20 Jul 2024

April – June Check In

by | posted in: Adoptions, Education, Fostering, General Updates, Spay and Neuter, Volunteers | 0

The next three months of the year have officially come and gone and summer is here! We wanted to share a few highlights from the second quarter of 2024.

Adoptions: 17 cats and kittens have found their forever homes so far this year, bringing our overall total since opening in June 2021 to 160 adoptions as of June 30th.

Current Residents: We have 12 cats living in the lounge right now: Cici, Dotty, Finn, Jake, Noah, Pepper, Princess, Raven, Sizzle, Sophie, Spencer, and Spice. Princess has been with us the longest (17 months) and is also our oldest kitty (around 14 years old). We have 2 kittens in foster who we brought in from friends of a rescue in Bakersfield: Chandler and Monica. They are roughly 12 weeks old and will be spayed/neutered on July 31st at HSVC in Ojai. They are not yet available for adoption.

Lounge Improvements: We purchased a new catio to give our shyest cats a safe space to call home. The catio’s footprint is roughly 56 square feet and is currently home to Pepper and Sizzle. Already we are seeing a huge improvement in their levels of calm and security. We hope this will help them finally get adopted since they are very nice cats who need a much quieter and more predictable home.

Medical Expenses: We had five kittens spayed/neutered, microchipped, and tested for FIV and FeLV. The humane society in Ojai is so helpful to us with these procedures.

Volunteers: We have roughly 18 dedicated volunteers, including many who volunteer multiple times each week! Thanks to Jackie, Al, Robin, Brian, Shannon, Donna, Kay, Dani, Barbara, Laura, Jennifer R., Jen F., Karla, Veaya, Marnae, Maddy, Beverly, and Claire.

Food and Litter Donations: We have had roughly $3994 worth of food and litter donated so far this year! These donations help immensely and allow us to use the money the lounge brings in to cover rent, utilities, Internet, insurance, security, and vet bills.

TNR Support: Through front desk jar donations we have raised $280 so far this year to help local volunteer trappers with the crucial work they are doing to help curb the overpopulation of cats and reduce suffering. We have also donated dry and wet food for them to use when trapping and share with the kind-hearted people who will continue to feed the feral cats on their property.

3 Jun 2024

Average Monthly Food and Litter

by | posted in: Education, Fundraising, General Updates | 0

Ever wonder how much food and litter we use at the lounge?

With 10 adult cats in the lounge we will go through roughly 7 cases of 5.5-ounce cans of food or 13 cases of 3-ounce cans of food in one month. We feed them twice a day and do our best to ensure that each cat is getting nutritious food. We put out 2.5-3 cups of dry food daily as well.

Each kitten at the lounge will go through roughly 1.25 cases of 5.5-ounce cans of kitten food in a month and around 1/4 cup of dry food daily.

We use at least 200 pounds of litter monthly, especially when we have kittens in our care.

Visits to the lounge as well as purchases and financial donations help us keep up with the costs of running the lounge and medical expenses. Donations of food, litter, and other supplies mean we can direct the money we raise to hard costs such as rent, utilities, insurance, and so on.

We keep our Amazon and Chewy wishlists up to date with current needs. Thank you for choosing to support us in whatever way you can!

1 Jul 2023

Getting Involved in Ventura County

by | posted in: Education, Fostering, Spay and Neuter, Volunteers | 0

While you may not see it there is a cat overpopulation problem in Ventura County. Too many unaltered cats are allowed to have way too many kittens and there is not enough space to take them all in. If you would like to be a part of the solution there are ways you can help. Two of the biggest ways to make an impact? Learning to trap/fix/return and learning to foster.

Here are some links to organizations around Ventura County with ways you can get involved!

Fostering with Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC in Ojai)
Feral cat program at HSVC – this page also lists additional resources for trapping and fixing feral cats

Fostering with Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS in Camarillo)
TNR program at VCAS (scroll down)

Volunteering at Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC in Santa Paula) – they don’t have a specific foster or TNR page but they always need help with both!

