Volume 17, Issue 3 Serving Pinellas County, Florida Winter 2012/2013

The Newsletter of Save Our Strays, Inc

MURRAY

Winter 2012/201

MURPHY

REESE

MURPHY and MURRAY

Tuxedo Cats see page 2

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A no-kill, non-profit organization dedicated to rehoming abandoned cats and kittens. Cats featured on covers are waiting patiently for forever homes

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PO Box 373 Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

727 481-5262

727 481-5091

E-mail: sos@saveourstraysinc.com

On line: www.SaveOurStraysInc.com www.Petfinder.com

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These PetSmart stores

♥ CountrySide Every Saturday; 11 am – 4 pm 26277 US 19 North at Enterprise Rd, Clearwater 727 799-3311

♥ Tyrone Saturday, 10:30 – 2 pm Tyrone Blvd & Park St

St. Petersburg 727 343-7900

♥♥♥♥ Gateway, Sunday, 11 am – 3 pm

7777 9th St No. St. Petersburg, 727 577-9935

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President: Linda Hartnett Secretary: Donna Johnson Treasurer: Robin Berryman Directors: John Hartnett,

Liz Thompson

��!�"���Editor: Donna Johnson Photo Editor: Paula Hays

Website Administrator: Fluffy Cazalas

A copy of the official registration and financial in-formation may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.

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Our cover story

This issue’s cover captures two story lines. ������� ��������� ��������� ��������� ������ are exquisite beauties that appear formally dressed for some special occasion to which they may or may not have been invited. These bi-colored felines are stunning, with their white bibs and spats against their sleek black coats and tails. The combination is how the term "tuxedo" was first coined. Tuxedos are considered to be very affectionate and are known for their keen intelligence and wonderful companionship. Notable tuxedo cats in pop culture are Sylvester the Cat and Felix the Cat. Cover celebrities Murray and Murphy are twin brothers born in July 2012. Look-alike Reese is one month older. All three angle for lap space and their favorite bedtime spots. These three handsome Tuxedo gentlemen will add a taste of class to their new family home. Call 727 545-1116 to meet these classy cats.

�������� �������� �������� ������������provide their caregivers with unlimited rewards. SOS offers two foster programs: volunteers can foster and work toward finding cats forever homes. Or one can become a permanent foster for older, hard-to- ���������������� ������������������� place felines, in which cases, SOS pays medical expenses

A foster Mom for over 10 years, Allena Wilke, has fostered over 400 felines in her home. “It’s been re- warding to see them adopted to forever homes,” says the St. Peters- burg resident. Lynda Shehan is a permanent foster �Mom for Charlie, a 10-yr old abandon- ed SOS cat. The Gulfport resident emails, “I wasn’t planning to adopt a cat, but Charlie needed me and I realized quickly I needed him. He is so loving; I am blessed that this perfect boy is with me.”

See Foster cats, page 3 ���������������������������������

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Software for QuickBooks Canned & dry adult cat food QuickBooks Instructor Canned kitten food Grant writers Scoopable clay litter Adoption counselor volunteers Training (pee) pads Additional foster homes Catnip toys PetSmart gift cards Humane traps for feral cats Postage stamps

Please bring items to our PetSmart space on weekends

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$3 each

$5 for two

Buy several for Family Friends Neighbors Co-workers Size: 5 ½” by 8 ½”

Sticks to refrigerator or any metal surface Call 727 545-1116 to reserve your calendars.

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Come for a fun evening every third Friday of the month. Arts & crafts, food vendors and Save Our Strays’ tent featuring pillows, T-shirts and crafted items.

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Free Street Festival – 10 – 6 pm Beach Blvd., Gulfport

Over 40 animal rescue groups and 40 vendors will be on hand during daytime event. Pet food & kitty litter drive – bring donated items for rescues. Demonstrations & more.

Evening of Love Gulfport Historic Casino 7 – 10 pm

Live & silent auctions, raffles, music by Motown band, fun, food. SOS will have entertainment tickets, art and more.

Support the rescues – Give tickets as gifts

Tickets: $20 can be purchased at Beach Blvd. stores or order online via PayPal www.GulfportMA.com.

