (hopefully) Classics, Cats and Cabernet fundraising event held at FieldHaven on August 29, 2009 was, from all sides, a fabulous success!

We were decidedly nervous about hosting an event of this scale given the lousy economy, the short planning time we had and just the format in general. If we hosted it would they come? Did the community really care enough about FieldHaven to support us? Would people come to spend an evening at FieldHaven?

Our first hurdle was attempting to secure sponsors. And, yes, that was a big hurdle. The board voted on moving forward with an event just a few short months ago in late April. As we quickly discovered, most companies put in their budgets for charitable contributions much earlier in the year. Combined with our poor timing and the general economy, very few had extra funds to sponsor our event. But several companies and individuals were able to dig deep and support FieldHaven. To them we extend our deepest gratitude!

Ticket sales were launched in mid-July. The emails and mailings went out. I waited for the flood of ticket sales. And waited. And waited. Finally, on about the 5th day I thought that Paypal must not be working. So, I bought my own tickets using Paypal. Bing! An email came into the FieldHaven Paypal email box almost immediately. That made my heart sink but we all kept the faith and if you were here you know that between 350 and 400 people showed up on party day so those ticket sales did pick up.

Many new people were introduced to FieldHaven through some great press. The Lincoln News Messenger published an article that really told the story of the new shelter campaign. Several radio interviews, including an interview on Insight at Capital Public Radio and a PR interview with Walt Shaw on KNCI, gave the event even more exposure.

The party was fantastic! What an incredible feeling of love and support we all felt. The attendees braved stifling heat – about 102 - to ogle over the very cool classic cars and wood boat, sip wines, sample some incredible foods, listen to wonderful music and bid on the wide array of auction and raffle items. And, of course, spend time with all our adoptable and sanctuary cats. Even a few kittens came out of their foster homes to charm the party-goers.

The music provided by the very fun group, Brazen Hussies and the Bad Boyz, was absolutely perfect for the setting and format. Even the horses appeared to be rocking out as 2 horses tried to dance with each other over the bars of their paddock causing me to make a mad dash to the barn to break up the equine rumba before a leg could become caught.

The food and wine turned out perfect in spite of some stressful moments in the weeks leading up to the day. We heard great comments from attendees that the variety of wines and different foods was extraordinary. A huge debt of gratitude to my close friend Jane Cozart and caterer George Carreras for coordinating the food offerings. And, to the restaurants and food vendors who served and endured the heat to cook their specialties!

Greg Patton MC’d the day, corralling the audience to bring in some very successful live auction dollars. Greg had some fun with a couple of the unique auction items we had including a sight-seeing Bayou trip and several wine-tasting and tour excursions.

FieldHaven volunteers really stepped up to the challenge and made the day a complete success. Being an inaugural event there were a lot of “loose ends” in spite of all of our best planning. The flood of auction items exceeded our expectations so we were up until the early morning hours of Saturday cataloging and displaying donations. We anticipated a lot of bottled water would be needed but an hour into the event we ran out. In the middle of printing last minute signage the printer cartridges ran out of ink. A volunteer picking up some of the wine found that the store had sold some of our put-aside wine. My cat Louise appeared to have escaped the house in the morning. Every person on the property was helping me search for her – until she was found snoozing in one of auction item boxes in my dining room! All of these challenges were met with a deep breath and a quick plan to take care of the situation. The volunteers in this organization continue to amaze me at how competent, dedicated and caring they are. I am humbled and honored by the very fact that they are part of FieldHaven. This day could not have happened without them.

During the entire day FieldHaven was bursting at the seams with the good will and love of a community who turned out to support a wonderful and worthy cause.

And, at the end of the day each and every one of the FieldHaven kitties was comfortable in their respective beds in the Cat Trailer……….dreaming of the new shelter we will be building someday soon.

Cats, Classics and Cabernet raised nearly $34,000 towards the new shelter fund. Many thanks to our sponsors for their support. Stay tuned for information about Cats, Classic and Cabernet 2010.

You can view photos from the event at

http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4315849#imageID=79959180

and

http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4326485#imageID=80449451

There's a great video also online at
http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4323992#imageID=80425505

Provence, France - Day 7 - Fitting it all in!

2009-09-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

So glad that little bug I had lasted only a day as Friday, our last day in Provence, was packed with plans to fit in as much as we could.

First we re-started Thursday morning as Sarah, Vicky and I went into Goult for a morning walkabout with the kitties. We finally got to speak with Simone, a French cat lover, who we had seen all week but couldn’t talk to. So wonderful that Vicky was able to talk with her and get stories on the various cats about town.

Next, we headed to the last Market Day in Bonnieux . More treasures were found then we were off to wine tasting at Chateau Saint Esteve de Neri , the winery and vineyard of the owners of the mas, Alexandra and Allan Wilson. Allan poured us samples of their wines while engrossing us with stories of making the transition from a British banker to a Provencal vintner and the challenges of international wine sales.

The winery and vineyards were in the country village of Ansouis . Surrounded by lavender and sunflower fields and olive orchards, it was the quintessential Provencal countryside setting – so perfect for our last day in this heavenly piece of the world.

After leaving the winery in our Mercedes bus (the one with the scrape down the right side) with Sue, Sarah and myself on board with Preston driving, we attempted to follow Fran, George, Leann and Paul in the VW to another perfect little restaurant in a perfect little village. But, alas, the bus just couldn’t keep up with the VW and we lost the lead car. What was the name of the town we were going to for lunch? No idea.

We took a casual drive in the general direction of the unknown village. After a few “wrong” turns and few photo-op stops near the sunflower fields in full bloom we came to a(nother) darling village; Cucuron. This looked like a good candidate for a very Provencal lunch.
Preston started heading down a street when I saw a sign that I interpreted as “no trucks”. Preston didn’t heed my warning – we’re in a bus not a truck. OK but don’t say I didn’t tell you.
Less than a minute later our little bus was shoe-horned between ancient stone buildings with the street just in front of us narrowing even more. In centuries past the street could accommodate a horse drawn wagon. But in the 21st Century? This was definitely the sort of street those itty bitty SmartCars were designed for.

Our dilemma was that the only way out was to back out. We had already made 2 turns down this street so narrow I could wash the windows of the houses sitting comfortably in my bus seat. It wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that at any moment one of the above-mentioned SmartCars could come careening around the corner and slam right into the back of us. Please, we don’t need any more French Fender Benders! Even Preston, who is always boldly showing off his backing skills with our 30+ foot horse trailer, was a bit nervous in this situation. I knew this was so when, as we were backing out, I saw the most darling cat sitting in the most picturesque window sill just outside my bus door. I asked Preston to stop so I could snatch a few photos and he said “NO”! Darn.

We successfully backed out. Preston , once again, showcasing his backing skills. As we backed out I re-pointed out the sign with the picture of a truck with a red line through it. But what do I know?

The rest of our visit to Cucuron was incredible. We found an incredible town square with a large pond in the center surrounded by large shady trees and several restaurants with picturesque outdoor seating. We sat outside and had a lunch of the most incredible salmon.
After a leisurely lunch we meandered our way back to the mas, stopping along the way for some photo ops, to buy some wine and a quick trip to the lavender factory to get some take-home gifts.

That evening, our last in Provence, we were treated to another catered dinner by Helen. The dinner was preceded by a cocktail hour with a guest; our friend Laura from the French Fender Bender incident.

To say that Laura provided some color to our cocktail hour is an understatement. Laura is from New York City but spends 3 months every summer in Goult. Laura is married but she doesn’t live with her husbands nor does she let that fact keep her from…..exploring. She described how she lives her life by the “4-F principal;” Friends, Family, Financial and …..well, use your imagination for that 4th F-word!

After dinner we made one last trip into town to watch the sunset by the windmill. Back to the mas for packing……

Click here To enjoy photos of the day.

Michael Vick - Is He Sincere?

2009-08-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Much press has been given to Michael Vick's release from prison, his subsequent reinstatement to the NFL and, something that surprised many of us in the animal community - his affiliation with the Humane Society of the United States.

Now, many of you know that I am a strong advocate for the work that HSUS does. But that doesn't mean I need to agree with them on everything. This is one area where I'm really, really questioning Wayne Pacelle's decision to use Michael Vick as an icon the anti dogfighting campaign.

Frankly, with so much to tend to my own little corner (oh my, will kitten season ever end? will we stop uncovering hidden feral colonies that need TNR?) I have only been following the Michael Vick story from a high level. However, I just took a few minutes to watch the 60 Minutes Michael Vick interview.

