Fabulous Lecture Series: Improving the Feline Experience – What it Means to Be a Cat-Friendly Hospital

This summer, we will be presenting a series of free lectures on topics that any cat lover will find exciting and worthwhile. For our inaugural lecture, we are very proud to present Dr. Dawn Nolan, the VCA Montgomery General Practice Medical Director speaking on Improving the Feline Experience: What it means to be a Cat Friendly Hospital.” This talk will focus on the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) guidelines for creating a Cat Friendly Hospital, and what they mean for the the care of feline patients, their owners, and the veterinary team.

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Dr. Dawn Nolan

Bio:  Dr. Nolan has been the General Practice Medical Director at VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital since February 2007.  She graduated in 1997 from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine.  Previously practicing in Dallas, Texas for 8 years, she relocated to New Mexico with her husband and 4 cats.  Dr. Nolan sees both the feline and canine species but has found her passion in the welfare of cats, in particular.

Dr. Nolan is the primary Feline Advocate at VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital and has gradually increased the overall awareness of the feline species within the hospital, both in General Practice and in Specialty Practice.  Recognizing that the feline species is greatly misunderstood has encouraged her to complete the requirements for the AAFP “Gold” Certification as a ”Cat Friendly Practice”  in May 2013.  This certification recognizes that “the practice values the feline patient’s distinct needs in both the physical environment of the practice as well as the way in which medical care is delivered.”

LectureFlyerThambnailWe hope you will join us to meet Dr. Nolan, and to learn about this unique approach to feline health care. Also, our talented volunteer, Jess, has produced a very witty flyer for the event that you will want to post in your office, on bulletin boards, or just on your own refrigerator door. Please download the flyer and share it with your friends!

The lecture will be at 2:00 on Sunday, June 30th in the lecture room at VCA Montgomery, at 9901 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque, NM. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors VCA Montgomery and Clark’s Pet Emporium, the lectures will be free. If you would like to sponsor future talks, please contact us, or if you would like to make a donation to support our work, just click the “Donate” button to right, or visit our “Support Fabulous” page. Also, it would help us to plan if you could drop us an email letting us know you are coming.

See you on the 30th!

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Cash and June are Growing Up – and Looking for a Home

Our regular readers will remember these beautiful young cats as Bilbo and Tortellini, the names given them by their original rescuer. They were the surviving members of a litter of very sick kittens rescued from a community cat colony. Although they had a difficult beginning, they have grown into beautiful, healthy, affectionate cats – thanks to some dedicated veterinarians and their staff, and most of all to their foster mom, Ruth, who has worked wonders with them.

To go with their new life, Ruth has given them new names. She named Cash, with his long, black fur, after Johnny Cash, the original man in black, and June after his beloved June Carter. However, because of long-standing plans, their foster Mom cannot keep them, and they are looking for a permanent home. The following photos and videos only hint at what a terrific addition to your home these terrific, young cats will be. Because they are so attached to one another, we will only consider adoptions that keep them together. If you would like to adopt them, please contact us.

To show you how gentle these kittens have become, here is Cash happily having his belly brushed:

Continue reading →

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Give a Home to Marey and Mack – You’ll be the Winner!

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Marey & Mack

 

Marey and Mack are two of the adoptable cats at our small foster house. They are rambunctious young adults who were raised by a young girl who adored them and gave them constant play and affection. As a result, they are the kind of secure, loving animals that any family would love. They came to us when their family had to move to a new living situation that did not allow cats. Although the young girl was devastated, we promised her that we would find them a wonderful home.

Although they take a very nice picture, pixels do not do them justice. They are dark, almost black tabbies, and, in person, their eyes are golden. Also, they are constantly playing and full of the joy of life. This brother and sister were in boarding briefly when they first joined our little family, and were great hits with the staff. We compiled a number of video clips taken of them playing to make this little movie that shows what a joy they would be. Since then, they have become the life of the foster house, constantly playing and looking for affection from our volunteers.

Continue reading →

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Refurbishing the foster house!

As most of our supporters know, in addition to our rescue, outreach, and education activities, we also operate a small foster house. This includes some beautiful adoptable cats, friendly fosters, and a number of animals who need more love and reassurance before they can leave the foster house. BTW, if you love cats (which you must, or you wouldn’t be visiting this site), and have time to volunteer, we need people who will come and give these cats more of the attention they love. Contact us!).

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The old carpet in the foster house

Over the years, the house has taken an understandable beating, and with the help of a major donor, we started a refurbishment a few months ago. The house came with carpeting, which surprisingly served us well for several years. However, carpeting and a bunch of cats are not an ideal combination, and we decided to replace it with vinyl tile. With the help of a couple of energetic volunteers, we removed all the carpet. Unfortunately, the slab beneath it had a lot of cracks and uneven settling, so we had to patch it. Given that we were working in a house full of curious cats and that only one part-time volunteer knew how to patch cement, this took a couple months to complete. This work has been completed, but before we install the new floor (which is sitting in the garage), we thought it wise to give the house a coat of paint. Continue reading →

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Wild Love 2013 Winner!

ValentineWe are happy to announce that Sharon Hall has won the Fabulous Felines Wild Love 2013 drawing. Sharon, like so many in our community, has supported our work for many years, and we wish her all the best with her night out!

Thanks to all of you for making Wild Love 2013 a success. Our only regret is that we could not give a prize to each and every one of you. We hope you will accept our thanks and best wishes for a beautiful spring and a wonderful 2013.

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