Give Me Shelter's Winter 2012 Newsletter

1. GiveMeShelterSF.org
Volume 1, Issue 1 ADOPTION EVENTS
EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY
PETCO (SLOAT BLVD)
PETSMART (DALY CITY)
12:00—4:00
Reflections... we are excited to an- awaiting adoption and per- To donate to our sanctuary
2012 was an amazing year.
nounce our new adoption manent housing for those fund, please click here.
center opening in 2013 . that need a place to retire. GMS is a registered 501(3) or-
Thanks to our participation
in the Maddies June Adopt This new location is in part- We currently have found a ganization. All donations are
-a-thon, and also to our nership with Petco and will few sites that will meet our 100% tax deductible.
adoption partners Petco open at their, Potrero Hill needs, but we need your Or make a check payable to
and Petsmart, we have had store. We hope to see you help to turn our dream Give Me Shelter, P.O. Box
a banner adoption year. all at the grand opening. into reality. Over the past 411013, San Francisco, CA
Many lucky felines found 94141. Please denote
year we have raised
their forever homes. The timing is right for GMS ‘sanctuary’ in the memo field.
to realize its ultimate vision enough funds to cover al-
Although 2012 was a ban- most all of the down pay- Thank you for all your support,
to secure property to be
ner year for us, there has ment - we are ONLY we couldn’t have gotten here
used as a sanctuary/safe
been an ever increasing haven. Low interest rates $30,000 away . Now we without you.
demand by shelters and and current property prices are asking for your gener- Lana Bajsel,
the public for GMS to help can make this a reality. The ous contributions to help Director, Give Me Shelter
cats at risk. Keeping in line sanctuary will provide tem- us achieve our goal.
with our expansion plans, porary housing for cats Fun Cat Facts:
Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of
Gentle eyes that see so much, the principles of gravity, also
Flash aka GMS’ own
paws that have the quiet touch, invented the cat door.
Indiana Jones.
Purrs to signal "all is well" The more you talk to your cat,
Seeks a like minded human
and show more love than words companion to share his spirit
the more it will speak to you.
could tell. of adventure. Kittens begin dreaming when
Graceful movements touched with Flash is a macho man, strong they are over one week old.
pride, of will and character yet dis-
plays a gentler softer side. A group of kittens is called a
a calming presence by our side - Flash is 2 years old.
"kindle." A group of grown cats
A friendship that takes time to grow Loves adventure and the stim- is called a "clowder." A male
ulation of the great outdoors prefer one, or no siblings. Let
Small wonder why we love them so. cat is called a "tom," a female
(in a safe environment). He is Flash find your heart of gold.
cat is called a "molly" or
Author Unknown easily tempted by a gourmet If you share these same quali- "queen", and young cats are
seafood dinner. ties, contact Flash at called "kittens."
Independent soul, who would info@givemesheltersf.org
Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose. —Garrison Keillor

2. If I did not have a dog or cat, I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.
The old man and the cat...excerpt from The New
Filmore, September 2012
After he was repeatedly rejected by the ready to head for home.
likeliest animal shelters, a friend found a
hopeful lead: Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue, “She’s a beautiful animal: a tabby — I’m
a nonprofit group dedicated to finding partial to them — with topaz eyes and
homes for adult and senior cats — those white boots,” he explains to a visitor a
most often euthanized in shelters. Its week later. “And something seemed no- der Gaul’s hand so that he can stroke her
founder, Lana Bajsel, listened to a few ble about her from the very beginning — from nose to tail. “I get a delightful sense
details about Gaul’s situation and imme- the yowling, the hissing, the scratching. of touch — and I need that,” he says.
diately honed in on a few potential pro- When I saw her, I thought: ‘I wonder what “And even her yowling appeals to my
spects for him. She agreed to bring them she’s protecting and how I could appeal aural sense.
to Give Me Shelter’s adoption center at to that.’ And I also thought: ‘Maybe I can
the Petco on Sloat Blvd so they could all do this. I want that challenge,’ ” he says. She’s yowling less frequently now,
suss out one another. “The others thought she though. “We get along,” says Gaul.
wasn’t adoptable. But I see
On the appointed Sunday after- something there. I just do.”
—written by Barbara Kate Repa, The New
noon, she arrived pushing a shop-
Filmore Sept. 2012, reprinted with per-
ping cart laden with three carriers, Once she was ensconced in mission.
accompanied by loud choruses of her new home with Gaul,
meows from within. Brenda slowly began to get
a little friendlier. She also
“It was a circus all the way over got a new name: Ariadne. “This limerick I wrote sums it all up,” he
here,” she announced, beckoning says. “I call it ‘Lonely Old Man.’ ”
Gaul inside to meet her charges. “In Greek mythology, Ari-
adne was stranded on an There was an old man, all alone
First out of the carrier was Brenda. As island in the Aegean Sea and left alone Who remarked, “I’m beginning to groan.”