Sorry, but I don't believe this guy has one sincere bone in his body. Watch it and tell me if you agree or disagree.

Wayne, I really hope you prove me wrong this one.

Provence, France - Day 6 - Cherries and Fender Benders

2009-07-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 24 – We wouldn’t appreciate all the perfect vacation days if we didn’t have at least one “not so perfect” day to give us a little jolt of the real world. Thursday was that day in a couple of ways.

Started out pretty good except I woke up feeling a little punky – maybe too much rosé? I didn’t have the headache to go with that malady but I sure didn’t feel right.

Ignoring that not-so-great feeling, I prepared to go into the Goult to get some early morning photos of kitties coming in from their night of partying. Preston had plans to spend a part of the day with a French co-worker, Celine, visiting some Daf (the European Peterbilt truck) dealers.

Here’s where I made one good decision. Preston was to meet Celine in the center square of Goult at 8 am. He could drive up there but how was I to get the rental car back since I wasn’t a registered driver? According to Preston, it was only a ½ mile back to the mas – I could surely drive the car back. Nooo….I didn’t think that a good idea – what if something happened. Stu said he’d drive us up so off we went.

Just out of our driveway on the narrow dirt road to Goult we passed a lady on her morning walk then suddenly in front of us – directly in front of us – was a little white pickup barreling around the corner. Stu reacted quickly and went up onto the bank but it wasn’t quite enough and the little white pickup slid right down the side of our van – ba-boom! Dang! A French Fender Bender!

Fortunately, our walking neighbor, whom we found was American, spoke French as the pickup driver didn’t speak a word of English. After much talking and gesturing back and forth Laura (our American neighbor) said Bruno (the pickup driver) wanted us to follow him back to his house just on the other side of Goult.

After dropping Preston to meet with Celine, Stu and I followed Bruno to his farm – a cherry farm. After a conversation with Bruno and his wife, if you can call gesturing a conversation (she didn’t speak English either), Stu and I left with an appointment to come back that evening with Vicky as translator and a crate of cherries. Yes, cherries! Bruno is a cherry farmer and wanted to give us a bit of an apology. Fender Benders French style!

We went back to the mas to share our story with all hopes of kitty photos abandoned. Good thing, too because shortly after we got back my punky feeling turned nasty and I went down for the rest of the day – fever, chills, aches, vomiting – what fun!

Talk about being pissed off – there’s nothing worse than wasting a day of vacation being sick! I kept trying to get up and get on with the fun and headed right back to bed.

When Preston returned from his morning with Celine to be greeted by a green wife he decided it would be more fun to go to the Lavender Museum than hang with me. Can’t blame the guy! But, the Lavender Museum? Well, that’s a place that Sarah and Sue wanted to visit so Preston generously agreed to be their chauffer for the excursion. So, next time you see Preston be sure to ask him all about Lavender and Lavendine – and how wonderful it smells in the Lavender Museum.

Vicky and Stu did meet with Bruno and his wife to get all the information about filing for insurance. And, they came home with another crate of cherries!

So, there’s the story of how we modified our unscathed rental van to match the swipe down the side of the 2nd van that was there when we rented it. Now we had a matching set of side-swiped Mercedes rental vans.

Here’s a few pictures of the day (none at the Daf dealer or the Lavender Museum?!) - http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4192290#imageID=74989962

Provence, France - Day 5 - St. Remy

2009-07-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 23 – An early morning call to head to the market in St. Remy, one of the biggest markets in the area. St. Remy was quite the bustling town and the market was very crowded. We got some great cheeses, sausages, pasta and mussels for Wednesday night’s dinner at the mas.

After returning to the mas in the early afternoon we lounged by the pool for most of the afternoon until we found out there was a tack shop in a nearby town. Sarah, Preston, Sue and I piled into the VW and went in search of the French tack store. Of course, we couldn’t leave France without finding one. Hey, at least I didn’t go in search of any animal shelters!

After another stunning dinner by Chefs Fran and Vicky we headed to Goult for our now routine evening walkabout winding up at the local terrace restaurant for after dinner drinks and dessert. We could certainly get used to this lifestyle!

For today's pictures go to http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4169569#imageID=74225385

Provence, France - Day 4 - Gordes and Roussillon

2009-07-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 22 – Preston elected to have a casual day at the mas while Sarah, Sue, Leann and I went to market Day at Gordes, a stunning Cliffside village that has become an “in” place for the rich and famous to buy houses. The architecture is incredible and the views unmatched but the crowds of people take away the charm of the village. While I was in awe as the tour bus drivers negotiated the narrow main streets and tight roundabout in the center of town, I couldn’t help but think how sad to see such a 21st century blemish mar the picture of the simple centuries-old village. With the possible exception of St. Remy (where we’ll go tomorrow) I think Gordes was the most tourist-spoiled city we visited in France. For the most part, all the villages we visited have been untouched by modernism. And, actually, to the credit of the French, even Gordes and St Remy have no lasting scars by way of fast-food restaurants, modern buildings and such. At the end of the day when the tour buses leave the village is returned to its sleepy, ancient charm with only a few discreet mentions of modern day marvels; an occasional ATM machine or a satellite dish hanging off the side of a 16th century home.

After partaking in the market in Gordes – and steering very wide of the kitten and puppy displays by the Gypsies – we went on to Roussillon for lunch. While Roussillon is just as breath-takingly beautiful as Gordes is best known for the ochre from local mines that is used as a coloring agent in some many of the buildings in this area of France. The red, brown and yellow colors in they are so vivid and spectacular. Even walking around Roussillon will result in some souvenir ochre collecting on your shoes.

We had a leisurely lunch in Roussillon before heading back to the mas for some serious pool lounging (with lots of rosé), a light dinner in and our evening walkabout in Goult.

For today’s pictures go to

http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4168253#imageID=74174117

Provence, France - Day 3 - Visiting Ancient Rome

2009-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

The Mistal continued to blow as we caravanned to Glanum http://www.softseattravel.com/Glanum-Roman-Ruin-in-Provence.html the site of some fascinating Roman ruins that were buried for centuries then discovered in the 1920’s.

After strolling the ruins we walked to the nearby Asylum Saint Paul de Mausole where Vincent van Gogh was hospitalized for a year and where he painted some of his most famous paintings, including Starry Night. That was quite the depressing place! Blood-letting, ice baths and other treatments of that time were described. Makes getting a root canal without novacaine seem tame in comparison!

In the afternoon, Preston, Sarah and I navigated our way back to the train station in Avignon to pick up Sue who was just arriving. Her departure for France had to be delayed 2 days as she awaited the return of her husband from a 4-month stint in Iraq. I love Sue’s attitude. “Hi Honey, welcome home from the warzone . Here’s the kids – I’m off to France for a vacation. Have fun!”

Back to that navigation thing. Finding our way to the train station was definitely an adventure especially not understanding the road signs, the roundabouts (which we sometimes went around 2 or 3 times before figuring out which road to take) and the crazy drivers. A near miss with a vespa vs our bus, some dirty looks for the “American tourists” and we finally found the station….and Sue!

On the way back to Goult we stopped at the local wine cave (pronounced “kav”, meaning the wine cellar) to fill up on rosé. “Fill-up” literally. Check out the pictures!

That evening we took the first of several evening walks into the village of Goult that always ended at one of the village restaurants for a nightcap. In the village I discovered – guess what? Cats! No surprise there I’m sure to most anyone who knows me. Cats were snoozing on the sidewalks, in the streetside gardens, on the stone walls – kitties seemed to be in every corner. And, much to my relief they were almost all healthy, friendly kitties. And, yes, I immediately checked out the most important thing – nearly all were spayed or neutered! Whew! I would not have to stay behind when everyone went home to implement a French spay/neuter program! My camera started going crazy snapping pics of the kitties. More on the Cats of Goult to follow.

For pictures of today's adventure go to http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4165236#imageID=74092656

Provence, France - Day 2 - Market Day at Isle sur la Sorgue

2009-07-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 21 – Market Day!

The markets in France are similar to our Farmers’ Markets but much more “authentic” – each town has a market day and this is where the restaurants get their fresh produce. On Sunday we went to one of the largest markets in Provence; Isle sur la Sorgue. This market is known for vendors that sell everything from fabrics to antiques.

