Cat's Cradle Magazine - Draft

CAT'S CRADLE

Greetings!

Since 1998, Cat's Cradle has provided the Shenandoah Valley with critical, life-saving services. We do this by:

offering aid to the lower-income individuals who need medical assistance for their little friend, rescuing kitties from local shelters to keep euthanasia rates low, finding local kitties loving furrever homes, and much more!

In this [magazine?], you'll find information about our organization's history, the populations we serve, and our programs.

Please join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @CatsCradelVA and on TikTok @catscradle_harrisonburg. You can also visit our website at www.catscradleva.org.

Thank you, and take care!

Cat'sCradle'sHistory

Determined to find no-kill alternatives for stray cats, Pat Rossi founded Cat's Cradle in 1998. Beginning by working with local veterinarians to provide sterilization and vaccines at a low cost, Pat was willing to care for the cat's until they were fostered.

Cat's Cradle originally opened in downtown Harrisonburg providing spay/neuter assistance, promoting adoptions, teaching humane education, taking calls from clients, and training/recruiting volunteers to.....

Fast forward to 2014, Cat's Cradle's board of nine devoted individuals knew it was time to expand its resources. They did so by creating a pet retention and rehoming program.

Executive Director Sherri

Heishman shares, "We started out as a tiny rescue, trying to promote TNR and it grew into a very sizable non-profit that helps thousands and thousands of people and their cats."

The small but mighty team worked hard to excel in their allotted job by providing adoption services, supporting the foster community, aiding with trap neuter release, and commemorating any & all volunteers they could get.

Today, Cat's Cradle has a mission to ensure and maintain a safe, compassionate community for cats in the Shenandoah Valley by reducing the number of cats and kittens taken into shelters that are euthanized. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are proud to say that our spay/neuter facilitation and TNR are still our primary programs.

Challenges

Funding is always an issue; since a lot of our funding comes from the public as opposed to grants. Our biggest worry is that something major will happen and there won't be enough in our budget to cover everything. Although CC has had some ups and downs, through the pandemic, we are so thankful for our dedicated supporters who have stood by us every step of the way.

Success

Cat's Cradle has powered through the stressors by staying transparent and working hard to stay in constant communication with local shelters. Some of our greatest success comes from the Beat the Heat program that has run since 2018. Our Summertime Challenge is a close second that has been running for as long as we can remember. Both of these campaigns help us fundraise and maintain support throughout the kitten season.

"Long term, I would like to see us expand the TNR program with additional trappers. Also, a larger foster network is able to have the ability to have a larger number of cats that we can offer for adoption. And finally, I would love to have a larger Cat Cafe!"

-Executive Director Sherri Heishman

Spay/Neuter

Adoptions

Cat’s Cradle works to help reduce the number of stray cats within the community. To help with our goal, we offer adoption services for a few of the cute furballs we are able to keep. Along with your new feline friend, you’re able to learn about their personal stories.

Why We Adopt:

Partnering Shelters has too many cats. Network of partnering shelters, trying to reduce numbers of in partner shelters.

Adoptions Process:

Prior to adoptions, cats and kittens are fully vetted before being placed for adoptions. While in our care, cats receive:

Age-appropriate vaccinations

Microchip

Thorough examinations

Treatment for any conditions

Spay/Neuter

Afterwards, the process is as simple as filling out an application, waiting to be approved, and taking your new friend home.

Retention

We strive to maintain a compassionate community for not only cats, but their owners in the Shenandoah Valley. If you — or someone you know face any issues that affect your ability to own a pet, feel free to reach out to Cat’s Cradle. We can offer:

Counseling: We have staff trained to provide owners with strategies to keep their pets at home. We also offer behavioral counseling for those struggling with their cat’s behavior. If your cat struggles with aggression, using their litter box, or any other behavioral issue, consult with Cat’s Cradle for guidance.

Short-term pet food and boarding assistance: We understand that anyone can face financial hardships while caring for a cat. We offer short-term pet food assistance to those struggling to feed their furry friends.