Bajsel extolled the 4-year-old female cat’s until she was found by the god Dionysus,” Give Me Shelter heard that
virtues — she had already been spayed, Gaul says. “It’s the story of abandonment And provided a cat
vaccinated, microchipped and tested for and rescue — just like this one. I’ll call her Which did quiet that lonely man’s groan
various diseases — Brenda let out a pow- Ari for short. She’s the perfect cat for
erful hiss and swatted at Gaul’s extended me.”
hand.
FUN FACTS ABOUT CATS:
While Ariadne’s not talking, the feeling
Next up was Gypsy, another tabby with a seems to be mutual. She’s taken to curl-  If your cat is near you, and
small bald spot who nuzzled Gaul at once; ing just below Gaul’s knees as he naps in her tail is quivering, this is the
and Buddy, a larger black and white fluffy the afternoon. And recently, she swatted
greatest expression of love
male with a special fondness for Fancy playfully at a chain he was putting on his
Feast. Those two might as well not have wrist. your cat can give you.
bothered making the trip.
“She watches everything I do,” says Gaul.  In a lifetime, the average
“That’s the one that appeals to me,” de- “Old men get up at night — and she fol- house cat spends approxi-
clared Gaul, eyeing Brenda. “Those mark- lows me.” Then, for Ariadne, it’s back to mately 10,950 hours purring.
ings. And the size; I’m in a small unit in the basket filled with fabric at the back of
city housing.” a closet that she claimed early on as her  The first full-length feature
personal respite. film with a feline star was Gay
“Ah, you like the spitfires,” Bajsel said, Puree, made in the 1960s.
nodding knowingly. In her most accommodating moments,
Ariadne will walk back and forth just un- Judy Garland was the voice of
Before they parted ways, Gaul had loaded Mewsette, the star of the
Brenda in her carrier onto his walker, film.
I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior. —Hippolyte Taine

3. If I didn’t have a dog or cat, I would not be on a first name basis with six veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.
Craving something sweet? Add a little Dolce to your life. As you can see, Dolce is now happy,
healthy and doesn’t mind her new
A very special girl who is truly made of look at all. We think she looks like a
GMS stepped in and took her to Dr.
sugar and spice and everything nice little white seal. She has filled out and
Linda Hall at Animal Farm where Dol-
needs a home and her her face and ears have healed re-
ce was diagnosed
own person to love! markably well. We think she is about
with a severe case
Recently GMS received an of skin cancer. 3 years old. Will you be the lucky one
urgent phone call from a Because the cancer to have this grateful, sugar plum fe-
young couple on Potrero was so extensive, line as your
Hill asking for our help her prognosis was forever
with Dolce, an incredibly guarded. (Cats compan-
friendly stray white cat Dolce before. with light pig- ion?
they had started feeding. mentation are
However, they realized she needed prone to skin cancer if they are ex-
more than just food. She needed im- posed to damaging UV rays.) Dr. Hall
mediate medical attention because removed most of Dolce’s ear flaps
her skin was damaged with a great and cauterized the cancerous cells
deal of scabbing on her ears, nose and under her eyes and nose.
around her eyes. Dolce today.
Ten Lives 2012 In honor of our partnership A cat’s eyes glow green or gold when
with Petco, we presented a you shine a light in them because the
A huge thanks to Chad plaque to two of our favorite light is reflected from a layer of mirror-
Carvey, our live auc- like cells called the tapetum lucidum,
managers, Robert Lightner
tioneer who made our just behind the retina. These cells help
and Gordon Vassallo. cats see in very low light, by reflecting
annual Ten Lives event all available light back into the retina.
Their continued dedication
a huge success! He
and support of our life saving
generated excitement and the bids Pouncing is powered by a cat's thighs.
efforts was an integral part of our
were flying. We look forward to These muscles are so powerful that if
success in 2012.
seeing Chad at our next event, you had a cat's thigh muscles, your
September 21st, 2013 (location to We look forward to seeing you all thighs would be as big as your waist
at the Ten Lives event next year. and you could jump from the ground
be determined).
to the top of a house.
Adopt your very own Santa... Santa came to GMS early
this year, and yes that was Santa is approximate-
his real name! ly one year old. We
believe that he has
Filled with love, affection, playful-
some maine coon in
ness, he imbues everyone he
him!
meets with comfort and joy.