It is here at the market where I had my first encounter with a French chat (cat). You see, there was this sweet mom cat with 2 kittens that one of the vendors was displaying in a little wooden cart along with a puppy and a miniature goat. Was this perhaps the French version of a pet store or even a rescue of some sort? Since I couldn’t read a work of the signage I had not a clue. I picked up a darling kitten (and very healthy looking) for a cuddle and a much needed kitty fix. The proprietors of the cart chatted away to me in French, thrusting boxes of candy into my face. I had not a clue what they were saying since I understand barely a word of French. After a quick snuggle I put the kitty down and strolled away with the people continuing to talk to me. I presumed they were trying to get me to buy the kitten or donate to their rescue.

It was later that I learned that I had just fallen for one of the biggest tourist traps in the French Markets. Vicky, who speaks fluent French, apparently got an earful from them and they were not happy that I hadn’t paid to pet the kitty! Now there’s a new angle for fund-raising – charge to pet the kitty. We ought to try that at FieldHaven! These people are gypsies who live in RVs traveling around to the markets with their cute and cuddly animals, convincing tourists to give them money. And, from what I learned, they also use the animals as a diversion for distracting tourists while they pick their pockets. At least I didn’t get caught in that scam but leave it to me to get in “trouble” over a kitty my first day in France!

After the market we retired back to the mas for a lunch of some tasty paella from the market, some lazy time by the pool and more rosé – lots more rosé.

That evening we had a fabulous catered dinner by Helen, a local woman originally from England. Helen can create a fabulous meal!

For pictures of Day 2 go to: http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4158044#imageID=73850442.

Provence, France - Day 1

2009-07-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Following is a journal from a 12 day trip to France Preston and I took to celebrate the 50th birthday of my oldest (length of friendship, not age) friend, Sarah Boudreau (aka “Jones”). There were 10 of us in our group. The trip was organized by Sarah’s sister, Fran, and her step-mom, Vicky. Also accompanying us was Stu, Sarah and Fran’s dad, Fran’s husband, George, Leann and Paul , friends of the family and Sue, a friend of Sarah’s from Norfolk.

Because I was “forbidden” to bring along a computer (insider joke) I couldn’t write up my journal until our return to the states. Of course, I could’ve done it the “old-fashioned” way of Vicky and Fran by hand-writing it everyday. But since I often can't even read my own hand-writing that may have been a fruitless effort. So here I am post-vacation recreating each day in my mind. Now, there’s a challenge for this almost-49 year old, menopausal brain!!

I’ll do a blog entry for each day – may take me a couple of weeks to get the whole trip done.

Day 1 - Saturday, June 20 – After flying all day Friday and overnight then losing 9 hours of time (6 for Sarah) Preston, Sarah and I arrived at Charles De Gaulle in Paris early Saturday morning. Somewhat – no – a LOT tired as we met up with the rest of the crew at the high speed train station. A 3 hour, super fast trip through the French countryside brought us to Avignon in Provence.

Here is where we learned what the “Mistral” is in France. Here in Sacramento we’d call it a Delta Breeze on steroids. Bright sunny skies with a wind forceful enough to knock you off your feet if you weigh less than 100 lbs (not me).

The rental car process was a lengthy one but the monotony of waiting was broken up by the eye-candy at the rental counter in the form of some very darling Frenchmen – all in their 20’s. Nicholas’ transparent blue eyes – oh, we talked about them all week.

Our rental cars were 2 Mercedes “buses” and a VW. One of the buses had a lengthy scrape down one side and was missing some molding. We’ll revisit that fact later in the week.

A 45-minute drive to the village of Goult and we found our mas (farmhouse) down a quiet dirt road near some vineyards. The mas was everything described to us and more! Just an absolutely quintesstial 1700’s stone house with all the period charm but with every modern amenity. Even a (very slow) wireless internet connection.

Preston’s and my accommodations were a remodeled pigeonnier (yes, a pigeon house) that opened right to the pool. Cute, cute, cute!

Fran and Vicki bought out the local market of some wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese and rosé wine. Yes, rosé. One of the first things we learned about France is that rosé wine in a staple in France. No, we’re not talking about the socially-unacceptable White Zinfandel that all of us Californians cringe at when our out-of-town relatives order at a restaurant embarrassing us to no end. Yes, we are wine snobs. But in France It’s cool to drink rosé. And, just wait til you hear how it’s dispensed!

Enjoy the pictures of our first day at http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4157904#imageID=73845913

A Tale of 2 Cats and 2 Years (and the importance of microchips)

2009-05-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Blake went missing nearly 2 years ago from the home of his adopter. The teenage black kitty had been adopted from FieldHaven just a few short months prior. Blake was on the “shy” side and one day he scooted out an accidentally left open door. His family searched and searched, postering the neighborhood, checking the shelter – anything to bring this kitty home. A kitty whom they had fallen in love with in spite of the fact that he seemed to not be fond of human affection. As time marched on their hope waned and they adopted 2 small dogs into their family.

Last week I was just stepping out of a meeting at Placer County Animal Services when a staff person stopped to let me know that a semi-feral cat had been surrendered in a trap that morning. At first he seemed destined to be classified as a feral but, alas, a microchip was found – a microchip that had been implanted by FieldHaven. Thank you PCAS for checking for microchips on all incoming animals no matter how un-owned they may appear.

I quickly checked the chip in our database and found his adopter’s contact information. The adopter was surprised by the call – after all Blake had been missing for so long they didn’t harbor any hope that he’d be found. She was ecstatic and told me her daughter really missed that silly shy cat. She said she’d love to bring him home but was concerned about the 2 new canine family member – would Blake be comfortable with them?

After a conversation with her we elected to bring Blake back to FieldHaven where we could all work together to work out the best solution for him.

We have found that Blake has reverted back to his mostly feral state. Volunteers are working with him to see if he can be re-socialized enough to return to his family or if a different living situation would be better for him. But, thanks to his microchip, he is safe and cared for. And, his family is comforted by knowing where he is.

River was found by a jogger wandering in the open space behind the Lincoln Home Depot in October 2007. He was skinny and starving. A neutered male that obviously belonged to someone at some time but he was not microchipped and a search did not turn up an owner. Several months later River was adopted into a great home. But River knew he didn’t belong in that home. He let his adopters know that he didn’t want to be there in that unpleasant way cats do – he peed everywhere he wasn’t supposed to.

The adopters tried everything; a medical workup, the pheromone plug-ins, trying to reason with him, whatever they could try they did. But to no avail.

Tearfully, they returned River (now known as Linus) to FieldHaven after a year. That was 2 months ago. We did another medical work-up in the hopes something had been missed. Nope, River was just a chronic bad kitty!

We love River but, heck, do you know how hard it is to adopt out a 5 year old, black/white, slightly overweight pee cat? We’ve been down this road before and we just try and keep the faith. You just never know when “that person” will come along. Sometimes it takes months and months but we just keep trying.

River hasn’t had the best of times at our PetSmart Adoption Center – he gets stressed there and doesn’t put his best face forward to the public. Instead he hides somewhat and just sits there. No head-butting “take me”s against the adoption center windows for this guy.

This week Jen decided to try River again at PetSmart just to see if he would like it any better. Who would’ve known how that decision would turn out.

Last night Kristian was shopping at PetSmart when she wandered by the adoption center and began looking at kitties in the adoption center. When she saw River sleeping in his bed she thought of her family’s black and white kitty, Charlie who went missing shortly after they moved to Lincoln nearly 2 years ago never to be found in spite of months and months of searching.

When River lifted his head to look at Kristian she was stunned by what she saw – a black nose and a black dot in the center of his white chin just like Charlie. It was Charlie!

Admittedly, we were skeptical when Kristian called last night. Could she really recognize her black and white cat after 2 years? Kristian came to FieldHaven today with pictures – no doubt about it – it’s Charlie.

Today Jen and I had the most incredible joy of witnessing the reunion of Kristian and Charlie. These are the times in rescue and animal shelter that make our hearts swell with love and pride for the work we do. How can it get better than this?

Charlie/River/Linus now has a microchip. But we hope he never needs to use it.

The Lincoln News Messenger was also there to witness the reunion – watch for the story in next week’s paper.

Please microchip your pets.

Kristian and Charlie - see the black spot on his chin?

Tackling the Biggest Killer of America’s Pets – Is a Law the Way to Put an End to Euthanasia?

2009-04-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Before I get into a discussion on whether I support CA SB 250 or mandatory spay/neuter laws in general I must emphasize that any opinion expressed here is solely my own and does not necessarily represent the opinion or position of FieldHaven Feline Rescue in general. While I am the President of the Board of Directors of FieldHaven (and volunteer Executive Director) the Board has not discussed nor positioned themselves on SB 250 or other mandatory spay/neuter legislation.