Cat allergy advice: If you are allergic to your cat, try to follow an anti-allergy trial. For six weeks, make bedrooms a cat-free zone, wipe your cat down once a week with Simple Solution Allergy Relief (available at PetSmart), and wash your cat's bedding with hot water and bleach.

Our overall goal is to keep cats in loving homes and outside of shelters. If you are facing circumstances that may effect your pet ownership, feel free to contact Cat's Cradle.

Rehoming

Cat’s Cradle cares deeply about the living situation of all felines in the Shenandoah Valley. That is why we work hard to help cats find their forever home. Our rehoming process offers its services to found, inherited, or unwanted cats. We understand that needing to give up one’s cat is a sensitive time, so you are able to be involved in the process the entire way.

Rehoming Your Cat:

You have a say in where your cat goes, and the information posted, and can be involved throughout the entire process. For more information and access to the Rehoming Form, visit the Cat's Cradle website!

Network for Found, Inherited, or Unwanted Pets:

We have a broad social media network where found, inherited, or unwanted pets are posted (visit the Woof + Purr Facebook Page).

Through this network, we are able to find homes for hundreds of cats yearly!

Trap,Neuter,Return

At Cat’s Cradle, one of our most prominent programs is our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program. This program is especially impactful to our brand because it reaffirms our stance that all cats deserve to live in a safe and humane community. The purpose of TNR is to help reduce the overpopulation, disease, and problem behaviors of outdoor cats so that both cats and humans can coexist in the Harrisonburg community.

Trapping

The first step in our TNR program is trapping. Trapping is where Cat’s Cradle’s employees and volunteers will go into the field and set traps to capture cats. The purpose of these traps is to transport them to local veterinary associations so that they can be neutered. The ideal location to set traps is near the normal feeding areas of cats, while also using canned food to entice them.

Another useful tactic utilized by Cat’s Cradle is to use sheets to make cages seem less frightening. Cat’s Cradle is committed to safely capturing feral cats, so we use these methods to make this as painless as possible for these cats. Using these methods, Cat’s Cradle can trap upwards of 1,000 cats every year. If you’d like more information on trapping or would like to report a stray cat, then please call 540-440-1135.

Neuter

The second step in our TNR program is spaying and neutering. Cat’s Cradle works with partner vets such as the Anicira Veterinary Center in the Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Valley area, to offer reduced prices for spay and neuter surgeries. These surgeries prevent the cats from being able to reproduce, drastically decreasing the number of cats who would end up in shelters or even euthanized.

Return

The third step in our TNR program is returning. Once the cats have recovered from their sterilization surgery, they are good to be returned to their original location. It is crucial to return the cats to the same location where they were found and to avoid dangerous areas such as busy roads. A surgical procedure called “ear-tipping” is performed by qualified veterinarians to prevent an already spayed or neutered animal from being trapped again. Ear-tipping is a safe surgery where the top quarter inch of the cat's left ear is removed to create a physical marker that the cat has been sterilized and does not need to have surgery again.

Cat’s Cradle is happy to give information and resources to those interested in trapping cats; we will even provide the necessary equipment to do so. TNR is a team effort and the more cats we can sterilize and protect, the better.

Volunteering

Communities WeServe

Address:

Phone:

Mailing address:

Website:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter:

TikTok:

WOOF + PURR

Rehoming Network:

122 S Main St #101, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

(540) 433-1135

P.O. Box 2128, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

www.catscradleva.org

@CatsCradleVA

@catscradle_harrisonburg

facebook.com/woofandpurr

Cat'sCradle'sPartners

We would like to acknowledge and thank the following partners without whom our work could not happen!

Partner Shelters:

Harrisonburg-Rockingham ASPCA

Page County Shelter

Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center

Partner Vets:

Harrisonburg Animal Hospital

Anicira Veterinary Center

Angels of Assisi

Faithful Friends Animal Clinic

Westwood Animal Hospital

Virginia Veterinary Specialists

Veterinary Emergency Services

Augusta Regional SPCA Clinic