If you would like to
A truly endearing little boy, charis- meet Santa or learn
matic to a “T”, he has still to find more about him,
his own home and family. please contact
Won’t you let Santa come down info@givemesheltersf.org
What a good sport!
your chimney this year?
I love cats because I enjoy my home, and little by little, they become its visible soul. —Jean Cocteau

4. Harry, Meet Sally! How to best introduce your new family member to your easy to distract with toys, attention, or treats,
resident cat(s) - Dilara at FelineMinds.com then this piece of the puzzle will be only a few
days.
Slow really is the best feeding her these treats close to the door, but far
enough that she still is relaxed (this may be 10 feet at One by One
No matter how tempting it is to “just see if they like first...and that’s ok! gradually, over a period of days,
each other” when you first bring home a new cat, I can If you have multiple cats, as many of us do, pick
you will move the treats closer.) your most-likely-to-be-welcoming cat, and start
tell you that 19 out of 20 times (my informal and anec-
dotal estimate) this is a bad idea that you will pay for If your cat is not the treats-type, other rewards will with intro sessions with him. Having to meet
with a longer introduction period! work. Playtime with interactive toys, maybe a special more than one cat at once can be overwhelming
toy only for these sessions, will also be a deal- for Newbie. Building positive relations with one
Set up the new-cat room early, ideally before you bring sweetener. For some cats, brushing and attention of the cats will help smooth the path for the
home your new buddy, and go straight to that room serve as positives- you know your cat, just watch her others.
with your new cat in the carrier! Curiosity doesn’t usual- body language and work towards relaxed!
ly kill the cat- but it might well hamper the introduction! Short and Sweet:
Spend time with the new guy Visual and physical introduction sessions should
Great Expectations
Usually the first day is a good day for minimal time ideally end on a positive note. Leave them
Expect that the integration will take somewhere around with the newcomer- just brief check-ins throughout wanting more, not less! A 5-10 minute session a
3-4 weeks, but smooth relations may take closer to 3-4 to make sure everything is OK. After that, though, few times a day is preferable to one 30 minute
months. you will want to budget some time daily to spend session that may well turn sour.
Which room? with the new cat. Try to meet your resident cat’s More IS More:
needs first, and then spend time with Newbie.
If you have a choice as to rooms, pick one that your Increase the number of all cat resources as
resident cat isn’t overly attached to. For example, if your Time-Share: much as you can- food bowls, scratch posts,
cat loves to sleep with you at night, do not pick your Ideally, starting on the third day or so (for a shy cat, it trees, cat beds, litter boxes. Rule of thumb for
bedroom as the place to start off your new cat. In aver- may be more like 7-10 days; make sure the new cat is litter boxes is one per cat plus one. The more
age (small) San Francisco apartments, the bathroom is approaching you for attention, and seems relaxed), options there are, the more likely harmony will
often the default “intro room.” you will allow the new cat some access to your house be!
Go Sense by Sense while the resident cat is confined. Make all confine- Once there is integration:
ment positive by using food, attention, new toys,
Your cat will know there is a cat in the bathroom, spare catnip- whatever works! These sessions can be 20-30 Continue to build positive associations with
room or office. This is because she can hear and smell minutes or so. treats and parallel playtime (playing with both
somewhere around 40 times better than we can! Leave cats at a reasonable distance from each other-
the visual introduction for later, and the physical Controlled Interactions: you can utilize laser pointers and long handled
meeting for last. Start by simple scent exchange- rub a Wedging the door to the intro room, or using a barri- toys to make this multi-tasking easier on you.)
little washcloth on one cat’s cheeks, and leave this in er such as doubled up doggie gates (people also get
the other cat’s territory without any fanfare, for them to Seek help early:
creative with screen doors, crib sides, ikea shelving,
explore on their own time. The fancy word for this is plexiglass pieces....no limit as long as it is sturdy, and If there are problems such as fighting, redirected
pheromone farming! allows some visual contact and sniffing etc but no aggression, marking or litter box avoidance, not
Sweeten the Deal fights:)) for a few sessions should give you an idea of eating, excessive grooming, or any other worri-
how much animosity, if any, there is between the some symptom, separate the cats and seek
Explore yummy treats that your cat may like. Have her cats. If there is hissing/growling, then you will need professional help. Early intervention is always
associate the Bathroom Beast with the yummy treats by to go slow. If there is curiosity and the cats remain best!
Give Me Shelter would like to shout out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to the organiza-
tion this year - Volunteers, Adopters, Contributors, Fosters, Veterinarians.
You are all wonderful, dedicated people and we wish you the very best in 2013.
Even cats grow lonely and anxious. —Mason Cooley
P.O. BOX 411013
SAN FRANCISO, CA 94141