OK, now having gotten that out of the way. How do I feel about SB 250?? I am definitely sitting on the fence and heavily leaning towards the opposing side. What?, you say. Me, the self-proclaimed spay/neuter “nazi” who never hesitates to ask someone if their cat or dog is fixed and is downright evangelistic about spaying and neutering?!

Yes, you heard right. I am NOT convinced that a law to require everyone to spay and neuter their pets is the best way to get the job done. That job being putting an end to euthanizing of 4.5 million dogs and cats a year for no reasons except there are not enough homes and there are too many irresponsible people letting their animals breed.

We all know it is an American tragedy that these animals are killed each year and I think (hope) we all agree on 2 points; all cats and dogs should by spayed and neutered unless a breeder has a responsible, purposeful breeding program and that puppy mills need to be shut down and done away with.

Beyond that, there seems to be 2 definite factions – those that are for mandatory spay/neuter and those that are opposed. I lean towards the latter and here’s why:

Access to low-cost spay neuter – Not all areas in California are as fortunate as we are in Placer County with our low and no-cost spay/neuter programs. For example, several counties in the Central Valley have very limited or no low cost spay/neuter clinics or programs. Veterinarians will not provide discounted rates to anyone and many will not even accept feral cats for spay/neuter. How can we enact a law when there are no provisions for people who want to comply with the law but cannot afford to? How can we put a law in place that doesn’t even provide a reasonable means for people to comply? Wouldn't that would be like mandating that everyone has to get a driver’s license but putting DMV offices 200 miles apart.

A Law will Discourage Citizens from Helping – In a survey by Alley Cat Allies it is estimated that 82% of owned cats are already spayed/neutered. But only 3% of stray and feral cats are fixed. We have found through our spay/neuter assistance program (SNAP) at FieldHaven that a majority of the cats are strays and ferals that caring citizens have taken on the responsibility for. Sometimes, these people are unable to continue caring for them and we then assist them in trying to find them homes. But, more often they are very willing to continue caring for the cats once possibility of them multiplying has been addressed. My fear is that these caring people will not be so willing to help the cats if a law has now made them legally responsible for them. What happens if a new cat shows up that isn’t fixed? They may now think it much less complicated to call animal control to pick up the stray since they don’t want to risk any legal issues than to get the cat fixed and continue caring for it.

A Law Will Not Reach the Target Audience – I think most educated, intelligent law abiding citizens in America “get it” with respect to having their pets fixed. Do we really think the population of people that have the majority of unfixed pets are of the socio-economic group that are going to go “oh, it’s now a law honey – you better get your pit bull neutered”? Let’s be realistic here….... those are the people that we have hand-hold through the spay/neuter process by making it extremely easy and attractive for them to get the animal fixed. A law is only going to alienate them and make them even more resistant .

What about the couple in rural Lincoln who had 42 adult cats spayed/neutered through FieldHaven’s SNAP this spring, none of which were their own? All cats that had wandered onto their property or people had abandoned in the area. They are happy to continue caring for them now that they are all fixed. They didn’t need a law to do what they feel is morally right – they needed the financial assistance to get the job done.

We need to focus our efforts towards providing access to low-cost spay/neuter. For people like the couple with the 42 cats in rural Lincoln. That’s 42 cats that are not being euthanized at animal control. For people that would like a pet but don’t understand the importance of spaying and neutering, we need to provide education and easy access to low-cost spay neuter. For the busy family that finds a stray female cat in their yard we need to make it very easy for them to get the cat spayed and keep the cat in their family rather than making it complicated so that it becomes easier for them to just drop the cat at the animal shelter.

If all of the money spent by everyone supporting or opposing mandatory spay/neuter were to be put towards providing low-cost spay/neuter with easy access I think we’d be a lot further along in our effort to decrease the euthanasia rate in shelters.

Am I too idealistic in believing we can accomplish our goal without laws? I have a good friend who once told me, tongue in cheek, that my optimism reminded her of Pollyanna. Maybe I am too Pollyanna-ish – what do you think?

Here are some websites from both sides of the fence for you to peruse to form your own opinion:
http://www.yesonsb250.com/sb250-home.php
http://network.bestfriends.org/california/news/33373.html
http://capwiz.com/alleycat/issues/alert/?alertid=12987106&PROCESS=Take+Action&external_id=10519.0
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3802

PS: I am NOT opposed to requiring breeders to pay for an annual breeder’s license fee. But only if that license fee would be put towards accessible, high-volume low-cost spay/neuter programs.

No "Mutt" for the Obamas

2009-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mr. Obama, I didn’t vote for you. Since the election my democratic friends have been trying to convince me I was wrong in not putting my confidence in you. According to my friends, you are one of a new generation of politicians. One with integrity, with ingenuity and with honesty.

Well, today you certainly disproved my friends on the honesty part. You lied to us and more tragically you lied to your own daughters, Malia and Sasha.

During your campaign you made your famous “mutt like me” speech, promising your daughters a White House pooch. A shelter dog, you insinuated, would be the right choice and send the right message.

Instead you chose a purebred. OK, I can accept that. But why from a breeder? When thousands of purebred animals are euthanized each month in shelters across the country?

Today I quickly did a search on petfinder.com for Portuguese Water Dogs. There were 14 to choose from. And, alas, one of them, Pepper is right there in Washington, DC at K-9 Lifesavers. What is wrong with Pepper? Did you even attempt to meet Pepper?

You try to justify the acquisition of Bo by saying he was “returned to the breeder” as if somehow that makes it OK. No, Mr. Obama, all you did was now encourage the American public to go to a breeder for a pet. Then when they're tired of it or it's too old or it's too inconvenient just "return" it - or, since most breeders won't even accept a dog back (at least Bo's breeder did that!) just drop it in an animal shelter. You had a golden opportunity to promote shelter pets and saving lives. And, to teach your daughters about responsible pet ownership and compassion towards animals. Now they think it’s OK to return a dog if it’s not convenient to keep. And, maybe, the President of the United States will adopt it. Do they understand what happens to most animals that their owners decide to just “return”?

You speak about how the “underdog” of American citizens deserve a chance at a better life. You blew your chance to practice what you preach!

Mr. Obama, I’m (still) glad I didn’t vote for you.

Now, try and do something right out this – get that dog neutered ASAP!

More Fun and Learning at HSUS (and wearily heading home)

2009-04-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's most enlightening session was on one of the most current trends on the internet - Social Networking. I have dipped my toes into the waters of this booming craze with this blog, a facebook page and a LinkedIn page but, no, I have not TWITTERED yet. I found out that I am oh so out-of-date and I better get my tweaking my tweets because I could be missing out on lots of Twitter friends! New friends who could be FieldHaven supporters. Oh NO, I guess I better get twitting, twigging and tweating!

This morning’s session was another brain-burner (ie, giving me lots of good info…..and ideas). It focused on feline behavior and how to rehab cats in shelters with the goal of making them more adoptable presented by Miranda Workman of Purrfect Paws Animal Behavior Center in New York. The Erie County SPCA has a great program called AdvoCats. I think we have some AdvoCats at FieldHaven! Let’s give the FieldHaven team a name – any suggestions for a catchy moniker?

Alrighty then – time to head to the airport. I am READY to come home!!

HSUS Animal Care Conference in Las Vegas

2009-04-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

Since Sunday night I've been in Las Vegas at the Annual Humane Society of the United States annual Animal Care Expo mingling with hundreds shelters, rescue and animal organizations. I've been staying at Bally's on the strip. LV is really isn't my kind of town!

On Monday I was across town at the Rio presenting at a medical record conference with my partner Jan. But, Monday evening I put my shelter hat on and dug into learning as much as I can at HSUS.

Here’s just a few of the interesting things I’ve learned, observed and experienced so far this week:

New Shelter Pet Campaign

HSUS is launching a HUGE adoption campaign in July! There are about 4,000 shelters, rescues, etc in the US today all working hard to end pet overpopulation. Much progress has been made in the past 2 decades but there are still 3.7 million cats and dogs being euthanized each year in shelters. This number has been slowly decreasing but not fast enough for all of us working towards the goal of No More Homeless Pets. Consider this: only 20% of household pets are being adopted from shelters! When people are thinking to add a pet to their family they need to think first of the shelter! HSUS, Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council are joining forces to launch the Shelter Pet Project to basically ingrain it into the American public that a shelter is the best place to get a new pet.

Stay tuned as preparations for the campaign launch unfold – this is going to be exciting!