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Save Our Strays, Inc. provides a vital outlet for hundreds of homeless kittens and cats in Pinellas County each year. As an all-volunteer organization, our accomplishments would not be possible without the combined synergy of everyone involved in our non-profit operation. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to…

Our participating veterinarians and their staff at Clearwater Animal Clinic; Gulfport Veterinarian Clinic; Midway Animal Hospital, Seminole; Northwest Veterinary Clinic, St. Petersburg; and Sandy Paws Veterinary Clinic, North Redington Beach that provide for the care of our many cats and kittens.

Our foster families that tirelessly nurture our stray felines until loving homes are found for them and also provide a caring home life for our unadoptable cats.

Our volunteers who stand ready to take on special assignments such as transporting a cat to a veterinarian or meeting a prospective foster family.

Our adoption counselors that volunteer at PetSmart and other adoption locations and work to match our felines with new loving families.

Our fundraising volunteers that participate in special events to generate revenue and spread the word about our mission to help homeless felines.

And last but not least, our officers and board of directors that diligently guide our daily operations.

Foster cats continued from page 1 Fostering is a win-win for foster families and the cats. The cats, once again, are able to live in a stable home environment and their families are provided with feline companionship and affection. Please consider becoming a permanent foster family for our displaced kitties. Call 727 481-5262 for details. Foster participants must be able to drive and be available for a home visit from a current volunteer prior to fostering.

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During its November meeting, the following were elected to one-year terms as members of SOS Board of Directors: Robin Berryman, Linda Hartnett, John Hartnett, Donna Johnson and Liz Thompson. Newly elected officers include Linda Hartnett, President; Robin Berryman, Treasurer; Donna Johnson, Secretary. -3-

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Buckley is a mischievous 1-yr-old that is also a bedtime snuggler.

Pippi – a great Tabby girl born spring 2012.

Shadow was recently rescued from Animal Services. She is a big 6-yr old girl with a lovable round face.

Consider a black cat - their shiny fur contrasts beautifully with their exquisite eyes. To see one of these wonderful cats, call (727) 481-5262. -4-

Rogue is a handsome Tabby & white male born June 2012.

Cole – a young sweet boy and brother of Pippi.

Sweet Reese is a declawed older cat that likes to snuggle and chit chat with you. He has diabetes, which is controllable. A great feline for someone willing to care for a special needs cat. Call Sandy Paws Veterinary Clinic at 727.826.0918 to adopt Reese!

Tyra is a gorgeous green-eyed Tortoiseshell that is a talker.

Olivia (above) and Oliver (below) are siblings that were rescued in May 2012. Severe eye infections resulted in Olivia having limited vision in one eye. Oliver lost both eyes. His blindness, however, does not stop him from running and jumping on furniture. Olivia is Oliver’s guide; they are insepar-able. Adopting this special pair can provide the right family with great joy in watching them happily navigate around their home. To inquire, call Sue at 727 504-2343.

������������������������������������ Octoberfest featuring specialty beers was a popular event along St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District this fall. SOS volunteers Matt Miller and Katherine Laczko served beer during this fundraising event.

General Dynamics held a health fair for its employees at its St. Petersburg location in October. Save Our Strays was asked to participate and has recruited several employees/pet lovers to volunteer at SOS fundraising events. Save Our Strays appreciates the support of General Dynamics and its volunteers.

Holiday Hoopla in Gulfport brought together scores of vendors along Beach Blvd. SOS volunteers offered gift wrapping and pet-themed gifts for shoppers.

Anna Wilson, a fifth grader at Curtis Fundamental School, organized a yard sale for Save Our Strays and raised nearly $175 for the care of our cats.

Holiday extras can harm pets

As families get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, they often overlook the dangers that are lurking and can put your pets’ lives at risk. In the kitchen, secure your garbage: pets have been known to eat tin foil soaked in drippings; pets love turkey & other bird bones and can easily choke on them; table scraps/rich, fatty foods (turkey skin, gravy) can contribute to pancreatitis; Xylitol, a sugar substitute used in chewing gum and candies, can kill a dog or cat. And then there are dessert hazards: chocolate, macadamia nuts and grapes/raisins are poisonous to dogs, cats and ferrets. Holiday plants: Lilies, in particular, are deadly to cats. Holly berries, Mistletoe and Poinsettia (lower toxicity) are also poisonous. Decorations attract pets: curling ribbon, yarn and tinsel are often ingested and can result in intestinal obstruction. Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers or bacteria which, if ingested, can cause stomach upset. Guests may cause your pets to react. With extra traffic in your house, consider securing your animals in a room where they will be safe and comfortable. Inform your guests not to feed your pets ‘people’ food. Never give your cat any medications not prescribed by a veterinarian. Many medications that are used safely in humans can be deadly to pets.

