VISIT US AT OUR

UPCOMING

EVENTS!

IRHS Monthly Meeting– Tuesday, November 17th, 6:30,

KW Ruritian Bldg.

Transfer to Spay/Neuter– Wednesday, November 18th, RAS to Barron’s

4 Paws Monthly Meeting—Wednesday,

November 18th, 6:00pm, Tony & George’s

Tappahannock Farmers’ Market- Saturday, November 21st

Christmas On The

Town- Sunday, December 6th

4 PAWS THRIFT

801 Main Street West Point, VA 804-843-2902 Open Thursdays & Fridays 10:00 am – 5:00pm Saturday 10:00am – 3:00pm

NOVEMBER 2015

Is it really November again already? The holidays are fast approaching, and there is much to be done. We just finished up October, which is a busy event month for us. Thank you to everyone who came to our Wine & Cheese Fund-raiser on October 24

th at

Tony & George’s Restaurant in West Point. We raised over $3,000 which will help us spay/neuter many animals.

We have to keep the fund-raising going all year long in order to assist our community with the home-less animal population. Spay/neuter really helps cut the over-population of unwanted animals, and is often healthier for the animals themselves.

IRHS is teaming up with the King William/King & Queen Regional Animal Shelter, and the Essex County Animal Shelter to provide FREE spay/neuter for animals adopted from the Shelters for November and December. We’d like to see the shelters empty come Christmas.

A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

If you already have pets that need to be spayed/neutered, we offer a monthly service in conjunction with the Regional Animal Shelter. Once a month we trans- port pets from the Shelter to Barron’s Surgery in Mechanicsville for their super low-cost services, and then return them for pick up at the Shelter that evening. Our November 18

th van is already

full, and we don’t run one in December, but we will be back in January. Reservations can be made by calling the Shelter at 769-4983.

We can also help you if you are a care-taker for a colony of cats. Controlling the population of cat colonies via T-N-R is a big part of the services we offer. The cats are trapped, neutered, given a rabies shot and medical exam, their ear is notched, and they are then returned to the colony. Call us if we can help.

Look for us at some of our upcoming fund-raising events and please help when you can. Cash donations are 100% tax-deductible as allowed by law.

We will have new cookbooks and special holiday gifts for people and pets available at our upcoming events: November 21

st at the

Tappahannock Farmer’s Market and December 6

th at

Christmas on the Town in West Point. And don’t forget to check out our 4 Paws Thrift Store at 801 Main Street in West Point (open Thursday & Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm).

Check out our Facebook page to keep up to date on events, adoptable animals, and more. And thank you for your continued support!

Anne

IRHS and

4 PAWS News

IRHS and 4 PAWS News Page 2

Why Cats Spray

This is not as simple a

question as you may

presume. Many think only

male cats spray. They

would be mistaken. Both

genders spray and pretty

much for the same

reasons. This month we

are going to begin to

address spraying to mark

territory. This spraying

is normally high and

runs down onto the

ground or floor.

Spray marking is the

number one reason cats

are surrendered to a

shelter and it is

preventable.

Cats are very

territorial and while

they are not necessarily

loners they do want very

much to limit who is in

their space. The more

often you see them mark

this way the more

aggressive they are

feeling about their

space. If it is

excessive marking, your

cat is also feeling

anxiety about their

space. An anxious cat is

not a happy cat. Help

must happen.

If this is happening

with an indoor cat it

can really be a

nightmare. If your cat

is marking the perimeter

of your indoors, ie

anywhere it can look

outside and see other

cats in "it's" yard,

you have territorial

marking. This may also

occur at door entrances.

ALL THINGS CATS If you brought another

cat into your cat’s

space it may mark any

and everywhere the

other cat goes. If

cats in your house do

not like each other

you may get

territorial marking.

You must first assess

what is happening and

what type of marking

your cat is displaying

and then once you have

established which is

the problem there is

help. Always be sure

the problem is not

medical. A trip to

your vet will answer

that straight away.

This article will

address marking

because another cat is

coming onto your

property. An un-

neutered male visiting

your property will

cause the most

problems. You may

think that you do not

have other cats around

but you do not see

what your cat sees

between 3-5 a.m when

it is watching out the

windows. Those are the

“catting hours” trust

me. This may cause

perimeter marking.

So if you have

determined your cat is

perimeter marking

indoors first, and I

stress this, you must

remove all trace of

past marking with a

high quality enzyme

product. Bleach,

vinegar or whatever

else you may be using

does not work. Only

enzymes work.

Next you must block all

windows where your cat

can look out.

For 30 days! ...Really!

Closing curtains does

not do it. All cats can

get behind a curtain.

Wax paper taped to your

lower windows will block

the view for your cat.

Then you must begin to

keep the other cats

away. Deterrents are

available. Find the

cat’s owner and

encourage the cat be

fixed. We have programs

to help with that. Call

804-885-3109 option 3.

Many cats respond well

to pheromones such as

Feliway. Spray in the

frequent marking areas

at 8” above the floor.

This can take a couple

of weeks to see a

difference in the

calmness of your cat.