Pets being surrendered to shelter due to economic hard times

Every shelter is seeing the impact of the economy in more pets being turned in with the most common reason being “we have to move and the new place doesn’t allow pets”. Some solutions offered in one of the round table discussions I attended:

· PetCareInsurance has a policy for renters to cover any damage made by their pets.
· One organization posted inquiries on Craig’s List for pet-friendly rentals then compiled a list.
· HSUS has a brochure called “13 Steps to Finding Rental Housing that Accepts Pets”

Adoption Returns

We are definitely not alone with this problem. No one had any great solutions in spite of a variety of adoption screening practices among the group. A couple of points:

· Don’t alienate people returning animals. No matter how hard it is to “bite our tongues” sometimes we should look at this as another opportunity to educate, educate, educate so hopefully those people will think twice about the commitment before adopting another pet.
· Another reason to not alienate – this person could be a future donor or could say positive things about the organization to their friends.
· Shelters that have done studies on home visits vs no home visits prior to adoption do not report any decrease in returns when they do home visits.
· Same for imposing “waiting periods” before an adopted animal can go home.

I attended a fabulous session in the afternoon presented by Drs Hurley and Newbury of UC Davis on shelter statistics. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the details of that session but, being the stat geek that I am, I came away with some great ideas!

The exhibit hall also had some terrific networking opportunities. This being Las Vegas and the land of the $4 cup of coffee and $8 scoop of ice cream (yes!) I decided I should suck it up and try the food HSUS was offering for lunch and dinner. You know, it actually wasn't so bad. Don't know how they make that "chicken" taste like chicken but it was pretty tasty. But I have to draw the line at the fake shredded cheese. I can really understand being a vegetarian but veganism ......hmmmm....I just don't have that much willpower.

OK that was Day 1. I’ll fill you in on Day 2 (today) later tonight (or tomorrow morning).

Letter to a Friend

2009-01-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Last June, a dear FieldHaven friend, Susan Gardiner passed away. We were entrusted with the care of her 4 cats. Here is a letter I wrote to Susan today to let her know where her kitties are now.

Dear Susan – We are starting 2009 without your soft smile, your easy laughter and your always positive attitude. Our lives haven’t been the same since you left us and we miss you.

We think of you often and your spirit lives on here at FieldHaven and in your beloved cats. All of us took very seriously the responsibility given to us to care for your furry children until a new human family could be found for each of them. I wanted to let you know where Gretta, Mikey, Paisley and Casey spent their holidays.

Gretta is reigning royalty in the home of Julie Anderson along with her new 4-pawed family. Julie’s home is a peaceful nirvana for each member of her feline family. Everyone there is assured a lifetime of the best care and love. Gretta couldn’t be in a better home.

Mikey is settled into his new home, finding his sleeping position on the bed or snuggled into a corner of the couch to best observe the household action. His 4-footed sibling is a dog and his new dad reports they get along wonderfully.

Paisley spent the holiday in a “hopeful” home. Paisley and her prospective parents are still working out their differences and it looks like it may not work out to be a marriage. But we will work hard to find that very special match for Paisley. It will come. And, in the meantime, Paisley will continue to be showered with love by the many FieldHaven volunteers.

And, then there’s Casey. I know Casey and you had a special bond and I assured you I would look after him and bring him into my home if we couldn’t find that special place for him. I wanted to give Casey an opportunity to have an “exclusive” relationship so I waited several months before making that decision to introduce him to the queen of my household, Louise.

Thank you, Susan, for bringing Casey into your life several years ago and for entrusting him to our care after you left this earth. Casey has been the best Christmas present Preston and I could have!

As I write this Casey is sitting with me in my office. He is a good companion, giving head butts, curious looks and a solo concert of loud purring throughout the workday. He romps through the house chasing imaginary mice, picking his favorite toys out of the toy basket and chattering at birds through the window, imagining himself as a successful hunter. He enjoys giving Preston and I each equal time of his personal vibrating self on the rare times we’re sitting down in the evening. Surprisingly, with a houseful of family for 4 days over the holiday Casey was in the midst of the bustle, enjoying every moment of the attention. My nephew, Evan, was so excited to have Casey sleep with him – a special treat.

We are still working out a few kinks amongst the girls of the household. Like most siblings, they have their bickering but each one has their place in the house to call their own. Casey has Timothy’s old room which has been remodeled since Timothy passed. Colors to complement Casey’s splendid silver grey fur of course.

He imagines himself wanting to go outside but whenever he does you can bet he’ll be back in quickly. A few times he’s been out and has ventured down to the Cat Trailer, maybe to check in with the crew down there. I’ll see him wandering about and call him. He glances at me for a second then leaps into a full run, hastening back to the house just as fast as he can. It’s almost as if he says, “that’s right I have a HOME now!”.

Rest peacefully Susan. Your babies are well loved and cared for. Thank you for sharing them with us. And, for gracing our lives with yourself for all too short of a time.

Fondly,

Joy

Red Rock Hounds Triples the Population of Belmont, NV

2008-12-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

On December 11 Preston and I and about 15 other members of the Red Rock Hounds from New Jersey to California arrived in Belmont, Nevada. The caravan of 5 horse trailers carrying about 20 horses and more than 40 hounds arrived on Thursday afternoon to warm weather and sunny skies. How the weather can change in just a few short days!

Belmont is a mostly abandoned ghost town right smack in the middle of Nevada. In the late 1800’s Belmont was a booming silver mining with several thousand residents. Today it boasts a whopping population of 7! The town has no phones or electricity. Everything is powered by propane or diesel generator. A satellite phone is available for emergencies. And, I now know firsthand that not even the highest mountain top in the vicinity will produce a cell signal! Talk about getting away from it all.

Amidst the fascinating ruins of stone, brick and wood buildings sits the Belmont Inn and Saloon owned and operated by Henry and Bertie Berg. Henry and Bertie (and everyone else in town for that matter) are wonderful hosts and made us all feel like part of the Belmont Family.

The horses spent the weekend at the Belmont Pack Station. Nick, the owner, has a great lodge and plenty of pasture for the horses. We hunted 2 days right out of the pack station.

The first day we hauled the horses about 10 miles down the dirt roads and hunted our way back to the pack station. The weather was sunny and cool but not cold. We started out by following Master and Huntsman Lynn Lloyd straight up the side of a rocky mountain! Maybe this was Lynn’s way to have everyone “bond” with their horses? After all, we had to put our trust in our mountain goats….er, horses. Grab mane and hang on as we climbed!

The second day we had a Tally Ho just as the hounds were cast. For the better part of the next 2 hours the hounds circled that line around and up and over several mountains. The weather was definitely turning so the game was out and active.

On Saturday evening we had the Red Rock white elephant gift exchange. Lots of great presents with much “swapping” going on but 2 things definitely got the most attention. A wine bottle stopper that featured…..well….legs – let me leave it at that. Then there were those great holiday boxer shorts complete with belled tassels that John Schaefer and Grosvenor Merle-Smith fought over all evening! Grosvenor won out and modeled them quite nicely in the saloon later that night (see the pictures).

Day 3 started at a brisk 7 degrees. But it had warmed up to a relatively balmy 20 by the time we headed out. It was a short hunt that day.

On Monday morning we woke to a beautiful blanket of snow and only 4 degrees. Preston and I were staying in our living quarter trailer which, in spite of running the generator and several heaters non-stop, had ice on some of the inside walls.

After a final hearty breakfast from Bertie we headed out to the pack station to load up the horses and begin the long drive back to Reno. And electricity and cell phones and internet…..oh, yes, back to reality….sigghhh.

Here are links to 2 photo albums from the weekend. The first one is the “full” album of nearly 500 pictures. The second one is a shortened version with pictures mostly of Preston, myself and our wonderful horses, Baxter and Devon. Many of the pictures were taken by Gretchen Pelham, Red Rock member from Knoxville, TN and part-time professional photographer. Please visit Gretchen’s website, Pelham Ponies, for more pictures from the Belmont weekend and other hunting days.