Controlling Pet Overpopulation Thousands of cats and dogs end up in local shelters each year. In the first 10 months of 2012, 10,696 animals ended up at Pinellas County Animal Services; sadly, 4,300 cats and kittens were euthanized during that time. Help stop uncontrolled breeding by promoting spaying/neutering. The following agencies offer low-cost services:

The Spay & Neuter Clinic of Pinellas County - 1710 Drew Street - Suite 7, Clearwater, FL, Phone (727) 447-PETS.

SPOT Spay/Neuter Clinic - 4403 62nd Ave. Pinellas Park, Call (727) 329-8657 or (727) 329-8658.

Pinellas County Animal Services - low-cost feline spay/neuter program for Pinellas County citizens on public assistance.

Trap, neuter & release (TNR) of feral cats – Call Sue

(727) 504 2343. -5-

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MRI Associates

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Deborah Bradbeer Nyla Fernette & Steve Ranck Pat Fugman Cy Gray Paula Hays Lillie Litzsinger Kimberly Mahoney Naomi Malone Jini Matesi Joe & Sue Reina Greg Snodgrass Pat & Richard Smith John & Nancy Stafford Mary Wallman

Paws Membership

Marianne Albergo Suzanna & Nick Bedy Mary Anne Blackburn Sharon Bridges Corinne Broskette Doris Callahan Max & Patricia Cleland Doug & Nancy Doll Deborah Duty Stacie Eckenrode Tom & Donna Fernandez Lillian Furman Ann and Chuck Gibson Deborah Gray Ray Hanke Evelyn Harley Marge & Ray Hill Carolyn Huffer Sue Humphrey Janet Korn Allan & Nancy Lonschein Barbara Martin Fran McDermott Edith Mills Lee Mowinski Evelyn Perna Anita Rallo

PetSmart Adopt-a-thons

Friday, Saturday & Sunday February 22 - 24

April 26 – 28 Adopters receive special bonuses - 6-

Leslie Rowe Joann Smith & Holly Smith Sophia Snyder Aileen Valencia Judith Votaw Ruthe Yow

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From Annie and Lizzie Judith Dipolito Blackie Arthur Markowitz Hailey Jim & Wendy Rexroad

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From Donivan Nanci Snodgrass Tobe (passed 9-1-12) Anita Rallo

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From Judy Rapp Jerod Greer Nanci Snodgrass Stephanie & David Waters

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From Shirley Brady Bill Slaven

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Ken & Mary Wanner Bags of Science Diet cat food

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Now you can shop on line and donate to your favorite animal charity at the same time. GoodSearch.com repre-sents a search engine for hundreds of businesses, which in turn offer a 2-to 4-percent contribution back to the charity of the buyer’s choice. In the charity box, enter Indian Rocks Beach, which is Save Our Strays, Inc.’s mailing address. Next scroll down and choose a category for shopping. The link will provide you with a multitude of stores that list the percentage that each will donate. Please support this charitable shop-ping site. Proceeds are sent to SOS quarterly.

In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.

Terry Pratchett 1

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Perhaps you have all the felines that you can manage or you travel too much to care for a kitty or a family member is allergic to cats – yet you would like to provide help to cats that need care. Consider being a Spay/Neuter Sponsor for $75 to help defer our veterinary costs. For only $20 a month you can provide food, litter and support for a feline and serve as its Cat Care Sponsor. Each Sponsor will be given the name and description of his/her ‘adopted’ cat. Periodic updates will be furnished on the cats in permanent care. Many of these felines have been returned and are older and unadoptable. SOS’ policy is to provide the best possible care for these unwanted cats. Complete the form on the next page to become a Spay/Neuter or Cat Care Sponsor. Please include your email address in order for SOS to give you details on your ‘adopted’ kitty. Your monthly sponsor check can be mailed to P.O. Box 373, Indian Rocks Beach, 33785 or pay via PayPal, which has a link on our web site, saveourstraysinc.com. Thanks for becoming a Spay/ Neuter and/or Cat Care Sponsor.