Trapping with Ventura County Feline Trap & Rescue – a two-person team as of this writing

Trapping with Cats Cradle Rescue (Ventura) – they have traps to lend (they may need fosters, too!)

There are more cats being born than there are homes. Combine that with people giving up their cats for various reasons and there simply isn’t enough space in our local shelter system to care for all of the cats and kittens who need it. We need more trapping and fixing as well as more fosters, especially in summer but really, all year long.

21 Dec 2022

Information for Prospective Adopters

by | posted in: Adoptions, Education | 0

We hope this collection of articles and their resources will help you as you prepare to bring home a new cat or kitten!

Home Safety Check – this article is very thorough and this article has a nice checklist. If you have house plants consult this article from the ASPCA to be sure your plants are safe. Find a toxic one? Make a plan to re-home that plant.

Introducing a New Cat to a Current Cat – We love Jackson Galaxy’s advice and this article will walk you through it step by step! Absolutely worth the time to read through it and watch his videos as you get ready to bring home your new cat or kitten.

The Ride Home – most of our adopters have short rides home, thankfully, but any trip in the car can be unsettling and downright scary for some cats and kittens. This article has suggestions for minimizing the stress.

A Room of Their Own (to start) – even the most secure and extroverted cats can be scared when they get to their new home. Everything is different! This article talks about the benefits of starting them off in one room and how to set that up.

Food and Litter – we will let you know what kind of food and litter your new cat or kitten has been eating and using so that you can have that on hand to make the transition home easier for your new family member.

Suggested Products – this post has a collection of items that cats at the lounge have liked and that various volunteers have experience with.

25 Sep 2022

Pet Retention Help and Resources

by | posted in: Education | 0

Adopting a pet should mean a lifetime (theirs) commitment with the best quality care you can provide. Sometimes life throws a curve ball and it may feel like you can’t keep your fur baby anymore. We hope these suggestions and resources can help pets stay with their loving owners.

Local Resources
https://211ventura.org/
https://www.vcas.us/pet-retention/
https://www.hsvc.org/food
https://www.hsvc.org/vaccines

Financial Help
There are ways to get help with food, spay/neuter surgeries, and vaccinations. Check the links above for help.

Allergies
Purina sells a food called LiveClear that can be purchased without a prescription. It can help reduce allergic reactions in people living with cats. Other suggestions: HEPA air filters (clean them regularly) and vacuum rugs, carpets, and furniture. Keep cats out of the bedroom of the allergic person. For mild to moderate allergies talk with your doctor about possible daily medications to help.

Scratching
Cats naturally want and need to scratch. Keeping their nails trimmed will minimize damage and injuries. Ask your vet or your local rescue to show you how. Providing scratching posts and other options gives them places to scratch without damage. There are things you can buy to protect furniture like these and these.

Wild Behavior
Accept that younger cats will have bursts of energy, and some may be more energetic than others. It is something that they will grow out of. Put away fragile or precious items temporarily. Consider replacing expensive drapes with less expensive options. Cover cords and charging cables with covers specifically made to protect them from biting. Engage in active, vigorous play sessions multiple times a day, including before bed, to help give your cat what it needs. Offer sturdy/substantial toys for biting and scratching and not your hands or feet.

Litter Box
Make sure the litter box is kept clean. If you decide to change litters, do so gradually. Strong smells can keep a cat away from its box so be careful what you choose for cleaning. If your cat is peeing outside of the box get it in for a vet exam to make sure there isn’t a urinary tract infection, crystals, or some other medical issue.

Pet-Friendly Rentals
Sites like apartment.com and zillow.com have search filters and one of them allows you to search for places that allow pets. Talk with your doctor about the possibility of having your cat designated as an emotional support animal (ESA), which landlords must reasonably accommodate.