Large album

Smaller album (Preston and Joy)

Suburban Perils to Our Pets

2008-11-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight someone forwarded this Craig's List post to me. The poster is from Lincoln:

I am completely heartbroken & shaken...i dont understand why everyone's cats around here are just disappearing overnight. We all live around Joiner Park in Lincoln in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
In May we lost our son's sweet cat, so when we went searching for him for months ( & tried everything you can even think of, believe me) -- we adopted 2 white-gray blue eyes twin sister kittens.They are 8-9 mos old now, but Within two weeks, someone has let a cat out & the first dissapeared 2 weeks ago this past wednesday. The second disappeared last night!
We are overwrought with grief!!
we have three little kids who don't know where their kitties are. I have been told about Coyotes & Owls, ( never had coyotes come this close, owls, yes) so i have taken great care to never let them out especially at night, but somehow, they got out. I'll never get over that pain, trust me, so please, no flaming. Anyone have any information?
SEVERAL of my neighbors cats have gone missing since May. This totals around 8 cats, 3 mine. We have looked all over the park & beyond & there's never a slight trace.
What the hell is taking out beloved cats!?? All the missing cats were from homes on the streets of Schellbach dr, 6th street, & R street & countryside. Is there anything i can do??

What is my opinion of what is happening to these cats?

Probably coyotes.....

Just a few years ago the area of Lincoln where the poster lives was rural and may have been a cow pasture. Rural land with wildlife to along with domestic livestock. Among the wildlife are coyotes, bobcats, maybe even a mountain lion.

Then come the houses and the people. And their small pets. The cows and other livestock were moved to another home by the ranchers. But the wildlife didn't have anyone to load them into a truck and move them. Their dens and homes were bulldozed over with roads, houses, yards, pools and swingsets taking their place.

In move the residents who think they are in suburbia. Well, not quite. It no longer looks like a cow pasture and maybe some of the past residents no longer live there. But the wildlife is still living there. Yes, a bit displaced, but definitely there. Over time they loose their fear of humans and it's not unusual to see a coyote during the daytime.

So, then why are people so surprised that their pets disappear? It may look like suburbia but for the wildlife this is still their home. They don't know where else to go. And, not to be graphic, but the food source is good. Domestic pets make easy prey.

We counsel people on being aware of where they live and provide the appropriate protection for their small pets but many still think it's "safe" to let their cats outside without being in a confined area.

That's not to say I don't believe that all cats must be indoor only. Quite the contrary - most of my cats are indoor/outdoor or completely outdoor. I also have indoor-only cats. I'm aware of the dangers of where I live and provide for my cats accordingly. In our case, our entire 10 acre property is fenced in non-climb. Makes it very tough for a coyote to get onto the property. Not impossible but hard.

Suburban pet owners can provide for their pets similarly. If at possible, your cats should be indoor only. If you have cats that need to be outdoors then either fence your back yard in such a way that they can't get out and predators can't get in. If fencing the entire yard is not practical then create a fenced habitat for them to be outside.

There are a lot of options and ideas for fencing. Here are a couple:
http://cats.about.com/od/outdoorenclosures/
http://www.cdpets.com/index.html

There is also some good articles in the library on our website - http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm

I realize we can't provide a 100% safe life for our pets. Just like our kids, we can't protect them from everything. Yes, tragedies do happen and a child gets hit by a car while riding their bike in a safe area. Such is the same for our pets. We protect them reasonably and leave the rest up to fate.

So, please provide reasonable protection for your pets by not letting them go into an obviously dangerous situation. This Craig's List poster indicates that they have been trying to keep their cats indoors so they are definitely on the right track - just need to be more diligent about it.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost their beloved pets. I feel your pain and, indeed, have been in your situation. It's very easy to feel secure that your neighborhood is safe for your pets outside.

Lastly, on the chance that these kitties were picked up by someone who thought they were homeless a microchip is the best protection you can provide. Did you all see the news article this week about the cat that was returned to his owners after 13 years?!

Red Rock (NV) Hunts and Parties with Oak Ridge (VA)

2008-10-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I packed up my saddle, boots, helmet and hunt attire and headed to Virginia with 6 other members of Red Rock Hounds. For 5 days we were hosted in grand style by the Oak Ridge Hunt Club in Afton which sits in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

On Wednesday 5 of us met up in Chicago for the last leg of the trip; I came from Sacramento, Lynn, Angela and Pat came from Reno and Liz came from LA. Thanks to Preston we had a pile of Southwest complimentary cocktail coupons which we put right to use as soon as the plane lifted off.

At Dulles we found a nice young man with a luggage cart that took on the challenge of getting our mountain of luggage to the rental car lot. We tossed everything into a mini-van and off to the mountains we headed…..until we got to the airport exit and realized we had no directions and the map we picked up with the rental car did not have a big red star next to Afton. Actually, Afton wasn’t even on the map. A quick call to Preston and a search on Mapquest got us out of the airport. Then Page Turner who was going to be Liz’s and my hostess for the next several days provided us with more detailed instructions.

Many hours and several more calls to Page later we arrived in Afton…in the dark. As we climbed the mountain up a dirt road in the late night thoughts of “Deliverance” came to mind. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. What was to follow was a wonderful 4 days of southern hospitality in the most classical sense starting with our accommodations at Page’s lovely house nestled in the trees at her Creekside Stable.

Thursday was a casual day at Tea Time Farm, Rita Mae Brown’s stunningly beautiful farm and where the Oak Ridge Hounds are housed. And the Oak Ridge Bassett Pack. We had an energetic walk about with the Bassetts. Those pups are just the cutest!! After that we met Rita Mae’s “house hounds” and feline family. Of course, with the latter I was in heaven and got to fulfill my “kitty fix” for several hours. I kept my camera busy taking pictures of the variety of kitties, including Rita Mae’s famous co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown. You’d think I’d be happy enough taking pictures of FieldHaven kitties!

After a Thursday evening dinner with a number of the other folks coming into town from other hunts we went to bed early. An early start to our first hunt was planned for Friday.

Liz and I rode with Page to Friday’s fixture. Along the 45 minute drive we got a fabulous tour and narration from Page, a lifelong resident of the area. The day was overcast with warning of the rain predicted for Saturday. Upon arriving at the hunt we got our assigned horses from Lynne Beegle. Also, joining us there after arriving Thursday evening was Jane and Cathy – more Red Rockers! I was mounted on a pretty little mare named Belle.

The field was huge – about 60 horses in total with well over half in first field led by Sue Satterfield as Field Master. MFHs Rita Mae Brown and Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds as huntsmen led us on a 2 hour hunt through the 1,000 acre farm, Cherry Hill owned by Anne Fortune Henderson. The foxes were quiet that day but we did get a few short runs and the footing, terrain and jumps were great. A huge pot luck hunt breakfast rounded out the morning.

On to the afternoon’s adventures. We all piled into the mini-van and headed to Warrenton for the Horse Country reception for hunt photographer Jim Meads. A short stop at Saddlery Liquidators in Haymarket netted all of us some more luggage for the return trip.

The Horse Country party was fabulous! We met so many incredible people, including the delightful Jim Meads who had been signing books since 9 am that morning. He later told me he didn’t wrap it up until after 10 pm that night. My best friend, Sarah Boudreau, who lives in Norfolk joined us there and for the rest of the weekend.

We didn’t arrive back in Afton until 2:30 am – Sarah and I in her car and Liz and the rest of the Red Rockers in the mini-van. We woke up Saturday morning to a steady rain – the day’s planned activity of a Bassett hunt on foot was definitely not going to happen.

Just so we didn’t have to leave Virginia saying we hadn’t seen a fox, one of the Oak Ridge regulars showed himself to us as we were driving up the driveway at Tea Time on Saturday morning. He posed so beautifully in the middle of the pasture then hopped up on some hay bales to pose again for my camera. Tally ho!

A lazy day hanging out in the Oak Ridge clubhouse then a fun trip to a couple of wineries and a brewery set us in the mood for the catered dinner and silent auction that evening. Without a doubt, Jane netted the most unusual, if not the highest selling, silent auction item – an aged mounted deerhead. What she wanted with that we’ll never understand but maybe she just wanted to rescue him from the rubbish can which is where he may have been destined had not anyone else been brave enough to bid. Then came the discussion of how she would get him back to California. Certainly not in carry-on baggage with those antlers! The decision was made to have him mailed.

Sunday dawned spectacularly. Bright blue skies, crisp fall air and the leaves very near their peak. We hunted from Tea Time Farm with Rita Mae and Lynn once again our huntsmen (or should I say huntswomen). If I liked my Friday horse, Belle, I loved my Sunday horse, Bourbon. Lynne Beegle of Brookhill Farm gets my vote for Best Livery!

After another lavish hunt breakfast we settled in for some downtime in the afternoon and that evening before making an early start to airport in the morning. Back to reality…..

Click here for a link to my photo album from the weekend. And here for a great NPR podcast on hunting with Rita Mae. (click on the little blue arrow in the upper left corner of podcast screen)

Have You Heard of XYZ Rescue??