Remember Save Our Strays

When creating or updating your will, please include our no-kill, 501 (C) (3) organization. Your generosity aids in providing vital veterinary care and food for our stray felines

Volunteer Spotlight

Paula Hays

A picture is worth a thousand words is an adage that we often hear. That proverb certainly applies to the photographs of our adoptable kittens and cats that are featured in our newsletters, brochures, laptop presentations, posters and webpage. All of these photos have been captured or edited by Save Our Strays’ photographer Paula Hays.

Paula’s top-of-the line camera, a Nikon SLR7000, often is in tow when the busy Gulfport resident ventures out. The energetic retiree has special-ized in animal photography for the past eight years, concentrating on taking photos and editing photos taken by others of shelter cats in Pinellas County. Paula has worked exclusively with Save Our Strays for the last four years. Paula’s professional career en-compassed working in the field of

Paula holds Becky, a rescued cat.

mental health for 28 years. Her compassionate nature served her well as she spent 17 years as Executive Director of Boley Centers for Behavioral Health Care, an agency which each year provides counseling, training, job placement and support, and housing for over 1000 individuals who have a serious mental illness. Boley Centers’ administration build-ing was named after Paula upon her retirement 11 years ago. After retiring, Paula enjoyed teach-ing part time for five years as an adjunct professor in Eckerd Col-

lege’s Program for Experienced Learners. Paula grew up in New Jersey and Ohio; she has called Florida home since the early 1960s. Her two children, Roger, a registered nurse, and Janet, a financial planner, reside in the Tampa Bay area. Paula and her husband, Bob Simon, have four four-legged children, felines Gene and Renee who enjoy staying around home, and adventurous Becky and Jasmine who have been traveling with Paula and Bob for the past five years. For two to three months each year, the couple tours the United States and Canada in a travel trailer. In the past 12 years they’ve traveled nearly 120,000 miles. Their Russian Blue cat, shown in the photo, was rescued from a camp site in Ohio years ago. Paula has compiled an extensive collection of photos of their travels, which she shares with friends via a photo blog. Paula enjoys reading, gardening, sailing and lunching with friends when she is not busy with her camera and traveling.

Cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.

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Name:__________________________________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________City:___________________________

State/Zip:___________________________________________ E-mail address:______________________

Home Ph:________________ Work Ph:_________________ Cell Ph:______________________

���� I would like to be a Spay/Neuter sponsor ($75); ���� I would like to be a Cat Care sponsor ($20 per month) ���� I want to support Save Our Strays, Inc; enclosed is my gift of:

����$10 ����$25 ����$50 ����$100 ����$250 ����$500 ����$1,000 (Corporate/Best of Show) ����$______ Other ��������

Interested in volunteering? What would you like to do? (transport cats, PetSmart on Saturdays or Sundays, foster a cat or kittens, fundraising, special events, mailings) ________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you help foster a Save Our Strays kitten or cat? Please phone: 727 481-5262 As a foster home caregiver, a home visit is required prior to fostering for Save Our Strays, Inc. You need to understand that fostering requires a commitment to seeing the process through to adoption which means you could foster a cat for, perhaps, as long as six months. You must be able to transport the cat to a participating veterinarian and to PetSmart for adoption. We adopt from PetSmart in the Countryside area, Gateway Mall and from the Tyrone Blvd. store on weekends. See page 2 for times. (���� November 2012�����������-7-

Save Our Strays Inc.P. O. Box 373Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

Phone: 727 481-5091 727 481-5262www.saveourstraysinc.com

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSt. Petersburg, FLPERMIT NO. 4033

HERMIONE ABIGAILLEWIS AND CLARK

MITTENSBRADY

Save Our Strays cats:Spayed/neutered

Tested for feline diseasesCurrent on vaccines

Microchipped

Call 727 481-5262 to see these wonderful home-fostered cats or visit our web site for other great felines.

Give yourself a gift of unconditional LOVE

Or Current Resident