During this time you

must spend extra time

playing with and loving

on your cat. Remember

prey drive play is what

keeps calm cats. Be

patient there may be

early mistakes out of

habit. Do not scold. Do

not punish. Your cat

needs to feel secure

again in its space and

with you.

We will in future

articles address other

types of spray marking

and how you deal with

those. In the meantime

if you have other

marking going on save

those old worn out

socks. You are going to

need them. If you need

more or immediate help

call Lynda 804-357-9619.

Lynda

November is Adopt a

Senior Pet Month

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Senior Cat

1. When senior cats are

adopted, they seem to understand that they’ve been rescued, and are all the more thankful for it.

2. A senior cat’s

personality has already developed, so you’ll know if he or she is a good fit for your family.

3. You can teach an old

cat new tricks: Senior cats have the attention span and impulse control that makes them easier to train than their youthful

counterparts.

4. A senior cat may very well already know basic household etiquette (like

not attacking your feet at night) anyway!

5. In particular, senior cats are often already litter trained and are less likely

to “forget” where the box is.

6. A senior cat won’t grow any larger, so you’ll know

exactly how much cat you’re getting.

7. Senior cats are often content to just relax in your company,

unlike younger cats, who may get into mischief because they’re bored.

8. Speaking of relaxing, senior cats make great napping buddies.

9. Senior cats often know that scratching posts (not furniture) are for scratching and toys (not hands or feet) are for biting.

10. Senior cats are some of the hardest to find homes for––so when you adopt a senior cat, you’re truly saving a life.

IRHS and 4PAWS News Page 3

DECA DOG WASH

.

Last month we told you about the King William DECA holding its annual Dog Wash on Saturday, September 19

th. All proceeds from the event were donated to

Indian Rivers Humane Society. Pictured here is student, Brandi Clark, co-president for KWHS DECA Chapter, presenting their check to our President, Anne Mason.

Please note that the November 4 Paws monthly meeting will be the third Wednesday instead of the last due, to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Cookbook Update

Our cookbook is currently at the printers; however, we are expecting delivery any day now!! The books will be $20.00. There are 497 pages with great stories and pictures and recipes from Canada and Australia. If anyone is interested in placing an order please contact Connie Prince at 804-824-8640. Great Christmas and wedding gifts etc.

In honor of November being ADOPT A SENIOR PET Month, 4 Paws will be holding a special “Senior Cat Adoption” day on

Saturday, November 14th at the 4 Paws Thrift Store on 801 Main Street in West Point. If you are interested in giving one (or

more) of our adult cats a “furever” home, please contact Joan at 757-870-6883. There will be a variety of adults on display that

Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Come meet some of our “Seniors”!!

Gracie Tracey Squire Ana Clover Luna

Senior Cat Adoption Day

IRHS and 4 PAWS News Page 4

2015 Wine and Cheese Fundraiser

Our Annual Wine and Cheese and Silent Auction Fundraiser Event was held on Saturday, October 24th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Tony and George’s Restaurant at 2880 King William Avenue, West Point. The event was a success with over $3,000 being raised.

West Point’s 1ST Annual CRAB-0-WEEN

The West Point/Tri-Rivers Chamber of Commerce held its first Halloween event on Oct. 31 in Town Park. Crab-O-Ween included a cornhole tournament, costume contest, live music by Sweet Justice, food vendors, a beer and wine selection, arts and crafts vendors and Bubbles

the Clown. The event was planned after the Crab Carnival was canceled earlier in October. IRHS had a booth, selling merchandise and raffle tickets for the cornhole set made and donated by Johnny Clark. The booth raised over $400.00 on this day and the total raised by the raffle of the cornhole set was over $700.00 !!!!

Edith Potter was the winner of the painted heron window raffle!

John Boughton was the winner of the cornhole set!

IRHS and 4PAWS News Page 5

October may have been Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month, but that thought doesn’t stop now that it is November. Municipal Shelters and Rescue Groups should be the first place you look when adding a pet to your family. Three Reasons Why Adopting a Shelter Dog

is an Awesome Choice:

You’ll save a life! Too many animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them all. Rescue dogs know they have been given a second chance and are that much more appreciative of the loving home and family they have.

Shelter dogs are capable of making incredible transformations. Many dogs are sad and fearful when in the shelter, and may have had a rough time in their previous circumstances. But they are resourceful and flexible and will, with time, become a most amazing pet and family member.

ALL THINGS DOGS

You’ll never be without a best friend. Make sure you choose a dog that best fits your family and lifestyle, whether it is a running buddy or couch potato. You will find every breed (and mix), size, age and personality at your local shelter.

As mentioned in the President’s Message, IRHS is partnering with the KW Regional Animal Shelter and Essex County Animal Shelter to pay for spay/neuter surgery for every dog and cat adopted from the shelters in November and December. This is a great time to find your best friend and bring them home for the holidays.

Anne

November is Adopt a

Senior Pet Month

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog

1. Older dogs are housetrained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and cleaning up after accidents.

2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.

3. Older dogs can focus well because they've mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.

4. Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.

5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.

7. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.

8. Older dogs are instant companions -- ready for hiking, car trips and other things you like to do.

9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.

10. Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

IRHS and 4 PAWS News Page 6

November is

November 1 - 7

November is

November 11th