2008-10-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

We get a lot of calls from people wanting to rehome their cats – especially in these economic times. People are having to move and, realistically, most rentals do not allow pets. Or, it just isn’t convenient to take their pet where they are going. It gets wearing to have to explain to people that our space is limited and it may be quite awhile until any shelter – not just FieldHaven – has space for their “really wonderful cat”. Of course, many people wait until the last minute and they have to find a home “by this weekend” or some other unreasonable time frame.

But we do also get calls from people who are truly trying to do the best by their pets. These are the people who are looking for alternatives to giving up their pets – or if it is absolutely not an option to keep them, they are keeping the pet’s best interest in mind when searching for a new home.

Yesterday, I got a call from a young woman who really is trying to do the best by her cats.

She, along with her husband, 2 year old toddler and 2 cats have found themselves living in a very small apartment. She made the difficult decision to rehome her cats, thinking it was best for them because of the very close quarters. After many phone calls to rescues and shelters she found a rescue within a reasonable distance who said they would take the cats even though they are “full”.

In spite of feeling greatly relieved to have found someplace for the cats, she didn’t feel quite comfortable with the arrangement so she started calling other rescues and shelters around the greater Sacramento area. Was anyone familiar with this rescue and would it be a good place for her cats? I give her full credit for being a responsible, caring pet owner and making sure the place she was taking her cats would be a good one.

I had never heard of the rescue she mentioned and a quick google search turned up nothing. Several things she said raised red flags but the show stopper for me was the fact that the woman who ran the organization would not let her come see where the cats would be. Something about animal control was on her case and she didn’t want them to know where she was! The whole thing smelled – and probably quite literally if my caller had been able to go the rescuer’s place – of hoarding.

I gave my caller some advice for her kitties. One being that, even though things are tight where they’re living and maybe it’s a pain to keep everything orderly with 2 cats and a toddler underfoot, these kitties are much better off staying with her than going to any shelter – even a cage-free one like FieldHaven. She admitted she was feeling guilty about the cats not having a lot of space to roam. I pointed out that it was a lot more space than a 2-foot by 2-foot cage in a shelter. And, yes, litter pan cleaning in a small apartment is tough but diligently cleaning a couple of times a day will keep that under control.

At the end of our conversation I really think my caller is going to make an effort to keep her cats – she seemed to really care for them. After all, she had made a great effort in trying to validate the rescue who had agreed to take them. I gave her great credit for that – we wish every caller cared so much.

FieldHaven Hosts Fundraiser to Honor Firefighters

2008-10-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday FieldHaven volunteers rolled out the red carpet for the community! I am, once again, in awe of the dedication and energy of this group of people. Led by volunteer, foster mom and "drill sargeant" Penny Dougherty, the volunteers had FieldHaven ready for a party in first class style.

The gardens surrounding the Cat Trailer were flourishing, the Cat Trailer itself was spotless, the kitties content and well-groomed, the food scrumptious, the information booths welcoming and the grounds organized for a great party! You are all inspiring, generous souls. Thank you so much.

Here is a link to photos of the event: http://albums.phanfare.com/5299533/2846916

And, here is an article submitted to the local media:

Friends and Neighbors of FieldHaven Honor Firefighters

In spite of the cool, windy weather about 200 people attended a community fundraiser at FieldHaven in rural Lincoln on Saturday evening. The event, organized by the volunteers of FieldHaven Feline Rescue honored the firefighters and other emergency personnel who fought the Gladding Fire on Labor Day September 1.

The fire began near Gladding Road and, fueled by strong winds, quickly covered 5 miles of Lincoln before being brought under control near Virginiatown Road, just east of FieldHaven. Approximately 960 acres were burned, destroying or damaging 16 homes and outbuildings.

Helen and Harley Hutchinson, who lost their home, attended the fundraiser on Saturday evening.

Special guest, Lindsey Bostick Duerst, daughter of Fire Captain, Warren Bostick, sang the national anthem.

More than $3500 was raised at the event on Saturday evening. Ongoing donations are being accepted in a special account for the Gladding Fire Fund set up at River City Bank in Lincoln.

Firefighters from several Placer County agencies attended the event and received accolades from everyone for their diligence and hard work to bring the fire under control. Without their dedication and expertise the fire could have easily been a much larger disaster.

Placer County Animal Services also attended to educate attendees on disaster preparedness for pets and livestock. Because of the rural location of the fire, many animals were affected and PCAS coordinated the efforts to evacuate and shelter the 4 legged victims.

A special animal guest was Flame, an orange tabby cat found near Gladding Road several days after the fire. He was taken into custody by PCAS and was hospitalized for nearly a week with severely burned feet and an eye injury. To date no one has come forward to claim Flame. He is now completely recovered and, as of Saturday, has been transferred to FieldHaven where he is available for adoption.

Please visit http://www.fieldhaven.com/ for more information.

############

Joy Smith
joy@fieldhaven.com
916-434-6122

Timothy - 1994 - 2008

2008-09-12T16:51:00.001-07:00

Many of you knew my cat, Timothy. Yesterday Timothy went to the Rainbow Bridge. What can I say except I’m sad, sad, sad. I miss him.

But I had an extraordinary gift of time with Timothy (aka Timbo, Tim, TimMan) that I would not have had were it not for the very disease which killed him – diabetes.

I’ve had Timothy since he was a tiny kitten that arrived on a truckload of hay with his sister, Alfalfa, (get it – Timothy and Alfalfa – hay) at a local feed store when we lived in Santa Cruz.

My very favorite cat, Penly, had turned up missing and I had peppered the town with lost posters. Preston was buying hay when the owner said “Hey, your wife is sad about loosing her cat. How about taking these 2 kittens home that we found in the hay that arrived this morning. That should make her feel better.” Funny how some people think a pet can be so easily replaced. But he was right in that those cute babies couldn’t help but bring the first smile in days to my face.

Even though Timothy and Alfalfa were raised in our house since they were itty bitty babies they have each always had somewhat of feral streak and a lot idiosyncrasies. For example, Timothy used to sleep precariously perched on the top of our open bedroom door in Santa Cruz. Yes, that little 1 and half inch wide ledge – like that was the highest place he could possibly get so he was making the best of it. I don’t know how he didn’t fall off as he slept.

Timothy and I had a falling out of sorts several years ago when he was stricken with a pretty bad case of conjunctivitis that just didn’t want to clear up. He required eye meds 3 – 4 times daily but I was really lucky to get them in twice a day. Timothy would bolt whenever he saw me coming with that little tube of medicine. On a follow-up visit to the vet I got a stern lecture in non-compliance and was severely warned that the sight in that eye was at risk if I did not start medicating him not 4 times, but 6 times daily!

I tried locking Timothy in the habitat attached to our house. He paced like a lion – back and forth, back and forth – wailing the whole time. He escaped. I tried a cage. You would’ve thought he was being tortured. The house was out of the question; he was a chronic sprayer and would climb screens to try and get out. I tried putting him in the Adult Habitat thinking the larger space and other cats might calm him down. No go. He escaped every chance he got. He hated seeing me come with his medicine. I was now the bad lady like the proverbial teenager who hates his mother.

At one point, I just gave up – I had done my best and what would be would be with his eye. Timothy moved under the Cat Trailer. I rarely saw him – we most definitely had a badly bruised relationship. But he befriended some of the volunteers who thought he was just the sweetest, nicest cat. They should have tried to do the eye meds and see how long he liked them!

Amazingly that darn conjunctivitis healed up on its own and the eye was perfectly fine.

About 2 years ago a couple of volunteers noticed Timothy had lost weight. I managed to secure him and get blood work done. The diagnosis was definitively diabetes. He would require insulin twice a day. Of all my cats, why Tim, the cat I could hardly even catch?

We constructed a large cage in the middle of our cat room in the house. I put a tall cat tree in there and tried to outfit the cage with as much hiding places and comfort things as I could think of. Timothy did fairly well in that cage. At night I would let him out to mingle with our other cats as they were locked in their habitat at night. We started to repair our broken relationship and he began to like me once again. We reached an agreement that if I would let him outside during the day he would come back in at night to be locked in to receive his evening and morning insulin injections.

Timothy was my first diabetic cat and he had a stinker of a case. From the beginning his glucose and insulin dose was hard to regulate. I learned more about diabetes in cats then I thought I would ever know. Things like glucose curves, ketones, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Somogyi Effect.

Our agreement worked great until one weekend about 6 months later when we had overnight company. We must’ve partied too loud and too hard. Timothy could not be found for about 3 days. When we found him he was seriously ill. Jann and I rushed him to Loomis Basin in the middle of the night. I wasn’t sure if he was going to survive the trip there. He did and they pulled him out of a severe case of Diabetic Keotoacidosis. Of course, we financed the completion of the new doctors’ lounge they were constructing at that time.

We knew that we could no longer take chances with Timothy not being available for his insulin injections. Besides, now he was gold-plated!

The room that I used to use for my office before we put the addition on our house was slated to be remodeled into a guest room. Timothy took priority over any potential guests and the room became his. A large overstuffed chair and other kitty-friendly furniture was moved in as was a large cat tree in front of the window. Bird feeders were strategically placed under the eaves so he could watch them from his perch. We were fully prepared for Timothy to “trash” the room but that would’ve been OK. As long as he was secure to get his medication and be as happy as possible.

But, then a miracle happened. Timothy became domesticated. At 13 years of age he stopped spraying, he no longer wanted to go outside, he slept with us, he became a lap cat. He loved me once again. (He and Preston were always “buds”).

His room was always his sanctuary when strange people came over. When he heard strange footsteps or voices in the house he’d run to his room and cock his ears towards the voices or footsteps. When we had company we would usually close his door to make him feel safe. Some people came to visit him in his room. You knew you were a special friend if he was on his perch and not under the chair when you came into his room.

He actually looked forward to his insulin shots because it meant he would get his very favorite treat – Temptations. We would just say “Tim, time for a poke” and he’d run down the hall to his room, jump on his perch and wait for his shot and 3 or 4 savory Temptation treats. He was so every patient when I had to do hourly glucose curves which meant I had to prick his ear to draw a drop of blood every 1 – 2 hours. He never complained or tried to get away even if my first poke didn’t draw blood.

Having a diabetic cat is without question a commitment and not easy. Especially with travel it can become even more of a challenge. But Timothy had a team of caregivers available for those times when Preston and I were both away. Evenings out always had to be time-sensitive to him getting his shot. Sometimes, that was a good thing – it was easy to duck out of a boring party. “Oh, so sorry – gotta go, Tim needs his insulin”.

Even though Timothy looked wonderful and gained weight his diabetes was precariously under control and he remained a challenge to keep regulated. He went back to Loomis Basin several more times for several days each time and we were always checking his glucose.

On Wednesday of this week I knew something wasn’t right. I did a urine dipstick and it showed ketones. We immediately went to the emergency room. I just assumed that it would be like those other times and the good doctors at Loomis Basin would get him right and he’d come home in a few days. That night Jen, Courtney and I went to visit him at about 10 pm. I was shocked to see how much he had deteriorated in the past 7 hours. Thursday morning Preston, Jann and I went to visit him and I knew in my heart this time was different then the others. The life was not in his eyes. It took me a few more hours of soul searching to come to terms with the goodbye.

It’s ironic but this very devastating disease of diabetes gave us a wonderful gift of time with Timothy. Of course, it’s always too short but I am grateful and happy for the memories I have of the little kitten who, with his sister, popped out of a bale of hay and the beautiful, lovely cat he grew into.

Much gratitude to Timothy’s team of backup caregivers; Jann, Justine, Jen and Peri

And, thank you Loomis Basin vets, Dr. Marcia Smith and Dr. Olivia Petrunich for the wonderful medical care you gave him.

Big Red - Through the Fire!!

2008-09-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

This morning I received a glorious call from Helen – one of her kitties, Big Red had returned and she was able to secure him in a carrier!

She brought him over to FieldHaven where a quick exam revealed a very healthy kitty who came through the fire with just some minor burns on the pads of his feet and a very dirty, smokey smelling coat. After a bath, Big Red was looking and smelling a whole lot cleaner. Helen and I thought maybe we should rename him Flame!

Big Red is going to need to stay at FieldHaven for awhile because he has no place to live. He was an outdoor cat at Helen and Harley’s ranch but all of his habitats – sheds, the back porch to the house, Helen’s kitty house – had all been leveled by the fire along with the main house.

Helen has sighted at least one other kitty and we are confident the others are nearby. Just too scared or disoriented to show their whiskers just yet. After all, everything they know has been burned beyond recognition. There aren’t even any familiar smells to reassure them.

Helen and Harley have moved a small travel trailer onto the property while decide what to do about replacing their house. But, there’s no place for the outdoor kitties.

Sooo, what we need to do is have an old-fashioned Barn …make that Cattery…Raising for Helen’s kitties!

So, folks, we need to coordinate a plan to get this project going…. Are you in? If you are, here’s some ideas for getting this project off the ground:

Does anyone have a contact to see if we can get a Tuff Shed or similar pre-fabricated shed donated?

Can someone contact Lowe’s and Home Depot to see about getting some building supplies donated:
· Lumber
· Hardware
· Chicken wire (for an outdoor habitat area)
· What else??

Supplies for the kitties – beds, litter pans, cat trees, etc

We need some people with building skills to help construct the habitat once we have all the supplies.

Helen is so touched by everyone’s willingness to help. She has so many things to deal with right now – let’s take this one little worry of where to put her kitties off her “plate”.

The Lincoln Fire

2008-09-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

You just never know what turn of events life is going to throw your way.

About 12:30 pm yesterday we saw smoke, presumably from a grass fire. From the look of the smoke it appeared to be nearby. We thought about taking a drive down the road to see where it was but before we could do that we got a frantic phone call from Sharon Jones. The fire was near her house and they were being evacuated. They needed help now. Jann, Preston and I loaded carriers and crates in our trucks and headed off towards her house on Gladding Road. Jen and Courtney were soon on their way as well.

If it were up to the sheriff at the road block on Gladding Road we wouldn't have made it to Sharon's house but you just don't argue with FieldHaven on a mission. We got through. Courtney used the same "don't even try to stop me" tactic. By the time Jen came, she just waved her through.

It took us an hour or more to load up Sharon and Les's cats, dogs, chickens, birds and pigeons. By then the fire was only 20 feet from their door.

As we headed back to FieldHaven we called Wendy and asked her to "phone tree" volunteers. We would need help situating all the animals once we got to FieldHaven. A couple of people mistook the message and thought FieldHaven was being evacuated. No, we assured - them the fire was 5miles from FieldHaven - we were safe. Or, so we thought.

I was riding in with Jann and as we turned the corner in FieldHaven I was brought to tears by the number of cars and volunteers waiting to help us. These people had very little notice and they were there instantly. And, they kept arriving.

With so much help, Penny decided we should put the word out to the public that we could be a shelter for evacuated pets, including horses. We recieved several calls from people needing horses rescued from the fire zone. Several trucks and horse trailers were sent out to rescue those horses.

Shortly after they left the sky to the direct northwest of FieldHaven was looking very smokey.....and closer. I turned on the pasture irrigation and volunteers gathered carriers and crates in the unlikely event that we would need to evacuate. It's like listening the flight attendant say "in the unlikely event of a water landing.......", you think you need to go through the motions of what to do but you'd never really actually have to do it.....

Soon the fire was to the east of FieldHaven. And very close. We could see the flames heading for our neighbor's pasture.

Now, here's where it gets really crazy. A fire official came up to me and said we'd need to evacuate! At that point we had no trucks and trailers as they were all on the other side of town. By the time they made it back to FieldHaven they were followed by several other trucks and trailers.

In no time, the cats were crated and ready to be evacuated. Yes, almost every FieldHaven cat - cat trailer, habitat, Buster's Barn, Roontay, my house cats and some of the outside cats! (we knew the cats outside would be fine).

What an amazing site to see all of the trailers, cats in crates and many, many hands! And, many arms ready for giving reassuring hugs, too.

Fortunately, we never actually had to evacuate - the outstanding firefighters fought the flames back and the iminent danger was passed. But we kept all the cats crated until about 8 pm when a fire official came to tell us we absolutley safe, especially given the fact that all of FieldHaven is irrigated.

Some very cranky kitties were released from their crates and given an extra treat of canned food to smooth their shattered dignity at having been so hastily packed - and some of them paired up with other cats! How humiliating! The horses were fed and put to bed as well.

As we went to bed very late, the air was still smokey and we could see a large barn burning out of control about 2 ranches over. We woke up several times during the night to be sure FieldHaven was still safe.

Here are a couple of articles on the fire:

http://www.kcra.com/news/17366129/detail.html?rss=sac&psp=news

http://www.kcra.com/news/17361140/detail.html

I have much more to tell you about today - I'll post more blogs tonight. All of you fabulous volunteers and friends who were here yesterday please share your stories.